Christmas is just around the corner which means the great carnivals are here. The bright lights of the newly-opened Global Fun Carnival at One Esplanade near the SM Mall of Asia was something I’ve seen while driving along Macapagal Boulevard and I instantly made a mental note to go there with the family before the holidays were over. My prayers must have been heard because one day, the amiable publicist of the theme park contacted me to try out their rides. It was something that made my kids jump with glee and we wasted no time going there.
The Global Fun Carnival occupies a huge 44,000 square meters (four hectares) of space in the reclaimed One Esplanade area. It can be quite a task walking from one area to another. From a distance, the open-air carnival can easily be seen because of the giant Ferris Wheel dominating the background.
Payment of P250 to P300 (depending on the day of the week) entitles guests to a ride-all-you-can package. You get P50 less upon presentation of an SM voucher. As expected of these carnivals, the rides are primarily meant to please the kids and bring loads of family fun. My children had a grand time riding the carousel, the canoe, the mini-octopus, mini-pirate, bumper car , and giant plastic slide among others.
Earlier on, somebody told me of how most of the equipment came from Europe. The rides are electronically-controlled and not operated manually.Parents like me would naturally want to know how safe the rides are, if we are to have the confidence in leaving our kids literally hanging in mid-air. I was glad to know that the rides conform with international safety standards (otherwise it wouldn’t have been allowed to operate at all).
It was just too bad that since I was alone with my kids I wasn’t able to try out the more thrilling rides. I’ve tried them though in other theme parks before and vowed never to do so again…. whew! 😛 Among the “adult attractions” in Global Fun Carnival are the G Force, the Flipper, the Ranger, Space Traveller and Wave Swinger. A friend of mine who tried them the previous night described them as “really scary.” Well I guess for some people, the scarier, the better. Better to come as a big group or as a couple in this case.
Fresh from our Nickelodeon Halloween Party where the kids and I had fun negotiating through The Screaming Room, we were thrilled to pieces again entering the various “horror houses” of the Global Fun Carnival such as The Pharaoh, The Pirates, Jurassic Park and the Mortuary. Entering these spots entail a separate price of P60 and I would advice that you choose only one of them at the risk of depleting your funds.
The carnival also has game booths where you can win a stuffed toy or two. You have to shell out a minimum of P50 in exchange for 10 tokens.
Overall fun rating: Nine out of ten.
But then again, being child-like and having fun is priceless 😛
I remember going with my friends to the Haunted House at SM North in the 1990s. We emerged shrieking and laughing. Nakakaaliw yung walk through more than the ones where you ride through it.
But I guess if you enter too many haunted houses, nawawala na ang thrill Dr. Em. But then again you never know what awaits you around the bend..awoooooo! hehe…
ohhh i wanna go. actually texted my cousins yesterday to ask them when they’re free to go. excited 😀
scared ako pero…i want to try. 😀
The adult rides are quite scary but there are some things you gotta do at least once in your life Lizeth 😛