On the first day of Ctrip’s spring promotion, it’s Universal Studios, and on the second day, it’s around the world; both are worth stocking up as hard currency.
This is definitely a purchase that won’t let you down. Although it may not be significantly cheaper compared to calendar prices, those prices remain firm. Especially for Universal Studios today, I’ve never seen it have a price drop on any day.
Ctrip’s 318 annual promotion is still strong; at this low price point, you can stock up on this year’s travels in advance.
I will first post the products; today there are two models, both under the same purchase link.
Nuo Jin Resort Hotel – Universal Studios Beijing/Universal City Hotel – Deluxe Double Bed Room for 1 Night including Breakfast + Early Park Entry Privileges, priced at 1,740 yuan.
Valid until April 21, 2024. An additional weekend supplement of 206 yuan per night applies; not available from April 4-6.
The packages at Universal Studios Beijing have two highlights.
The first is that the biggest advantage of staying at these two hotels is that you can enter the park one hour early, allowing you to start playing before the official opening time. Some areas and attractions will open early, and the wait times are relatively short.
To use my experience as an example, the normal entry time is 9:30 (which may vary between winter and summer). With the early entry privilege, you can enter at 8:30. Sometimes, considering the number of visitors, they might even allow everyone to smoothly enter from the early entry gate around 8:15.
Just this benefit is enough to make the room price worth it.
When entering, I suggest taking a look at the regular entrance; you will find it quite “cheerful.”
The regular ticketing line can be remarkably long, with many visitors arriving early to maximize their time for the most attractions. (When compared, it makes you feel like your money was well spent).
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ at Universal Studios Beijing is fantastic; I can responsibly say that entering the park an hour early means you can enjoy the most popular Harry Potter attractions without waiting in line, and can easily secure the best spots for photos.
Our testing showed that this is more effective than buying express tickets.
Furthermore, each room in these two hotels can accommodate up to four people, but breakfast is provided for only two. When averaged out, this becomes quite economical per person.
Nuo Jin’s Deluxe Double Bed Room has an area of 50㎡, notable for its two 1.5m beds. Although this is a basic room type, the breakfast-inclusive price generally stays around 2,000 per night.
Rooms at Universal Studios are a hard currency; any discount is a bonus.
Let me provide some visuals from our actual experience.
Additionally, the Nuo Jin Resort Hotel includes a gift shop for Universal Studios, where you can do some early shopping.
The Universal City Hotel’s Deluxe Double Bed Room is also a basic room type, with an area of 30㎡. It showcases an American Hollywood style. The two beds are also 1.5m each, accommodating a maximum of four people.
The Universal City Hotel is themed around the park and features Minion themes. During breakfast, characters from the movie interact with guests, including Gru, Edith, and the Minions from Despicable Me.
This hotel is perfect for outings with children.
Regarding the location of both hotels, I should mention that they are adjacent to the park.
The Universal City Hotel is right next to the park entrance; you can directly check in from your room by taking an elevator down, making it exceptionally convenient. When you get tired during the day, you can easily return to your room for a rest.
You can see Hollywood from the Universal City Hotel.
Nuo Jin Resort Hotel and Universal City Hotel share an early entry passageway. The two hotels are about five to six hundred meters apart. If you start timing from leaving the room, I recommend allocating about 10 minutes for the walk.
To summarize, while the Universal City Hotel is closer, Nuo Jin offers better quality.
Walking from Nuo Jin’s main entrance to the entry point takes about 5 minutes.
Important Notes:
1) Both hotels have irregular check-in and check-out times: check-in after 16:00 and check-out before 11:00. However, if there are available rooms, they will allow early check-in, so it’s not an issue.
2) Regarding early park entry privileges, not all attractions will open earlier; typically, only “Harry Potter” and “Minions” do. You can always check the “Beijing Universal Resort” app for updates. The app provides details on opening times, wait times, and specific locations, which helps in planning your route.
3) Both hotels offer free luggage storage services, which is very convenient.
Next, let’s dive into the guide for Universal Studios Beijing.
With great products, a comprehensive guide is essential.
Overview of the Universal Resort
Beijing Universal Resort is the third Universal resort in Asia and the fifth worldwide. In simple terms, it can be divided into seven themed zones, an urban avenue, and two resort hotels.
The tickets we purchased refer to the seven themed zones, which collectively feature 16 attractions and 14 shows (the urban avenue is free, and resort hotel fees are separate).
The seven themed zones in Universal Studios Beijing include:
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Minion Land, Jurassic World Nublar, Water World, Kung Fu Panda, Transformers Base, and Hollywood.
Both hotels grant early entry privileges.
I’ll repeat important information: not all seven themed areas will open early—typically only “Harry Potter” and “Minions”—so keep an eye on the “Beijing Universal Resort” app.
You can see the opening times, queue lengths, and specific locations of various attractions, which is beneficial for planning your route.
Let’s introduce each zone one by one.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is arguably the most anticipated themed area, with most guests coming specifically for it, so I will start with it.
To summarize the attractions:
The Blue Star is ideal for children, while the Red Star is my strong recommendation (the performance times may vary slightly each day).
This zone is divided into two parts: Hogsmeade™ Village and Hogwarts Castle.
Hogsmeade™ Village includes various shops, 4 performances, and 10 interactive wand stations. Meanwhile, Hogwarts Castle features the main attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, as well as the nearby Hippogriff Ride.
I feel this area is the most immersive.
It’s the best place to wear wizarding robes, and the staff’s engagement with “Muggle literature” is truly commendable. For example, when checking out in the shops, staff may ask, “Will you be paying with Muggle technology?” Upon seeing someone in wizarding robes, they’ll greet them with “Hello, Wizard!” (While those without robes might get a cheerful “Muggle!”).
The two hottest attractions inside are Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and Hippogriff Ride.
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is undoubtedly fun; it’s the only experience that allows your feet to dangle, giving you the feel of riding alongside Harry Potter during a Quidditch match.
The Hippogriff Ride is a gentle roller coaster suitable even for children, requiring a minimum height of 99cm, making it a family-friendly option.
Additionally, there are five performances in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
The Hogwarts™ Express conductor is a popular character, and the main content revolves around taking photos with him—his outfit can vary a lot.
Another highly popular performance is Ollivanders, located next to the Hog’s Head Inn.
As you enter Ollivanders wand shop, he will select a volunteer from the audience to participate in an interactive experience simulating Harry’s wand selection. Based on others’ experiences, the selection probability favors children (allegedly because Harry was only 11 when selecting his wand) > “wizards” in robes > “Muggles.”
The wands here are matched based on your name, birthday, and personality traits; the chosen one becomes an Ollivanders exclusive not associated with any character in “Harry Potter.” You can’t find it in the outside store.
Speaking of non-exclusive wands, at Ollivanders, they distinguish between interactive and non-interactive wands. The former costs 349 yuan each, while the latter costs 299 yuan. I suggest purchasing the interactive wand since it works in the Harry Potter attractions in other Universal theme parks.
With an interactive wand, there are 10 interactive points to experience, clearly indicated on the map.
However, if you stroll through the Wizarding World, you’ll figure it out quickly, as there’s always a queue at each interactive point; a cluster of “wizards” gathered at certain spots wielding their wands indicates those stations.
The most anticipated show is the Hogwarts™ Castle Nighttime Lights; I recommend visiting the Wizarding World in the evening. If you wait until the light show to enter, you’ll likely encounter a large crowd at the entrance.
I highly suggest visiting the Wizarding World again at night; it truly captures the cinematic essence.
Having covered attractions and shows, it’s time for food and shopping. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has only one main restaurant, The Three Broomsticks. On the day I visited, there was a continuous long line every moment I walked by; at first, I thought it was an attraction, but upon asking the staff, I discovered it was just for dining.
If you’re only interested in buying Butterbeer, besides here and the street vendors, you can also buy it from the quieter Hog’s Head Inn adjacent to The Three Broomsticks; there’s no need to wait in such a long line. Additionally, the dining areas of both establishments are connected, so the best viewing spots can also be shared.
Oh, and remember to use your annual pass discount for dining.
Transformers Base features incredibly fun attractions!
Let me first share some pictures.
Let’s discuss two major attractions: Decepticon Roller Coaster and Transformers: The Battle for the AllSpark. If you have time, you must try both!
The Decepticon Roller Coaster ranks highest in thrill-seeking among all attractions. Just standing under it looks terrifying because the coaster loops are enormous, combined with the screams of patrons; even before boarding, the scare factor is maximized.
However, once you’re actually seated, it’s not as frightening as it seems.
The seats are very well secured, without the typical jostling found in regular roller coasters, providing a sense of safety. Notably, the ride utilizes innovative facilities made by transforming robots, specifically designed as a new character for this attraction.
The coaster speed is impressively fast, accelerating from zero to 104 km/h in only 4.5 seconds. So while spinning around, I kept my eyes closed the whole time; the ride seemed to zip by in just a minute and a half.
The Battle for the AllSpark is unanimously recognized by the Urgent Cai Cai editorial team as the top-tier experience. Not only is the visual expression fantastic, but the sensation of being pushed back in your seat is exhilarating.
Especially when a bomb explodes right before you, the rush of hot air combining with the thrill makes it instantly worth the ticket price.
Additionally, there’s a family-friendly Bumblebee Spin attraction, which operates similarly to spinning teacups, providing fun by spinning both around and around.
The only performance in Transformers Base is “Transformers: The Ride.”
In straightforward terms, this is an interactive experience where you can take photos with characters like Optimus Prime, Megatron, and Bumblebee. The highlight is not just the photos but that they’ll chatter incessantly, enhancing the interactive experience. If you have a social butterfly friend, they should definitely try to engage with them.
The attractions in Minion Land all seem to cater to family enjoyment, mainly split between Super Silly Fun Land and the Gru’s neighborhood from the films, which is my top recommendation for families with children.
Among them, Super Silly Fun Land features a unique semi-indoor design, with a massive indoor space offering mini roller coasters, spinning rides, and various attractions. Additionally, the skylights in Fun Land can be opened or closed based on temperature, ensuring a comfortable experience for visitors.
In Fun Land, the only adult-friendly attraction is the Minion Mayhem Coaster, which I found even more thrilling than the Hippogriff Ride from Harry Potter. At least, that last drop truly made me gasp. This probably stems from an expectation that it wouldn’t be scary, adding to the surprise factor.
