New York

The first area you enter when you get into the Universal Studios is appropriately called Hollywood. We shall leave that for the last entry as that was the exit as well. We decided to take a clockwise turn, and the first stop would be New York.

There were mainly cafes here and cinemas. Cinemas with live and movie shows. Not much in the way of rides, but there were sing-along in the afternoons as well as the main site for the parade. We did not stay until the evening, so missed that.

A long walk, but luckily it was shadedBeware of the pot holesThere were authentic memorabilia here, with diners, true to the American ambiance. You can't help but to wonder if the mob would get you round the next corner. Gift shops aplenty, and it was a nice place to sit down for a coffee and plan for the day.

We decided to breeze through here as the boys were excited about Egypt and the Lost World.

Subway?An authentic-looking yellow cabCinemas at every cornerWhere's next?The next area was the Sci-Fi. The main attraction here was Transformers ride. Unfortunately, Anita was not keen as she is prone to vertigo. That was a shame, as I was really looking forward to this one. It was endorsed by the movie director as well and it was opened to much fanfare last year. If you get to the park, make sure you queue up for this one. I am sure it would be worth it.

Instead, we took the "Accelerator". Mainly we were sat in a cup and flung across the platform. Kid's tolerated that one OK. Next stop …. Egypt!

The Universal Studios

Everyone has been asking me, was the trip to Universal Studios worth it? Of course! Most definitely. I initially had problem convincing my children to go. After all, there was a huge billboard along the MRR2 near my house in Gombak which said, "Sunway Lagoon, Asia's Best Attraction." And they swore by that!

Now, they kept telling me that Universal Studios couldn't be as good. After the trip, they changed their mind.

But, if you don't believe the boy's endorsement, you should go there yourself. It was electric. From the moment you enter the park, the excitement was palpable.

By the main entraceGift shops everywhereTime for a breatherMore photos ......We went there on a Monday. The crowd was apparently lighter, but still a bit more than a typical Monday since it was a public holiday in Malaysia. I could tell that the majority of the visitors - as well as the staffs - were from Malaysia. We got purr tickets beforehand via the internet, so all we had to do was start straight at the entrance queue. We reached there shortly after 10.30 am, and there was already a crowd. Despite that, everything was orderly. The next step was to pick up the park map. They were everywhere and easy to get hold off.

The park was basically devised into 7 areas, all with a unique theme. In the end we spent more time at the Lost World - a Jurassic Park-based attraction - and Far Far Away where Shrek lived. The main dining area was by Hollywood area. 

Rather than dwell on in one long entry, I might as well write on the individual area separately. So, watch this space …..