Universal Studios Beijing (Now Open)

[jtsalien]

From the other site...

Bookmark this post when the Jurassic World dark ride they're developing is the closest thing we've seen to topping Spiderman from UC to date.

Also will the whole park be inside? Nope. But they understand they need to have covered areas for the colder months.

 

[Viator]

Bookmark this post when the Jurassic World dark ride they're developing is the closest thing we've seen to topping Spiderman from UC to date.

Also will the whole park be inside? Nope. But they understand they need to have covered areas for the colder months.

It's something both Singapore and Osaka also understand as-well, especially Singapore when you consider how they handle inclement weather.

 

[Viator]

Just bringing it up, excavation & installation of piping has begun to take place for Universal Beijing.

 

[Mike S]

Just bringing it up, excavation & installation of piping has begun to take place for Universal Beijing.

Are they green?

 

[Mad Dog]

Are they green?

....good one :thumbsup:.....Mike's terminal case of Nintendoitis...

 

[Kmac]

Vertical construction has begun at Universal Studios Beijing!

From Comcast earnings call today:
"No sign of any changes related to whatever friction there might be between the two countries [US and China]. We're actually starting vertical construction, things are going very very well and we continue to believe a Universal park in Beijing is going to be a huge addition to our theme park segment"

 

[Viator]

From @NJBrandon

 

[Disneyhead]

From @NJBrandon

Nassal execs will be popping a few corks tonight!

 

[Mad Dog]

Nassal execs will be popping a few corks tonight!

There you go. Now you know what bar/restaurant to hang out at tonight. ........

 

[Disneyhead]

There you go. Now you know what bar/restaurant to hang out at tonight. ........

$20M in contracts in one day is a good day for a company the size of Nassal.

 

[Mad Dog]

$20M in contracts in one day is a good day for a company the size of Nassal.

especially one that's located in that neighborhood.

 

[quinnmac000]

Huge information dump on themeparx in regards to beijing's citywalk

 

[Viator]

Guessing from the images..

it seems to me that they will be not building a bridge to where Gate 2 will be for now, and that the CityWalk on the eastern side will be around the garden walk of Universal Beijing.

It also seems like the lobby for the Universal Beijing Hotel (underneath the turnstiles) will also possibly be on the eastern side, right next to another hotel's area.

 

[quinnmac000]

Guessing from the images..

it seems to me that they will be not building a bridge to where Gate 2 will be for now, and that the CityWalk on the eastern side will be around the garden walk of Universal Beijing.

It also seems like the lobby for the Universal Beijing Hotel (underneath the turnstiles) will also possibly be on the eastern side, right next to another hotel's area.

Yes its looks that way to me as well...

 

[brianlo]

The resort design looks great to me!


I'm progressively worried about the park itself.

1. Hollywood featuring Fast and the Furious
2. Transformers + B&M Transformers coaster (can't tell if it's an actual Hulk clone).
3. Hogsmeade 1.0
4. Waterworld
5. Kung Foo Panda Land (1 headliner)
6. Despicable Me Area - Super Silly Funland Pier, ?Minion Mayhem (+/- additional Dreamworks offering)
7. Jurassic World (New Headliner)

It sounds like only two known attractions will be unique.

So for me it pretty much hangs onto how amazing the Jurassic World headliner is and whether they pop out something interesting and unique from Dreamworks. Unfortunately, the park has become exceedingly watered down into a plug and play Universal Park. I think Singapore was a far better new park effort, even if it's tiny.

I won't accuse it of being Hong Kong Disneyland (more from a sizing perspective), but it's more like Hong Kong Disneyland if it had a bit of an extra opening budget. Aka a best of sample platter as opposed to a Shanghai Disney-esque rethink. That's fine and all, but this doesn't feel like it will be Disneyland Paris (the perfection of the model) or even Universal Japan - almost two parks worth of attractions in one.

Even more worrying is that the one or two unique things they are building will probably appear in Florida.

 

[Viator]

The resort design looks great to me!


I'm progressively worried about the park itself.

1. Hollywood featuring Fast and the Furious
2. Transformers + B&M Transformers coaster (can't tell if it's an actual Hulk clone).
3. Hogsmeade 1.0
4. Waterworld
5. Kung Foo Panda Land (1 headliner)
6. Despicable Me Area - Super Silly Funland Pier, ?Minion Mayhem (+/- additional Dreamworks offering)
7. Jurassic World (New Headliner)

It sounds like only two known attractions will be unique.

So for me it pretty much hangs onto how amazing the Jurassic World headliner is and whether they pop out something interesting and unique from Dreamworks. Unfortunately, the park has become exceedingly watered down into a plug and play Universal Park. I think Singapore was a far better new park effort, even if it's tiny.

I won't accuse it of being Hong Kong Disneyland (more from a sizing perspective), but it's more like Hong Kong Disneyland if it had a bit of an extra opening budget. Aka a best of sample platter as opposed to a Shanghai Disney-esque rethink. That's fine and all, but this doesn't feel like it will be Disneyland Paris (the perfection of the model) or even Universal Japan - almost two parks worth of attractions in one.

Even more worrying is that the one or two unique things they are building will probably appear in Florida.

To me, I don't get the vibe that Transformers will be by itself. Furthermore, there was auditions for The Great Wall being implemented in some form for the Beijing park, and @NJBrandon had let slip previously of something SpongeBob related for the Beijing park (I think).

 

[quinnmac000]

That list I'm guessing was speculation from the leaked screenshots from a video....mind you no one got to see the full video to see what was left out.

 

[brianlo]

To me, I don't get the vibe that Transformers will be by itself. Furthermore, there was auditions for The Great Wall being implemented in some form for the Beijing park, and @NJBrandon had let slip previously of something SpongeBob related for the Beijing park (I think).

Ya, although Transformers is supposed to include the ride + the B&M. It's pretty much in the vein of Marvel Superhero Island. In which case I see how they went the direction they did. To be fair based on this it certainly does not look like an inverted coaster. The tube design is a bit of a shameless Hulk call out.

First Look at Universal Studios Beijing - Theme Park University

That list I'm guessing was speculation from the leaked screenshots from a video....mind you no one got to see the full video to see what was left out.

Unfortunately we have pretty good mounting evidence. Including the leaked video with the banners of the various lands. The site plans look very consistent as well with these attractions and discrete areas (and nothing else) visible.

I realize the USF second park is a placeholder and perhaps the whole thing could be... but the primary park looks a little too specifically detailed to be a completely inaccurate plan.

Of course I'd love to be wrong and for them to have added a potential unique new land to the above list. However the number of lands and headliners seems generally appropriate for a functional park. It's just the content and cloning that leaves something to be desired.

 

[quinnmac000]

Ya, although Transformers is supposed to include the ride + the B&M. It's pretty much in the vein of Marvel Superhero Island. In which case I see how they went the direction they did. To be fair based on this it certainly does not look like an inverted coaster. The tube design is a bit of a shameless Hulk call out

Unfortunately we have pretty good mounting evidence. Including the leaked video with the banners of the various lands. The site plans look very consistent as well with these attractions and discrete areas (and nothing else) visible.

I realize the USF second park is a placeholder and perhaps the whole thing could be... but the primary park looks a little too specifically detailed to be a completely inaccurate plan.

Of course I'd love to be wrong and for them to have added a potential unique new land to the above list. However the number of lands and headliners seems generally appropriate for a functional park. It's just the content and cloning that leaves something to be desired.

Those sina screenshots were confidential material so I would advise to remove from this site so you don't get banned. However at the same time if Universal is planning to build two parks do you really think they are going to waste all the good stuff on one park? I think not. Also the Chinese aka the major owners/investors are the ones saying that 1/3 of this park is distinctly Chinese. So far, everything we seen is very American (outside Panda). Its also has came from multiple different sources. I'm bound to believe the words coming from those who are making the park.

 

[brianlo]

Those sina screenshots were confidential material so I would advise to remove from this site so you don't get banned. However at the same time if Universal is planning to build two parks do you really think they are going to waste all the good stuff on one park? I think not. Also the Chinese aka the major owners/investors are the ones saying that 1/3 of this park is distinctly Chinese. So far, everything we seen is very American (outside Panda). Its also has came from multiple different sources. I'm bound to believe the words coming from those who are making the park.

Do we have recent quotes addressing these issues? Unfortunately I think most of that lip service is from very outdated PR. I know it was stated at the project inception, but in the proceeding years we've been told a lot of those things have been cut by various sources.

I actually don't on spec believe the company line for that very reason. Recall Disney and Shanghai pulled the same thing when they "Expanded" Shanghai Disneyland with 800 million dollars. Really the only thing they did was cover up cost over runs. The same appears to have occurred here... Hogsmeade is not a new addition for example.

The increased investment will go toward expanding retail and entertainment space, improving planned attractions and building new lands including one based on the Harry Potter books and films, the person said. The park will also have attractions based on the Transformers, Minions and Kung Fu Panda film franchises, which have strong followings in China, a second person said.

I'm not buying into the Universal wasting all the good stuff on the first park as an excuse... by that logic there is nothing left for a third park in Orlando? However, that's really not my concern. It's on the balance of uniqueness and being allowed to design a park from the ground up. Not on there being a lack of attractions, the number seems perfectly reasonable.