Last month, we randomly decided to bring Ezra to Star City.
What is Star City?
Star City is a popular amusement park in Metro Manila, Philippines. It features over 30 rides and attractions including a funfair (perya) with coin-operated machines and mid-way games.
Where is Star City?
Star City is located in the reclaimed area of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex, part of Bay City. Its complete address is:
CCP Complex, Sotto Corner Jalandoni Street, 1300 Roxas Blvd, Pasay
Okay, so let’s cut the chase. Did we enjoy it there? I would say so, yes. Were the rides worth the entrance fee? I couldn’t say it is or it isn’t because we were not able to go to every ride (and I’ll tell you all about it later). Is it a good place to go with toddlers and young kids? Hmm, yes and no. Again, I’ll tell you all about this later. But, this is what I’m going to say first because this is what urged me to write this blog in the first place:
Not all rides they say are “okay for kids” are really “okay for kids”.
To be more specific, the ever-so-popular Pirate Adventure is NOT for kids. Yeah, taking photos outside may be a good idea but going inside with (a) kid(s)? Please don’t bother.
The reason for this is because this water-based ride features sculptures that are not at all child-friendly. They are, in fact, brutal. I mean, if you consider pirate statues doing things like beheading a person, decapitating a lowly fella, or other creepy pirate portrayals child-friendly, then go. But the fact is, the ride is simply a boat ride that takes you to a place that shows “pirate life” — and I tell you, it’s not a sight for children.
However, Star City is not limited to that. Especially if you’re an adult, you’ll definitely enjoy their other rides like the rollercoaster (Star Flyer) and the white water river ride (Jungle Splash) among many others. For kids, there are other fun rides as well — hello, bump cars, trains, and ball pools. The bottomline is, not all rides are for everyone. Sad thing is, Pirate Adventure is a ride that the Star City management deemed “kid-friendly”. Well, I hope they change that soon.
The Rides & Attractions
To give you a list of all the rides and attractions available in Star City, here it is. Also, like any other theme park, Star City’s rides and attractions come with restrictions. In this list, you will see the height requirements.
The Fees
Here’s an updated list (as of June 2019) of Star City fees/rates/prices:
FOR DISCOUNTED RIDE-ALL-YOU-CAN TICKETS, get them from TravelBook here:
Our Takeaway
Is Star City for everyone? Assuming theme parks are everyone’s cup of tea, YES! There are lots of rides and attraction available for all ages, plus there is a wide variety of food selection everywhere. If you are not into rides, they have fun attractions as well. Our personal favorite is Snow World. I tell you, we spent about half of our time in there! I admit it’s mostly because it was excruciatingly humid outside, but also, Ezra had too fun playing in the “snow”. It was like his happy place. So yeah, adults may find Snow World boring especially if you’ve been to other countries that has winter, but for kids, it would be a “cool place” for them, I suppose.
About bringing younger kids and babies, it’s really up to you. If you’re after the rides then you’ll probably go home a bit dismayed or unfulfilled. But if you just want to go somewhere that’s fun to look at for the kids, Star City is a good option. Also, don’t purchase a RAYC ticket since you won’t be able to go to all rides anyway.
There are other attractions we would’ve wanted to try, too, like the Lazer Blaster and the Scream Adventure 5D Rider. Unfortunately, Ezra’s still too young for them. So those will be 2 of our other reasons to go back to Star City.
Another thing that non-riders or non-thrillseekers would maybe love is the fact that Star City has an amusement area or a funfair (perya-style zone). They also have Divisoria-style stalls (prices, though, are not Divisoria rates but still cheap enough compared to the items in EK and international theme/amusement parks). But, you know, if you decide Star City is not for you, then it’s a good thing it is located in the CCP Complex and is very near:
- CCP National Theater – Open daily except Mondays and weekends (unless there’s a show going on), check out the galleries (Juan Luna Gallery is FREE; and Diwa Gallery which has an entrance fee of only P50)
- MET (Metropolitan Museum of Manila) – a modern museum that highlights the works of Filipino and international artists.
- Upside Down Musem – Spruce up your Instagram feed by posing in an upside down house! This museum offers loads of photo opportunities. Entrance fee is P450.
- Roxas Boulevard – Experience the “new” Manila Bay. Strolling along the baywalk during sunset is highly recommended.
- Robinsons Place Manila – If you are a mall person, Robinsons Place Manila is very near. It is the largest mall Robinsons ever built.
- SM Mall of Asia (MOA) – If you are not satisfied with Rob Manila, you can easily take a cab or a bus to SM MOA. It is one of the largest shopping malls in Asia and the best part is, they have an Amusement Park by the Bay! One of the Phiilppines’ tallest ferris wheel, the SM MOA Eye, can also be found there and I gotta tell, the views from the top is breathtaking!
For more information, visit Star City’s official website: Star City Official
PS: I might upload a video of our Star City experience. (:
Xoxo,
