Universal Singapore Launches Grand Opening

The Independent: A mixture of stars from both the East and West's entertainment worlds are gathering in Singapore this weekend for the official launch of Asia's first Universal Studios theme park.

The Grand Opening of Universal Studios Singapore - to be held over May 27 and 28 - will see Chinese martial arts superstar Jet Li joined by acclaimed Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung, China's Vicki Zhao Wei, and American singer Paula Abdul for celebrations that will take in a parade, a traditional red carpet walk for the stars and a gala party.

And while Arnold Schwarzenegger was a late withdrawal for the festivities planned - with more pressing matters to deal with on the home front - Universal Studios Singapore is hoping that by revealing such attractions as the Madagascar Ride and the BSG Roller Coaster they'll be able to grab the lion's share of tourists now flocking to the Lion City.

"What excites us is that these superstars bring magic, movies and entertainment to life. And this epitomizes what Universal Studios Singapore is all about," Michael Silver, president of global business development, Universal Parks & Resorts, said in a statement.

Singapore has under the past five years invested heavily in building two massive tourist attractions - Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa, which houses the Universal Studios theme park among other attractions. Both properties also include casinos which last year generated a staggering US$5.1 billion (3.5 billion euros) combined.

Singapore has launched a concentrated effort to lure both Asian and international tourists away from cities such as Hong Kong (which has its own theme parks in Disneyland and Ocean Park) and Macau, which has invested heavily in casinos. The move has been paying off too with Singapore last year welcoming a record 12 million visitors, a year-on-year rise of around 25 percent.

For those wanting to keep up with this weekend's action in Singapore, Universal Studios has set up a Facebook site (www.facebook.com/ResortsWorldatSentosa) which will feature regular updates.

Universal Ponders Wizarding World of Harry Potter Expansion

Los Angeles Times: With the unprecedented success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Studios executives are already wrestling with the question of how and when to expand the perpetually congested 20-acre theme-park-within-a-theme-park at Islands of Adventure in Florida.

Although officials won't discuss specific plans, several signs point to preparations being made for phase two of Wizarding World:

* In January, survey markings that possibly may be mapping out the potential expansion began appearing in the backstage areas behind the Lost Continent, the themed area of the park that was partially taken over to make room for phase one of Wizarding World.

* Visitor questionnaires suggest Universal Studios is considering doubling the size of the themed land within the next year or two to make Wizarding World "twice as big with twice as much everything."

* Universal Studios' licensing contract with Warner Bros. requires the theme park to incorporate elements from the final Harry Potter films, the last of which will open in theaters in July.

Universal Studios Orlando saw a 36% spike in attendance after the opening of Wizarding World in June 2010, drawing an additional 1 million visitors in just three months. During the same period, merchandise sales more than doubled while food sales jumped nearly 60%. Analysts expect the attendance lift and corresponding sales uptick to continue for several years.

The wild popularity of Wizarding World, which has seen shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and hour-long lines just to enter shops, has led to speculation that Universal plans to scrap the rest of the Lost Continent attractions to make room for a phase two expansion of the Potter-verse. Among the most oft-repeated rumored plans:

* Change the "Eighth Voyage of Sinbad" stunt show into a Harry Potter-themed live show.

* Convert the Lost Continent market into Diagon Alley, complete with a Leaky Cauldron restaurant.

* Transform the "Poseidon’s Fury" special effects show into an indoor steel coaster or a dark ride themed to Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

For now though, expanding Wizarding World remains wishful thinking.

Farewell, Jimmy Neutron

Universal Orlando has announced that Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast will be closing on April 1, however the attraction will re-open during limited periods until the the ride is closed permanently on August 18 to make way for a new, exciting attraction.

When Nicktoon Blast closes on April 1, work will immediatley begin on a new attraction based on an "amazing concept".

"The new attraction is just one of many exciting things planned for the next couple of years," says Universal. The theme park did not reveal any other details about the new project, but said they would immediately begin work on it when the Boy Genius ride is closed. Thankfully we'll still have YouTube.