Universal Studios Beijing (Now Open)

[UNIrd]

You win some, you lose some. It also got me Transformers, will probably get me Secret Life of Pets, and some cool Beijing concepts that I'd never see otherwise.

Or, you know, they can make unique world-class attractions that everyone in the world would want to see and making the park a dream destination, like Pirates in Shanghai and Mystic Manor in HKDL.

 

[JungleSkip]

Or, you know, they can make unique world-class attractions that everyone in the world would want to see and making the park a dream destination, like Pirates in Shanghai and Mystic Manor in HKDL.

I mean I'm never going to see those rides, so I honestly don't care about parks being "dream destinations". Only way I'll see them is if they come to Orlando or maybe California. The % of people willing to travel abroad for a Disney/Uni theme park is negligible. It doesn't make financial sense to *not* clone.

 

[UNIrd]

I mean I'm never going to see those rides, so I honestly don't care about parks being "dream destinations". Only way I'll see them is if they come to Orlando or maybe California. The % of people willing to travel abroad for a Disney/Uni theme park is negligible. It doesn't make financial sense to *not* clone.

So you're saying these parks shouldn't make unique attractions that the world was talking about... Pirates Shanghai basically went viral when it's first on-ride footage came out and put the park on the map... because it doesn't serve the domestic market? I think they should just make the absolute best attractions that they can period without any of the limitations that plague every new attraction when it comes to an already established theme park, like space, using existing infrastructure, tight budget constraints, etc.

If the sky is the limit and they're STILL building a Studio Tour addition from the ground up, that says a lot more about Universal Creative...or their lack thereof.

 

[JungleSkip]

So you're saying these parks shouldn't make unique attractions that the world was talking about... Pirates Shanghai basically went viral when it's first on-ride footage came out and put the park on the map... because it doesn't serve the domestic market? I think they should just make the absolute best attractions that they can period without any of the limitations that plague every new attraction when it comes to an already established theme park, like space, using existing infrastructure, tight budget constraints, etc.

If the sky is the limit and they're STILL building a Studio Tour addition from the ground up, that says a lot more about Universal Creative...or their lack thereof.

Now you're talking about two different issues. Yes, they should obviously be building the best attractions they can. They shouldn't be cloning Supercharged to USB. They should be building things like the JW coaster, JW dark ride, and Panda ride.

But cloning those attractions is a non issue.

 

[Viator]

Diversity and having something unique makes sense; as you can get people the idea to come to the other parks for more hard-core fans. But, there is a saying to having something unique for every park.

USH has the Studio Tour & TWDA; Islands has Kong, Seuss, and Hulk; Osaka has Space Fantasy and Hollywood Dream; Singapore has Battlestar and Lights, Cameras, Action; and USF has Fallon, ET, and Rip Ride Rockit. I would much rather have something one can uniquely call their own, that can encourage the fans to look into the option. And if-not, then make sure that you can have each park be something that can set itself apart from the others. At least..that's my basis.

There are IPs that would be in multiple parks, sure. Jurassic and Panda are already being that (looks at Hollywood and Beijing), but it's what you use with those IP's for that are key. Perhaps that's just me, but I don't think it's a bad thing if Beijing has something different and unique to call home with.

 

[JungleSkip]

I just don't get the desire people have for signature rides staying exclusive to parks in the far reaches of the world. TDS was great to visit. Would I do it again? Nope. Would I love to see 20K and JTTCOTE (even if it is super overrated) come to WDW? Hell yea! Why do I care if TDS loses its "exclusive" rides if WDW parks get better because of it? Bring Indy, Shanghai Pirates, and Mystic Manor/Grizzly Gulch over too while you're at it!

I hope Beijing does open with some cool rides we've never seen before. Then I hope those rides end up in Orlando so I don't have to spend a ludicrous amount of money to see them in China.

 

[Disneyhead]

So you're saying these parks shouldn't make unique attractions that the world was talking about... Pirates Shanghai basically went viral when it's first on-ride footage came out and put the park on the map... because it doesn't serve the domestic market? I think they should just make the absolute best attractions that they can period without any of the limitations that plague every new attraction when it comes to an already established theme park, like space, using existing infrastructure, tight budget constraints, etc.

If the sky is the limit and they're STILL building a Studio Tour addition from the ground up, that says a lot more about Universal Creative...or their lack thereof.

You don't believe the PotC Shanghai ride system will be cloned around the world?

 

[brianlo]

I just don't get the desire people have for signature rides staying exclusive to parks in the far reaches of the world. TDS was great to visit. Would I do it again? Nope. Would I love to see 20K and JTTCOTE (even if it is super overrated) come to WDW? Hell yea! Why do I care if TDS loses its "exclusive" rides if WDW parks get better because of it? Bring Indy, Shanghai Pirates, and Mystic Manor/Grizzly Gulch over too while you're at it!

I hope Beijing does open with some cool rides we've never seen before. Then I hope those rides end up in Orlando so I don't have to spend a ludicrous amount of money to see them in China.

My only counter point and the fallacy of this view is that none of these unique rides would exist in the first place if the policy was to be clone happy. Mystic manor is a menu replacement for Haunted mansion, Shanghai Pirates to vanilla pirates, Tron to Space Mountain, Grizzly to big thunder, Radiator Springs to JTTCOTE... etc, etc.

Financially clones make sense, but creatively it is stifling Universal.

 

[Clive]

You guys have to realize that from the operator's perspective, no one cares about cloning attractions to satellite international parks. Beijing will likely be filled with the aforementioned clones (Despicable Me, Transformers, Kung Fu Panda Adventure, WaterWorld) because they're successful components of other Universal parks that don't require a substantial amount of new R&D. They'll likely get a unique/souped up entrance (think Singapore's Egypt area), but there's just no reason to worry about the Beijing and Orlando parks being overly similar in attraction menus.

The differences lies in parks that are within a certain distance. There's incentive to give Hollywood and Orlando differing experiences (Hollywood has the studio tour, Orlando has the multi-park resort), but you also see the dynamic in Hong Kong versus Shanghai Disneyland. Those parks can be considered light competitors due to their proximity, hence the emphasis on "unique" or exclusive attractions to Hong Kong to help distinguish it from its Shanghai cousin.

 

[Magic-Man]

I’m completely fine with cloned attractions, but you also have to have unique attractions that are yours and yours alone. Do I hope we get all the unique attractions from Beijing? Yes. Can a park stand on cloned attractions alone? No.

 

[Clive]

I’m completely fine with cloned attractions, but you also have to have unique attractions that are yours and yours alone. Do I hope we get all the unique attractions from Beijing? Yes. Can a park stand on cloned attractions alone? No.

It'll get two or three premiere "headliner" attractions (see: Jurassic World) that Beijing can promote as their true headliners; it answers the marketing question, "how is this park an evolution of existing parks?" Shanghai did the same thing with Tron and Pirates... the rest were effectively clones or remixes of existing attractions in other parks.

 

[Magic-Man]

It'll get two or three premiere "headliner" attractions (see: Jurassic World) that Beijing can promote as their true headliners; it answers the marketing question, "how is this park an evolution of existing parks?" Shanghai did the same thing with Tron and Pirates... the rest were effectively clones or remixes of existing attractions in other parks.

Here’s the good thing about Orlando: most attractions have been cloned already. The lone exceptions are Super Nintendo World (which is getting a major update when it comes), Jurassic World in Beijing (might get another E-Ticket if it comes), and Kung Fu Panda in Beijing. So we’ll be fine when it comes to unique attractions. It’s Beijing and Hollywood I worry about.

 

[UNIrd]

You don't believe the PotC Shanghai ride system will be cloned around the world?

The ride system, sure. But we know the attraction more than likely won't be in at least every resort that already has a Pirates attraction, which literally leaves only HKDL. And at least we know Shanghai and HKDL are striving to differentiate their line-up.

 

[Clive]

Here’s the good thing about Orlando: most attractions have been cloned already. The lone exceptions are Super Nintendo World (which is getting a major update when it comes), Jurassic World in Beijing (might get another E-Ticket if it comes), and Kung Fu Panda in Beijing. So we’ll be fine when it comes to unique attractions. It’s Beijing and Hollywood I worry about.

Universal has yet to approach the Hollywood park as a legitimate resort or standalone destination: it's still seen as a "stop" on a broader Hollywood vacation and will probably continue to until they can configure an on-site hotel of some kind. So in short, the amount of clones don't really matter, though down the line Chinese visitors might object to a Hollywood park filled with things they can see in their home country. (That said, Hollywood has the working film studio, its chief appeal, which Beijing will always lack.)

 

[OrlLover]

We don’t even know if the cloned rides would be better versions of the existing ones in the states. Jumping to conclusions for a standard studios park is quite funny imo.

Beijing is going to have according themeparx a couple of unique rides that might be exclusive to that park for the forseeable future.

 

[Magic-Man]

We don’t even know if the cloned rides would be better versions of the existing ones in the states. Jumping to conclusions for a standard studios park is quite funny imo.

Beijing is going to have according themeparx a couple of unique rides that might be exclusive to that park for the forseeable future.

What do you mean by "Cloned rides would be better versions of the existing ones in the states"?

 

[Viator]

He's refering to possibly improving something already existing.

And to be fair, it seems like they are doing that to Fast and Furious, given Dave's comments; even if it's AA drivers and 3D.

I would be curious to see the changes made to FJ this time around, considering both Osaka and Hollywood improved on one another.

 

[OrlLover]

What do you mean by "Cloned rides would be better versions of the existing ones in the states"?

People laud Shanghai Disneyland POTC ride as being the best version versus the ones in DL and MK.

 

[brianlo]

People laud Shanghai Disneyland POTC ride as being the best version versus the ones in DL and MK.

That's a completely, completely different ride. I think the implication was tweaks to existing rides. Like adding 3D or extra dementors. Using a newer version of the ride system. What have you. Minor stuff, basically.

The only thing pulling a Shanghai Pirates level redo is Jurassic World.

 

[OrlLover]

That's a completely, completely different ride. I think the implication was tweaks to existing rides. Like adding 3D or extra dementors. Using a newer version of the ride system. What have you. Minor stuff, basically.

The only thing pulling a Shanghai Pirates level redo is Jurassic World.

It’s not a completely different ride it’s just a new ride system with a new story. Those “minor” differences can actually really change the whole ride experience. You can’t compare JW to our JP because it’s not even getting the iteration of the River Adventure. All of the Disney POTC versions are boat rides.