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Jakarta Post

Trans Studio Bandung: The holidays just got better

Hurtling through the air at breakneck speeds, swinging on a giant pendulum above a fantasy city below and then cascading down a waterfall

Fergus Jensen (The Jakarta Post)
Bandung
Fri, July 22, 2011

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Trans Studio Bandung:  The holidays just got better

H

urtling through the air at breakneck speeds, swinging on a giant pendulum above a fantasy city below and then cascading down a waterfall.

Our day started earlier than most as we weaved through traffic to beat the crowds at one of the hottest attractions this holiday season: the new Trans Studio Bandung.

Within half an hour we’d been sky pirates, seen a dozen zombies and crashed an airplane into a crocodile-infested swamp. (And we got wet.)

Stepping back from the experience, we had had a privilege not many park visitors get — a personally guided tour from the park’s creative director, Cipta Croft-Cusworth.

Cipta is enthusiastic but modest given the size of the project. His role has involved managing, coordinating and being responsible for the design and development of the park’s 20-plus rides and attractions — and all with a tight deadline.

You get a sense of the energy that has gone into the park when you go through the turnstiles, and before you know it you’re transported into a different world. This goes beyond flashing lights and gimmicks, and beyond the fascination of a child in a toyshop. As a total experience, the park is captivating. (Not long after we arrived, we were buzzing. Twelve hours later, we were still buzzing.) It is difficult to describe Trans Studio too much without giving anything away, and I admit I had my doubts to begin with, but this was no regular day at the mall.

The park is separated into three zones or “worlds” with each taking on various sub-themes — the Lost City, Studio Central and Magic Corner — with rides loosely suited to each zone. The Lost City is inspired by the adventures of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft and other adventure films. Studio Central is inspired by New York and the golden age of Hollywood, with street show entertainment hosted by Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Charlie Chaplin look-alikes.

Magic Corner is inspired by the world of Old England, Harry Potter and all things mysterious. There are rides geared toward different age groups, ranging from a giant soft play pirate ship for younger park-goers, to a motoGP rollercoaster (which goes from 0 to 120 kilometers per hour in under four seconds) for the older and bolder.

The idea for the theme park started six years ago when the TransCorp. conglomerate (owned by media mogul Chairul Tanjung) saw an opening for the family entertainment industry in Indonesia. Trans Studio Bandung is the second park the company has built and, like its predecessor in Makassar, is based loosely on the shows, films and programs that appear on the Trans TV network. You may recognize characters such as Si Bonang as well as the classic show Dunia Lain, but don’t worry if you don’t — the park is still accessible for people who don’t watch TV.

During our tour we also met Trans Studio’s chief architect Nuku Wirosanjaya who, like our guide Cipta, also seemed very modest, but perhaps this was a case of first-week jitters. Getting the park finished on time challenged Nuku to design around various constraints, he said.

The brief — to replicate iconic architecture from Hollywood, Art Deco New York and elsewhere — had been tricky, he said, particularly given the strict budget. Perhaps adapting to these challenges is what allowed the park’s design team to keep going — not cutting corners, but maximizing the look and feel with the materials and human resources available, while maintaining utmost safety standards.

For the live shows, this has meant recruiting and training teams of dancers, actors and acrobats with enough stamina and stage presence to keep people engaged every day, all day. Most of the ride mechanics were brought in from Germany, Italy and the US, but all the themes and creative storytelling have been created by the Trans Studio development team, with all the fiberglass and amazing facades made in Indonesia.

Trans Corp. has not funded the project entirely on its own, but has sought sponsorship deals with various companies in exchange for their presence in the park.

With the school holiday opening, the park management is not taking any breaks yet. There are plans
to build three more rides and with the crowds the park received in its first weeks, it looks like they will need them.

Trans Studio Bandung offers a new and fun range of quality rides and entertainment within arm’s reach of Jakarta. Grab a friend, strap in and check it out!

Admission to the park is Rp 200,000 on weekends or Rp 150,000 on weekdays, which gives you access to all rides and shows. For an additional Rp 200,000 a VIP pass allows you to jump to the head of every line. For more information, visit www.transstudiobandung.com.

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