I should have taken my mom

An unexpected day off on a non-peak period day, coupled with some great weather, and it's off to Universal Studios, no questions asked! NTUC and DBS discounts make the entrance fees more attractive on days like these. 

This is one of the reasons why we're here... the 'Revenge of the Mummy'! Here we have a decent coaster with something of a story that perpetuates throughout the ride. With pyrotechnics, cool lighting effects and parts of the ride taking place in blackout, it's quite intense for someone queueing up thinking 'thank god, I'm not riding a roller coaster'. Warning signs are all around, so there's no excuse for being unwary.

Our reward for braving and defeating Imhotep... a dandy souvenir snapshot with Queen Nefertitty!

And the real reason why we're here is because of these two bad boys, the BSG Human/Cylon dueling rides! Only the best rides ever -- within the scope of my limited coaster riding experience. The Human side is already quite intense with lots of tight loops to negotiate. But the Cylon side is a suspended coaster which means that every loop and twist is amplified from the riders' pov. We're frequently head-over-heels, facing nothing but cloudy blue sky or hard, unforgiving floor beneath, our breath taken away by the sensation of high-speed flight. In many other theme parks, this one would be the most crowded; but the screams of the brave few were enough to keep most other people away. Only in S'pore, right? Oh well, more for us, then!

So, what else is there for non-thrill seekers to do at USS? Well, there are a number of (yawn) milder rides that are still kinda' fun, though not exactly mind-blowingly so. There are lots of shows to catch, mostly involving singing and dancing costumed mascots that are lively and reasonably entertaining, and there's this: Waterworld. Only two shows a day, with lots of flash-and-bang, collapsing structures, high-speed water shenanigans and rope traversing. It's way more fun to sit in the soak zone 'cos the action is right in your face, as are the water jets, sea-craft spray and the characters' sloshing buckets which they use to motivate audience participation. It's ok, in our climate our clothes dry out in no time.

Oh, I was a little anxious about the crowd situation on an off-peak day. Normally, I am crowd averse but theme parks are exciting only when there are people jostling shoulder-to-shoulder while standing in queues waiting for their turn at the rides. There's nothing sadder than an empty theme park. I shouldn't have worried. The place was packed full of tour groups enough so it sounded noisy and happy, and yet not so much that wait-time was interminably long per ride. Best of both worlds!

HP asked for an assessment of the activities here at USS. I say there's quite enough to do and see for a full day of fun and entertainment for everybody -- just a little more so for coaster freaks. BSG! BSG!