USS Park Update: Chinese New Year 2021

Universal Studios Singapore welcomes the Year of the Ox with its Usher In The Fun park programme.

Usher In The Fun at Universal Studios Singapore

From now till 28 February 2021, USS will be holding its Chinese New Year themed event. During this period, the park will be open 4 days a week, from Thursday to Sunday. An exception would be the Monday (15 Feb) right after the Chinese New Year public holidays (12-13 Feb).

As street shows have not resumed at USS, this year’s programme is like a lighter version of the 2020 Chinese New Year event, which was already cut down from the last “full-fat” event in 2019.

Festive Meet and Greet for the New Year

Snap photos with Winnie and Woody Woodpecker (all decked out with lucky red costumes) at the new (or niu) stage at Hollywood zone!

You can also meet Gru and the Minions in their usual outfits – but with one of them wearing a Ox Head.

Po (Kung Fu Panda) is making a special return. He was retired from the park’s line-up back in 2015.

Even though Singapore is now in Phase 3 of Re-opening, the safe distancing rule of photography still apply. You have to stand at a marker on the floor away from the characters, and also you will need to take the photo yourself – either a selfie or with a tripod.

Good news: More characters may appear together now, as seen over at the New York Public Library stage.

The Majestic Dragon Dance will not be taking its flight around the park, but you can still take photos with the dancers, who will appear along with Gru and the Minions or the friends from Sesame Street such as Elmo, Grover, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch.

You can also collect free stickers during these ‘Majestic Dragon & Friends’ Meet and Greet experiences.

Megatron and Optimus Prime will be speaking some lines in Mandarin during their Meet and Greet this season.

The Mandarin-speaking Megatron has been a staple at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Lunar New Year programming. The big difference is that Megatron there speaks 100% Mandarin during their event.

Other characters from Madgascar and Far Far Away zones will also be donning lucky outfits as part of the Chinese New Year event. Check out how they looked like from the 2019 event coverage.

January 2021 park updates

Festive decor around the park is quite similar to last year’s. Apart from the ones at the park entrance, you’ll find refreshed store display windows at the Universal Studios Store. These are all simple but “you can snap a photo with it”.

Minions take focus again at the grand store window.

There’s also Gudetama – the next yellow/ gold-coloured thing.

Along with the return of the Po Meet and Greet: merchandise from Kung Fu Panda film franchise.

The Minion Zodiac collection of goods that debuted last year is also back.

More attractions reopen

Shrek 4D Adventure and Lights, Camera, Action! have reopened in December 2020 – the park’s busiest season last year. These show attractions were only operating on select days with limited capacity to comply with the prevailing safe management measures.

During the period when they were open, the RWS website had the following information for the attractions.

Only open on Public Holidays and select days. Please check the park map outside Universal Studios Singapore or enquire with a team member upon arrival for availability.

This has been removed and replaced with information that the attractions are “temporarily suspended until further notice”.

It is likely that these show attractions have become seasonal and will only be open on days when the park has reached or is near its maximum capacity. Having more attractions open on those days could help control the crowds in other areas of the park.

SafeEntry Check-In QR codes can be seen around the queue line for Shrek 4D Adventure. This is also required for entry at the various indoor restaurants in the park.

Some restaurants have extra barriers installed indoors for safe distancing.

In Dec 2020, the park transformed the outdoor seating area beside Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor into a charming al fresco dining area.

Do not be alarmed! This is not the queue for Battlestar Galactica. Rather, people are in line to redeem a free snack included with their park admission as part of a seasonal promotion. Last year, the park gave out face masks during its Halloween and Christmas events.

Universal Studios Singapore expansion

Madagascar: A Crate Adventure is still running, which could mean a lot of things… but the only thing for sure is that the park’s expansion plans will be further delayed. The good news is the ‘Nintendo Direct’ video on Japan’s Super Nintendo World has reaffirmed that Singapore will eventually have its own. Though no further details were provided, it would not be an exact copy of Japan’s Super Nintendo World, though the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge ride is expected to be built in Singapore as the star attraction.

USS Annual and Season Passes: Sales/ Renewal still suspended

I’m sure some people are looking forward to be passholders again. While most attractions in Singapore have resumed their membership programmes, the sale and renewal of Annual/ Season Pass at USS are still suspended until further notice.

In the interim, if you plan to visit the park a few times this year, the park’s new promotion might be attractive: 3 Visits for the Price of 2. You can either buy a $132 ticket direct from RWS that can be used for 3 visits (by 30 Sep 2021), or upgrade a one-day ticket before leaving the park on the day of your visit, if eligible. Check with the park crew near the park entrance (at Guest Services or Membership Lobby) for more details. Tickets purchased from official partners using SingapoRediscover vouchers may be eligible for upgrade as well.

Buying USS Tickets with SingapoRediscover vouchers

If you plan to use SingapoRediscover vouchers to buy tickets to Universal Studios Singapore, feel free to use my Klook link!

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 this link 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.

Only tickets purchased directly from RWS do not require reservations.