I know it’s been almost a year since I went to Universal Studios Singapore, but since I have the time now to write this post, I think it’s better late than never, and I hope this review can help you if you plan on going here anytime soon! In this review, I will discuss the different rides I went on, the food I ate, some things to consider when booking, and how I compare it to the other Universal Studios (Hollywood and Japan). Before you read below, make sure to follow me on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook for more content like this, and don’t forget to check out my other Singapore content! For a preview of what to expect, watch the videos below!
About and Location
Universal Studios Singapore was opened in 2010, and it’s the first and only Universal Studios theme park in Southeast Asia! Similar to the other Universal Studios layout, there are familiar faces and different themed zones such as Ancient Egypt, Hollywood, The Lost World (Jurassic Park), Minions, and more. Unfortunately, when I went, some of the rides, such as the Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure and Minions were under construction. Nonetheless, there were some really interesting things to do and enjoy here, such as the exclusive food (which I will talk about below), the full-size replica of Shrek’s castle and even the statues and hieroglyphics are modeled after real Egyptian designs and had input from the production designs of the The Mummy movies. It is smaller than the other Universal Studios, but there is stuff to do and unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to check out their City Walk. Something you should know before you go is that it does get really hot, but there are some shaded areas. Nonetheless, make sure you dress accordingly and wear cool clothing. The theme park is located on Sentosa Island (8 Sentosa Gateway), which is a resort island that also has a casino, aquarium, and luxury hotels. I did see shuttle buses, but we took a Grab taxi from near Orchard Road, which was about a 15-minute drive and it’s about a 9-minute drive from Gardens by the Bay (Supertree Grove).
Tickets
There were issues with getting tickets, I remember, so we had to reach out to get some assistance and full transparency; it was pricey. Each adult express pass was $80 SGD each, and the special ticket to the Naruto Gallery was $83 SGD each. Personally, I don’t think you need an express pass like the other Universal Studios, so if you can get a regular ticket, then best to go with that. With respect to the Naruto Gallery, it did come with a gift (I believe I got a pen and Naruto acrylic stand), but I genuinely think it was severely overpriced.
Attractions
Some of these attractions I grouped together, but I share my brief thoughts on each one.
Far Far Away Kingdom (Shrek)
This was the first place we explored when we arrived in the morning, and thankfully, there were no lines. Literally, it was just my sister and I on the Enchanted Airways ride as we rode the dragon, which was fun and quick. It did remind me of the Hippogriff ride from Harry Potter. The 4-D ride was probably the most hilarious out of all the ones I’ve been on, but also was the most intense because there was an aggressive amount of back and forth where I felt my body shake around. I know they have disclosures in the beginning, and I did go with my parents, and they were fine, but I am not sure if it’s suitable for some. The Puss In Boots’ Giant Journey was interesting because for the most part, it’s really slow and chill, and then suddenly it speeds up. It was also cool to see Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon at the gift shop!
Transformers, Jurassic Park, Ancient Egypt, Hollywood, New York
- Transformers (Sci-Fi City): It’s essentially the same ride in every Universal Studios I have been to, but I will say this is a bit more aggressive. I did think what was cool about this area was that the Transformers area did seem bigger than the other parks, with a great photo opportunity with Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee in his signature yellow Camaro, or you can stand underneath him as well. I personally loved the merchandise here and got these two luggage tags. We also went on the accelerator as a family, which is essentially a spinning cup and that was fun for sure!
- Jurassic Park (Lost World): Unfortunately, the water ride was closed, but I was still able to ride the canopy flyer, which had some good distance but not as much as the flying dinosaur in Japan; still was fun to ride! One thing that annoyed me was that they didn’t apologize when they put the bar down while I was still getting inside. There is a kiddie ride available as well, but something also to note is that there are massive T-rex there, which you can take photos with as a nice memento.
- The Mummy (Ancient Egypt): Similar to Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy is another familiar ride, but it doesn’t lack the pure thrill you get when you ride it. Always recommend it, and if you need something more slow-paced, then go on the treasure hunters ride, which was really slow but calming. Note: This had the longest wait time.
- New York: There isn’t much to do here, but something I genuinely enjoyed was Steven Spielberg’s “Light, Camera, Action!”. You enter a special soundstage and stand in a crowd to watch an explosive demonstration of a movie coming to life, hosted by the legendary director himself. Although it won’t top the Hollywood Tour, this was still really fun and interesting!
- Hollywood: If I am not mistaken, Naruto was here, but there wasn’t much to do either, but you can enjoy the Walk of Fame and see which stars are for real people and which are made up. As you wait, there was a group of dancers that came along and performed with great energy.
Naruto The Gallery
I wanted to talk about this separately since we had to purchase separate tickets for this and it was also a bit secluded from the rest of the park. Unfortunately, this exhibit is closed now, but if you plan on seeing it in Dubai (where it currently is), then I hope this can help!
As someone who never watched or read Naruto (but aware of the character), I really did enjoy this exhibit because it was informative and told the history of the series, the characters, and the work put into making this series a success. I think that it had a walkthrough experience similar to museums and galleries helped you understand and appreciate the history. They also had different screening rooms to watch the anime in great immersive quality sound, and I also appreciated the cool decorations, which are great for photos.
There were also statues at the front of the theme park entrance, but also some displays inside the gallery. They also had a photobooth and dedicated merchandise available, which was still pricey (the pen was $12 SGD and the stand was $25 SGD). I believe the hoodies were over $100, and the t-shirts were around $70. Personally, if it wasn’t covered, then I wouldn’t have gotten it, but I still gave one away. What I really didn’t like about this gift shop was that there was someone who was taking pictures up close of the card and screen when we were going to pay. I was shocked because it was invasive, and when I brought it up to the staff, he mentioned they were a student working on a project, but I told him it’s not appropriate at all, and they stopped, but they never apologized either, which is something I have noticed. Unfortunately, I have noticed poor social and customer service skills in various places of purchase in Singapore.
Food
Something that didn’t disappoint was the food, and truly, in my opinion, it is a highlight for Universal Studios Singapore.
Naruto Gallery Cafe
This was a really cool concept and very spacious. I did find this a quick and easy process, as we were getting this on the go; however, if you would like to sit down, there were a lot of seats available. I loved that they had different themed food, but since I was in a rush, I got the Naurto fries, which are essentially McDonald’s fries down to the shape, but I loved that it was less salty and such a clever way of branding. I also got a Ninja Punch, and they had four different flavours, but I went with the Kakashi Shide, which had a refreshing berry flavour.
Goldilocks (Shrek Waffle)
The one thing I was looking forward to when visiting Universal Studios Singapore was trying the Shrek Waffle. After seeing it in a video, I had to try it, and I am glad it didn’t disappoint. It has a great, fluffy texture with a warm filling inside and looks incredible. You can get it with chocolate sauce for $12, or if you want it served with two scoops of ice cream (recommended), you can get it for $20. Although it is pricey and there is a bit of a wait, I would highly recommend you try this because the waffle is unique and the ice cream is from Ben & Jerry’s. I tried the cookies and cream as well as the berry berry extraordinary, which were both flavourful.
Various
- Cairo Market: Located in Ancient Egypt, this small stall is a great place to get rehydrated in the shade. They had fresh coconut with ample water inside and watermelon (I believe both were $7 each) that tasted great. I also thought it was interesting they had vadai, which is a popular Tamil snack.
- Jungle Bites: Located in the Lost World, I love that they transformed the iconic Jurassic Park jeep into a food stand, and never would I have thought I would get samosas at Universal Studios, but I did! The three veggie samosas came up to $8, and although it was thin, they were still flaky with a good amount of curry potatoes and spice inside. You do have to eat this soon because it’s a bit tedious to carry around, and when I asked for another box to cover, the staff refused rudely.
- Stardots: Located in the Transformers Area, I think I tried the most beautiful and tasty ice cream ever, especially for $10. I featured this in my National Ice Cream Day post last year, and it really is stunning. What makes this ice cream special? Well, there is a great amount of different flavours that intertwine from the charcoal, coconut, and peach soft serves swirling together in the crispy charcoal waffle cone to the generous amount of toppings such as the chocolate chip cookies, the almond chocolate sticks, and sprinkles. It tasted so good, and I loved that it was Bumblebee-themed! Also appreciated how nice the person working here was!
Overall
All in all, although there were some disappointing moments and some rides were not available, I am still happy I went. However, I don’t see myself going again if I am in Singapore. I think it is worth going at least once to experience something new, but I wouldn’t suggest going multiple times unless you can get a really good deal on tickets. There are some unique foods and cool finds in the gift shops, and I forgot where it was applicable, but a staff member did say that you can combine up to three receipts for tax free for up to $100. However, I do think that certain staff members can improve their customer service skills. Nonetheless, I am privileged to have gone here to at least experience it once, but let me know what you think if you do end up going or have gone in the comments below or on social media by following me on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook as I post more travel content!