Hey!
I heard you are visiting Singapore soon and I am so thrilled for you to check
out the attractions here! a pity that you only have limited time in your
hands but not to worry, I have done my research on Port Of Lost and I can guarantee that it will definitely fulfil your time here in
Singapore.
Visitor Market
Age
Port
Of Lost Wonder is perfect for you and your family, especially for your younger
sister, Jane. I heard she just turned four and visiting this attraction will
definitely be a treat for her. Port of Lost Wonder is a kids’ club and not to
mention, the first ever kids’ club by the beach. Visitors range from all age
groups, encouraging families to bring their children to enjoy a sunny day out
at the Port Of Lost Wonder. As this attraction caters towards children
specifically 3 to 10 years old, Jane would fit perfectly and find the place
perfect for her age group. The best part is that admission charges only apply
for children 12 years and below so you get to enter for free!
Gender
At
Port Of Lost Wonder, there is no discrimination between boys and girls and
everyone is encouraged to play together and make friends with each other. With
the engaging activities offered, there are many opportunities for the children
to interact and form relationships with each other.
Day Visitors, Staying Visitors, Place of
Residence
Due
to the operating hours of 10am to 6.30pm, the attraction only attracts day
visitors. This includes local Singaporeans and residents who have young
children. Besides attracting the local scene, the Port Of Lost Wonder has
managed to attract visitors from overseas like nearby countries namely Malaysia,
Indonesia and Australia.
Means of Transportation
Visitors
are provided with 4 options of transportation so you get to choose if you want
to take a taxi, Sentosa Monorail Express or Cable Car. You can also rent a car
for your stay and easily park at the carpark just a few feet away from Port Of
Lost Wonder. Beach car park rates apply for both weekdays and weekends at $3
and $5 respectively. The Sentosa Monorail Express costs $4 per person and it
brings you right at the Beach station where the attraction is located. Want to
bring it up a notch? Take the Cable Car for only $26 for adult and $15 for children.
The scenery is sure to captivate and I am sure you will be thrilled to come
back for another ride.
When They Visit
Port
Of Lost Wonder draws throngs of families, especially during the weekends.
Though there are still families who visits the attraction during weekdays, it
is only to avoid the crowd that the attraction faces on weekends. To avoid
disappointment, you are encouraged to purchase tickets online before coming by
as the attraction can only allow a maximum number of children for safety reasons.
Nobody wants the crowd to be too overwhelming and this might even cause danger
to the precious young ones!
Visitor Personality and Lifestyle
Visitors
come from all different paths of life, holding various occupations and bearing
different social statuses. Over the past 2 years since the opening of the
attraction, Port Of Lost Wonder sees a majority of its visitors earning a
higher income than the average Singaporean. The childs' beach club differs from
the rest and feels more luxurious as children can start their membership at a
young age. With their registered membership, they even get a membership card
with their faces on it and get to enjoy many of the privileges and benefits to
their fullest.
Unlike
bringing their children to the typical playground which offers the basic slides
and swings, Port Of Lost Wonder offers so much more being a water playground
that is sure to send children screaming and squealing in delight. Visitors who
bring their children here bear a higher social status, having more money to
spend on their children to ensure their happiness. Afterall, they are all that
matter right?
Motivators
Core Product
There
are only so many things that Port Of Lost Wonder can offer you and the
attraction is sure to provide you and Jane thrill and excitement. With the size
and vibrant colors of the Pirate Ship, you are definitely not going to miss the
sight of it when you first enter. Unlike the other playgrounds, the attraction
is set in a different atmosphere as its main feature is the water playground
specially designed for children only. What a way to bring up the fun level!
Also,
it offers the opportunity to bond with fellow family members and also bond with
other children. While riding the slides, the children can even make friends and
have fun together.
Tangible Product
Just by hearing the attraction name, Port Of
Lost Wonder makes me curious about what the attraction is about and indeed,
there are plenty of interesting events taking place there. The Pirate Ship,
which is the main water playground in the attraction has 3 slides – red, green,
blue running at different speeds. These vibrant colors are sure to attract the
young ones, and perhaps even the adults. There is also the large Pirate Bucket
which sends water pouring out every few minutes. The Pirate Ship is painted on
with vibrant colours and adds on to the cheerful, lively environment which will
definitely boost the mood for the day.
Besides the Pirate Ship, other activities are
planned out for the children and these activities are carried out at 4
different venues – Curiosity Island, Hatch Patch, The Deck, Play Den. The daily
programme schedule is available on their website with different activities
swapped out each day.
Also, the quality of service is the best. Be
greeted by the smiles of the WonderCrew members who ensures that everything
goes smoothly at Port Of Lost Wonder. They take charge of the activities and
guide the children throughout the session and also keeps an eye on the children
at the Pirate Ship so you do not have to worry so much. Not only are they on
guard, they are friendly and enthusiastic so if you have any troubles during
the visit, they will be more than happy to assist you.
Augmented Product
Port Of Lost Wonder brings convenience to
families as it is located near to a car park and this makes it easy for you as
there would be no need to walk too far. The attraction opens from 10am to
6.30pm daily. For lunch, you can dine in at their restaurant, Port Belly which
offers Western food like pasta and pizza and for dinner. There are also nearby
food eateries such as Makansutra Seafood Seeshore where you will be greeted by
endless choices of some of Singapore’s favourite foods. In case you forgot to
bring a towel along, there is a retail shop also known as Just Wonder selling
just about everything you need to be out in the water. The toilet also known as
Nauti Potty is child-friendly and is located in the attraction, yet another
convenience for visitors to clean up the children once they have had enough
fun. The facilities are child-friendly with mini toilet seats and mini sinks.
Intangible Benefits
A visit to the attraction would offer you so
much more than just basking in the sun’s warmth and watching other children
play. You get to tighten the relationship with Jane and what’s more amazing
than sister love? You are also mostly busy with your packed schedule and may
not have a lot of free time to spend with her or your family members so this
definitely serves an opportunity to get some family bonding going on. Also,
while the adults take turns to keep an eye out on her, you can grab some
drinks, catch up with your parents and even rewind back to the old days when
you were a kid and just reminisce with them.
Tangible Benefits
Situated at Palawan Beach, there is nothing
more calming than to be surrounded by nature’s beauty so take a short walk by
the beach and just relax and unwind. It will feel good to get away from the
city once in a while and you will not regret the feeling of sand between your toes.
Also, don’t forget to treat your tastebuds to
a delightful treat at Port Belly. You can even opt for a scenic picnic with
your family with the picnic basket sets. On the other hand, you can bring back
souvenirs exclusive only at Just Wonder, the souvenir shop inside the
attraction.
Service Product
Delivery
Besides the physical product, WonderCrew members
are also involved in producing and delivering the product. They help bring
children’s imagination to life and their uniform resembles a pirate as the main
colours of their uniform comprises of black, white and red in stripes. The main
core product is to ensure that children have the best fun at the attraction and
this is only possible with dedicated, fun-loving and spontaneous WonderCrew
members. Not only are they willing to help families who needs assistance, they
are also well trained in children first aid, child development and psychology. They
also do the POLW Boogie – a funky groovy happy dance moves that is performed to
end the day at the attraction. This gathers all the visitors together and
engages everyone to dance along as well. With a positive attitude, they give
positive vibes to the children providing a lively environment.
Customers
Besides the WonderCrew members, the customers
themselves are also involved in the production process. As a potential visitor,
your main aim when you visit the attraction is to ensure you and your family,
especially Jane have a blast. It stands out from other attractions with only
children from 12 years and under at $10 and $15 on weekdays and weekends
respectively. Accompanying adults do not have to pay entrance fee so you can
bring as many adults along possible to the visit!
Tangibility
As a visitor, you will be allowed to leave the
premises and make a return to the attraction. Since Port Of Lost Wonder is only
a few steps away from the beach, you can go for a picnic and even play ball
games at the beach. What’s nearby is also Makansutra Seafood Seeshore selling
local and comfort Singaporean flavors. Looking for a casual beachfront view?
Take a breather at Bora Bora beach bar playing French and Latin jazz music.
Uncontrollability
However, just like any other outdoor
attraction, weather plays a huge role. It is uncontrollable and might even determine
the children’s experience. In conditions of rainy weather, the Pirate Ship is
closed and outdoor activities are cancelled, gathering children to play at the
play den but not to worry, Port Of Lost Wonder has planned ahead and has many
activities inside for the children. There is even a projector so they can play
a movie whilst waiting for the rain to stop! However, as the play den is quite
small in size, it is hardly going to be able to cater to all the children. For
shelter, it is only available at the Play Den, Port Belly and Celebration
Island tents. This would serve as an unconvenience and discomfort for some
because the situation can get quite hectic in the events of bad weather with
everyone rushing to get shelter.
Also, another that cannot be controlled would
be the number of visitors. As Port of Lost Wonder can only allow a maximum
number of visitors to avoid overcrowding, this will cause disappointment to
those who has to go through a waiting time to enter and this will affect the
total experience for a visitor. The floor of the Pirate Ship is non-slippery to avoid
children from slipping when they run around with their friends. Decks are kept clean and safe with the installation of a system
that filters the water and treats it with chlorine to keep back germs. The
water is also replaced and tested regularly – water samples are tested weekly
to meet the National Environment Agency’s code of practice for swimming pools.
It is closed once a month for cleaning and maintenance and counter and touch
points are well sanitized twice daily.
Determinants of Success
Uniqueness
The attraction stands out from other water
playgrounds with its BBQ Under The Stars, birthday party packages, Curio coins
and various activities offered. BBQ Under The stars is a special event held
every first Saturday of every month. The entrance fees for adults and children
are $35 and $30 respectively and runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. It offers a buffet
spread with appetizers, local dishes and dessert with of course, a barbecued
main course. After dinner, movie is screened at The Deck and visitors can just
lounge and relax with the magnificent view of the sun setting.
Birthday packages are available for birthday
parties to be held at Celebration Island. It is available in 2 packages,
ranging from $899 to $1,300. Below are the full details of the birthday packages.
With every payment of entrance fee, the child
will get Curio coins, a form of money and a port pass for the children.
Children are encouraged to collect these coins so that they can take part in
various activities. With these, they can start making decisions for themselves
at a young age because usually parents would be the ones making those
decisions. With various of activities available at the different venues, these
children will be spoilt for choice as there are a variety for them to choose from.
At Curiosity Island, WonderCrew members guides
the children to grow plants and make friends with little garden animals. They
teach the children to appreciate the beauty of nature. Another activity, Pots
and Planks, consists of growing a plant which teaches children to nurture a
green thumb and develop an interest for nature.
Teach Us Wild is an activity that consists of
interacting with birds and learning about animal and nature topics. Seeing all
the children gather to appreciate the animals almost feels like a mini visit to
the zoo! This is perfect for all ages as adults can also join in the fun.
They even have board games for children aged 5
and above which is very unique, because nowadays, everybody is so consumed with
technology and even children are getting involved. Port Of Lost Wonder offers
children these board games in hopes that they realize fun does not have to mean
playing games on the iPad or iPhone, so it really creates a new experience for
the children since it is such a rare sight nowadays. The board games also
include traditional games so get a blast from the past with the favorites like
Snake and Ladders and Zero Point.
Bubble Party stands out from the other
activities as the activity name speaks for itself – popping bubbles or creating
your favorite character using foam. It’s almost like being in a bathtub with
bubbles, but only bigger and more bubbles and foam!
If the children are tired, they can take a
break from playing in the sun and join the Storytelling Session – be the star
in fantastic stories and help them come to life. This session allows the
children’s imagination to grow and go free.
Competition
With various competitions in Singapore, Port
Of Lost Wonder definitely stands out from the rest. One of the competition is
the Singapore Zoo Rainforest Kidzworld, a popular water playground with
sprayers, rain arches, water flushed slides and jumbo water bucket. Entrance
for the water playground is inclusive in zoo entry - $14 for child, $22 for
adult. It runs from 9am to 5.30pm at Singapore Zoo, Mandai Road.
However, there are no WonderCrew members to
help keep an extra eye on your special babies! With the WonderCrew, you don’t
have to worry about anything because assistance is offered.
Also, Port Of Lost Wonder focuses on children
aged 3 to 10 years old instead of not having a specific target market so this
means that children don’t have to fight with older and bigger kids in the next
age group. As mentioned previously, the slides are also not very steep so it is
very safe even for children at the age of 3. And with the maximum number of
visitors allowed in Port Of Lost Wonder, there is no such thing as overcrowding
so it will not pose as a safety issue.
Unlike the zoo, the attraction offers a
membership at $120 per annum, providing plenty of benefits and privileges of
being a member. The POLW membership does not only offer benefits inside the
attraction, it also offers unlimited complimentary admission into Fort Siloso,
Images of Singapore, Singapore Cable Car, Songs of the Sea, The Merlion and the
Tiger Sky Tower. Discounts are also available for up to two accompanying
adults.
Promotion
To promote itself, Port Of Lost Wonder uses
social media – Facebook and Twitter. As social media is on the rise nowadays,
it helps to attract young parents to the attraction and even update them on the
upcoming events that is yet to take place! Besides that, it is also a platform
for members of the group to share their experience with others by posting
comments and photos.
Impacts
Since the opening of the attraction opened its
door to the public 2 years ago, it has brought much impact to Singapore –
political, economic, social and technological impact.
Political
Water playgrounds have been on the rise over
the past few years and with the opening of Port Of Lost Wonder, there has been
even more situated especially in shopping malls. The water playgrounds caters
more towards the community and does not give off as much of a luxurious feel
and is free for the public. Since the location of Port Of Lost Wonder may be
too far or inconvenient to some, the government’s decision to locate the public
water playgrounds in neighborhood shopping malls is a way of providing the same
type of service to all.
Economic
Economically, Port Of Lost Wonder has helped
to bring revenue to Singapore, mainly Sentosa, attracting local and overseas
visitors. Most visitors from overseas are from nearby countries like Malaysia
and Australia. This provides the government with income through fees and taxes
and also increases visitor spending. With the hype of the attraction, it also
brings hype to other attractions in the island like the Universal Studios and
Sea Aquarium, introducing revenue for the other main attractions, ultimately
bringing revenue to Singapore.
Social
Besides that, it has also impacted Singapore
socially, especially the families with young children. Port Of Lost Wonder is
an addition to many of the other attractions in the country, providing more
forms of entertainment for the people here. It develops pride and appreciation
of the country as Singapore continues to rise to become a tourist attraction
and also increases self-esteem of citizens here.
Technological
Last but not least, it impacts Singapore
technologically. The use of social media has been on the rise nowadays and Port
Of Lost Wonder is not one to miss out on the benefits of it. With the Facebook
and Twitter page, it engages more visitors – locals and tourists, to give
comments and reviews and share their experiences with other visitors. This has
impacted Singapore as more and more people are more tech-savvy and can use the
social media as a platform to share their thoughts and opinions.
I hope I have shared plenty of information and
answered your questions well! I’m sure you will have a wonderful time here in
Singapore and I can’t wait for you to share your experiences with me. Hope to
hear from you again!
