8 interesting facts about Universal Studios Singapore Battlestar Galactica which made the headlines recently


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Last Updated on 2016-05-19 , 1:43 pm

On 6 Apr 2016, Battlestar Galatica made the headlines again for having a technical glitch, causing guests on the ride to be stuck for 20 minutes while rescuers evacuated them safely at 4pm. But did you know that’s not the first time Battlestar Galatica had a “major technical issue”? Or the fact that the ride underwent redesign over the years?

Here are 10 interesting facts about Universal Studios Singapore Battlestar Galatica you probably didn’t know.

Tallest Roller Coaster in the World
Yes, we’re talking about the entire world. At 14 stories height and filled with stomach-churning twists and turns, feel free to scream your lungs out when you’re on the ride, because everyone else will be doing it too.

The ride lost its license shortly after the park open
Or to be exact, approximately a week after it opens. It’s said that a seat fell from the ride when the crew were doing their morning checks before commencing operations. It was subsequently closed for 11 months to investigate, re-design and re-test before it reopened.

The ‘human’ side used to be scarier than cylon
While the ‘human’ side of the ride has no 360 degree turn, it’s ups-and-downs is enough to bring your heart to your throat. And leave it there for the entire ride. And why we say used to? Because of the next point.

The “human” portion of the ride wasn’t always that secure
If you’ve been on the ride before, you’ll know that the ‘cylon’ portion of the ride has your leg dangling freely while the ‘human’ side of the ride is a conventional roller coaster design. Before you have the current restraints, complete with shoulder pads and all, it used to be a thin bar across your lap. If you think the ride is scary now, think of how it was before.

No one will ever get to feel the “full” thrill of the ride
Sad to say, but in the name of safety, we can no longer enjoy the full potential of the ride. Word on the street goes that in the past before the “seat falling out” incident, the ride took off at full speed from platform. You won’t have time to prepare yourself because from start to end, you’re going at full speed. Now, the roller coaster give a pathetic jerk, then slow down till you reach the edge of the up slope before the entire ride is catapulted up the tracks.

Every crew member is trained in evacuation during ride’s downtime
Yes, everyone knows what to do. Drills are carried out to ensure that everyone knows what to do during downtime, and before crew members can assume the position and it’s responsibility, they have to be signed off by their superiors.

20 minutes isn’t the longest evacuation time we saw before
Okay, this isn’t really a fact, but we saw a comment to the incident, and it seemed like 20 minutes seems to be a big deal. We saw longer, and honestly, we took the ride anyway.

It’s not scary after a while
Okay, we lied in #1. Not everyone will be screaming along with you. Take the ride enough times, and not only do you not scream, you’ll find time to admire the scenery as well. We’re serious. One of our writers, the most cowardly one by the way, took the ride a few times in a row and he didn’t scream after the first few times.