It’s Not Christmas Without Christmas Wonderland 2023! Or Is It?

You won’t believe it. It’s here. Or, as Mariah herself would say, it’s time! At Gardens by the Bay. From 1 December 2023 to 1 January 2024. The biggest Christmas event of the year has arrived and beckons you forth. Put your Christmas hats on. Get that tree out of your store room. Tell Alexa to play Mariah Carey. Because Christmas Wonderland 2023 is finally here! And you know what that means. It’s officially the Christmas season! We checked it out and are here to dish – from the best to dine and shop to the must-see attractions and survival tips. Truly, it’s time!

Returning for its 10th edition, Christmas Wonderland is back (quite literally) bigger and better than ever. Put on your most comfortable shoes this year because you will have 27,000 square metres of ground and three main zones to cover! 

Sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? That’s precisely what this guide is all about. We’re going to tell you our favourite and least favourite parts about this seemingly must-see event. After all, it is the biggest Christmas event of the year. It’s not Christmas without Christmas Wonderland. Or is it? Is this humongous event really and truly worth the hype? You’re about to find out. We’ve never been ones to gatekeep. And we will certainly not be starting now. Here’s the tea.

Christmas Wonderland 2023 comprises three wondrous zones: Supertree Grove, Frosty’s Fairground at The Meadow, and Gingerbread Grove. Every zone is jam-packed with things to see and do (and eat!).

Supertree Grove

Oh, the heart of Christmas Wonderland! It pulsates with electricity and Christmas joy. And taking centre stage is the iconic Spalliera that stands tall and bright and has become the oh-so-loved symbol of Christmas Wonderland! 103,000 bulbs light this Italian handcrafted light display, and it stands 20 metres tall (almost the height of five double-decker buses!). It was inspired by the Mesola Castle in northern Italy.

And don’t miss Blizzard Time, where you watch the beautiful fall of snow. It might just be soap, but that doesn’t change the fact that we get a taste (not literally!) of a Christmas winter here in the tropics! The Christmas gods heard us! The combo of the Spalliera with the elegant snowfall makes for a gorgeous photograph that certainly deserves a spot on your Instagram feed. Blizzard Time happens periodically, so you might want to stick around to catch it. It also gets crowded, so be careful.

The highlight of the Supertree Grove has to be the Garden Rhapsody, the iconic light and sound show! The way the Supertrees come to life and dance to the rhythm of Christmas classics is enough to give you goosebumps. This is the part of Christmas Wonderland that you come for. It’s what you stay for. Put your devices down and let yourself indulge in the moment. Sing along the songs with your friends and family, and it will become an unforgettable core memory. Channel that main character energy!

The lights just don’t stop wow-ing you as you step into the Walk of Lights presented by CDG Zig! And this year’s walkway is longer than ever at 65 metres long! This installation of almost 75,000 LED lights is another spot for your main character pictures. 

Beware, though, because the queue to enter the Walk of Lights could be snaking. But it does move super fast because everyone is constantly moving into the tunnel. But that also means there will be a gazillion photobombers in your photos, and you won’t get to savour your time there. 

Also, want to know if you’ve been naughty or nice? Have a little heart-to-heart with Santa at Christmas Wonderland 2023 and snap a picture with the man himself. The queues were a little long for this one and didn’t seem to move fast. So unless you have kids or want photographic evidence of this Christmas custom, you can give this one a miss. 

Frosty’s Fairground at The Meadow

Follow the signs to The Meadow and let your inner child free at Frosty’s Fairground! While it’s far from frosty, you get a taste of an amusement park right here at Christmas Wonderland, with more rides and games than ever before. The carnival rides (Carousel, Bumper Cars, Flying Dumbo, and more) are brought to us by the fragment of our childhood, Uncle Ringo!

I do have to warn you, though. These rides and games must be paid for and do not come free with your ticket, both starting at S$6 per pax, per ride or game. The carnival rides are also downsized, so they’re not nearly as thrilling as their full-grown counterparts. So, honestly, I don’t see much point in paying the extra cash for a way-too-short, fleeting joyride. 

But the girl-math in me says to go for it! A few extra dollars to go on a ride with your friends and family surrounded by gorgeous light displays and the Christmas spirit sounds pretty worth it. And if it’s fun and makes you happy, it’s free because mental health is priceless! 

If you decide to go for an attraction, I’d recommend the Meteorite ride. I’d never been on one before, so this was brand new to me. You’re not strapped in or seated on this ride. You’re literally just standing and holding on to the handles for dear life as you’re spun like you’re in a washing machine (you’re safe, though!). It spins like a top, so it lifts slightly and tilts at an angle. It’s not terrifying, so you won’t unleash a blood-curdling scream, but it does move fast enough to give you a good time. If you’re going to go on a ride, let it be this one!

The same goes for the games. Paying S$6 (or more) for a mere chance to win a mediocrely adorable stuffed animal was not exactly appealing to me. But, once again, when in Wonderland…

If you’re going with kids, drop by LumiLand, an illuminated playground with lit-up seesaws, swings, and LED fixtures for them to enjoy. This will surely be a playground they’ve never seen before, and won’t be able to resist! Admission to LumiLand is also paid – S$6 for a 10-minute session. In girl math, that’s less than a dollar a minute to keep your little one occupied and enchanted, which means it’s basically free! 

Gingerbread Grove

This might just be my favourite zone out of the three, and that says a lot, considering the stunning snowfall and exhilarating Meteorite ride. But this one’s got the food and shopping – the way into my heart! Welcome to Gingerbread Grove!

Let’s start with the food. There will be twice as many food outlets this year, which means more food for you to choose from, even featuring some of Singapore’s famous food and beverage establishments like Burger & Lobster, Kebabs Faktory, and Sofnade! Or quench your thirst with a refreshing tipple from a Christmas-cracker-themed bar by Hendrick’s Gin. The vibes there? Immaculate. The drinks? To choose what to get is like picking your partner on the first day of Love Island! (I was eyeing the slushie cocktail. Try it out and let us know how it tastes!)

I tried Brewerkz’s Corndog set, which comes with one corndog and some fries. It cost S$12. The portion was, let’s just say, not proportionate, especially to the steep price. The corndog was rather small and came with 14 french fries. Yes. 14. F-o-u-r-t-e-e-n. It seemed suspiciously little, so I got to counting, and the pain I felt in my heart was unlike any other. 

The taste wasn’t magnificent for the price, and the portion was definitely not it. I can’t even girl-math my way out of this one. 

Before going to Christmas Wonderland, I saw raving reviews about Swag Social’s Butterbeer (S$8). I decided to give it a try. But when I took the first sip, I cringed for ten seconds straight. It was jarringly sweet. And each sip is a journey. It starts off pretty decent, but being carbonated, the carbonation kicks in and messes with the taste to make it fizzy. After you swallow it, it leaves behind an extremely sweet aftertaste. In a sentence, “It tastes like caramel popcorn had a beverage child.”. 

For reference, I get my bubble tea at 50% sugar. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, this might actually be very up your alley. But a tip would be to take photos of this aesthetically pleasing drink before mixing the foam in, which helps to somewhat cancel out some of the sweetness.

But my true stars of Christmas Wonderland 2023 were found at Mistletoe Alley, located within Gingerbread Grove. The first was Umeshuya. If you drink alcohol, you will love their plum liqueur. It’s sweet and tastes just like plum juice. I remember trying this during my visit to Christmas Wonderland 2022 and falling deep in love at first sip. I thought I’d taste nothing better.

But then, I tried the yuzu liqueur. My life was transformed. With a whopping 13% alcohol content, it tasted dangerously light. You can only taste the alcohol in the aftertaste, which means this drink should come with red flags and warning signs. But it tastes so good! The tartness of the yuzu brilliantly masks the alcoholic taste. Beware though! If you can’t take alcohol, this should not be the drink for you because it might kick in when no one’s watching. This sneaky little thing!

They make liqueur taste so light and drinkable and add a ‘yummilicious’ taste that actually makes it a treat. Serving a cup for S$10, I’d say it’s a win. They’ve got our seal of approval! 

Another place that deserves our seal of approval is KAIKAI. It’s a Singapore-based shopping app that seamlessly marries online and offline shopping experiences and rewards you with cryptocurrency with every purchase. But at Christmas Wonderland 2023’s Mistletoe Alley, KAIKAI is stationed in a little igloo selling their own merch! From iridescent tote bags and adorable space-themed socks to a holographic tumbler, an LED handheld fan, and more! 

I got their tote bag. It makes a simple outfit pop! It is transparent, waterproof and perfect for a stylish day at the office, a runway-worthy walk as you strut to class, or a model-off-duty-esque day out at the beach! It also carries so much and remains comfortable on the shoulders, so I highly recommend it. The best part? It was initially priced at just S$8.00, but I got mine at S$3.99! Whether or not the deal is still available when you head down, you just have to get it. 

Show some love for their other products, too, and check out their official website for many more exclusive deals with premium and well-known brands, including Boost Juice, Cat & The Fiddle, Arabica Coffee, OPPO, and more! 

So, the verdict? It isn’t Christmas without Christmas Wonderland. But it certainly can be with the expensive dining, rides and games. Christmas is about the emotion and the spirit, which can be found in every corner, not necessarily with the bill of that snack you just bought.

Mistletoe Alley was, honestly, one of the highlights of my Christmas Wonderland experience. It was a thrill checking out each stall. Looking around to find my credit card’s next target might have been terrifying, but a chance I was willing to take for the goodies I discovered! And it’s a chance I hope you take too.

But one of the most shocking things for me to stomach was the extremely steep price range. Paying well over $10 for such measly quantities is insane to me, though not entirely unexpected. While I appreciate the effort to bring the festive fare to us, I’d have to spend at least $30 on food and drinks just to feel full enough, and that’s excluding the ticket fee, shopping and carnival attractions. At this rate, I’d much rather have my fill with my company before coming in. 

The only things you pay for with your ticket are your entry, the ability to admire the gorgeous light displays and performances by local artists, and enjoy the snow. Nearly everything else requires additional spending, like the games, rides, eating, drinking, and shopping. And paying $6 and above for each carnival game or ride on top of the dining and ticket seems a little much to me.

I recommend going on the weekdays because the crowd on the weekend was nothing short of cray-cray! The queues were unbelievably long, and finding seats to sit and eat was so tough. 

Here’s my itinerary as someone on a budget: 

• I’d eat something cheap like at a Kopitiam or McDonald’s (located in Gardens by the Bay) with my friends before coming to Christmas Wonderland at about 7.30pm. 
• Look around, snap photos, and check out Blizzard Time and all the light displays. 
• Dress in comfortable sneakers so I can check out the entire space. 
• Hop onto the Meteorite for a ride.
• Head over to Mistletoe Alley for some shopping and spending!
• After all that shopping, I’d get a drink (maybe that slushie cocktail from Hendrick’s Gin that I can’t get over) and some bites to share with my friends. By this time, the crowds will subside, and you’ll probably get luckier finding a seat.

Voila! Minimal damage is done, but the entire experience is maximised to the fullest. But, of course, that’s just me. Go ahead and enjoy Wonderland exactly the way Alice would! ‘Tis the season to be jolly! 

In fact, spread the jolly spirit to your fur babies as well, and bring them along for Christmas Wonderland’s Pets’ Nights. Bring them along on 5 and 12 December for a jolly good time with other furry friends. After all, it’s their Christmas too! Bring them to Wonderland!

Go forth and explore your wonderland at Christmas Wonderland 2023 at Gardens by the Bay. Do what you want, but don’t let Alice down. As the queen of Christmas would say (or sing): It’s time!

Christmas Wonderland 2023

Dates: 1 December 2023 to 1 January 2024
Times: 6.30pm, 7.30pm, 8.30pm, 9.30pm (last entry at 10pm)
Price:

For more details, check out Christmas Wonderland’s official website, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok pages. Buy your tickets right now!

Visuals courtesy of Blue Sky Events.