I read about the upcoming Universal Studios theme park in Singapore and that it is meant to be a place “for all Singaporeans”. It sounds well and good and the said $66 per adult for a 1 day pass is supposed to be reasonably low compared to the prices of theme parks in other parts of the world. A 1 day ticket for kids will cost $48 while senior citizens enter at $32 per person.
A check on Universal Studios Orlando’s website shows that a 1 day 1 park ticket costs US$79 (but there is a current offer of $73), and Disneyland meanwhile charges between USD$62 and USD$72 for a 1 day 1 park ticket. There is no need to compare with currency conversions because we’d have to take into account costs of living etc.
While I think it is comparable to the prices of other theme parks, it still is pretty steep for a whole family to visit the park multiple times a year. A family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) will have to spend $228 just for a 1 day outing to the park, not inclusive of food, transport and other costs. While this may sound affordable to the higher and upper middle classes, it certainly is too much to spend in a day for everyone else. It will probably be one more way to evoke a sense of envy from kids comparing the haves and the have-nots. And with the Singapore government’s push for citizens to have more children, those who heeded the call and have more than 2 kids are certainly going to feel a bigger pinch getting the whole family to this theme park!
I understand that the park is a commercial project and it has to charge prices that will ensure its survival but if it is priced too high beyond the reach of an average family, then it can be a “place for all Singaporeans” but maybe only once in a lifetime. It will then have to sustain itself from tourist income.
What’s interesting though is that Universal Studios Orlando has promotional prices for Florida residents with a 1 day 1 park ticket going for USD$54.99. While Singapore just does not compare in terms of resident population size (and non-state resident population) to have a similar scheme all year round, I hope the Studios will have promotional rates for Singaporeans perhaps say, in the month of August or sometime in the year. Or perhaps it can be supportive of bigger families, and have special rates for the third and subsequent children per family!
Oh and if someone can explain the logic behind pricing tickets for senior citizens ($32) below the price of a ticket for a child ($48) to a theme park…I would be extremely grateful. While I am all for senior citizens perks, it seems ironic to me and it would make much more sense if kids too have a ticket price as low as grams’!
Khartini is the C, M and I in CMIO. She is 1/4 Chinese, 1/2 Malay and 1/4 Indian. She is bad at Math but managed to figure these portions out with a family genealogy and calculator. Some people call her multiracial, but she prefers to be known as rojak.
She was a print journalist and an educator, and has dabbled in broadcast journalism, mountain climbing and wakeboarding (albeit in a sitting position). She has also been a clown for a day, no kidding.
She is in her 30’s and volunteers actively, including at weekly Meet-the-People Sessions.
She speaks and writes fluent English and Malay, knows pasar Mandarin and can speak some French to save her life. She is about to leave for the United States to do her Masters in International Relations degree.
She loves books, and books love her.