The Singapore Flyer

To wrap up his month-long visit to Singapore, Tony wanted to take a "flight" on the Singapore Flyer. It's (at least at the moment) the world's largest observation wheel. That moment will end when the Beijing version opens in 2009. Note that it is NOT called a Ferris Wheel and one does not go for a "ride", but rather "takes a flight" which lasts about 30 minutes.
This is to justify the S$29.50 admission fee.
And yes, you can pay more for priority boarding (which includes a guide) or even more for a champagne or cocktail flight.
It's big -- 165m (541') -- in diameter and the view is wonderful. You can see our apartment from the wheel as well as several of the islands of Indonesia. (And you can see the Flyer from our bedroom window.)You ride in these very nice air conditioned cylindrical capsules. The wheel runs continuously so you enter and exit "on the fly". We got lucky and had one all to ourselves. We all agreed that it was probably worth the price as a nice Singapore experience. It also is a good thing to do toward the end of a visit because you'll know the city and can see the various places you've enjoyed during your stay.
They oddly reminded me of the brief period in the mid-1960's when the Dick Tracy comic strip featured the Magnetic Space Coupe.