Hello, Explorers! Last December, Matt from the TDR Explorer team headed to Singapore and visited Universal Studios Singapore for the first time. While there is lots of info online about the other Universal parks, USS is a bit of a mystery, so we thought we’d check it out and report back about our adventure!

Table of Contents

• Tickets and Arriving at the Park
• Attractions
• Entertainment
• Food and Snacks
• Merchandise
• More to do in Singapore

Tickets and Arriving at the Park

Universal Studios Singapore has the reputation of being a pretty small park with big crowds, so we arrived 30 mins before the park opened at 10 a.m. The lines were already building up, but luckily we had booked our tickets ahead of time through Klook and could go straight into the entry line.

If you’re planning a trip, then we recommend buying your ticket through Klook for a discount. It will cost $71, down from $79 SGD ($58.50 down to $52.50 USD) and you can simply scan your phone to enter the park. Use our exclusive code KLKTDREX to get an extra $4 USD off your first order.

GET YOUR USS TICKETS!

Once the park opened, it took us about 10 minutes to get to the gate. We scanned the bar code on our phones and went straight in. Later in the day, the lines for attractions started to build up, but for the first 2 hours, most attractions were below a 40-minute wait, so our early morning was definitely worth it.

Attractions

It’s no surprise that the attractions are Universal Studios Singapore’s strength. We were impressed with the mix of thrill and family rides, and because the lines weren’t too long, we rode some twice!

Battlestar Galactica: Human vs Cylon

To make the most of our early start, we headed straight to the duelling Battlestar Galactica roller coasters. The roller coasters are the biggest thrill rides in the park and have the reputation of being suspended for maintenance quite often, so we figured we’d jump on them first thing.

These coasters have everything: a synchronized launch, different ride vehicles on each version, inversions, and special effects. If you are a fan of the TV show, you’ll want to see the cringe-worthy pep talks from the cast as you wait to board. If the line isn’t too long, ride again after dark.

Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

The regular Jurassic Park ride gets an upgrade. The warnings about getting wet are to be heeded; the new round ride vehicle holds nine people and guarantees you’ll get wet every time you go over a wave. The usual slow climb inside is also gone. Now, there’s a genuinely terrifying elevator straight up into the jaws of a dinosaur before you take the drop and get soaked one last time.

The wait time got up to 3 hours by mid-afternoon. It’s a must ride, but you should try to get there when the Lost World zone opens at 11 a.m. (Check the guide when you enter, as this changes depending on the park’s opening times.)

Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey

I was not expecting to love this ride so much! I’m not a huge fan of the movie, but it was such a good family ride that I couldn’t help but be won over. You board a suspended carriage which takes you on a wild ride through the story of Puss in Boots. There are more thrills than it appears and the giant animatronics set it out from the other roller coasters in the park. We used the single rider line, which took about five minutes and allowed us to avoid 70 minutes wait in the regular queue.

Transformers

This is the first version of the Transformers ride, which opened with the park in 2011. It’s a true “ride the movies’ attraction which features great effects and thrills. The Amazing Spider-Man ride is one of my favourite attractions, so I love this ride for taking the spirit of that ride and applying it to something new. If you haven’t been on the other versions of this attraction, definitely check it out.

Revenge of the Mummy

I’m a big fan of the version in Orlando and wanted to relive the magic/terror. Unfortunately, this version is quite different. The queue through the temple doesn’t include the curse-filled interviews with the cast of the movie. But worse still, the twist from Orlando (you know the one) isn’t included, which meant at the end of the ride I kinda hung around in my seat like a moron. Overall, Revenge of the Mummy was fun but left me wanting a return trip to Florida soon.

Other Attractions

Far Far Away

Who knew that USS has its very own castle?

Let’s pause and talk about the biggest surprise from Universal Studios Singapore, Far Far Away. The Shrek-themed zone, complete with castle, is fantastic! The whole area is undoubtedly the best-themed area of the park, with plenty of fun details and jokes and a sense of people living in the fairy tale world.

As well as the Puss in Boots Giant Journey, Far Far Away has the Shrek 4D show, a Donkey Live! comedy show, Magic Potion Spin kids’ ride, and Dragon Airways.

Entertainment

Universal Studios Singapore has a healthy range of entertainment throughout the year, with some seasonal extras, too. The highlight was undoubtedly the Sesame Street show, Oscar’s Grouchmas (there are different Sesame Street shows through the year). This 20-minute show features everyone’s favourite Sesame Street characters, music, special effects, and a few laughs for grownups, too. The production is a great family show which any young Sesame fans will love.

I was also super excited to return to Waterworld. Universal Studios Singapore’s version is hidden behind the Lost World zone and has all the usual stunts, effects, and lame jokes. The show never fails to make me smile and I’m pretty sure we’re at the point where the vast majority have no idea it was a movie, which is great news.

Food and Snacks

Food was the hardest part of our visit to Universal. The prices are high and the quality varied. We did try a burger at Mel’s Diner, which was okay, but generally stuck to snacks. The Christmas matcha ice cream was really good and helped with 35C (95F) heat.

Just outside the park is the Sentosa Island shopping and dining area, which has a wide selection of Western and Asian restaurants. It is possible to go out and eat there, just be sure to get a stamp on your wrist as you leave the park.

Merchandise

The merchandise at the park is a mixture of the usual Universal globe merchandise and fun character items. We especially liked the range of Gingerbread Man items in Far Far Away.

Although they don’t have an attraction or show, the Minions Mart was by far the most popular shop and there was plenty to choose from, including some great popcorn buckets, as well as Universal Monsters items.

Overall

We loved our day at Universal. There’s a strong selection of attractions, and for theme park fans, the zones have more atmosphere and details than we expected. If you’re travelling to Singapore, then it’s definitely worth checking out.

Other things to do in Singapore…

We were in Singapore for 10 days, so we had plenty of time to check out the different tourist attractions. There are lots to choose from, but we can’t recommend the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and River Safari enough! As well as Universal Studios Singapore, Sentosa Island also has the SEA Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark.

Klook has discounted tickets to all these attractions:

• Singapore Zoo
• Night Safari
• River Safari
• SEA Aquarium
• Adventure Cove Waterpark

Explorer thoughts?

Are you planning a trip to Singapore soon? Would you like to see more information and news about Universal Studios Singapore on TDR Explorer? Let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.