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Universal Studios Beijing (Now Open)

This story from Orlando Informer came out yesterday talking about rapid Parks expansion in Beijing, South Korea and Moscow? Do the latter two hold any weight? South Korea is questionable enough, but Moscow?!? In this political climate?

Here's the article: Universal expanding its global theme park empire?

If true, these sound like Disneyland Paris-level stupid decisions.
 
Korea is on pause as the deal was made under President Park who is being impeached so all the projectes she signed off on have been canxed. Also to notice at USK is the fact it was a licensed park not a park planned by Universal themselves. As for Moscow, there isn't any new news. Beijing is happening. The issue here is many people in Korea travel already to Japan and China and vice versa for their attractions and theme parks. You may end up cannibalizing attendance at one park to push more people to the one closer to them.

Also to note, It was USJ who pulled out of doing the park in Okinawa after trying to create an entirely unique none Universal branded park even though the government really hoped for it to happen and wanted the Universal name.
 
This story from Orlando Informer came out yesterday talking about rapid Parks expansion in Beijing, South Korea and Moscow? Do the latter two hold any weight? South Korea is questionable enough, but Moscow?!? In this political climate?

Here's the article: Universal expanding its global theme park empire?

If true, these sound like Disneyland Paris-level stupid decisions.
Except the Moscow park is small in both size and investment, while Disneyland Paris was large in both relative size and investment.
 
This story from Orlando Informer came out yesterday talking about rapid Parks expansion in Beijing, South Korea and Moscow? Do the latter two hold any weight? South Korea is questionable enough, but Moscow?!? In this political climate?

Here's the article: Universal expanding its global theme park empire?

If true, these sound like Disneyland Paris-level stupid decisions.

I have to imagine that Moscow and Korea are dead projects in my opinion. What I'd be curious, is if there may be opportunities in Europe (outside of France).
 
I have to imagine that Moscow and Korea are dead projects in my opinion. What I'd be curious, is if there may be opportunities in Europe (outside of France).
Europe isn't somewhere a big theme park belongs or will be a top theme park. They will go to Florida if they want their fill, but there just isn't many that care enough. DLP is proof enough that it's just tough to get people to care - and they're in one of the biggest markets in Europe.

South America is somewhere that could easily be tapped into, but the issue then becomes you're eating away from your base that travels to UOR.
 
I'm pretty sure the Middle East and Asia are the final frontiers for theme parks. Everywhere else you are eating into your own market. Even in the Middle East you eat into a bit of the European traveler market that would come to Orlando.
 
I have to imagine that Moscow and Korea are dead projects in my opinion. What I'd be curious, is if there may be opportunities in Europe (outside of France).

Russia is technically Europe with USR being called their first European park. Port Aventura was a failure so I doubt they would try Spain again and France is too unstable politically and Germany's weather doesn't suit for a year round park. Italy and Greece would be great choices but Greece may cause a lot more problems for tourism and Italy with their quakes make cause infrastructure issues Universal may not want to assume. This would leave the UK but with them pulling out of the EU, it makes it harder for tourism along with the abundance of amusement parks including the paramount park, there is another loss. So this leaves the smaller countries with the best choices being Montenegro, Portugal, Ireland proper, Belguim, Turkey and Cyprus which aren't major tourist attractions.
 
Russia is technically Europe with USR being called their first European park. Port Aventura was a failure so I doubt they would try Spain again and France is too unstable politically and Germany's weather doesn't suit for a year round park. Italy and Greece would be great choices but Greece may cause a lot more problems for tourism and Italy with their quakes make cause infrastructure issues Universal may not want to assume. This would leave the UK but with them pulling out of the EU, it makes it harder for tourism along with the abundance of amusement parks including the paramount park, there is another loss. So this leaves the smaller countries with the best choices being Montenegro, Portugal, Ireland proper, Belguim, Turkey and Cyprus which aren't major tourist attractions.
Was PortAventura not a success once Universal took ownership? I don't know too much about the park, so any background info would be helpful.
 
Was PortAventura not a success once Universal took ownership? I don't know too much about the park, so any background info would be helpful.

Its started off being owned by anheuser busch and some Spanish company in 1995. The Spanish group left and Tuassad Group took over their shares. Then in 1997, Universal bought a majority of shares and totally rethemed it to Universal Mediterranean. Then GE after the purchase of NBCUniversal decided it wasn't profitable and sold it all.
 
Its started off being owned by anheuser busch and some Spanish company in 1995. The Spanish group left and Tuassad Group took over their shares. Then in 1997, Universal bought a majority of shares and totally rethemed it to Universal Mediterranean. Then GE after the purchase of NBCUniversal decided it wasn't profitable and sold it all.
Interesting, I wonder what would have happened if GE never sold it.
 
From Zaobao, USB is potentially back on track for 2020.

Beijing Universal Studios in 2020 to open the Chinese visual elements accounted for 35%

Wednesday, March 8, 2017 01:40 PM Digital Editor / Yang Lijuan Twitter WhatsApp Email

Duan Qiang, chairman of the Beijing Capital Tourism Group Co., Ltd., said that the size of the global theme park under construction in Tongzhou District will be the largest in the world and it is not yet possible to determine whether there is a large image of China. Recreational projects, a project of the park, including fireworks, parades and other Chinese visual elements will account for 35%. "Legal Evening News" reported that the global theme park plans to open in 2020, the second half of 2019 began recruiting staff, is expected to demand about 10,000. Tickets priced similar to other similar parks, for several hundred dollars, the holidays slightly floating. By then, the Capital Airport and the Beijing New Airport between the inter-city line will be set up in the park, foreign visitors can directly from the airport, not on the Beijing city passenger impact.

Duan Qiang said that the specific project will be jointly announced by the two sides. There are many considerations in terms of Chinese elements, but how to show there is not yet fully determined.

Duan Qiang said that foreign related industries from the original, the script to the film, and then to the theme park image, including toys, including derivative products, is an IP industry chain. But China's current situation, there are many stories and the original, but has not yet reached the theme park to extract and use the standard for the amusement products, the film link is weak. "Now there are some images or from a few decades ago in the cartoon. And, light cartoon is not enough, but also need to have a large production, the audience has a response to the image."

Duan Qiang, for example, such as foreign Avatar Image, if the company is willing to do, and soon can be made into the theme park project. But the Chinese culture, the Chinese story can be used as a prototype of the film is less, is a big short board. Universal, Disney is a film company, there is a film based on the image, and China's mythology is not enough, generally by the audience favorite Sun Wukong, and only a TV series, the production level is not enough.
Duan Qiang that this is the literary and artistic creation, the development of the film culture to what level of the problem, it can not be said to fill up on the fill. From the perspective of cultural creativity, film creation, in order to fundamentally solve the problem. This is also the Chinese elements can enter the theme park key link. Although there is no "large" this condition, but does not mean that can not implant Chinese elements.

Duan Qiang said that there are also foreign films in China, intellectual property is created by the Chinese people. A project of the entire park, including fireworks, parade and other visual experience, the initial plan of Chinese elements can reach 35%. At the same time, Universal Studios is not only the theme park, but also the formation of China's film industry, cultural and creative, animation industry park, the formation of China's creative platform, so consider the park around the park to consider the creative park.

Duan Qiang also revealed that a project of the recreational projects or to introduce the main. At present, the United States Orlando Universal Studios the largest, the latest project, but Beijing Universal Studios from the scale and content of the rich will go beyond Orlando, becoming the world's largest.
 
Anyways Universal is increasing staffing from 10,000 theme park workers up to 40,000 workers. One hotel to be Universal branded the other a chinese brand, 35% Chinese, 4 expansions of the park planned.

That makes sense, especially from that leaked layout of Beijing not long ago having some decent plot's to potentially expand for in the terms of expansion plots.

As for hotels, I eagerly await seeing what the Universal Themed and Chinese Themed one's look like.
 
I am excited to see what Stancato does for Beijing, whether it's an all new show for Citywalk, or even the park; I can't wait to see what happens.

No matter what, it will be nice to see something like that exclusive for Beijing, which is funny in a strange sense to me, and that I wish I could say more on.
 
You mean, USB?

And what is the first phase's cost anyway?

Nothing on cost just on size:
The first phase will cover an area of 1.59 square kilometers and cost around 3.3 billion USD, upon which two hotels of 1,200 to 1,400 rooms will be built, said Duan. Apart from that, a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone will also be constructed.
 
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