Soft opening for Singapore's Universal Studios theme park

Part of Singapore's $5.25 billion Resorts World Sentosa development, Universal Studios Sentosa transports visitors into a world of Hollywood magic where celebrity culture and movies are celebrated.

Among the many highlights, visitors can travel back in time to the ancient world of Egypt, and the long lost land where dinosaurs come alive.

Fast forward to the future, the theme park features a sci-fi city where visitors can experience inter-galactic battles.

The theme park also includes replicas of hit animated films, showcasing the fairytale world of Shriek, and the dense, tropical jungle of Madagascar.

First visitors to the park on Sunday created an air of buzz and excitement, with several adults admitting they felt as if they had been transported back to their childhoods as the theme park worked its magic.

The roller-coaster rides created the most amount of hype, even though they were not operational during this phased-in opening.

"It would be better if we could get on the rides but I think it looks good so far," said a visitor, adding "we came to take a look first so next time we come, we know what to do."

"I was very amazed because it was quite similar to what I remember when I was in America and it brings back a lot of fond memories," said another visitor.

"We want to have a look and feel of the atmosphere of the place. My husband is quite afraid of the rides so this ticket is a much better buy than buying the full price."

Tickets were priced at $9, and sold out for the eight-day preview period.

Visitors can expect the full experience when Universal Studios Singapore re-opens, with all the rides and shows, next month.

Sunday also marked the opening of Singapore's first casino.

23rd December 2009 - UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE COMING TO LIFE