Singapore is 'Disney World in real life', say US influencers. Here's how some Singaporeans reacted

As a kid, everyone wishes that he or she is living in a Disney fairy tale.

But as one grows up, harsh reality sets in and we realise that there is no place for fairy tales in an adult's world. 

That is, unless you happened to be American couple Hudson and Emily. 

As part of their around-the-world trip, the two travel influencers were recently in Singapore soaking in our local sights.

And from what they saw, they said that "Singapore is the real-life Disney World" in a 50-sec clip uploaded to TikTok on Dec 22. 

How so, you ask?

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@hudsonandemily/video/7179604145802939653[/embed]

Well first off, they were impressed by the green architecture present in our city.

Citing the CapitaGreen and Parkroyal Collection Pickering buildings as standout examples, Emily highlighted how our skyscrapers contain gardens “filled with trees”. 

Whereas in the US, she mentioned that such spaces "would probably be corner offices in New York". 

Moving right along, the couple then managed to catch the "elaborate light and water show" Spectra at the Marina Bay Sands. 

Raving about the stunning laser visuals and dancing fountains, they were blown away by the spectacle, saying it "feels like you are in the middle of a Disney Park".

Best part of it all, the nightly light and laser show by Marina Bay Sands didn't even cost them a cent – now that’s a price tag that even Disney World can't beat.

[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@hudsonandemily/video/7180199546398575877?embed_source=121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%3Bnull%3Bembed_m[/embed]

And saving the best for last, the couple stated that Singapore felt like a city that "someone just kind of dreamed up" and "made it happened". 

Hudson and Emily felt that some of our iconic sights border on the edge of the fantastical and have a larger-than-life quality to them – just think the Beast's castle from Beauty and the Beast or King Triton's underwater kingdom in The Little Mermaid.

Some of the local sights that they highlighted include Marina Bay Sands which looks as if you "put a building on top of three other buildings", Gardens by the Bay which seems to marry nature with beautiful visuals and the indoor Rain Vortex at Jewel Changi Airport which seems to be what you get when you "put a huge waterfall in the middle of an airport". 

While Hudson and Emily said Singapore was like "a real-life Disney World", opinions were split among netizens.

While some commenters did get behind the couple's camp, with many writing that they are "proud" of our country, one commenter went as far to credit our first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew for being the visionary that "dream and made it (the city) happen".

Other netizens though, remained sceptical to say the least. 

One comment cited the high cost of living and cheekily said that staying in Singapore "is very expensive, just like staying in Disney World". 

Another commenter added on by saying that with the high costs of living, it was okay to visit Singapore than to be living here. 

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Earlier in the month, a British couple visiting Singapore said that locals might be too polite.

Neil and his wife Sarah explained in their YouTube video that they felt that our politeness is "part of the fabric of the society" and is "an important part of the Singapore way of life". 

Furthermore, they added that Singaporeans "aren't playing at being polite" and that "this is how the people of Singapore really are".

They too, like Hudson and Emily, raved about Changi Airport and Marina Bay Sands.

But they did have some gripes with Singapore – namely the weather, LGBT issues and a desire for a more "culturally appropriate" song for the Gardens by the Bay light show than a track from the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Ah well, guess Disney just can’t please everyone. Just like Singapore. 

ALSO READ: Singapore is 'dirty as f***' and smells 'like garbage': Tourist complains about country, mocks 7-Eleven staff in video

timothywee@asiaone.com

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