By Pang Xue Qiang
Thrill-seekers, take note.
A new Puss In Boots themed roller coaster ride at Universal Studios Singapore is slated for completion by the end of this year.
Called “Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey”, it will be the first roller coaster in the world that is based on DreamWorks Animation’s popular Puss In Boots franchise.
John Hallenbeck, Senior Vice President of Attractions at Resorts World Sentosa, said: “We are excited to expand our collaboration with DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks characters have been popular and the expansion will allow our guests to experience more of Puss In Boots, a franchise beloved by families and youths.”
The new ride – described as “a wild goose chase with Puss and his accomplice, Kitty Soft Paws”, will be an outdoor suspended roller coaster.
It will be located at the “Far Far Away” themed zone – the place with the iconic Shrek castle and the giant magical beanstalk.
On what visitors can expect from the new attraction, Clement Ng, Communications Manager at RWS, said:
“Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey will of course, feature an original storyline.
“The ride will allow guests to experience sensations of flight and anti-gravity. It will also be more thrilling than Canopy Flyer, with a longer ride experience.”
Currently, there is no information on the exact length of ride and speed. Specific details will be unveiled at a later date.
Before the launch of the ride by year-end though, visitors can get a taste of some feline action first: a new Puss In Boots stage show – “The Dance for the Magic Beans” – will open in September.
The 20-minutes show will include a meet-and-greet with Puss and Kitty.
With the addition of Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey, there will be a total of four roller coaster rides at USS – including Revenge of The Mummy, Enchanted Airways and Canopy Flyer.
Mr Hallenbeck said: “The new ride is designed based on the popularity of our other crowd-pleasing suspended coaster.”
Suspended coasters are indeed, crowd-pleasing – a theme park is not complete without physical thrills.
But could Mr Hallenbeck also be referring to the popular Battlestar Galactica roller coaster ride that was suspended?
In April, RWS had said that Battlestar is “unavailable as it undergoes an attraction review”.
The ride has been closed for a year – since July 2013.
“Battlestar was the most thrilling, heart-stopping ride in the entire park. I don’t know if the other attractions can even compare to it,” said Michael Chen, 21. He has been to USS three times.
There is no official statement yet on Battlestar’s fate, but hopefully the new Puss In Boots ride would appease the adrenaline junkies in the meantime.