Universal Studios Singapore – Update 11/2012

With Halloween Horror Nights 2 finally over, the next big thing at Universal Studios Singapore would be the opening of its new dark ride: Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase. Here is the November 2012 park update and photographs from Universal Studios Singapore.

This entry will be updated when new information or content is available. Check back often!

Highlights:

New: Supernova Countdown (2012-2013 New Year’s Eve Party) (Quick jump!)
New: Winter Wonderland at Universal Studios Singapore (Quick jump to photos!)
New: Sesame Street Photo Op Spot (Quick jump to photos!)
New: Big Bird’s Emporium: Additional store signage! (Quick jump to photo!)
New: Revamp of ticket Prices
Hollywood After Party season extended
Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase ride entrance photos
Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase crew uniform photo
Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase ride vehicle (surprises?)
Big Bird’s Emporium store photos (Quick jump to photos!)

New ticket prices

Please refer to this entry for information about the new ticketing information and revised Annual Pass programme

Supernova Countdown 2013 (New Year’s Eve / Countdown Party) event

No official announcements yet, but the park will be open from 10:00AM 31st December 2012 till 1:00AM 1st January 2013, as part of the SUPERNOVA COUNTDOWN Party event. Guests who purchase a ticket for 31st December will be able to stay for the countdown party. All Annual Passholders can enter the park at no charge.

SUPERNOVA COUNTDOWN 2013 will feature street parties at Hollywood and New York, with hits from Adele, Lady Gaga and Michael Buble performed live by international tribute artistes. Some rides and attractions will be open all night.

Supernova Countdown at Universal Studios Singapore – Ticket/Admission Prices
Party Pass (event ticket, good for entry to USS from 5pm): $68 (Adult)

In addition, All-You-Can-Eat and All-You-Can-Drink add-ons are available. Prices will be posted here once they are announced.

Winter Wonderland

This year’s Christmas overlay is known as “Winter Wonderland”. While stage shows are not performed (possibly still in rehearsal), various festive decorations are already put up.

There is also a special snowfall event each day at New York.

It is foam-based faux snow. I’ve experienced this several times at Hollywood zone, and it seems that this snowfall effect works and looks better at New York zone. It feels a lot more magical and many guests enjoy the effect – many smiles and jovial photo moments.

Snowfall schedule varies, but lasts for about 5 minutes. Snow falls at New York zone several times a day, daily, from now till 6th January 2013. Here are some possible snowfall times:
1:00PM, 3:00PM, 5:00PM, 6:45PM
(Check the park’s schedule on your day of visit to be sure!)

Sesame Street Photo Op Spot

A Photo-Op Spot, featuring Big Bird, Cookie Monster and Oscar, has been set up outside the Brown Derby. This is directly opposite the Sesame Street Ride building. The characters’ proportions and expressions look a bit off, in my opinion. Anyway, the crew members here wear very interesting and colourful uniforms, just like the crew for Spaghetti Space Chase.

As usual, you get the park crew to take your photos here for free (with your own camera or smartphone) or purchase photo prints directly.

Big Bird’s Emporium: New signage

With this final piece in place, Big Bird’s Emporium is now complete.

In other news, the outdoor queue for Spaghetti Space Chase has been set up again. Who knows what might happen these days.

Hollywood After Party season extended

Hollywood After Party is a seasonal event, where the park transforms Hollywood into a party zone. It was expected to last until end of September. However, this event is now extended further, with three consecutive party nights to celebrate the Resort World at Sentosa’s Grand Opening on 7th December. Here are the new dates:
NEW DATES: 1 Dec, 7 Dec, 8 Dec, 9 Dec, 15 Dec, 22 Dec, 29 Dec, 5 Jan
Other Upcoming dates: 10 Nov, 24 Nov

Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase ride entrance photos

Let’s take a look at the entrance.

Stroller parking (definitely important for this ride) will be at the right of the entrance.

Here’s a larger shot of the wait time and ride safety information board.

This ride is suspended and simulates a space flight to a faraway planet. The movement of the vehicle includes sudden tilting and acceleration.

Persons with the following conditions should not ride:
Expectant Mothers
Heart Conditions or Abnormal Blood Pressure
Back or Neck Disorders
Motion Sickness or Dizziness
Sensitivity to Strobe Lights
Sensitivity to Fog
Fear of Heights

Surprise! a touch of detail behind the board – the Super Grover “G” emblem.

The height post is also up! For Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase, guests will need to be at least 85cm tall to ride. Children between 85cm to 122cm tall must ride with an accompanying adult. Children taller than 122cm may ride alone.

Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase crew uniform photo

I’ve spotted a crew member wearing the new uniform in the park.

Like all things Sesame Street, the uniform is colourful and vibrant. And there’s also the Super Grover emblem.
Many thanks to the friendly crew member for posing for the photo!

Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase ride entrance vehicle

There were as many as 7 ride vehicles beside Stage 28 – the usual place such vehicles were found. Unlike before, these vehicles were parked “backwards”. It appears that the ride vehicles are themed to Super Grover : being blue, and those lightning bolts at the sides. So yes, Super Grover.

This photo shows a glimpse of the length of the ride vehicles. Each vehicle has seats for guests in two rows. Each row should accommodate only two guests, as there are individual lap bars. VERY INTERESTING: There are (what appears to be) displays for each row. Will there be some interactive element in this ride, or perhaps something will be shown on the screens at certain points of the ride? Please not let this be the simple and static “light-up” screen we see in Transformers: The Ride!

The two grey/blue discs attached to the top of each vehicle are the “eyes”, filled with a ring of lights (16 individual lights, according to Luke). The yellow “funnels” at the back seem to be decorative.

It looks like the seats are attached the sides of the vehicle (the blue parts with a lightning bolt) as one piece. It’s intriguing – why does the sides (or doors) have the extra two-bar railings?

A wild guess: the seats might be able to… tilt. Well, I’m only assuming because the sign at the entrance mentioned “sudden tilting” and I don’t think the entire ride vehicle would tilt, given how the tracks seen so far have angular cross section (not circular, unlike those used for steel roller-coasters to create banking/tilting), and that I feel that the ride vehicle’s overhead wheels cannot support that sort of movement. The entire vehicle attaches from the top mechanical element (which goes onto the tracks) via one steel column.

The ride vehicle’s half-cylinder shape also suggest that the seats may tilt. Another possible clue: There are two of those grey “slots” at the back of the ride vehicle, which might be the support bars for the tilting mechanism. This assumption leaves a bigger problem – what about the seats in front?

Okay, end of random speculation time. I could be completely wrong, anyway.

Who knows – it might be nothing but an additional safety feature because guests may lean to the sides to see more of the ride’s scene. Another question: How do guests easily get in and out of the vehicle, then?

With all the information given so far (and the safety board), I think feel that this ride most likely… take place on a single level, that is somewhat elevated. Perhaps it’ll be like Peter Pan’s flight where the entire ride is elevated (and the “scenes” are below riders, built at a basement). The reason for suspecting that it is only one level is because there are no elevation changes, climbing or lifting – otherwise it will need to be on the safety information board outside the ride.

Big Bird’s Emporium store photos

Big Bird’s Emporium is now open.

And it’s so colourful inside.

It’s a small shop, but should satisfy Sesame Street fans. There’s a section themed to character (just the general look, not the merchandise):

Abby Cadabby

Elmo

Cookie Monster

Big Bird

Grover / Super Grover (yellow for some reason) on the right. Sorry for the bad angle.

Oscar (leads to Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor).

All sorts of plush toys from Sesame Street, including Snuffleupagus.

Lots of nice items, lanyards, cookie tins, sparkly cups, postcards and other stuff.

The ride exit is over here (quite close to the shop’s entrance – the window on the right from outside). There’s also a checkout counter here.

Compared to the Brown Derby, this is a better store (despite the lack of large decorative elements that the other store has) because it’s so much easier to browse.

With this, the park now has Sesame Street merchandise available at:
– It’s a Wrap (Outside Park)
– Universal Studios Singapore Store (Hollywood)
– Souvenir Cart (Hollywood, near the fountain)
– The Brown Derby (Hollywood)
– Big Bird’s Emporium (New York)
– Sesame Street School Bus stall (New York)

That’s a lot of retail presence. Even the merchandising for Transformers was not so pervasive – the park wasn’t joking when they said Sesame Street will be significant. Hopefully, they were serious when it comes to the actual dark ride.

Well, stay tuned! This entry will be updated when new content is available. Be sure to subscribe to dejiki.com or Like our Facebook page for notifications of any updates: