Universal at Singapore?

[nursetina]

We go to Singapore in 11 weeks and are planning a day at universal there. Anyone who has been, do I need to book tickets in advance or buy them there on the day? Also any tips on must dos or how to plan our day ?

[sam_b]

Hi, it's a few years since I was there but you don't have to buy in advance. Universal there isn't huge and it wasn't overly busy when I went (it was January).
Battlestar Galactica was great, as was The Mummy and transformers (which I think is Spider Man ride with a different story).
I don't recall eating anything particularly memorable there...

Whilst in Singapore, please experience the Hawker food markets - the food is amazing - and stay hydrated!
Edited to add that the Zoo and night safari are also great...and gardens by the bay...

[nursetina]

Originally Posted by sam_b

Hi, it's a few years since I was there but you don't have to buy in advance. Universal there isn't huge and it wasn't overly busy when I went (it was January).
Battlestar Galactica was great, as was The Mummy and transformers (which I think is Spider Man ride with a different story).
I don't recall eating anything particularly memorable there...

Whilst in Singapore, please experience the Hawker food markets - the food is amazing - and stay hydrated!
Edited to add that the Zoo and night safari are also great...and gardens by the bay...

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Thank you for info, having never been before it's difficult to know what to prioritise as we are only there for 4 nights. Universal is a must for us, as are gardens by the bay. Hawker food market sounds fab, I will research that a bit more.

[sky13]

When exactly will you be in Singapore? Asking as school holidays start at the end of May in 10 weeks from now so you might be here during the school holidays - if so I'd expect that universal will likely be more crowded than normal... You could consider express passes if it's really crowded the day you are going.

If possible I might look into buying in advance as I've always seen a small queue at the ticket counters at universal. Not sure how long the queue for tickets takes though.

(I live in Singapore so happy to answer any questions about Singapore!)

[nursetina]

Originally Posted by sky13

When exactly will you be in Singapore? Asking as school holidays start at the end of May in 10 weeks from now so you might be here during the school holidays - if so I'd expect that universal will likely be more crowded than normal... You could consider express passes if it's really crowded the day you are going.

If possible I might look into buying in advance as I've always seen a small queue at the ticket counters at universal. Not sure how long the queue for tickets takes though.

(I live in Singapore so happy to answer any questions about Singapore!)

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Thanks sky13, most helpful. We land in Singapore on 3rd June but only there one night then off on a mini cruise. We arrive back on 8th June for 3 nights. Does that includ3 the school holidays? It also covers a weekend so perhaps buying tickets in advance might be beneficial.
I will look at cost of express passes but we've never done that in Florida as we always prepared for the long waits.

What are the best public transport for us to use whilst there to get About? We are staying at copthorne kings hotel, which is near Robertson quay I think. Do you have uber?
We are 4 adults.

[Robblps]

I went last year, we booked this and found it great value for money as it includes Universal Studios.

viator/tours/Singapo...18-5594SINPASS

Its worth checking out for sure

[sky13]

Originally Posted by nursetina

Thanks sky13, most helpful. We land in Singapore on 3rd June but only there one night then off on a mini cruise. We arrive back on 8th June for 3 nights. Does that includ3 the school holidays? It also covers a weekend so perhaps buying tickets in advance might be beneficial.
I will look at cost of express passes but we've never done that in Florida as we always prepared for the long waits.

What are the best public transport for us to use whilst there to get About? We are staying at copthorne kings hotel, which is near Robertson quay I think. Do you have uber?
We are 4 adults.

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Unfortunately that's right in the middle of the school holidays - they start at the end of May and end at the end of June. So it might potentially be busier when you're here. I seem to remember that weekends are generally busier on the whole as well!

Public transport options
- MRT, essentially the underground system. Very easy to use although these days I have downloaded a map onto my phone (mainly as there have been a number of stations added over the last few years and I can't remember where they all are now on the lines). As a bonus, the 3G/4G networks work even when underground on the train!
- Buses
- Taxis - generally cheap and affordable compared to most other major cities
- Uber/Grab - similar ride sharing services, although they also allow you to book taxis as well. I don't think I've ever found Uber/Grab that much cheaper than standard taxis though I have friends who feel that they are cheaper on the whole.
- Walk - a number of places downtown are surprisingly walkable and this might sometimes be faster than taking the MRT. Although then you would need to contend with the heat and the occasional sudden thunderstorm...

If taking the MRT/bus options are
- Pay as you go - so buying a new ticket each time. Which can be cumbersome as this might involve queuing at the ticket machines each time. I think these tickets come with a $1 refundable deposit which means you have to queue again at the ticket machine to get the refund after.
- EZ link card - essentially Oyster card. I think this might involve a nonrefundable deposit of a couple of dollars, but fares are cheaper with this compared to buying a new ticket each time.
(I may be wrong on these as I just keep topping up the EZ link cards I have...)

Google maps works pretty well in Singapore on the whole. I find myself using it in many parts of Singapore that I'm unfamiliar with, or if I'm trying to figure out which stop to get off at on a bus...

Looking at Copthorne King's on a map it looks like unfortunately it is equally far from several nearby MRT stations (Tiong Bahru, Outram Park, Chinatown, Clarke Quay). Google maps tells me it's about a 15 minute walk to Chinatown MRT. Which is definitely doable, but you might find buses/taxis to be more convenient if it's really really hot or raining. (Or, another option is to take a bus to the MRT station then transfer.)

[Cloverlady]

Enjoyed reading this thread.
We are going to Singapore in two weeks! Eeek!
So much wonderful information!

We were considering Universal for our visit, but as we only have 2 full days before getting on a cruise we have sadly decided against it as there is so much else to see, although if we had been staying longer we'd have loved to have gone!

Sky13, can I ask you about jetlag please?
Can we expect to feel badly affected on arrival In Singapore?
(We fly via Dubai leaving the UK in the evening and arrive in Singapore in THEIR evening the next day.)
Thanks!

[sky13]

These days I don't tend to get much jetlag (it's a consequence of working occasional nights and pretty much being tired all the time - last month I flew LHR-SIN landing in Singapore in the evening and was back to work the next morning). I tend to sleep a lot on the plane but find I'm still quite tired when I get to Singapore and so still get a decent amount of sleep that night, and then am awake enough the next morning to go and do a full day of work.

A few years ago when I was still a student (and generally less tired than I currently am!), I seem to remember that flying East was always worse for me for jetlag, so flying LHR-SIN would always feel a little bit harder than flying SIN-LHR...

Have fun in Singapore!

[Cloverlady]

Originally Posted by sky13

Have fun in Singapore!

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Thank you!
We're very excited!