USS Trick or Thrills event highlights: After Dark, DIE-ning with The Dead, Universal Monsters Scream Alley, and It’s Showtime Premium Experience

See the highlights of the Trick or Thrills event and its After Dark experience – the 2021 Day and Night Halloween event at Universal Studios Singapore: DIE-ning with The Dead, Universal Monsters Scream Alley, Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition, and many updated Halloween Meet & Greets!

Trick or Thrills 2021 Halloween event

From now till 7 November 2021, Universal Studios Singapore is holding Trick or Thrills, a Halloween event similar to last year’s Halloween Fun for Everyone. Trick or Thrills is also a day and night Halloween event on Fridays and Saturdays where guests can enjoy extended park hours till 10PM. An evening admission option is offered for guests visiting the park from 6PM on these days.

Update (21 October): USS It’s Showtime Premium Experience

Universal Studios Singapore’s It’s Showtime, a new park programme, appears to be launching soon with preparations or the event scheduled on the following dates: 24, 31 October and 7 November. On these days, the park will be open from 10AM till 4PM, with It’s Showtime programme happening from 4:30PM to 9PM. It’s Showtime has been described on Klook and RWS websites as a “USS Premium Experience”, so it is a separately-ticketed event that is NOT included with the standard park ticket that is valid for entry from 10AM on these dates.

Find out more about It’s Showtime! here.

2021 Halloween Meet & Greets at Universal Studios Singapore

The new ‘Pumpkin Patch’ stage at Hollywood will host 3 different Meet & Greets.

*Note: Meet & Greet sessions subject to change, please refer to Times Board or the USS App during your park visit.

Despicable Me: Tricks & Treats

Agnes, Margo and Edith – Gru’s Daughters from Despicable Me series – are wearing new outfits for Halloween!

With safe distancing rules still in place – all guests must keep masks on during Meet & Greet sessions and stand at the yellow line. The park’s star guides are still unable to assist guests with their cameras, due to the ‘contactless’ rule. Alternatively you may wish to use the park’s photography service (DigiPhoto) to help capture these moments for a fee.

Minion Monsters Tricky Treats

Minion Monsters Tricky Treats is now back at Hollywood, feeling more like the original show (2019). It was modified and moved to New York zone in 2020.

The ‘free for all’ treat grab hasn’t returned, nor did the triple queues stretching out from the Lagoon stage. However this year marks the debut of the Wolfman Minion.

The new entrance choreography features the four Minions (FrankenBob, Mummy Stuart, Dracula Kevin, and Wolfman) dancing together with three Candy Ambassadors.

After the short entrance (this is not an ‘full’ show), two queues will form on two sides of the area – you can meet 2 minions in each queue.

But before that – the treats come first!

Big Bird’s Halloween Meet & Greet

Big Bird makes his Halloween debut with a geeky getup.

With Brown Derby temporarily closed, this iconic shop has become a hot set for Character Meet & Greet.

Sesame Street Candy Cavalcade

The second Sesame Street-themed Meet & Greet brings back many elements from past shows held along New York Street. The most obvious being the vintage car that used since 2011 for the park’s original parade, and notably upgraded with lights for the Hollywood Dreams Light-Up Parade.

Now it is a spooky, candy-filled car with Count Von Count taking Woody Woodpecker’s Director’s Chair.

Abby Cadabby and Cookie Monster, in all-new outfits, join the Count in the Sesame Street Candy Cavalcade

The Count showing off his new cape design to me, and counting the bats on it.

Rock & Trolls Meet & Greet

Poppy, Branch and Guy Diamond are back, sporting new accessories for their Rock & Trolls Meet & Greet.

Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition

The Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition is held this year instead of a full-scale HHN event. Taking place at Soundstage 28, this exhibition offers guests a “behind the screams” look on 9 years of Halloween Horror Nights in Singapore. Find out more in my feature article.

Due to the nature of HHN content, this exhibition may be too frightening for children and the faint-hearted.

Halloween themed Food and Beverages

Minion Monsters BITES is now open! This Food Cart outside of Mel’s Drive-In (and just steps away from KT’s Grill) has gone through many facelifts. I think it started off being Home-Made Pratas: Best in Bollywood over a decade ago, before becoming Star Snacks for a while.

Seeing these Minion snacks remind me of Universal Studios Japan and their mind-boggling seasonal menus. Hopefully we’ll see more of these at Universal Studios Singapore.

While I did not manage to take photos – the park’s restaurants are offering Halloween-themed meals at S$38 (comprising a main, drink, snack, and/or dessert). Each restaurant offers a different themed set. Some ticket packages, such as those offered by Klook, may already include this meal as part of the bundle. You can find information on these packages at the bottom of this article.

A Halloween Bar is open outside of KT’s Grill, and there are also Drinks Carts selling Halloween-themed beverages.

These themed drinks were a staple at Halloween Horror Nights.

AFTER DARK

Now things will get spookier… On Fridays and Saturdays, the park will remain open until 10PM for the After Dark experience. An evening ticket is available for guests who wish to enter the park from 6PM. Selected rides will remain open during this period:

Available until 9:30PM: Madagascar: A Crate Adventure, Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase, Accelerator, Battlestar Galactica: CYLON (from 21 October 2021), Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN (from 28 October 2021)
Available until 10:00PM: TRANSFORMERS: The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy

Note: Battlestar Galactica: CYLON has closed for maintenance again from 29 October 2021.

DIE-ning with The Dead

KT’s Grill is open during this Halloween season, offering the all-new DIE-ning with The Dead experience. Creepy-themed food is not new at all – we’ve all seen the awesome buffet spreads during some of the RIP Tours in past years. This is however the first time the park has created an immersive dining experience for Halloween.

Cobwebs and tattered drapes galore.

The theming does feel very elaborate and but before you enter the main dining area at level 2…

You may meet the Malevolent Maître D’ and his Wicked Waiter.

It’s quite exciting to see the restaurant taking on this “dead” identity. This brings back good memories of the past HHN media events.

Apart from heavy theming, there are also some spaces that make great backgrounds for photos.

The occupied booths also look like a very creative solution around prevailing government regulations: to have “the Dead” fill up some tables so that the Living may dine with sufficient safe distancing.

Throughout the dining experience, the Maître D’ and Waiter may interrupt your meal with their antics. So much for being dead.

DIE-ning with the Dead experience – the details

A 1 hr 45-min immersive dining experience at KT’s Grill.
Two sessions are available on Friday and Saturday evenings, starting at 6PM or 8:15PM.

DIE-ning with the Dead menu

Feast On Fear: 3 Courses (Starter, 1 Main Course: A or B, Dessert) – $68
Feast On Fear: 4 Courses (Starter, 2 Main Courses: A and B, Dessert) – $88

A kid’s menu is also available at $38, which includes a main (cheesy chicken meatballs with creamy spinach, served with a side of fries and puffed rice), a drink, and popcorn as snack.

Dine-In Vaccination Requirements
As KT’s Grill is an indoor restaurant, diners must be fully vaccinated, recovered patients or possess a valid negative COVID-19 test result covering the duration of the experience. Unvaccinated children aged 12 and below may be included in the group, if all children are from the same household. Diners are required to provide proof of their vaccination, recovery or negative test result status upon arrival at the restaurant.

Guests will be seated at tables assigned by the restaurant in accordance with prevailing safe management measures.

During the Media Preview, there was a display set up to showcase these creepy dishes. Due to the packed programme, I was offered a platter with sample servings as part of food tasting, and about 25 minutes at KT’s Grill for the experience. Too short to comment on what it really feels like. However the overall visual setting (dining with “the Dead”, along with two scary staff) should reflect the full experience.

Spooky Start (Starter)
Beetroot salmon, purple tortilla, apple slaw and puffed rice.

Swamp Stew Curse (Main Course A)
Fresh garlic herb escargots, smoked duck strips, deep fried gnocchi and puffed rice.

Foot In The Grave (Main Course B)
Meatloaf with house-made BBQ sauce and a chicken lollipop, with Mac-and-Cheese lasagna.

Brain Freeze (Dessert)
Brain-shaped blood-orange-flavoured sorbet.

During my session, everyone was served this Eye See You (ICU) in bloodstained glasses.

While the food and scenic design were a visual feast (or grisly nightmare), music was not allowed in the restaurant, thus the atmosphere felt very incomplete – save for a few loud clanks and stomps from the (un)dead service staff.

I guess this is a scaled-down sample of what Scareactor Dining could potentially be like in Singapore, when the situation allows for a fuller experience to be held.

Universal Monsters Scream Alley

Finally, something that is HHN without being completely HHN.

The Universal Monsters Scream Alley is essentially a mini Sting Alley scare zone, with roughly 3 new scenes.

First we have Dracula, who is usually spotted outside the gates to Scream Alley.

Stepping inside – there’s nothing much at this portion (or something – HHN fans may be aware of this spot for certain reasons), until you walk under the archway…

…To find the Bride of Frankenstein!

This lab-like set is pretty cool with animated lights and sounds. The queue system here could be improved though – it was very confusing: You have to walk past the entire area to join the line.

Watch your step as you walk down the dark alley…

For the first time (along with his Minion variant) – the Wolfman will lurk around the crates.

Universal Monsters Scream Alley is a short experience, but at least with decently produced scenes nonetheless.

Trick or Thrills at Universal Studios Singapore – ticketing options

The Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition, Universal Monsters Scream Alley and other outdoor park Meet and Greet experiences are available to all park guests during the Trick or Thrills event.

DIE-ning with The Dead is a dining experience that is separately charged.

As an advanced booking is required for admission to the HHN Exhibition, please make your booking at the RWS Reservations website using your park ticket ID.

* Valid for Singapore Residents with an official Singapore Photo ID (NRIC, Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Work Holiday Pass, Dependent’s Pass, Long Term Visit Pass, or Student’s Pass). ID required for entry.

Buy USS Tickets with SingapoRediscover vouchers

Klook is offering Halloween Tickets and Packages for Trick or Thrills at Universal Studios Singapore. The listed products are all SRV Eligible, which means you can use SingapoRediscover vouchers for your purchase.

All packages include admission to the Halloween Horror Nights Exhibition (advanced booking required). Universal Monsters Scream Alley is only available on Fridays and Saturdays.

Note: Halloween Packages available while stocks last. Entitlements and pricing subject to change. Please click the links for latest rates.

Klook is one of the authorised booking partners of the voucher programme, and you can easily use the website or App to redeem your voucher for attractions. Just make sure the ticket you are booking is marked [SRV Eligible].
(Purchases made via Klook links will help support Dejiki.com at no extra cost to you)

NOTE: Reservations Required for Tickets purchased from Official Partners

For all tickets purchased from official ticketing partners, making a reservation prior to visiting the park is required. Please go to the RWS Attractions Reservations website to do so.