Day 3

After two days with the family-friendly part of town, it’s now time for the kids to run amok and have fun! And where best to have fun if not the amusement park? I am a total roller coaster junkie, and was super psyched to check out the Battlestar Gallactica ride (which tends to be closed every time I’ve been at Universal Studios… has anyone had that same experience?)

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Universal Studios

• Where to buy tickets
• When to go
• How to get there
• Must-try rides
• Express pass – is it worth it?

Where to buy tickets

You can buy on site and it’ll cost you SGD 74. On the other hand, you can choose to buy online via this link and it’ll only cost you SGD 61 (that’s an 18% savings!). I’ve used Klook twice now, and it’s worked wonderfully each time – so would highly highly recommend to folks!

When to go

• Honestly, you should go during off-peak season. When I went in July, queues per ride were at 15-45mins each. When my family went during Christmas, queues ranged from 30-90 mins each
• On the day itself, go early! The park opens at 10am. Be there before that as there will be a queue to enter. Once in, rush to the Battlestar Gallactica – which is THE RIDE TO TRY. From 10:00 – 11:00, the queues will still be manageable as the late risers / parents with kids haven’t arrived yet. From 11:00 – 16:00, queues will be crazy long – you should use the single rider lanes where available during this time. From 16:00 onwards, queues should be fine again, as families will young kids will have gone home by then

How to get there

• Take the North East Line to the Harbourfront Station
• Walk into the VivoCity Mall and climb to Level 3 of the Mall for the monorail station
• Purchase a monorail ticket, get on, and alight at the Waterfront Station

Must-try rides

• Battlestar Gallactica: Don’t go to Universal Studios if this ride is closed. You have two options here: Cylon and Human. Cylon rocks, Human sucks
• Transformers: The Ride
• Revenge of the Mummy: The Ride
• Rides to try only if you have time:
  • Puss in Boots’ Giant Journey
  • Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure

So, when my friends and I went in July – we managed to ride all of the above several times each (we did Battlestar Gallactica 7x!). Now that’s what I call great value for money

Express Pass – is it worth it?

Purchase only if it meets two conditions: (1) peak season, and (2) it’s a weekend. Can I just say… if you’re going to Universal Studios during the peak season, please try not to go over the weekend? Else you’ll be queuing not just with tourists, but also with locals! That’s tip #1

Now, if you have no choice, and you really only have that weekend to go, and you know it’s peak season… then maybe? But honestly, the Universal Studio rides aren’t THAT great, and an express pass is quite pricey… So if that were the case, I’d say just skip Universal Studios and try again next time

After you’ve had your fill of the fun and games, you can wind down by eating and shopping at Vivo City Mall – which is where the MRT is located as well

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And that’s a wrap for Day 3! For my other days of travel, feel free to click the links below to read more on specific parts of my 6-day Singapore journey:

• Everything you need to know about Singapore as a first-time tourist
• Day 1: Botanic Gardens – Orchard Road
• Day 2: Gardens by the Bay – Marina Bay Sands – Esplanade – Merlion
• Day 4: Chinatown (Buddha Tooth Relic Temple – Chinatown Street Market – Sri Marianman Temple – Bugis)
• Day 5: Hipster and off-the-beaten path (Sultan Mosque – Haji Lane – Tiong Bahru)
• Day 6: Hipster and off-the-beaten path (Haw Par Villas – Japanese Chinese Garden)
• Eating my way through Singapore – top picks!
• Top 5 Recommended Food Souvenirs from Singapore