Did you know that Korea’s most famous penguin is also in Beijing?
When I heard that Pororo, my older daughter’s favorite cartoon character, also had its own theme park here in the Capital, I was naturally elated. But the hefty RMB 204 price tag made me very much reluctant to bring my two young children to pay the popular bird a visit.
But when a friend and her family traveling to Beijing mentioned that they wanted to go, I realized that destiny had forced its hand on me. Naturally, I said yes, but did so with the gears in my head working overtime. What were those discount sites’ Chinese names again? Will this cost me a fortune?
My online searches were sadly quite futile since the discounted prices barely made a difference. But as it turns out, I didn’t have to think so hard after all.
Tip 1: Get the membership card on site and bring some friends!
“For how many people?” asked the theme park’s cashier in Chinese.
“Four adults and three kids.”
“That many people? Maybe you should get a membership card,” the young lady suggested. As she explained the price drop—from RMB220 to RMB128 per child—the ends of my lips lifted upwards and I gave a silent hooray. There were four adults in total, which cost us RMB 40 at RMB 10 per adult.
Interestingly I also realized that with indoor playgrounds, the membership prices are sometimes even lower than those on group-buying websites—-very much unlike how it is back in my home country. Also many of these membership cards can be shared amongst friends—a good option for those looking to hold informal birthday parties but dining elsewhere.
So to recap: Oh my gosh we got an RMB 92 discount!
Tip 2: Bring socks… just because.
Like most indoor playgrounds I’ve been to, we needed to wear socks once we entered. The only difference was the Pororo Park offered socks that the staff also described as one-time-use socks. True enough, by the end of our time there my big toe was peeking out and greeting everyone. Ni hao!
But we were there for just two hours. For those with kids who can last the whole day, imagine the trail of holed socks more hours would create. So it might not be a bad idea to bring your own sturdier socks.
Tip 3: Buy your coffee ahead of time.
I was a bit tired that day and not feeling too well, and so I really wanted some hot coffee to perk me right back up. I ordered coffee to unfortunately discover that not only did they not serve caffeinated drinks—they had no hot drinks at all! They mentioned that their hot drinks are only available in winter.
I ended up ordering orange juice. Good news is that they serve fresh juices. The bad news is that they take quite a while to finish preparing your drink—even if you’re the only customer ordering drinks.
And so my advice is to get your coffee—or any drink for that matter—before entering the park.
Tip 4: If you can, go on a weekday
There weren’t that many children when we were there, but one of the staff did mention that weekends can get crazy. That plus if you are a budget-conscious mama like myself, weekdays cost less.
Tip 5: Strategize your stay.
Strategize?
Well, yes. Like its Korean counterpart, Beijing’s Pororo Theme Park has rides and activities that only move at certain times of the day. If you plan to stay the whole day, then following my suggestion might not be entirely necessary. But if you have toddlers like I do who still need their afternoon naps, then I recommend visiting each play area and plan your rides around those times.
Here are more photos of the place:
Pororo Theme Park (Pororo 主题乐园）
Ages 1-6. Weekdays priced at RMB 220 per child, RMB 128 for members, RMB 10 per guardian. Weekends priced at RMB 272 per child, RMB 150 for members, RMB 20 for each guardian. Membership cards available in three denominations: RMB 500, RMB 1000, or RMB 2000. Open everyday from 10am-9pm. 3F Aegean Mall, Chaoyang District. (七圣中街12号院爱琴海购物中心3层)
(010 8424 0582)
