Harry Potter in Singapore

What: Harry Potter Exhibition :: ArtScience Museum Site for Harry Potter: The Exhibition
Where: Marina Bay Sands' Artscience Museum, Singapore
Until: September 30, 3012

We couldn't resist taking a flight out to Singapore to view the visiting Harry Potter exhibit at the Marina Bay Sands. Suffice to say, it was a religious experience.

Tickets

Marina Bay Sands' Ticketing Site

You can choose to buy tickets on-site at the venue itself or buy online at the link above. Note that if you buy online, you'll be charged with a 3SGD online booking fee, not to mention conversion rates could turn out higher depending on your credit card. If you choose to buy on-site, prepare 21SGD; 27SGD if you want to avail of the audio guide.

Something else to consider before choosing how to purchase your ticket is also the date of your visit. On a regular weekday, I've been told there isn't much of a crowd so buying on-site is possible, even preferable. However, my husband and I went there last Monday when the Philippines was on holiday in observance of the end of Ramadan. Because Singapore also has a sizable Muslim population, the country was on holiday, too, and, well...

Oh, look. People.

Fortunately, I had gone with the online option so we were able to bypass the long line to get our tickets.

Harry in the Basement

You scan the barcode to activate their turnstile (so hi-tech!) to access the elevators going down where you're met by a floating (*cough*suspended on wires*cough*) Ford Anglia. 

Yes. This one.
(Which Lord Voldemort tweeted today in honor of Rupert Grint's birthday. Happy birthday Ron!)

And then you squee because, OH LOOK IT'S THE HARRY POTTER THE EXHIBITION ENTRANCE!

... and they try to sell you the Exhibition Guide (Recommendation: Buy it IF you were looking forward to taking pics and then felt sad when you found out it's forbidden. It'll serve as an album of photos you wish you took but couldn't. If you opt at first not to buy it, you can change your mind later because they also sell this at the shop at the end of the tour.) 

... and then squee some more because OH MY GOD THAT'S THE SHOP! (Alternately internally shrieking in glee and groaning in terror and anticipation. Your poor poor wallet.)

... now someone comes up to try to sell you the audio guide if you haven't paid for that option yet, or give you the audio guide & teach you how to use it if you have. (Recommendation: Get it IF you don't plan on watching the special features on the DVD/Bluray. Otherwise, you won't hear anything you won't hear eventually. If that makes sense.)

... and then squee some more because OH MY GOSH WE'RE GOING INNNN!!!! 

They'll gather you inside where there's a mini-gallery of movie posters and after that point, no more cameras or you're booted out of Hogwarts!

More pictures below. Don't worry, we took these outside the exhibit area.

Would have been cool if Hedwig had been a real owl though.

Kids having fun with the Ford Anglia. :) 

Yes, Paul and I brought our house robes & wore them in the exhibit!
We asked for permission, of course. The staff said it was ok.
Got quite a few stares and a couple of compliments, too! The scarves we're wearing
 here were ones we bought at the shop but the ones provided as props
at the photo booth area upon entering the exhibit were also red and blue! Perfect.

"Do you hear something?"
"No, do you?"
"I'm not sure... it sounds very near... like it's on top of us..."
"It's probably nothing."

The Shoppe (a.k.a., the Travel Money Vacuum.)

The souvenir store is the closest we can get to any shop in Wizarding World. It's like a mishmash of Diagon Alley/Hogsmeade stores, really, with the popular wands in the middle being sold for about 75SGD each, plastic mini-brooms, notepads, chocolate frogs and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans strewn about, and clothing items on one side with shirts, scarves (40SGD each) and ties (27SGD each). On one shelf, they also have the Marauder's Map, Hermione's time-turner, and her Yule ball jewelry for sale. Husband drooled over the chess set.

My recommendation? If you have to buy JUST ONE item, let it be a scarf. We don't really have those locally -- tropical country and all that -- unless you happen to know someone who can knit and custom-make one for you. And you can use it to spice up your Hogwarts uniform for conventions, Pinoy Harry Potter gatherings, or Halloween.

For something cheaper, get one of the house magnets for 12SGD. :)

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I think that if you could afford the time and the dough, it's a must for any asian Harry Potter fan to view the exhibit, especially since the currently existing HP pilgrimage sites -- the studio tour in London and Wizarding World in Orlando, Florida -- are quite inaccessible. (UNDERSTATEMENT.) Although, if you can't make it, I guess I should mention that they've started construction on a Wizarding World in Universal Studios Osaka, which is set to open in 2014. So, save up!

P.S. Thanks to the people at the Hogwarts Philippines FB group for the advice. :)