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Genting SkyWorlds

Genting Highlands, Malaysia

“Theme park with a troubled history”

Welcome to Genting Highlands, a leisure resort that’s located approximately 30 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian capital isn’t only known for its Petronas Towers and Batu Caves, but also for its scorching heat. Daytime temperatures reach 30°C year-round. Besides, humidity is often so high that a stroll through the city rather feels like a stroll through an oven. As Genting Highlands’ high altitude creates a considerably more pleasant climate, many Malaysians consider this resort as the perfect destination for their days off. Genting offers multiple hotels, casinos, convention centres and two different theme parks. The Skytropolis Indoor Theme Park didn’t exactly make a lasting impression due to its lackluster ride lineup. The neighbouring Genting SkyWorlds looks a lot more interesting, though. The park opened in 2022 and was built on the location of the former Genting Theme Park, which was closed in 2013.

We can’t talk about this park without mentioning its turbulent past. Transforming the Genting Theme Park into SkyWorlds didn’t go smoothly, to say the least. As many readers probably know, the park was originally named 20th Century Fox World, referring to the film studio of the same name. Park operator Genting had an agreement with 20th Century Fox to create themed lands and attractions inspired by a number of popular films and IPs. However, everything changed when 20th Century Fox was bought by The Walt Disney Company back in 2019. Disney wasn’t too keen on sharing its recently-acquired film rights and the 20th Century Fox name. Lawsuits were filed in both directions, but both parties eventually managed to reach a compromise. Genting had to change the name of the park, but was able to keep using a limited number of IPs.

ROLLER COASTERS

Genting got permission to leave the Ice Age and Rio lands as they were, but all references to Alien vs Predator had to be removed from the park at the last minute. That wasn’t very convenient, knowing that the film inspired quite a large themed area. The former Alien vs Predator land is now known as Andromeda Base, which feels like a slightly darker version of Disney’s Tomorrowland. Andromeda Base is clearly meant to be a haven for thrill seekers, but its largest thrill has been standing but not operating for many years. In fact, the unnamed SFX Coaster hasn’t made a single ride since the park opened. That is partly due to the bankruptcy of Dynamic Attractions, the manufacturer that developed this groundbreaking roller coaster. And although Dynamic Attractions is back on its feet nowadays, it remains unclear whether Genting SkyWorlds’ largest roller coaster will ever be operational. The existing infrastructure of the ride is in bad shape, by the way. The orange tracks look quite dirty and the facade of the large building is in poor condition. Very sad.

As long as the SFX Coaster remains SBNO, the coaster lineup at Genting SkyWorlds consists of two family-friendly credits. One of them runs through an artificial 30-metre-tall mountain peak in the Ice Age section. The ride is called Acorn Adventure and it was built by Beijing Shibaolai Amusement Equipment. This Chinese manufacturer is an established name in the Asian theme park industry, but I wouldn’t say that their attractions feel as safe as the ones we know in Europe and the States. The restraints are rather uncomfortable, the lift hill is extremely noisy and there are kinks in the layout that I wouldn’t expect on a relatively new coaster. Nevertheless, we have a lot of fun on Acorn Adventure. The ride is surprisingly fast and its final curve is downright sensational. Besides, the integration into the snowy mountain landscape was perfectly executed. The theming in the queue and the cute look of the trains deserve praise as well.

Many people seem to dream about a trip to Rio de Janeiro, but it’s not on my personal bucket list. Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure that the Rio-themed land is my favourite place at Genting SkyWorlds. The area is a depiction of the Santa Teresa district and consists of stunning architecture, picturesque fountains and beautiful cobblestone walkways. The land’s signature roller coaster isn’t that impressive, though. Samba Gliders is a suspended coaster, similar to Canopy Flyer at Universal Studios Singapore. But whereas its Singaporean counterpart is beautifully integrated into the natural surroundings, Samba Gliders seriously lacks theming. Due to its short and simple layout, the actual ride experience isn’t anything special either.

DARK RIDES

Genting SkyWorlds has some voids to fill when it comes to roller coasters. The park’s dark ride selection is excellent, though. One of the eye-catchers is Invasion of the Planet of the Apes. I’m immediately surprised by the level of theming, as the queue and the pre-show take place in an excellently themed environment. We then board a trackless dark ride vehicle and set off on a mission to a post-apocalyptic version of San Francisco. The attraction combines real scenery with 3D screens, similar to Universal’s Spider-Man and Transformers attractions. However, the ride’s technology isn’t as high-tech as Universal’s. The vehicles move rather slowly and some of the screens appear too small to really immerse passengers in the story. Consequently, Invasion of the Planet of the Apes isn’t the best dark ride in the world, but it’s entertaining nevertheless.

The most popular ride at Genting SkyWorlds seems to be Ice Age – Expedition Thin Ice. Interestingly, this ride is very similar to the aforementioned Planet of the Apes attraction, albeit in a less serious setting. Again, there is an introductory pre-show, the vehicles are nearly identical, a trackless ride system is used and several scenes rely heavily on screens. By the way, if I have to choose between the two attractions, Expedition Thin Ice gets my preference. In my opinion, the trackless vehicles are used in a clever way and there are more classic dark ride scenes with audio-animatronics. And despite the fact that these animatronics don’t move as smoothly as the ones you’ll find at Disney parks, they do provide a certain depth and storytelling that I often miss in high-tech dark rides. In short, Expedition Thin Ice is an excellent family attraction with a good atmosphere.

Does a Flying Theatre count as a dark ride? If so, I’m happy to include Independence Day – Defiance in this chapter. This attraction invites us on a flight through a futuristic version of Kuala Lumpur, but we are also asked to protect that metropolis from an alien invasion. The pre-show is hosted by a live actor and a creepy animatronic, after which we choose our seats for the main attraction. Flying Theatres are usually used to simulate a calm and relaxing flight over famous landmarks. Independence Day – Defiance, however, proves that the attraction is also perfectly able to tell a more intense story. And it does so in a very compelling way! The movements are flawlessly synchronised to the film and the surprisingly wide screen delivers a very immersive experience. Despite my nonexistent love for science fiction, I have to admit that Independence Day – Defiance is a very solid ride.

WATER RIDES

Is it a dark ride or is it a water ride? Well… Epic Voyage to Moonhaven belongs in both categories. The attraction is based on the 2013 Blue Sky Studios film Epic. Genting SkyWorlds deserves praise for the dark ride section, as it is packed with animatronics and it lasts longer than we expected. Moreover, Voyage to Moonhaven succeeds in telling a story that consists of an introduction, a dramatic twist and a happy ending. And as is often the case with happy endings: they can get you pretty wet. This isn’t just a slow-moving boat ride, but the attraction also includes with two descents. And while neither of these drops are extremely high or thrilling, they do deliver a big splash. Choose your seat wisely or buy a poncho if you prefer not getting wet.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

Genting SkyWorlds has a large selection of bouncing, swinging and twisting flat rides. The Andromeda Base, for instance, is home to Terraform Tower Challenge and Alpha Fighter Pilots, an S&S Combo Tower and a Zamperla Air Race, respectively. The Epic land offers the interactive Hummingbird Flyers and the Central Park area features ESD Global Defender, an Aerobat manufactured by Technical Park. The most stunning flat ride can be found in the Rio section, though. Rio Carnival Chaos is a spinning family attraction similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure. It’s not thrilling at all, but it’s rare to see such an elaborately themed flat ride outside of a Disney theme park. The centrepiece is a giant parade float and the vehicles were also beautifully decorated. With samba echoing through the speakers during every ride, the atmosphere around this ride is cheerful.

One of the park’s most unique attractions is Mad Ramp Peak. Unfortunately, it still hasn’t welcomed its first official riders. Mad Ramp Peak suffers from the same bad luck story as the SFX Coaster. Firstly, this attraction was also delivered by Dynamic Attractions. Secondly, the ride’s original theme had to be changed at the last minute. The latter seems to have happened, but it’s unclear if the actual ride mechanics are ready for an opening in the near future. However, there are some positive signs. Mad Ramp Peak is advertised as ‘coming soon’ on the park’s website and visitors are able to buy attraction merchandising in the souvenir shops. So it seems to me that Genting SkyWorlds still believes in this unusual ride, which will simulate a motorbike ride through a mountainous national park.

WORTH A VISIT?

Genting SkyWorlds is a high-quality theme park. The dark rides perform at a high level and there are a lot of cool flat rides with varying thrill levels. Yet, the most impressive aspect of this park is probably the theming, which is often on par with the things you see at Disney or Universal. The Ice Age and Rio zones, for example, show an incredible attention to detail. And despite the lack of its signature attraction (Mad Ramp Peak), the Californian section is a visual masterpiece, as well. Genting SkyWorlds isn’t perfect, though. The entertainment, for instance, leaves a lot to be desired. We attended the park’s largest show and it turned out to be a childish presentation with dancing characters. Also, we discovered that operations are slow. Stations of attractions are often designed to load multiple vehicles simultaneously, but we never saw the second or third loading platform actually being used. Admittedly, it was very calm during our visit, so we didn’t experience any inconvenience. But I’m curious if the operations improve dramatically during busier days.

Finally, there’s a large void in the attraction lineup, which is clearly visible to guests. The kinetic energy and thrills of Mad Ramp Peak and the SFX Coaster are greatly missed. So, I hope that the ‘coming soon’ sign of Mad Ramp Peak is not an empty promise and that they’ll come up with a long-term plan for Andromeda Base’s state-of-the-art thrill machine. Please Genting SkyWorlds… Try to get those machines running or just tear them down. It’s such a shame to see this park’s limited space taken up by such large, closed rides.

‘Great, but not yet awesome’. I think that this is a fair way to describe Genting SkyWorlds in its 2025 state. It’s a park that, despite regular setbacks, offers an excellent experience. Yet among its many highs, there are unfortunately some lows that can’t be ignored. That’s why I wouldn’t recommend booking a plane ticket to Malaysia right here, right now. Keep a close eye on Genting SkyWorlds, though. If they maintain their existing offerings properly and are finally able to get the missing rides operational, this park will be absolutely amazing in the foreseeable future. And then I’ll be back, that’s a promise.

This article reflects my personal experience at Genting SkyWorlds during a visit in January 2025.