Universal Studios Beijing General Discussion

[Jerroddragon]

Listen we get some cool things in the States but this kind of stuff....and the Wicked street experience last year are sooo dam cool for just....I assume free with your ticket

 

[mccgavin]

The strategy for this park has been very interesting to see. I'm very surprised they have not started development on attraction expansions yet, but they have managed to keep the park fresh with some really elaborate seasonal events. I hope they can keep up this momentum and do some really cool stuff with this resort in the future.

 

[OrlLover]

I'm very surprised they have not started development on attraction expansions yet,

Isn’t it rumored to be a second gate full of Chinese IP’s or am I mistaken ?

They could also construct a water park in the interim if they wanted something fast.

 

[mccgavin]

Isn’t it rumored to be a second gate full of Chinese IP’s or am I mistaken ?

They spoke about it in their grand plan for the resort years ago, but there doesn't appear to be any movement on it currently. Personally, I would expect the original park to receive some additions before any serious work on the second park occurs.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

Universal has gotten the IP rights to Genshin Impact for seasonal content. They have just debuted a brand new Genshin Impact themed area-experience, using one of the tents for a recreation of Monstadt; the first area you encounter in the game.

First interesting thing I've heard this park doing since it opened.

 

[OrlLover]

They spoke about it in their grand plan for the resort years ago, but there doesn't appear to be any movement on it currently. Personally, I would expect the original park to receive some additions before any serious work on the second park occurs.

USB is pretty well rounded park as is and doesn’t seem to be hurting for additional capacity.

Why waste time with additions when you can become the first resort outside Orlando to have a second gate. That makes the most sense to me currently for that location.

 

[UNIrd]

I might be making a visit to the park next year. Trying to align it with new openings at HKDL and Shanghai if those will even be ready for next year? Not sure.

 

[Mad Dog]

The situation in China has changed since the park was conceived and built. Flat individual incomes, the overall economic scenery, partly driven by the collapse of the huge real estate bubble, and an even more totalitarian government have moved the goalposts. Bottom line, forget what was said ten years ago. It's a new ballgame.

 

[Jake S]

Flat individual incomes, the overall economic scenery, partly driven by the collapse of the huge real estate bubble, and an even more totalitarian government have moved the goalposts.

damn that sounds familiar

 

[Andysol]

USB is pretty well rounded park as is and doesn’t seem to be hurting for additional capacity.

Why waste time with additions when you can become the first resort outside Orlando to have a second gate. That makes the most sense to me currently for that location.

When I went one of the things that stuck out to me was the ghost town that the restaurants in city walk were.

We were the only people eating in Toothsome at lunch on our arrival day from our hotel in Beijing earlier. Many other restaurants were closed as well.

The park, itself, is great. And shows like waterworld or the attractions were slammed. Even the pay-for amusement games had a steady stream of people paying to play (more than I see domestically); but outside of the park was a literal ghost town outside of the walkways (always full with people taking pics or going/leaving park) or a couple of the stores (namely the one that sold labubus). Contrast that to the dining at downtown disney in Shanghai and it was night and day.

They need to find a way to make the park area a destination for it to really push their profit margins up. I know that area was supposed to be built out, but it’s not. And it’s basically in the middle of nowhere. So either universal foots the entire bill expanding the area with a water park or a second park, or it’s going to merely stay status quo and do an occasional add-on once attendance slips.

 

[PerceptiveCoot]

The situation in China has changed since the park was conceived and built. Flat individual incomes, the overall economic scenery, partly driven by the collapse of the huge real estate bubble, and an even more totalitarian government have moved the goalposts. Bottom line, forget what was said ten years ago. It's a new ballgame.

I'm not going to argue whether this is true or not, it undoubtedly is, but I'm not sure how this specifically redounds onto Universal Studios Beijing when those economic conditions are just as true in Shanghai, yet they get 14 million visitors a year and are aggressively expanding. I think it's just as simple as the fact that Universal Studios Beijing and/or the surrounding area is just not as exciting a draw as Shanghai Disneyland.

Yes everything has changed or undergone change from ten years ago, but you could literally say that about multiple aspects of life in every country around the world (unless your Bhutan or something).

We were the only people eating in Toothsome at lunch on our arrival day from our hotel in Beijing earlier. Many other restaurants were closed as well.

Out of curiosity, is there railway access to the USB? I've did some cursory research, and it seems like Shanghai Disney has a direct connection to the airport, whereas there's some transferring involved for USB. Wonder if that effects the desirability of travel in any way.

 

[Galactus]

I think that's too drastic of an oversimplification of the Chinese economy. I certainly am no expert but it appears that household income is not decreasing, the opposite actually (YMMV about the validity of stats like this). Unlike what we experience here in the States, it seems like China and Japan are more prone to deflation than inflation which obviously brings its own bundle of problems. But agreed with @PerceptiveCoot that I don't think it's as simple as saying "It's the economy, stupid!" like it might be here.

Out of curiosity, is there railway access to the USB? I've did some cursory research, and it seems like Shanghai Disney has a direct connection to the airport, whereas there's some transferring involved for USB. Wonder if that effects the desirability of travel in any way.

I took that exact route last year and plan on doing it again this year! There's one transfer from the airport. USB is at the eastern terminus of the longest(?) line on the Beijing subway. You take an airport express train to a station and then transfer to the subway. Took me about an hour to 90 minutes from the Beijing airport to get to the resort. On the way back to the airport, I didn't even bother taking the train when a Didi was like $15.

As for my experience, I went on a few days midweek in October when it rained all day so it wasn't exactly the best scenario for the parks. In the few times it was dry during the day, the park seemed to have decent crowds. I think I waited ~45 minutes at the most for a ride but most of the time, 10 minutes to walk ons. I also ate at Citywalk at Toothsome (and Cowfish) and Toothsome was reasonably crowded at dinnertime, maybe like a slower day in Orlando?

I'm working on learning Mandarin so I'll have to download LittleRedBook and get plugged into the local rumor scene and see what's going on

 

[Andysol]

I'm not going to argue whether this is true or not, it undoubtedly is, but I'm not sure how this specifically redounds onto Universal Studios Beijing when those economic conditions are just as true in Shanghai, yet they get 14 million visitors a year and are aggressively expanding. I think it's just as simple as the fact that Universal Studios Beijing and/or the surrounding area is just not as exciting a draw as Shanghai Disneyland.

Yes everything has changed or undergone change from ten years ago, but you could literally say that about multiple aspects of life in every country around the world (unless your Bhutan or something).


Out of curiosity, is there railway access to the USB? I've did some cursory research, and it seems like Shanghai Disney has a direct connection to the airport, whereas there's some transferring involved for USB. Wonder if that effects the desirability of travel in any way.

I didn’t even look at rail availability. I was at the Waldorf in central Beijing (close to old olympic sites) and only rode their bullets from the Guilin area into Chengdu. But from what I remember, you have to transfer somewhere whereas you don’t for Shanghai-it’s a straight shot.

That said- I did a one way transfer with a driver from hotel to Great Wall to universal. The better part of the wall is Mutianyu which is closer to Universal than the inferior, more visited part of the wall. So if I were going to universal from airport, I’d combine them and just use a driver. They hold all your bags in the vehicle while you are touring the wall.

In Shanghai I was also at the Waldorf and just used Didi (Their uber)- it’s dirt cheap and their black car service is awesome. Food is too good to be locked into disney or universal properties, honestly. Though I do stay at universal on site for 2 nights.

Great Wall was 10/10 and totally worth seeing.

On the way back to the airport, I didn't even bother taking the train when a Didi was like $15

My first Didi I did in Guilin from airport. Got the basic one. No AC. Had to bungee the trunk closed.

I then looked at the exchange rate and what a didi black cost. It was maybe $1-5 difference per trip. Water in what’s essentially a S class Mercedes and they wear suits? Game changer.

Anyone reading this- please visit China. It’s awesome. The visa process is a PITA- but one conflict (like Russia via Ukraine), and you may never get to visit it for decades, if ever. I’ve done a lot of travel, and it’s been my favorite place I’ve ever taken my family.

This is a great place to start with your itinerary whether you have kids or not:

https://www.adventuresbydisney.com/destinations/asia-pacific/china-vacations/

We were there 3 weeks and used that itinerary as our skeleton to build around adding days here and there and one stop. Adventures by disney always has phenomenal itineraries.