Childhood dreams come alive at Changi Airport this Christmas

SINGAPORE, 14 November 2013 – This festive season, Changi Airport fulfils the childhood dreams of the young and the young-at-heart by bringing Santa Claus – and his village – to the heart of Terminal 3.  Cartoon superstar SpongeBob SquarePants will also surface from under the sea to partake in the festivities, opening his Pineapple House to add a dimension of fantasy to Changi Airport’s Christmas festivities. 

Located just before Departure Immigration at Terminal 3, SpongeBob’s Pineapple House – which stands at a towering 11 metres – is a sight to behold.  From 15 November, during show times[1], visitors to the Christmas village can power SpongeBob’s Pineapple House to life by peddling on Santa's sleigh and triggering the special effects of lights, sounds, scent and even smoke bubbles. Within the house lies SpongeBob’s bedroom, where guests increase in size as they walk from one end to the other through an optical illusion.

The excitement continues in the log house where Father Christmas lives.  Be awed by Santa’s toy treasures, such as his mechanical toy train, vintage propeller plane, giant teddy bear and hot air balloons.  From 21 November to 26 December, visitors will have the rare opportunity to meet Santa[2], at a cosy fireplace where he shares his life story and his home country, Finland.  Those curious about his workplace can peep into in his mail room, where they pen Christmas wishes on postcards and be delighted with surprises from Santa. 

Dazzling decorations and performances

On top of the galore of fun-filled activities, Changi Airport will be decked out in vibrant and spectacular displays, featuring massive topiaries of famous landmarks from across the world such as The Leaning Tower of Pisa, St Basil's Cathedral, the Colosseum in Rome and the Turkey's fabled Trojan Horse.  At these displays, visitors can read more about the destinations, hopefully giving them inspiration for their next holiday destination.  Along Airport Boulevard, visitors will be greeted with the beautiful sight of shimmering reindeers and Christmas decorations donning the trees lining the boulevard, adding extra magic to the festive season. 

To spread the holiday cheer, roving carollers and stilt walkers will delight passengers and airport visitors across the airport on weekends with performances.  On 21 December, award-winning Ministry of Bellz – Singapore’s only independent community handbell ensemble – will make attempt to make history in the Singapore Book of Records, by delivering a non-stop, 24-hour hand-bells performance.

Activities Galore for the little ones

Changi Airport is promising a bubbly ‘underwater’ fun for the little ones this year.  At Terminal 3’s Departure Hall Row 11, a bouncy playground[3] mimicking SpongeBob’s underwater town, the ‘Bikini Bottom’, has taken root.  Touted to be the biggest SpongeBob inflatable playground in Singapore, the nine-metre high playground features a ball pit, maze and a slide.  Toddlers can also have a jolly time at the merry-go-round and take photographs at the SpongeBob Photo Booth.  

Collectors can look forward to the full range of plush toys featuring SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends.  Shoppers and diners can purchase each of the six plush toys for S$3 when they spend a minimum of S$60 in Changi Airport’s public areas (S$80 in supermarkets), and S$100 in the transit areas. A new character will be launched for redemption at public areas each week, while shoppers in the transit area can choose from all 6 characters, while stocks last.  In addition, the first 1,000 Changi Rewards members who earn 1,200 points during the promotion period can redeem a full set of 6 characters for free.    

Celebrating the Season of Giving

Christmas is also a season of giving and this year, passengers and visitors at Changi Airport have the opportunity to make this festive season a special one for the disadvantaged.  Two charity booths at the Terminal 3 Departure Hall and Departure Transit Lounge will each house a Christmas tree, where 500 handwritten wishes from students of Northlight Secondary School – a beneficiary of Changi Foundation – will hang from. Samaritans can adopt these wishes by donating S$20, which will be used to buy books, shoes, groceries and other items wished for by the students. 

Spreading Christmas cheers Online

At the same time, netizens can spread the Christmas cheer to their friends across the globe through cyberspace, by sending SpongeBob greeting cards, with the chance to own a full set of SpongeBob SquarePants plush toys [4]. 

For more information on the 2013 Christmas celebrations at Changi Airport, please visit

www.changiairport.com/ChangiXmas2013.   
Footnotes:

[1] There are seven shows daily, at 1pm, 3pm and hourly from 5pm to 9pm.

[2] Santa Claus will be in his log house from 21 November to 26 December, from 3pm to 9pm daily.

[3] Opens daily from noon to 10pm. To access the playground, simply present any single-day receipt with a minimum spend of $20 or $15 for Changi Rewards members. Every $15/$20 spend allows a single entry, capped at a maximum of five entries per receipt. [4] A full set of SpongeBob SquarePants plush toys will be given daily from 15 November to 24 December.