Uncle Ringo: Worth the Hype?

Credit: The Wacky Duo

Besides the typical Chinese New Year #ootd photos on Instagram, pictures taken at Uncle Ringo during that festive season is pretty much the norm nowadays. We don’t blame you for that since it’s plausible to have a yearly affair of going to Uncle Ringo during Chinese New Year, with it being conveniently situated at the floating platform together with the River Hongbao.

With the thought of almost everyone checking off the #CarnivalDate idea with a visit to Uncle Ringo, we thought we could give you an answer to the low-key pressing question, “Is Uncle Ringo Worth the Hype?”

Credit: Xavier Lur

1. Ka-ching Ka-ching

If you are thinking of how much a visit to Uncle Ringo costs, we’ve got the answer. A bumper car ride costs $5 per pax/ride, and with that you can roughly gauge the price range for the other non-kiddy rides. In case you’re wondering, kiddy rides, such as the really adorable transformer ride and the mini go-kart-like ride, are $2 per pax/ride.

If you are on a tight budget, we would suggest coming up with a budget beforehand and sticking to it throughout the night. You can even think of it as a trip to Universal Studios Singapore but a slightly cheaper version.

Credit: iamxiaoji

2. The Crowd

If we could describe the crowd at Uncle Ringo with a Chinese idiom, it would be

“人山人海”, which ultimately means “crowded”. You can try your luck by heading there on a weekday since it is usually not that packed then. Otherwise do be mentally prepared if you are going to go there on a Friday or on a weekend because it is going to be packed like sardines.

Credit: MELISSALCL PHOTOGRAPHY

3. The Experience

Overall, we must say that a trip to Uncle Ringo will be great if you want to relive your childhood (or chase after that childhood dream of yours if your parents have not brought you there before, oops). Yes it is going to be packed, but trust us when we say that the crowd is bearable and it will all be worth it.

Besides taking the rides that you know you will totes enjoy, there are carnival game booths that you can spend a buck or two at, where you can try your luck in winning a stuffed animal or balloon for bae.

On top of that, you can walk over to the pasar malam (night market) that usually comes together with Uncle Ringo as a package to refill your fuel. Though, we have to say things have changed and there are more hipster food stalls. The traditional ones, such as the candyfloss and popcorn stalls, are starting to fade away.

Credit: AsiaOne

All in all, although it is slightly overpriced, or at least not the same as what we had 10 years ago, Uncle Ringo is still worth it. You should go there for the experience but of course, you probably should not spend too much money there. But hey, #UncleRingoForever right?

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