Jingkids brings you the inside scoop on Universal Studios Beijing before it’s open to the general public. We take a look at each of the lands inside the park and share tips to make the most of your visit to Universal’s largest theme park ever! Check out our WeChat official account to see them all!
The grand opening of Universal Studios Beijing is less than a week away and I know at least half of Beijing is super excited to set foot in the highly-anticipated theme park. Over the course of its month-long trial operations, the social media hype has been building, and so too have some complaints, not least of which is long wait times. Luckily, Universal Beijing has some pretty nifty packages at varying price points to help you avoid the worst of those initial, uncomfortably crowded opening months.
Any theme park veteran will tell you that a season pass and express passes are the way to go if you have young kids in tow. A season pass will allow you to return again and again at a discounted rate, ensuring that you don’t have to rush around, feverishly hitting every single ride and attraction in a single day. If, however, you don’t want to invest in a year-long commitment, the second-best way to take the pressure off experiencing everything in one day is with an express pass. Here at Universal Studios Beijing, a regular express pass costs RMB 350 and will grant you one-time express access to all rides and shows. Splurge on the RMB 500, however, and you’ll get an unlimited express pass which will launch you to the front of the queue as many times as you could possibly want.
But an even more premier experience awaits – The Universal Studios Beijing VIP Experience. Today, I give you a glimpse into what that has to offer. Do keep in mind that the details of our VIP experience may differ from yours. We were given the private VIP Tour where they dedicate one tour guide to just our group; a VVIP Tour if you will.
Our private tour began with a commemorative photo backdrop where you can sit in the director’s chair and pose with other movie props. Then we were ushered into a private lounge where light refreshments (coffee, tea, juice) and snacks (macaroons stamped with the letters VIP) were provided and happily enjoyed by our kids. Our guide also used the opportunity to introduce herself, speaking excellent English by the by. She gave us our elegant black and gold VIP lanyards and told us we could start the tour whenever we were ready.
To ensure that you visit every ride, show, and attraction in the park, the VIP Experience follows a carefully crafted itinerary. While there is some wiggle room, you may not want to dilly dally too much. However, since it was our second visit to the park, we pretty much knew what we really wanted to do and what we felt little need to repeat. So we told our guide upfront our intentions and goals for the day, and she readily complied.
As we walked through the park, our friendly VIP tour guide shared informative tidbits along the way (all the palm trees in Hollywood are fake, in case you were wondering, but there are real palms inside the Jurassic Aviary) and pointed out lots of stuff we would have otherwise missed. When we arrived at our first ride, she ushered us through a back door, away from the snaking queue, and informed the ride operator of our presence. When the ride was ready to board the next load of people, they let us in first. Boy, did I feel like a VIP! This meant that we got our pick of the seats in the ride!
This process was repeated at every ride we went to, and for some, we even got to enter through the doors labeled “Staff Only,” which led us down back-of-house hallways and corridors before emerging into the (envious) public eye once again and being led to the front of the line. For the kids, this was an absolute thrill, like they were “super-secret spies on a super-secret mission.”
But it wasn’t just avoiding the queues that made the VIP Experience special. We also got the best seats in the house for the shows and a private lunch in an exclusive dining room at Sunset Grill, which came highly recommended. The buffet was delicious and rather serene since there was only one other group there, with prompt and cordial service.
Other key highlights of the VIP Experience include:
- 10% off at other restaurants within the park
- 10% off all merchandise
- Limited Express Pass
Do note that the VIP Tour will not get you to the front of the line for slushie drinks and corn dog stands out and about in the park. We had to learn that one the hard way.
The VIP Tour comes with a limited Express Pass so that even after the conclusion of your tour, you are welcome to ride the rides once more without having to join the queues. That’s good value when you’re considering getting the most bang out of your buck, especially since the VIP Tour is currently priced at RMB 1,700 and up. Call the Universal Beijing Resort Guest Services hotline at 400 877 8899 to book your tour.
KEEP READING: Top Three Shows Worth the Wait at Universal Studios Beijing
Images: Qi Shu, Vivienne Tseng-Rush
