Universal Studios Singapore Review

Our Universal Studios Singapore review and guide will help you avoid the worst of the crowds and find all the best things to do inside the theme park.

Universal Studios Singapore Review

Universal Studios Singapore is one of the top family attractions in Singapore, but it can get busy! So use our guide to help you make the most out of your visit. 

About Universal Studios Singapore

Located on Sentosa Island (read our full guide to Sentosa here), this theme park features movie-themed rollercoasters, rides and attractions, in addition to giving you the chance to meet some of your favorite cartoon movie characters.

There are seven different zones to explore at the Sentosa Island Universal Studios: Hollywood, Madagascar, Far Far Away, The Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-Fi City and New York. Each zone features its own themed rides, shows, shops, restaurants and street entertainment.

We have visited the Singapore Universal Studios several times and the whole family has had an absolute blast every time. There is a lot of fun to be had here, and you are pretty much guaranteed to have a great family day out.

Universal Studios Singapore castle

Do take your time though, and plan to spend the whole day here. We once tried to do it in a morning only and it was a huge rush.

The park can get very busy, especially at peak times, and so here we share all our insider tips on the best way to tackle the park with kids.

Our Universal Studios Singapore guide will help you to avoid the worst of the crowds and find all the best things to do in Universal Studios Singapore. Read on for all our best tips to help you get the most out of your trip to Universal Studios Singapore.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a booking or purchase using one of these links, we may receive a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you.

Singapore with Kids book

Buy your Universal Studios Singapore tickets online

Buy your Universal Singapore ticket online before you go to save you queuing for them when you get there.

You can save money (usually around 10%) on the Universal Studios Singapore ticket price by booking online here.

Tips:

  • If you plan to visit more than three times in a year, it is more cost effective to buy a Universal Studios Singapore Annual Pass.
  • If you plan to go twice in a 6-month period, you can buy a Universal Studios Singapore Season Pass, which also works out a good saving off your USS Singapore ticket price.

Click here to buy cheap tickets to Universal Studios Singapore.

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Upgrade to a Universal Studios Singapore Express Pass

If there is one thing that will make a huge difference to your experience, it is buying the Universal Studios Singapore Express tickets.

There is nothing more miserable than standing for ages in a queue with kids, especially in the Singapore heat and humidity.

USS Singapore rides

These Universal Studios Singapore skip the line tickets are available as an Express pass (allows you to skip the queue once on each ride) and an Express Unlimited pass (allows you to skip the line as many times as you like).

You can either buy online or upgrade when you get to the park.

This fast pass does not entitle you to skip the queue at every ride. But most rides are included. Current rides not included are the Canopy Flyer, Treasure Hunter, Magic Potion Spin and Amber Rock Climb.

Take it from me: the Universal Studios Singapore Express Pass price is well worth it.

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Plan your Universal Studios Singapore timings in advance

Universal Studios can get BUSY – with queues for some of the popular rides well over an hour long! However with your USS Singapore express pass mentioned above and some forward planning, you can avoid the worst of the crowds.

First things first – if at all possible, avoid school holidays, public holidays and weekends.

Secondly – get there early. The park only gets busier throughout the day, so if you are there at the Universal Studios Singapore opening time then you will be able to fit in a fair bit before the crowds and queue lines build up.

Universal Studios Singapore activities

The usual Universal Studios Singapore opening hours are 10am – 7pm. However some evenings they stay open until 8pm, with them recently keeping the park open until 10pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Public Holiday eves.

Check the opening times on the Universal Studios Singapore website here for further details.

Plan your route before you set off, so you can ensure you fit in your favourite rides first. Pick up a USS Singapore map at the entrance. You can study this in advance on their website here to get a feel for where the different lands are located.

The park may be relatively small but it gets busy, so having a strategy can be helpful. See our tips below.

Ride the most popular Universal Studios Singapore rides first

As the crowds build up over the day, it is a good idea to try and get around the most popular rides first.

For older kids and thrill seekers, the most popular Universal Singapore rides are (with height restrictions):

  • TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle (102cm)
  • Battlestar Galactica (125cm)
  • Revenge of the Mummy (122cm)
What to see in Universal Studio Singapore

The best rides in Universal Studios Singapore for little kids are (with height restrictions):

  • Madagascar: A Crate Adventure (80cm)
  • Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase (92cm)
  • Canopy Flyer (92cm)
  • King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round (no height restriction)
  • Dino-Soarin (no hand-held infants)
  • Enchanted Airways (92cm)
  • Shrek 4D Adventure (no height restriction)

Note on all rides, children under 122cm must be accompanied by a supervising companion. A height chart is at the entrance turnstile to every ride.

You can see the full Universal Studios Singapore rides list on their website here, together with all the height restrictions.

Universal Studios Singapore Itinerary for small kids

If you are visiting Universal Studios with small kids, we recommend following this tried and tested route:

  • Head straight for Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase in New York as soon as you enter the park, as this queue builds up fast.
  • Next, double back to Madagascar, where you can ride Madagascar: A Crate Adventure and King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round, which are next door to each other.
  • Next up, head towards Far Far Away, where you can ride the Enchanted Airways and Puss in Boots on your way to Shrek 4D Adventure.
  • If your kids are too small to ride Puss in Boots (100cm), then head straight to The Lost World (aka Jurassic Park) to ride the Dino-Soarin and the Canopy Flyer.

You should also try to fit in the Sesame Street Performance in the morning – check the Universal Studios Singapore showtimes on arrival.

Universal Studios Singapore shows

Another tip is to skip the Treasure Hunter ride. This is no longer part of the Universal Studios Singapore fast pass and queues get really long. In my opinion (and that of many others), the ride is just not worth it – it is slow and pretty dull, even for younger kids.

It is also worth heading back to some of the more popular rides later in the day to see how the queues are doing… during a recent visit the Madagascar ride went from a 50-minute wait at around 10.30am to a 5-minute wait at 2pm. 

Make use of the Single Rider Lines

If parents want to try out some of the bigger Universal Studios Singapore roller coasters, consider tag teaming and using the single rider lines.

These go down surprisingly quickly and give mums and dads the chance to ride the big thrill rides, without keeping everybody else waiting.

Other Universal Studios Singapore Attractions

Most people head here to ride the rides, but there are also some Universal Studios Singapore shows worth checking out.

With young kids, don’t miss Elmo’s TV Time. Older kids and adults will love the Lights Camera, Action! and Waterworld shows, both featuring special effects and thrills. You will find several street performances throughout the day too.

Universal Studios Singapore Shreks Castle

There are also meet n greet photo opportunities throughout the park, with some of your favourite TV & movie characters, such as Elmo, Stuart the Minion, Marilyn Monroe and Shrek. Keep a look out for them as you wander around the park.

On certain Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays you might be lucky enough to catch the Universal Studios Singapore parade, the Hollywood Dreams Parade, where all your favourite characters come singing and dancing past you.

The parade route runs from The Lost World to New York – try to get into position early for the best viewing opportunities. Check the Universal Studios Singapore official website calendar here to find out when the parade is running.

Universal Studios Singapore parade
Photo courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa

Other park experiences you might want to check out include the Breakfast with Sesame Street characters and the Universal Studios Singapore VIP tour.

Universal Studios Singapore Restaurants

As with most theme parks, the Universal Studios Singapore food prices can be on the high side.

There are several restaurants to choose from though, such as KT’s Grill House, Loui’s NY Pizza Parlour and Goldilock’s for fried chicken. There’s also a Starbucks for your coffee fix, Fairy Godmother’s Juice Bar and Stardots for soft-serve frozen yoghurt.

USS Singapore restaurants

Our top choice for food at Universal Studios Singapore is Mel’s Drive-in, an American style diner serving dinosaur nuggets, hot dogs, burgers and more. You can find this fast food joint in the Hollywood zone.

If you are looking for options for snacks and/or cheap food in Universal Studios Singapore, you will find several food carts around the park selling corn dogs, popcorn, churros and more.

Another option is to leave the park and head into Resorts World Sentosa for a bigger range of restaurants. If you choose to do this, make sure you get your hand stamped as you exit for re-entry.

Our favourite restaurants in Resorts World Sentosa for a family lunch include Din Tai Fung and Hard Rock Café. You might also want to check out the Malaysian Food Street for some local cuisine.

What to wear in Universal Studios Singapore

Remember that Singapore is hot and humid all year round. Wear light, comfortable clothing in natural fabrics. Shorts and t-shirts with comfortable walking shoes and a pair of sunglasses are ideal.

Inside Universal Studio Singapore

Also consider bringing a change of clothes. You will get wet on some rides, and there are water fountains near the exit, which kids find very tempting to play in.

Also don’t forget to bring water bottles (there are water fountains around the park for refilling them), sunscreen, mosquito repellent, snacks for the kids and an umbrella or rain mac.

Other Universal Studios Singapore Tips

  • Stroller hire is available – head to the office to the right of the entrance.
  • Lockers are available for storing bags/cameras you don’t want to take on the rides.
  • There is a nursing room/baby changing facilities near the entrance by the Annual Pass desk.
  • Free Wi-Fi is available throughout USS. Look for GuestWifi@RWS.

How to get to Universal Studios Singapore

There are several ways to get to Universal Studios Sentosa. A taxi from central Singapore will take around 15 minutes.

If you prefer to travel to the park via public transport, the best way to get to Universal Studios Singapore is to take the MRT to Harbourfront station, and change here to the Sentosa Express monorail to Waterfront Station on Sentosa.

For a more fun mode of transport, you can also take the cable car to Sentosa Island. To get to Universal Studios, you will need to leave the cable car at Imbiah Lookout station and take the Sentosa Express monorail to Waterfront station from here.

Hotels near Universal Studios Singapore

There is no official Universal Studios Singapore hotel but there is a good choice of family hotels in the Resorts World Sentosa complex, within easy walking distance of Universal Studios.

For us the best picks for families are the Festive Hotel and the Hard Rock Hotel.

Festive Hotel

The Festive Hotel is specifically designed for families, with loft beds in their brightly coloured family rooms, and pull-out sofa beds in their Deluxe rooms.

Festive Hotel Singapore
Photo courtesy of Resorts World Sentosa

There are plenty of amenities to make the kids feel at home here, including welcome novelty packs, tailored bathrobes and babysitting. The kids will also love the fun freeform swimming pool boasts a separate kids pool and wet play area.

Click here for more information and to check prices for the Festive Hotel.

Hard Rock Hotel

The Hard Rock Hotel rooms all come with a pull out bed, making it easy to fit the whole family. Those checking into the Rock Star Suites will also enjoy a large living room area and pool-facing balconies.

Kids will love the free-form pool, with its poolside cabanas and sandy beach complete with swaying palms, a full bar and beach volleyball court. Teenagers will appreciate the state-of-the-art entertainment systems.

Click here for more information and to check latest prices for the Hard Rock Hotel.

Shangri-la Rasa Sentosa

Also on Sentosa, but down at the beach is one of the best family hotels in Singapore, thanks to its abundance of family friendly facilities.

This beachfront hotel boasts one of the largest freeform swimming pools in Singapore featuring a children’s pool, water slides and splash pad. Other highlights for families include a fun sea sports centre and a cool kids club with a giant tree-house slide.

Click here for more information and to check latest prices for the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa.

Click here for more recommendations of family hotels in Singapore.

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This post contains affiliate links. If you make a booking or purchase using one of these links, we may receive a small commission – at absolutely no extra cost to you.

6 thoughts on “Universal Studios Singapore Review”

  1. Thanks for these tips. I’ve bookmarked this post for when we visit our friends in Singapore (which will hopefully be soon!)

    Reply

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