KIDZANIA KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA

キッザニア . 키자니아

Mom had the opportunity to visit Kidzania Japan when she went on a Japan work trip 2 years ago. When she came back, she told me that it was a fantastic place for kids, and she showed me the Kidzania website and videos to see if I would be interested to visit. And I said YES!


We took the Five Stars coach up to Kuala Lumpur (KL) on Wednesday, and I slept all the way because I had to wake up so early to take the coach. We stayed at Piccolo Hotel because Mom wanted to be near the Bukit Bintang shopping belt (urgh, shopping). We took it easy for the rest of the day so that I will have all the energy for tomorrow.


Getting to Kidzania

We took a taxi from our hotel, and the journey took about 25 mins. The taxi uncle did not turn on the taxi meter, so I think Mom had to pay a fixed rate of RM35. I wondered why the uncle did not turn on the meter like we do here in Singapore, but Mom said that is just how it is in Malaysia.

 

Check-In

Just like at the airport, we "checked-in" to Kidzania at the Air Asia "ticketing counters" on Level 1. Mom showed our advance-purchase tickets, and in return, we each got tagged, and I got a map and a CIMB cheque for 50 kidzos, which is the Kidzania currency.

Ticketing Counter

My first cheque!

My tag - feels like Ben 10

 
Then it's all the way up to the "Immigration Counter" at Level 5 where the uncle scanned our tags before we could go in. Because I have yet to reach 8 years old, Mom must accompany me into Kidzania.

Immigration Counter

Big engine at the entrance!



 

First Stop

 

We head straight to the CIMB bank to cash in my cheque for actual Kidzos dollars. I will need to use this money later to buy food or to pay for certain activities.

 

 

What Do I Wanna Be When I Grow Up?

There are 13 themed areas / occupations, and since I did not have any dream job in mind, I just started with the job location that was nearby. Mom told me to try as much jobs as I can, and to also have a good think about what I wanna be when I grow up. Hmm ...

We met a family with 3 girls who were about my age, and the adults decided that it would be good for the kids to move around and play together. It was fun to have company!

Be a Cashier @ Z Supermarket

We could choose to be a cashier or a customer, and I couldn't wait to volunteer to be the cashier. I've always wanted to play around with those scanners!

Other than learning how to scan the prices for the item, we were also taught some basic customer service skills. For those role-playing as customers, they were given a shopping list and a kiddo supermarket trolley to pick up the items.

 

 

Be a Sushi Chef @ Sushi King Sushi Bar

I had to pay 15 KidZos to take up this job, but since it was near lunchtime, Mom thought that it might be a good idea to make my own lunch. Donning the chef uniform, I joined 5 other kids at the sushi counter to make my own sushi.

 

I must say that my sushi was delicious. Even mom said so.

 

 

 

Get Educated @ Ayam Brand Cooking School

This school was just beside Sushi King, so we headed there next. Since it was a school, I had to pay to be educated.

 

All of us had to put on a uniform and a hat, and we had to wash our hands first before we could handle any food. The teacher taught us how to use the bread cutter to make cute shapes with our bread, and how to make a sardine sandwich. As a souvenir, I got a bread cutter and a sandwich recipe!

 

Be a Hospital Staff @ KPJ Emergency Room
Well, I didn't get to be a hospital staff but I was a patient instead. Neither did I get to drive the ambulance parked outside. At least I earned some KidZos ...

 

Be a Dentist @ Dental Care

We started off by learning about good dental habits, and we got to show off our toothbrush skills as well on the huge teeth model. Then, we gathered around the dental chair to examine our "patient", poking and proding his cavities. Looks like some major work needs to be done!

Be a Doctor @ KPJ Specialist Hospital

It's tough being a doctor ... all the things that need to be worn - the hospital gown, the gloves, the face mask, the shower cap - and I struggled to put them on myself. There are several roles to choose from, and I chose to venture into the Surgery Room.

 

There lies our patient, who was warded because he was a heavy smoker. Oh no, from the readings in the monitors, the situation doesn't look good. We'll need to use the defibrillator, stat.

Be a Painter @ Nippon Paint House Painting

I enjoyed this a lot and we got ourselves all dirty and covered in paint. I told Mom that I can help her paint the walls in future, and she was happy ... that the paint on my hands is washable.

 

Be an Electrician @ TNB Energy Control Centre

I was hoping there would be some game here, but the uncle kept talking about the electricity stuff which I don't understand at all. 5 mins later, with our hard hats on, we went on a mission to change the faulty lightbulb in the street lamp. We took turns to climb up the ladder to turn the street lamp on and off, and it was scary climbing up the tall ladder myself.

 

Mom said something about how many people it takes to change the lightbulb, which I didn't understand.

 

 

Be an Attendant @ BHPetrol Service Station

After seeing the service station uncles do this so many times for Mom when she needs to top up petrol, I finally get to do this myself! Apparently there was some protocol to follow as well.

 

 

Be a Flight Attendant @ Air Asia

Mom asked me to queue at the "Pilot" queue but it was too long so I told Mom I wanted to try and be a flight attendant instead, to her disappointment. It was over quickly, and not as fun as I thought. Maybe I will try to be a pilot the next time, as the sign said something about a flight simulator.

 

Jive @ Disco Lounge

Although I like to dance, this place was a bit of a disappointment. I thought they will teach us some dance steps, but all we did was to play a round of musical chairs. The winner gets some KidZos, while the losers have to pay KidZos. Sigh.

 



  

Check-Out

 

At closing time, after earning all that money, we went back to the CIMB Bank to deposit the money and keep them for my next visit. I wanted to own an ATM card so I had to set aside 50 KidZos in order to get one. This is so cool .... I can just use the ATM machine to withdraw the money that I need the next time!

 

Stay tune for more updates as we plan for our next visit to Kidzania!

  

Notes from Mom

• To get greater value out of your visit, visit on a weekday as you get to enjoy a full-day visit at one price versus half-day sessions on weekends (based on the ticket prices shown online). Even with a full day visit, you would have to plan for at least 2-3 visits

• Highly recommend that you purchase tickets in advance online as there is a limit on the number of visitors each day. Note that there is a surcharge of RM2 for each online transaction 

• Factor in time to queue ... even on a weekday, the park was crowded with students on school trips, and time was spent queuing at most stations. Also, if there are insufficient numbers to start an activity, you may have to wait for other children to join in. The signs outside each activity will give you a good indication.

• There are roving photographers who will take photos of kids in the midst of their activity, and these are for sale at the Sony Photo Lab. Recommend that you have a look because parents are not allowed to follow their kids into the activity areas
• Wifi is available - ask the staff for the password 
• According to the staff, the KidZos can be used in Kidzanias in other countries. Take note that Kidzanias overseas conduct the role-playing in the native language, so unless you are proficient in those languages, it might be better to visit Kidzania Malaysia for now, and then Kidzania Singapore in 2014!

About Kidzania Malaysia

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday                              10am - 5pm
Weekends, School & Public Holidays   AM Session 10am - 3pm
                                                       PM Session  4pm - 9pm
 

Tickets:

Ages: 0 – 1      Free
Ages: 2 – 3      RM 35
Ages: 4 – 17    RM 75
Ages: 18 – 59  RM 50
Ages: 60+       RM 30

Kids under the age of 8 must be accompanied by an adult. Note that it's one kid per adult, ie. if there are 2 kids, there must be 2 adults accompanying.

Rates shown here are for international visitors. Malaysians pay a different and cheaper rate. Identification may be asked!

Location: See here

The Curve shopping mall and IKEA is just next door so you can shop and have dinner there after KidZania closes.