A Whole Day Is Never Enough When One Visits The Enchanted Kingdom

Braving the Saturday afternoon traffic has never been more worthwhile. Last weekend, we visited the country's premiere theme park – The Enchanted Kingdom and went home very tired but enormously happy. Arriving a little past 3PM, we originally intended to sample the most sought after attractions and leave by 9 Pm. We estimated that 6 hours spent on the best rides, a nice dinner, the fireworks competition and a little souvenir hunting would be more than enough.

Little did we know that we were about to have fun ‘til a few minutes before midnight. Had the park operated beyond that, we would have stayed some more. We probably sampled less than half the park's attraction and plans to go back for more. Needless to say, my previously sprained ankle, which I thought had fully healed, became badly swollen a day after.

A few minutes after the arrival, our little one decided to get into the warpath. In a mini warzone, she ducked, ran and fired a laser rifles with other kids and ended tired, a bit muddied and sweaty but very happy. Later, I saw an extreme paintball shooting range and field where bigger kids and grownups practice and blast at each other, simulating real battles.

(Please click on the photos for full sized views)

Realizing that time travels fast, we grabbed the little kid from a mini obstacle climb and headed for the small roller coaster (roller skaters). It provided an exhilarating 2 minutes of peaks and valleys that were adequately scary for the adventurous soul but short enough for the faint hearted to enjoy.

Being more daredevils more than the normal souls, we next dared the famed roller coaster (Space Shuttle) – the country’s first and only triple loop coaster that is known that turns riders upside down six times – 3 times forward and 3 times backwards. Not only that, it also includes 2 steep climbs and dives in an 11 storey high structure. Hahaha! Despite the seemingly extreme adventure, we had time to laugh at some of those in the crowd who watched in genuine horror, our 8-year-old girl strapped in the front seat.

We also had time to line up and try the bump cars and its water equivalent- the Bump N’ Splash. Having tasted a water ride, we went further by riding a log boat (Jungle Log Jam) that took us to high climbs and steep drops. Yes, we got a bit wet. Now veterans of the Space Shuttle, Log Jam and the Roller Skaters, we dared the Anchors Away. A replica of an ancient ship that simulates a vessel being battered by a strong typhoon. We found to our amazement, that the ride is not inferior by any means.

In between rides, we got henna tattoos, a nice dinner, relaxing massages in the mini jungle spa, indulged in ice cream, enjoined up close entertainment by store magicians and shopped for magician tools.

That night had two added attractions, a “Enchanté the Musical” that we had to because of time constraints and a magnificent fireworks competition that lighted the sky for a couple of hours and provided world class entertainment even to those far away from the 11 hectare facility.

I am still nursing a sprained ankle and I am typing this post while an ice bag is rests over it. The pain gets bad as soon as I get home, after driving through Manila's jam-packed roads. Nonetheless, it is well worth it. Never have we had continuous fun for 9 hours.

This early, we are planning our next trip to Enchanted Kingdom. We will be bringing towels and extra sets of clothes and come early for maximum enjoyment. Other than the best rides, we intend to try kart racing, the all terrain vehicle adventure, watch a show and more.

My last sentence just made me realize that I another day will still be not enough.

Operating Days/Hours: For everyone's information, Enchanted Kingdom opens on Thursdays and Fridays ( 12 noon to 7 pm) and on weekends (11 am to 9pm). On December 20 to January 4, 2009, it will operate from 10 am to midnight (except on Christmas and New Year's Eve, where it will close shop by 7PM).

Here’s how to get to Enchanted kingdom

To free themselves from the hassle of slugging it out through heavy traffic, those who would like to commute to Enchanted Kingdom may opt to avail of itsfree Shuttle service at the parking lot of Glorietta, across the Gold Crest building. For those who will drive from Manila, here are directions on how to get to Enchanted Kingdom: Head towards Sta Rosa Laguna through the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), exit at the Sta Rosa Tollgate and turn left, drive straight past the auto bridge on top of the SLEX, turn right at the first corner and drive straight. You will see the Enchanted Kingdom on your right.

In addition, kids aged 0~19 may come in Halloween costume between October 31 ~ November 2 and get free admissions to the park. If they want to avoid large crowds and long queues, it is best to visit the park on Thursday's and Fridays.

See you there!