Ideally, you should be there as soon as the park opens, at 2PM (Weekends). That way, you have dibs on the rides and you're ahead of other people. We arrived around 4PM due to errands and chores so this is the scene at the Main Entrance Hall. We almost turned around when we arrived and saw the buses unloading students, teachers and parents for their field trip. The lines leading to the Main Entrance Hall also gave us nightmares.
Fortunately, they opened more gates but as soon as you get in, it's kind of hard to find where to go since the lines aren't actually visible and you'll just have to trust that you're in the right place. I think it took us around 40 minutes to get through this battlefield :)
Our tickets were for the Ride-All-You-Can promo (P450/person) and at 50% discount we only paid P275 per person. This promo didn't include stand-alone attractions like the Adventure Zone, Star Dome, Scream Avenue, Snow World and Lazer Dome. If you paid full price (P450/person), Star City offers add-on packages if you want to try the other stand-alone attractions mentioned. If you want to try the attractions only, without availing of the Ride-All-You-Can package, that's also possible, you just have to pay an entrance fee and the cost of the attraction.
Once through, we immediately looked for a map to get oriented on where the rides are so we could plan accordingly. From what I saw on their website, there are kiddie rides (for kids who are between 34 to 48 inches), rides for older kids, teens and adults (from 48 inches and above), family rides (with some conditions on the height of the kids who can ride without supervision) and extreme rides (generally for people above 54 inches).
Dylan who is 50 inches met the requirements for the following rides: Top Dancer, Music Express, Bumper Car, Tornado, Jumping Star, Bumper Boat, Viking and Surf Dance.
From our experience, kiddie rides were grouped together for convenience while the rest of the rides were in an easy to follow layout. Extreme rides were understandably outdoors. Star City also recently opened an Annex area for more rides and entertainment for everyone.
Our first ride was the Grand Carousel (FR - Family Ride). We were excited because we all got to ride together and it was fun! :) The horses that we chose were pretty high up :)
Right next to it was the Jumping Star (OK - Older Kid). It didn't have a long line so the kids were able to ride immediately. It was a 2-minute ride.
The kids lined up for the TeleCombat (FR/OK, younger kids need a companion). Waiting time was 10 minutes. Ride was 2 minutes.
Beside the TeleCombat was the Dragon Express (FR). At first, it can be disappointing because of the extremely long lines but if you think about it, every turn can accommodate 40 people (2 people/seat and there are 20 seats), waiting time is relatively fast. We lined up at 5PM, we got to ride it 30 minutes later :) Basically, 600 people rode it before us in 30 minutes hahahaha We were just happy that we got to ride in the front :)
In some cases, you may move up earlier because some people want to ride together and they don't want to get separated when there are no more seats available for some of their party. They then passing up their turn for others.
After, we were able to get in the Dungeon (people 48 inches and up). We thought it was a ride but it was more of an attraction. You had to walk through a dark maze with ghosts, monsters and other creatures popping out to scare you. We got into a bit of trouble here because someone tried to jump the line because there were no attendants watching and guarding the line. It kinda pissed me off and we were staring at them the whole time! Bummer!
Right next to the Dungeon was the Bumper Car Rave (people 48 inches and up). We had a 30 minute wait here but it was worth it. It was fun and the line was fast moving because there were also 20 cars available. Dana and I drove our own cars while Patrick and Dylan shared one. It was exciting. :) Our time was stopped in the middle though because someone removed their seatbelt and the attendants had to rectify the situation. We resumed the ride afterward.
We saw the bumper boats nearby and we also strolled outside to check the other rides. We saw the Star Flyer (ER - Extreme Ride), the Giant Star Wheel (FR) and the Jungle Splash (ER) whose lines were incredibly long.
By now it was 7PM and we paused for dinner and headed back indoors. Though there were a number of food kiosks around and a dining area/food court nearby, we settled for something hot and easy to eat, so we had noodles at Hen Lin at the Ground Floor. Plus, it was the only area where there were seats available hahaha
After dinner, we went back up to the 2nd Floor via the escalators near the Dragon Express. When you reach the 2nd Floor, you'll immediately see the Viking Ride (ER) but we didn't line up for it because the line was extremely long and we didn't want to risk getting dizzy from the ride. There was a section with a lot of kiddie rides past the Wacky Worm (FR).
We went into the Toy Chest (FR) attraction. It was like stepping into a gigantic toy chest where the toys were bigger than you. We were able to take our time inside since there was hardly anyone with us! :)
Outside of the Toy Chest, there were a lot of statues to take pictures with. You just have to be patient especially when there are a lot of people around.
By this time, Patrick and I were becoming drained from all that walking hahha We let the kids go into the Peter Pan attraction on their own while we sat on the benches across it to rest. They didn't take pictures while they were inside.
In another section, we all lined up for the Blizzard ride (OK - people min 54 inches). Despite having an extremely long line, this was one of the rides that we didn't want to miss. Unfortunately, Dylan was below the minimum allowable height so he and I went into the Time Tunnel (FR) while Patrick and Dana waited in line. I think they waited an hour before they were able to ride the Blizzard.
Since we finished the Time Tunnel and they were still in line, Dylan and I continued to explore around the 2nd Floor. This time, we were able to ride the Wacky Worm (FR) together. What's funny was that when it was our turn, we weren't able to sit in front immediately. But the attendants announced that there were 2 seats available. Someone came up but it turned out that the seats were in front! These newcomers didn't want to sit in front so I jumped at the chance and asked if they wanted our seats. So they went into ours and Dylan and I sat in front! woohoo!!
After, we all trooped outside to visit the Star City Annex. It's a relatively new addition to the Star City complex with more rides and attractions for the whole family.
We weren't adventurous enough for the Tornado (ER) and the Star Frisbee (ER) so we settled for the Music Express (OK), which was like a caterpillar except that it moved extremely fast, first going forwards then slowing down and then reversing. It was quite exhilarating! :) We were lucky enough, again, to be in front of the line!
Near it is the entrance to the Adventure Zone. This was a completely separate section and requires additional fees. It offers mini-golf, wall climbing, a zip line and a rope course but it was already late so we'll probably come back in the future :)
Our final ride for the day was the Giant Star Wheel (FR). It was the greatest end for a day of fun. It was slow but it gave you the best views of the whole complex and it gave you an appreciation for just how much you've accomplished for the day. Plus, we were together in one ride, so it was fitting too since we started the day with all of us on one ride too :)
This picture while from the top was well-worth it! :)
As we were leaving the complex, I couldn't help but take a picture of the Main Entrance Hall :) It was already 12 MN when we left :)
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