Universal Officially Announces That Universal Beijing Will Open in 2021

It's official : the awaited Universal Studios park will open in Beijing in 2021, according to an official announcement by the resort's management on Tuesday.

From China.org: "Originally slated to open this year, Universal Beijing Resort, which will be the fifth and biggest Universal Studios park in the world, will now open its doors to the public two years later.

"You thought the wait is forever, but actually, it will be 2021," the resort announced on its official Weibo account, while posting a promotional teaser video showing the theme park under construction. "This is a gift in advance for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Please expect the grand opening of the Universal Beijing Resort in 2021."

The resort project was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014 and is located in Beijing's Tongzhou district, which was positioned by the Beijing municipal government in 2015 to become the city's sub-center. The construction of the first phase of the resort has now entered its final stage with steel structural frames completed and rides installation work and gardening work under way. A subway station serving the resort ( picture below ) will also be in operation by the end of this year.



The resort is owned by the Beijing International Resort Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. and Universal Parks & Resorts, a business unit of Comcast NBCUniversal. The theme park destination will feature several all-new attractions along with the best Universal rides, shows and attractions from around the world. It will also have specially created experiences designed to reflect China's unique cultural heritage.

Approved by the Beijing municipal government, the Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. was also founded for the purpose of supporting Universal Beijing Resort in its investment, development, operation and management. Beijing Shouhuan is owned by five State-owned companies, including the Beijing Tourism Group, one of China's largest tourism companies.

The initial phase of Universal Beijing Resort, covering over 60 hectares, will include the world-renowned theme park – Universal Studios as well as the Universal CityWalk retail, dining and entertainment complex. According to China's media reports, it will have seven zones with attractions and rides inspired by Universal's big productions, including Harry Potter, Minions, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Transformers, as well as Hollywood attractions and the Kung Fu Panda franchise.



Samples of or actual pieces of theming are now arriving on site. On the picture above, probably the exterior walls to Transformers: The Ride 3D.

It will also have two extraordinary and world-first hotel concepts: The Universal Studios Grand Hotel and the NUO Resort Hotel. The hotels will be destinations unto themselves, offering "incredibly immersive experiences through the perfect blending of unique stylish designs and historic and cultural features". This will bring entirely new hospitality experiences to life for visitors at the Universal Beijing Resort, the resort management said on Sept. 3.



The 800-room Universal-branded hotel, which is designed to be a four-star family resort hotel, is inspired by Spanish renaissance architecture and will contain many film elements within its premises. As for the NUO Resort Hotel, its architecture is inspired by China's famous Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace). The NUO Resort Hotel will be a five-star hotel with 400 rooms, and its construction will soon be completed.



Key International Hotels Management Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the Beijing Tourism Group and Kempinski Hotels, will help deliver the guest experience. The design of the two hotels were led by Universal Parks & Resorts, with support from internationally and domestically acclaimed institutions, while the actual construction of the two hotels is being managed by the Beijing International Resort Co., Ltd.

Now Universal Parks & Resorts currently owns and operates Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan and has a license agreement with Universal Studios Singapore. Previous reports said the Beijing theme park has secured an investment of 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion)."

Pictures: copyright Univesal Beijing

New Coca Cola Commercial Confirms Some Attractions Planned for Universal Studios Beijing

Coca Cola obviously has a Partnership with Universal Studios Beijing and posted a 16 seconds commercial which confirms some of the attractions that are planned for Universal Beijing. Let's say it, there is no surprise or scoop here but the 3D Animation for the commercial is cool anyway, and it's probably the first commercial we see for Universal Beijing, a park that will not open before 2020.

It shows a golden dragon running over China's Great Wall...



...moving through Universal Studios famous entrance arch...



... passing in front of King Kong and a Jurassic Park T-Rex as well as Harry Potter Wizarding World Hogwarts Castle and a giant red roller coaster...



...and finally arriving at the center of the park twisting around a giant Coca Cola bottle.



So, there you have it, at least Universal Beijing will have a King Kong attraction, a Jurassic World and a  Harry Potter Wizarding World with Hogwarts Castle, in additions of course of others attractions like this big roller coaster if it was not added here for a visual effect.



Although we can see in the background the big hotel supposed to be at the entrance, the Jurassic Park entrance door, the rest is mainly CGI stylized buildings. No big surprise indeed with the Kong, Jurassic Park and Wizarding World attractions but as they say, it goes better by saying it.

Here is the short Coca Cola commercial, the 3D Animation was done by Superpixel.




Below, the first and so far only bird-eye view rendering released officially for Universal Beijing.



Pictures and video: copyright Coca Cola - Universal Beijing

Universal Beijing Construction Starts !

We're back in Asia for today's D&M update as, good news, The construction of Universal Beijing has started! For now of course it's just ground works for a theme park now scheduled to open in 2020 instead of 2019, which leave more time to Shanghai Disneyland before facing the competition of Disney's biggest competitor.

The non-officially released map below shows pretty clearly that Universal Beijing envision a second theme park, and more hotels ( six if my count is right ) and even a City Walk and a water park!



On a recent presentation the map below was shown. The original picture was posted on Themeparx but i tried my best to enhance it to have a better look and it indeed confirm the map above and that multiple hotels are envisioned.






Are they thinking to build a Volcano Bay for the water park of Universal Beijing as this non-officially released rendering may indicate? Mmmmh... if yes, did someone told them that the climate is not really the same at Beijing than at Orlando?



Anyway, we're looking to learn more about Universal Beijing in the future but ...wouldn't it be great if Universal could also think to build one in Europe? After all, back in the 9à's they had plans to build a Universal Studios at Melun, 30 km from Paris...

Pictures: copyright Universal Studios

Universal Officially Announces $3.3 Billion Universal Beijing Theme Park !

Disney's biggest theme park competitor arrives on China market as Universal’s Parks & Resorts CEO, Tom Williams, announced officially yesterday Universal Beijing, a $3.3 billion theme park resort property to open in 2019. Universal Beijing property 1000 acres will include in a 300 acres theme park a selection of Universal Studios beloved rides and attractions as well as rides that will reflect China's cultural heritage, a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone and a Universal-themed resort hotel. It will be the third Universal park in Asia, joining the two others in Singapore and Osaka, Japan.

But unlike the Universal Studios Japan and Singapore which were a “Franchise” deal with a local partner - just like Disney did with Oriental Land for Tokyo Disneyland - this time  Comcast NBC Universal is building and will be the co-owner of the Universal Beijing theme park resort with a chinese partner, Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co. Ltd., which was formed in 2013, making it the first “foreign-owned” theme park in the Chinese capital. Universal Beijing will be located in an eastern suburb of Beijing named Tongzhou, and Universal reports that the land for the park has already been purchased last March for $300 Million.





A first bird's eye view rendering of the park has been released...

...and although Universal hasn't announced yet which rides or attractions will be include in the park we can clearly see in the artwork that Universal Beijing will have  some of Universal favorite rides, with a Jurassic Park land, Wizarding World of Harry Potter - with Hogwarts Castle, Diagon Alley, Hogwarst Express and the two Harry Potter E-ticket rides, Revenge of the Mummy, a Shrek "Far Far Away" land, Madagascar, Transformers 3D, a coaster looking like the Hulk one at IOA but that could be themed on Men in Black like what was envisioned for the Universal Dubai theme park that never was, as usual a Hollywood Avenue at the entrance, and a hotel located right over the park entrance, just like we have at DLP with the Disneyland Paris hotel.

Click on each picture below as i've found and indicated for you each ride and attractions - at least the ones recognizable - that will include Universal Beijing!

Although it's a great news for China's theme park fans it's a serious hit for Shanghaî Disneyland which of course expect guests coming from Beijing thanks to the high speed trains between the two cities. That said, the competition won't be like in Orlando as hundred of miles will separate the two theme parks, and probably guests that will visit one park will have the desire to discover the other one. But as we know, Universal has a lot of unbelievably thrilling E-ticket rides whether it is the Revenge of the Mummy, Tansformers 3D, the two Harry Potter E-tickets, etc... so Disney better have at Shanghaî Disneyland impressive rides too, as you can be sure that chinese guests will compare the two parks. One more thing: Disney and Universal will share in common to have each one a theme park in some of the most polluted cities in the world - specially Beijing but Shanghaî is not far behind - so prepare your anti-pollution masks, folks!

Anyway, a new and exciting battle will start in 2019 between Disney and Universal, this time in China and we can't wait to see what will happen!

Pictures: copyright Universal Beijing