The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival is back for another season – bigger and better than ever before! Featuring 50 rides and games from Europe and around the globe, the carnival transformed the Bayfront Event Space into a massive vibrant playground. Unlike the previous season, the entire Prudential Marina Bay Carnival will be situated at a single venue, making it easier for carnival-goers to enjoy all the games and rides the Carnival has to offer.
The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival also presents three new rides this season – Freak Out, Jumper Jumper, and the Wave Swinger. Prices have been made more accessible this year with rides ranging from $6 to $14, and games ranging from $5 to $8. Furthermore, all double-digit rides from last year have now been reduced to just $9 per ride – except for the Mach 5, which retains its pricing at $14.
Nonetheless, a visit to the carnival may do some damage to your wallet if you get lost in the fun and spend away on impulse. With DANAMIC’s very own Prudential Marina Bay Carnival Budget Guide, you can have a slice of all the fun without burning a hole in your pocket. At just $40, you will get to enjoy the best of the carnival’s rides, food, and games! Simply choose your side – Thrill Seeker or Foodie – and follow our recommendations accordingly.
RIDES – Thrill Seekers Choose 2, Foodies Choose 1
The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival offers a whopping 23 rides this season – from family-friendly rides to exhilarating rides for the adrenaline junkies, there is something for everyone!
Wave Swinger
The Wave Swinger ($9) makes its first-ever appearance in Singapore as the centrepiece of the carnival. It consists of single and double seats that are suspended to the roof of the ride via chains. It also features mural paintings of iconic landmarks such as Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands. While it may look like a carousel for adults, it speeds up later in the ride, evoking squeals – and maybe a scream or two – from adults and children alike. Children may find the ride thrilling whereas the effect may be less so for adults. The Wave Swinger is ideal for carnival-goers who are too afraid of the extreme rides but still crave for a slice of the action.
Fear Factor: 4/10
Jumper Jumper
The Jumper Jumper ($9) is ideal for those who love the thrill of sudden drops, but fear being dipped from high heights. With a safe height off the ground, the Jumper Jumper bounces riders up and down repeatedly, while the seats rotate throughout the ride. The ‘jumps’ are slightly vigorous, and when the motions are coupled with the rotation of the seats, it may not be ideal for those who are prone to motion sickness. The Jumper Jumper serves as a good starter ride to get into the carnival mood and kick start your brave heart.
Fear Factor: 5/10
Mach 5
Standing at 55 metres high, the Mach 5 ($14) is the tallest ride at the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival. It is also not surprising that it was an all-time favourite from the carnival’s previous season. Riders are flipped around while the seats rotate to the momentum of the ride. It may be frightful in the beginning, but once the speed kicks in and your seats start to turn in its axis, you will not be able to feel the plunge from the top as badly as before, making it a rather fun ride. Do bear in mind that you will have to add $4 more to the budget if you wish to take the ride.
Fear Factor: 8/10
Freak Out
The best way to describe the Freak Out ($10) is that it is akin to a mash-up of the Das Fun Schiff (Viking Ship ride) and Mach 5 – you get the heart-thumping feeling of being swung to high heights and being plunged back down, all while the seats are in constant rotation! Regardless of where you sit, everyone will get the experience of falling sideways or even being plunged backwards, leaving riders with no escape from this nerve-wracking ride. Nonetheless, this is the perfect ride for adrenaline junkies – we’re sure this is one that you will ride again and again!
Fear Factor: 10/10
FOOD & DRINKS – Thrill Seekers Choose 2; Foodies Choose 5
What better way to fuel up after playing on the rides than indulging in sinful yet delectable carnival food? Most of the food offered at the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival can be shared among friends – and you wouldn’t want to stuff yourself at a carnival – so we recommend sharing the food in groups of four in order to stick to the budget. We would also advise against eating before taking the rides.
Sofnade Meatballs – Classic Chicken Meatball Bucket ($12)
Chicken meatballs with cheese, cranberry sauce, twister fries, and mashed potatoes – all in a bucket. The Classic Chicken Meatball Bucket ($12) is a great sharing dish and it also has a good mix of carbs and meat. Sofnade clearly did not cut corners in preparing this dish as the meatballs were tender yet tough enough to maintain its shape. The fries were not too oily either, which is usually the case when it comes to carnival food. For a sinful bite, dip the fries into the mashed potatoes before eating them!
Burgnerds – Chilli Beef Cheese Fries ($7)
The chilli beef sauce in
Sofnade Meatballs – Drink Buckets
The drink buckets ($7) sold at Sofnade Meatballs are a preferred alternative to the $3 canned drinks sold at the carnival. Choose between Milk Tea and Lemonade, each with its variations.
CARNIVAL GAMES – Thrill Seekers and Foodies Choose 3
The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival offers over $3 million worth of plush toys this season, so put your skills – and luck – to the test and you may walk away with a prize! As most of the games are of a similar concept, we recommend only playing games that cost $5 to keep within the budget.
If you have followed our budget guide closely, your total damage would amount to just slightly below $40 or – at most – exactly $40, proving you do not have to splurge to have fun at the Prudential Marina Bay Carnival.
Special Performances & Mascots to celebrate Chinese New Year & Valentine’s Day
To get you in the festive mood, the organisers of the carnival have specially arranged LED lion dance performances and a
5 Feb: 5pm to 6pm
6 Feb: 5pm to 6pm
19 Feb: 9pm to 10pm
There will also be a roving cupid mascot to spread the love around the carnival on Valentine’s Day!
Get 15% free carnival credits when you purchase via the Grab app
Grab is offering 15% free bonus credits when you purchase $40 of carnival credits on their app – that means getting $6 free carnival credits, which equates to one free round of carnival game! Simply head over to ‘GrabPay Deals’ on your Grab app to redeem this deal.
If you are a frequent Grab user, check out our in-depth analysis of the recent GrabClub subscription services here: http://dnm.fyi/GrabClub
The Prudential Marina Bay Carnival will be open till 24 March 2019, from 4pm to 11pm daily. Admission is free for all, and credits for rides and games can be purchased onsite and online. For more details, visit www.marinabaycarnival.sg.
Photos courtesy of Prudential Marina Bay Carnival, and by Soloman Soh of the DANAMIC team. Video by Angelica Sanchez of the DANAMIC team
