We were invited onboard the Sanrio-themed EVA flight this afternoon to see how Hello Kitty and her friends, Dear Daniel, Cinnamonroll, Gudetama, Little Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala), My Melody and Pompompurin travel in style.
Perhaps it was the hype of having to gain permission to enter the the terminals and the curiosity to see what a Sanrio-themed plane looks like, these two reasons prompted us to accept the invitation. Due to the overwhelming response of media participants, we had to wait 1.5 hours in the waiting area before entering the plane, and had only 15 minutes to scope out the plane before they ushered in their passengers on board to fly back to Taiwan.
The plane looks like any others. However, there are touches of Hello Kitty posters on the plane walls, as well as on the accessories like pillows, cups, and menus.
You will even find Hello Kitty and gang welcoming you onboard the plane TV screens and thanking you for flying with them.
You can also purchase Sanrio-themed products as keepsakes from the plane’s shopping menu.
From the plane, we headed to Changi’s Mystical Garden where Hello Kitty and her friends, Dear Daniel, Cinnamonroll, Gudetama, Little Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala), My Melody and Pompompurin will be hanging out from now till Jan 5 next year.
The Mystical Garden features Sanrio characters amid a gazebo and a treehouse topped with the Hello Kitty’s signature ribbon. Aside from being a great backdrop for your Christmas cards or photos, the Mystical Garden is also the location where you can catch the performances of the Sanrio characters and the Drone show, a first of its kind at any airport in Asia.
40 drone “fireflies” creating enchanting formations like snowflakes and a Christmas tree will delight visitors, young and the young at heart. The Drone shows are held daily at 7:30pm and 9pm till 5 January. The gazebo is open from 10am to 10pm daily.
Sanrio Fans – Meet the Characters
From now till 24 December, Sanrio fans can meet and greet with Hello Kitty, Dear Daniel, Cinnamonroll, Gudetama, Little Twin Stars (Kiki and Lala), My Melody and Pompompurin at Changi Airport T3 Departure Hall – Immigration at 4pm and 6pm. Follow this schedule to meet your favourite Sanrio characters:
• Gudetama: 18 and 19 November
• Twin Little Stars: 25 and 26 November
• My Melody: 2 and 3 December
• Cinnamoroll: 9 and 10 December
• Pompompurin: 16 and 17 December
• Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel: 23 and 24 December.
Kawaii Playground @ Changi Terminal 3
While waiting for the performances or the characters, have some fun at the specially curated Kawaii-style games and activities at the T3 Departure Hall check-in row 11. You can win lots of prizes like travel bag, travel towel, luggage tags, stamps, stickers, vouchers and even a 1-metre tall Sanrio character plush toy! (We saw TWO lucky winners who won these huge plushies on the day we visited!)
The Tree House Catcher is fun where you can either be a human crane or the operator. This is a two-person game where one of you operate the “controller”, while the other person IS the “crane” tasked to grab a gift from the gift pool while suspended in mid-air. On the gifts are corresponding pictures where you can redeem your prizes.
Another fun game is the Yoyo Tsuri Fountain where visitors can ‘fish’ for water balloons at the fountain and redeem their prizes at the Gachapon Machine, a mini ferris wheel where players can spin for gifts.
How to play? These games are free for visitors who have made a minimum spending of $30 at the airport. This entitles you to one game and one activity.
If time permits, get a glitter tattoo with sparkly Sanrio designs on your face or body done by professionals. This is available on Fridays (6pm – 10pm) and weekends and public holidays (4pm – 10pm).
Customize your bags using Sanrio stamps on blank tote bags – only 60 will be given out on weekdays and 100 on weekends. First come first served and while stocks last.
For those with young kids, check out the plush toy Christmas Tree in the middle of the departure Hall (T1) as well as the new Sanrio-themed children’s playground, a first in any airport in Southeast Asia, at the Basement 2 (T3).
Go Home With Exclusive Sanrio Characters Collectibles
Bring home these really cute Sanrio plushies. You can buy them at $8.90 when you spend a minimum of $60 at any of the stores in the public area or $120 in the transit area and supermarkets (in a single receipt).
Here are the redemption locations:
| Terminal | Location | Operating Hours |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transit Area: Transit Lounge Central Piazza (beside Simple Eats) | 24 Hours |
| 2 | Transit Area: Transit Lounge Main Event Area (beside Sprint-Cass) | 24 Hours |
| 3 | Transit Area: Transit Lounge North Event Area (in front of Pret-a-Manger) | 24 Hours |
| Public Area: Basement 2 (opposite Milk & Honey) | 7am – 11pm (Monday – Thursday) 7am – 1am (Friday – Sunday, Eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays) |
|
| 4 | Transit Area: Transit Lounge Event Area (in front of Coach) | 24 Hours |
| Public Area: Level 2, Departure Hall (Near Check-in Row 1) | 7am – 11pm daily (including Eve of Public Holidays and Public Holidays) |
Or try your luck at the airport’s lucky draw which you qualify each time you spent $60 at Changi Airport’s participating outlets from 17 Nov to 31 Dec. Each single receipt entitles you to one lucky draw chance in each qualifying period. Changi Rewards members can register at this microsite while non-changi members can register here.
Remember to also check out the set for specially designed postage stamp set featuring the kitty and her friends in Changi’s Mystical Garden. Showcasing all eight characters, the stamp folder set comes with a free Sanrio-themed lanyand. The Sanrio stamp folder can be purchased at Changi Airport T3 B2 Sanrio redemption booth
If you want a great memento for your photo album, a family pic in front of the impressive four-metre tall Hello Kitty topiary at T2’s Departure Hall will do the trick nicely.
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