Just 29 days after my last trip to Enchanted Kingdom, I’m back at this Sta. Rosa, Laguna, wonderland with a High School buddy of mine, Ryan.  With fewer people at EK last Saturday (May 21), we got to experience more rides and even managed to win a cute tarsier!  I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Truly, Enchanted Kingdom is the premier theme park in the country.
Happy 10th year anniversary, EK!

Ryan and I met at Landmark where the shuttle bound for EK was waiting to transport its passengers to the theme park. We left at quarter to one and arrived less than an hour later. We first opted to ride the Wheel of Fate and took shots of EK from a bird’s eye point of view. We then  went to one of the newest attractions of the park, the 4D Discovery Theater, which takes the whole cinematic experience to a higher level.

The movie being shown was entitled "Escape from Bane Manor" and we were required to wear special glasses to truly appreaciate the four-dimensional effect. Flying objects seem so lifelike that you just want to stretch your hand and touch them. There were several moments during the movie when your seat would suddenly drop to the ground and when strong gusts of wind and water were shot at you to simulate the appearance of a ghost or whatever was shown onscreen. At one point, mice swarmed all over the floor and you could feel wind and wires being waved at your feet to simulate the furry creatures. At P40 for 15 minutes, I’d definitely recommend that you drop by the 4D Discovery Theater the next time you visit EK.

Our next stop was the Anchor’s Away, which literally took the breath out of me. That was already around 3 PM and we paused to take a break at Jollibee. We then burned off calories at Swan Lake.

By then, we were confident enough to ride the Space Shuttle and during the one and a half minute ride, I had a moment of panic when my bag, which I placed between my feet, suddenly shifted and I thought it had fallen to the ground. The attendant thankfully found it under my seat. Ryan of course explained that it wouldn’t have dropped out because of centifugal force (Arrgh…darn phyics!).

After recovering from the shock of hurtling in the Space Shuttle, we then proceeded to the Rio Grande, where we navigated through 1443 feet of winding water channels and plunged over a 50 foot breathtaking drop.

Since we were quite wet already, we fell in line for the mighty Rio Grande and both of us got extremely wet on the ride. After changing into dry clothes, we ate our dinner at the Amazon Grill and bought for ourselves tumblers of EK for only P50.

If you’re wondering how I got a tarsier, here’s my equation: me + crossbow = tarsier. Ryan and I didn’t do too well during our first attempt at the Safari Shootout but then I remembered the tips I learned while I was still an applicant of the UP Rifle and Pistol Team in UP. By aligning the sights at both ends of the crossbow, I got better control of the crossbow and had a better aim as well.

By my seventh shot at the Shootout, I managed to land my arrow completely inside the star, thus, earning a furry tarsier. I asked Ryan to name my new friend and he suggested Tenten, to represent EK’s ten magical years.

Time flew so fast that we almost didn’t realize that it was already time for the Spettacolo Pirotecnico (Fireworks of Art). We positioned ourselves and waited for the lights, laser and pyrotechnics to begin. It had the same format as before: the speech by the CEO, followed by the breathtaking fireworks and laser show in time to classical music and the appearance of the fascinating mascots of Enchanted Kingdom. Still, I could not help gasp and clap along with the crowd as burst after burst of fireworks lit up the night sky.

I had shot videos of the pyrotechnics as well as a brief one during our ride at the Wheel of Fate using my Smart Amazing Phone. I’ll be posting them in my video blog pretty soon.

As we went home, I joked that Ryan will go back to EK after another seven years (he hadn’t been there since our HS field trip during our senior year). As for me, this Enchanted Kingdom trip - the second time around - is definitely an event worth cherishing.

Click here for my photo album of this trip.