Universal Studios Singapore
When booking tickets for Universal Studios Singapore, you have the option to add an express pass to your admission ticket. You can purchase them either online or at the park, but we chose to buy ours online for convenience through Klook. This made the booking process smooth and quick, which helped us skip the ticket counter lines and get straight to the fun!
New York City
New York City is a great way to get a small glimpse of the real New York. I grew up in New York, so being here after living in Asia for so long is really nostalgic. As you look around, you’ll see older brick apartments and little “local businesses” that add to the vibe. If you’re a huge fan of Sesame Street, this is the place to meet the characters. You can also check out some fun special effects, and of course, grab a great slice of pizza while you’re there.
Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase
We started off with Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase. We both have nostalgia from our childhood for the characters, and the queue was only 15 minutes. It’s a dark ride with a storyline where Elmo and Super Grover go to space to rescue stolen spaghetti. Together, we help stop Macaroni the Merciless and his henchmen from stealing the spaghetti. Pretty straightforward plot, but very cute.
The queue line for the ride is so cute! There are little details and funny stories on the notice board that made us laugh. At the end of the queue, you finally get into a rocket ship and blast off into space. I really enjoyed this ride, it was adorable and much easier for me to handle since it was very calm on the thrill scale. I liked it so much, I rode it twice.
Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg
Lights! Camera! Action! Hosted by Steven Spielberg is an indoor soundstage show where you get to experience the magic of special effects. It’s one of two experiences located in the New York City area of the park. You’ll step into what looks like an old boathouse and watch as a hurricane hits New York City. It was fascinating to see how they portray natural disasters in movies and everything that goes into creating just one dramatic scene. The show is pretty short, and sometimes the queue is too. If you’ve got some extra time, I definitely recommend checking it out!
Me Want Cookie!
If you know anything about Sesame Street and hear the word “cookie”, you know Cookie Monster can’t be far. Me Want Cookie is an ice cream and cookie stand in New York, and it’s full of fun cookie-inspired gelato flavors. Since it was so hot that day in Singapore, gelato was the perfect way to beat the summer heat. We went with the Nasty Monster gelato topped with cookie crumbs. It had a creamy cookies-and-cream flavor with crunchy cookie bits on top. Singapore is known for amazing food, but we had low hopes for amusement park ice cream. Thankfully, it was really delicious! We still think it’s one of our favorite desserts we’ve ever had at an amusement park.
Sesame Street Meet & Greet
Continuing our journey down nostalgia lane in New York City, you can line up and meet the iconic characters of Sesame Street. The lineup can change, but appearances often include Elmo, Big Bird, Abby Cadabby, Bert, Ernie, Grover, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and Count von Count. We had the chance to meet Elmo, Bert, and Ernie. They were so friendly, and honestly, we felt like kids again interacting with them. We did make Bert and Ernie a little sad, though since we were wearing a Universal Studios headband with Elmo and Cookie Monster on it. Sorry Bert and Ernie, we love you too! Michael had his GoPro out, and all the characters excitedly jumped for the camera while he was recording. It was really cute.
I actually went to Sesame Place in Philadelphia as a kid with my aunt. Getting to take pictures with the characters again was a really special memory for me. It’s crazy to see that these characters still have lasting impact all these years later.
Sci Fi City
Sci-Fi City welcomes you to a future-retro themed world, where everything moves at a fast pace. Here, you can find the action with popular franchises like Transformers and Battlestar Galactica. The area features a thrilling Transformers 3D dark ride, intense spinning ride, and massive Battlestar Galactica dueling roller coasters. If you’re a thrill-seeker who lives for adrenaline, this is definitely the area of the park for you.
Transformers: The Ride-3D
Transformers: The Ride–3D is a 3D simulator dark ride. This was by far the longest queue for us, clocking in at about an hour. I am not the biggest fan of thrill and adrenaline rides, so I still wonder how I ended up on this one. We got into Evac, an Autobot made specifically for this ride. We weren’t prepared, because we were taken on a wild ride, flying and driving through the city. During the experience, you team up with Optimus Prime and the Autobots to fight evil.
I’d never been on a 3D ride that felt this realistic. My mind was completely tricked as we moved through the story. There are moments we really felt like we were driving a hundred miles an hour, even though we were barely moving. It’s a very well done ride, but if you’re anything like me and have a fear of heights or intense rides, it’s probably safer to skip this one.
The Lost World
Step into the prehistoric era and come face-to-face with dinosaurs! If you’re a Jurassic Park fan, you won’t want to miss this. From towering Velociraptor to herds of gentle herbivores, the world of dinosaurs comes to life all around you. It’s a thrilling adventure that feels like stepping straight into the movie.
Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure
Jurassic Park Rapids is an outdoor river raft ride where you drift through wild rapids, while trying not to get eaten by dinosaurs. This is definitely a wet ride! They sell ponchos and offer locker rentals nearby. I highly recommend using a locker because you will get wet and not just a splash, but decently damp.
The queue was on the shorter side, so we added it to our list. We hopped into the raft and made our way through Jurassic Park. We both really enjoyed it and were honestly surprised by how fun it was. No spoilers, but it’s definitely a great way to cool off from the Singaporean heat!
Far Far Away
Far Far Away is the place to live out your fairy tale dreams, with a slightly more fun (and hilarious) twist. Step into the whimsical world of Shrek, where you’ll meet ogres, fly with dragons, and hang out with a very talkative donkey. With roller coasters, magic potions, and plenty of adventure, there’s something for everyone in this enchanted kingdom. Your happily ever after awaits!
Shrek 4-D Adventure
Shrek 4-D Adventure is an indoor 4-D show where you get to join Shrek and Donkey on Shrek’s honeymoon adventure. Before entering the theater, you’ll receive your 3-D glasses and find your seat. Once the story begins, you’re right there with them on a mission to save Princess Fiona. It’s a really fun experience, you get to feel, smell, and see all the details come to life in a way that pulls you right into the story.
I’ve seen all the Shrek movies, so I was already familiar with the characters and backstories. Michael, on the other hand, had never seen Shrek before, so he was a bit confused at first, but he still enjoyed the show and thought it was really well done.
Final Thoughts
Since we were short on time, we didn’t get to fully explore Universal Studios Singapore, we definitely only scratched the surface. There are so many more rides and experiences to check out, including the new Minion Land which was completed after our visit. Even though it’s the smallest Universal Studios park, we had such a great time. Hopefully, next time we’ll get to ride more attractions and try even more of the food! Until next time, Universal Studios Singapore, thanks for the memories!
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