Beijing Universal Studios is currently the largest Universal Studios theme park in the world, with many exclusive attractions that can only be found here!
The entire resort is divided into three main categories: the City Walk, hotel accommodations (NUO Resort Hotel and Universal Studios Grand Hotel), and seven themed lands (Transformers Metrobase, Jurassic World Isla Nublar, Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, Hollywood, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Minion Land, and WaterWorld).
Preparation Tips
1.Be mentally prepared that it’s impossible to experience all the attractions in one day. Even on the day we visited, which was probably the least crowded, there were still many areas we didn’t set foot in.
2.Refresh your memory by watching the movies and animations related to the themed lands, such as Transformers, Harry Potter, Minions, Kung Fu Panda, and Jurassic World. Seeing familiar movie scenes in person will instantly boost your immersive experience!
Travel Tips
- Bring your ID, wear comfortable shoes, carry a small backpack, and be prepared for sun protection. Travel light.
- Strollers for children are available for rent at the entrance.
- Follow the “Beijing Universal Resort” mini-program to check wait times for attractions, navigate to desired locations, and plan your waiting times according
Transportation Tips
- By subway: Take Line 7 or Batong Line to the Universal Resort Station terminal. There are six exits (A, B, C, D, E, and F). Exit F leads to the South Plaza for private cars and ride-hailing services, while the other exits lead to the City Walk. Exit A seems to be the closest to the City Walk.
- By ride-hailing: All ride-hailing vehicles will pick up and drop off passengers at the Beijing Universal Resort Temporary Drop-off Area. The area is large, and you can easily find your car by following the numbers on the ground. Remember to book your car in advance when leaving the park.
- By self-driving: Navigate to the Universal Studios Private Car Parking Building, which has a huge parking lot with 6 floors. Currently, parking fees are divided into two prices: 100 and 150 yuan per day. The first and second floors are premium parking spaces (150 yuan/day), while the third floor and above are regular parking spaces (100 yuan/day). It’s the same building, so going up one more floor can save you the price of a Butterbeer!
Dining Tips
- You can bring a small amount of snacks. When the park officially opens, pay attention to the official requirements. The food in the restaurants tastes good, and the prices are reasonable after adjustments. Water costs 10 yuan/bottle, and Coca-Cola, Sprite, and other functional drinks cost around 15 yuan/bottle. The average meal cost is about 150 yuan per person.
- You can bring your own mineral water. There is free drinking water at the entrance of each restroom and in the queues for attractions. Hot water is also available in restaurants when the weather is cold.
- Self-heating food and strong-smelling foods like durian are not allowed.
Luggage Storage
Roller coaster rides require you to store your belongings before experiencing them. There are storage lockers at the entrance of each attraction, which can be used by scanning your face. The first hour is free for a single use.
Now, let’s dive into our park experience!
City Walk
The City Walk is a must-pass path to enter the park, lined with a dazzling array of shops and food outlets.
A thoughtful touch is the variety of cuisines available, including Peking duck, hot pot, Hong Kong-style tea restaurants, Southeast Asian delicacies, and movie-themed restaurants. The shops are unique and friendly to both local and out-of-town visitors.
After passing through the City Walk, you’ll see the iconic Universal Globe. It’s a must-take photo spot, so remember to wait until the English letters rotate into view before snapping your picture.
Highlights
Time is tight, and the task is heavy, so don’t linger too long on the City Walk. This area is open to the public for free, and you can enter without a ticket.
Theme 1: Transformers Metrobase
The most thrilling roller coaster – Decepticoaster: It’s a favorite among young people and children and one of the attractions with the longest queues. It’s the most exciting roller coaster in the park. The height, speed, length, and inversions are all moderate, and the shock absorption is well-designed.
The minimum height requirement is 132 centimeters.
The combat-heavy ride – Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark: This is an indoor queuing, visual experience with strong interactivity and immersion. Wearing 4D glasses, you join the Autobots in the battle for the AllSpark to stop the Decepticons’ evil plan. There’s also a 1:1 Optimus Prime sculpture with a strong mechanical feel, so don’t miss it!
It’s a ride-and-watch attraction with a minimum height requirement of 102 centimeters.
Transformers: Legendary Encounter: This is the best place to interact with the Autobots and is popular online. Near the escalator, you can greet Optimus Prime and Windblade one-on-one, chat, and take photos!
Highlights
1. Transformers: Legendary Encounter is a performance-based attraction. It’s recommended to confirm the start time before queuing up so that you can finish quickly and move on to the next location.
2. Highly recommended: Decepticoaster and Transformers: Battle for the AllSpark.
Theme 2: Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness
Inspired by the animated movie “Kung Fu Panda,” this is the world’s first large-scale indoor nightscape immersive theme pavilion with Chinese elements. The entire experience takes place indoors, so there’s no need to worry about the temperature.
The town where Po lives, the Jade Palace, and the Panda Village are all here. The garden lanterns, market, courtyard, and Valley of Peace are all beautiful, with ancient charm, pavilions, bridges, and flowing water.
Kung Fu Panda: Journey of the Dragon Warrior: A unique small-scale rapids water ride in the park where you can join Po and the Furious Five to protect the Valley of Peace and fight against the dangerous Kai. It’s a small rafting attraction with a minimum height requirement of 80 centimeters.
Lantern Legend: Little Panda was attracted by the “Kong Ming Lanterns” that slowly rotated high in the sky, changing colors of red, blue, and purple. It’s so romantic. After sitting on it and overlooking the night view below, it’s absolutely beautiful.
Rotating Warrior: Unlike the previous Western fantasy and glamorous “carousel,” under the dim lights, it has more Chinese characteristics.
Highlights
1. The attractions in this theme are very cartoonish, with a low level of excitement, making them more friendly to younger children.
2. The lighting is very dark, so keep an eye on the little ones. The four attractions are scattered in various corners, and we missed several because we didn’t look at the guide.
3. Highly recommended: Kung Fu Panda: Journey of the Dragon Warrior.
Theme 3: Jurassic World Isla Nublar
Based on the “Jurassic World” movie, this area hides the fascinating scenery of the Jurassic era from 65 million years ago!
You can personally face the mighty and powerful Tyrannosaurus Rex, Velociraptors, Ankylosaurus, and the awe-inspiring Indominus Rex, which are deeply loved by children.
Jurassic Flyers: Enter the Pteranodon Rookery and ride a self-propelled glider in Jurassic Flyers, overlooking the entire Jurassic World like a pterosaur.
The flight speed of this project can reach 8.5 meters per second. It’s a roller coaster-type attraction with a minimum height requirement of 100 centimeters.
Jurassic World Adventure: Queue through the scientist’s laboratory and ride the luxurious All-Terrain Luxury Automatic System (A.T.L.A.S) to face the 6-meter-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex and experience the immersive Jurassic World landscape.
It’s quite thrilling and adventurous, with unexpected events happening continuously.
Scary carnivorous dinosaurs pop out to attack us from time to time, and the vehicle rushes around to hide and find a way out, experiencing an immersive and thrilling adventure. It’s a ride-and-interact experience with a minimum height requirement of 102 centimeters.
Highlights
1. Jurassic World is very exciting for children, and they can take close-up photos with dinosaurs. If you’re lucky, you may encounter an Easter egg on the side of the road, with staff holding a 6-month-old baby Velociraptor for interaction.
2. There are a total of 3 experience projects here. Highly recommended: Jurassic World Adventure!
Theme 4: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has captured the hearts of those born in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Beijing has the second Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village in Asia, and every detail here recreates a magical world.
Harry Potter fans can experience the magical charm of the wizarding world from the moment they step into Hogwarts.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey: After entering Hogwarts, this is my favorite queuing experience.
In the dimly lit school, you will pass through Dumbledore’s office, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and see talking portraits on the wall.
The excitement is like the wonder you feel when watching the movie for the first time.
Ride a broomstick and fly freely (a revolving and rotating flight project), participate in Quidditch, and catch the Golden Snitch with your partners, as well as confront various magical creatures.
It’s a ride experience with a minimum height requirement of 122 centimeters.
Flight of the Hippogriff: This is a roller coaster especially suitable for the whole family, young and old. After learning the correct way to ride a hippogriff from Hagrid, you can ride the hippogriff and fly over Hagrid’s hut and pumpkin patch.
The only downside is that there are too many people queuing, and it’s an outdoor queue, which is hot and sunny. It’s a family-friendly roller coaster with a minimum height requirement of 99 centimeters.
Ollivanders Wand Magic: Here, everyone can choose their own wand and witness firsthand how the wand chooses the wizard. This is a situational interaction.
An interactive magic wand in the store costs 349 yuan, and there is a landmark map for guidance.
Children only need to stand on the landmark and wave the wand according to the trajectory shown in the diagram to activate the mechanism in the window, which looks quite mysterious.
Experience lighting oil lamps, wind blowing flags, playing piano tunes, pausing rotation, starting rotation, spraying water upwards, flowers blooming and rising, and other magical powers.
Hogwarts Castle Light Show: On special holidays, Hogwarts Castle will be adorned with dazzling lights accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Here, you can enjoy a magical visual feast with your partners. It wasn’t available when we went, but we recommend everyone to check it out after the opening.
Highlights
1. Very suitable for adults to check in and take photos, with a strong atmosphere. If you like it, it is recommended to check in as soon as you enter the park, and you can even experience it twice.
2. There is a 50 yuan butterbeer (non-alcoholic) in the village, which tastes good and is recommended for tasting and checking in.
3. There are a total of 2 experience projects here. Highly recommended: Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Hogwarts Castle Light Show, and the hidden gameplay of magic wands.
Theme 5: WaterWorld
The WaterWorld stunt show has a large venue that can accommodate more than 2,000 people. The seats in the venue are divided into red, green, and blue, representing wet, possibly wet, and not wet, respectively. Visitors can choose according to their preference.
Through the actors’ realistic performances and thrilling stunts, people are immersed in an exciting “water battle.” Against the backdrop of a future where water is everywhere and land is scarce, the story unfolds as the protagonists and antagonists fight for land resources.
High-altitude action scenes, falls, cool jet skis, gun battles, explosions, and water surface fires make you hold your breath for the actors, whether visually or auditorily.
It is indeed a perfectly wonderful performance, like a live version of “Fast and Furious.” It’s a show-watching experience with no age limit.
Highlights
1. The performance venue is right behind Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. It is recommended to experience it together with Harry Potter to avoid backtracking.
2. Pay attention to the show’s start time on that day in advance. Highly recommended!
Theme 6: Minion Land
Adorable minions are everywhere here, full of cartoon charm. You can see them sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the water.
You can visit Gru’s neighborhood, and in the center of the neighborhood, there is a cool and dynamic amusement park – Super Silly Fun Land! There are also various minion souvenirs, which are very tempting.
Despicable Me Minion Mayhem: This is a 4D motion movie where you can transform into a minion and follow Margo, Edith, Agnes, and the mischievous minions on an adventure. It is also the most suitable project for adults, with a minimum height requirement of 102 centimeters.
Silly Swirly: It will take you on a 360° bird’s-eye view of the Super Silly Fun Land port. Many amusement parks have this, and each small plane can be controlled in height with a joystick.
Minion Mayhem Coaster: With a minimum height requirement of 92 centimeters, it is very suitable for children. Many people ride it twice.
Highlights
1. Children particularly like this area. After playing, the exit is on the left, towards the main entrance.
2. It can be experienced first or last, without backtracking in terms of route.
3. There are 4 experience projects. Despicable Me Minion Mayhem is highly recommended.
Theme 7: Hollywood
This is the most suitable place for taking photos in the park, especially for great shots! Here, you can find the Hollywood Boulevard of Los Angeles, USA, allowing visitors to feel as if they are on the star-studded Hollywood Boulevard, with the chance to encounter movie stars at any time.
Lights, Camera, Action!: Directors Zhang Yimou and Steven Spielberg present a magnificent journey of movie special effects in the studio for everyone.
The production site of a large-scale action movie, with realistic and restored sets. Sitting in a sightseeing car and listening to the tour guide’s explanations, you are immersed in one movie world after another, experiencing thrilling scenes such as ground collapse, subway derailment, and plane crashes, with wind, water, and fire.
If you are a movie fan, you must come and experience the shocking scenes of being on the spot, from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “King Kong.”
Theme Park Excitement Ranking
Transformers: Metrobase > Jurassic World Isla Nublar > The Wizarding World of Harry Potter > Minion Land > Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness > WaterWorld > Hollywood
