Thinking of visiting Universal Studios Beijing with young kids? Here’s my honest, no-fluff review. The good, the exhausting and whether it’s worth the cost with a 5-year-old.
We visited Universal Studios (US) Beijing to celebrate my husband’s first birthday in China. As the newest US theme park in the world, we wanted to see whether it lived up to the hype. We knew it would be a challenge with a kid who is under most of the height limits. They are also not a fan of loop-dee-loops. We still wanted to visit and find out whether…
Universal Studios Beijing is worth it with young children?
Let’s break it down!
Nic x
Summary
Universal Studios Beijing is the newest Universal theme park in the world, and it’s incredibly impressive. But visiting with young kids is very different from visiting with teenagers or adults.
After spending a full day at the park with our 5-year-old, we learned what works well for families — and what might make you question the value of the tickets.
In this honest review I’ll cover:
If you’re planning a family trip to Beijing, this guide will help you decide if Universal Studios Beijing belongs on your itinerary.
Having a small “theme park survival kit” can make the day significantly easier — especially with kids. These are the simple items that helped us avoid the most common problems families face at the park:
You’ll use your phone constantly for maps, photos and tickets – and charging spots at the park are limited. Here’s what you should include in your phone survival kit to be ready for all situations:
Our weekend was made up of 2-nights at the Universal Resort Hotel and a full day at the park. We had buffet breakfast both mornings and early entrance into the park (an hour before opening). We booked our room through trip.com (the only booking site we trust to book accommodation and train tickets here in China).
Universal Studios Resort Hotel is located right at the entrance to the theme park. This makes the early park entrance a breeze, with a dedicated entrance to the park for hotel guests. You bypass the general entrance crowds, with an exclusive security and ticketing gate just for hotel guests.
This dedicated entrance makes it quick and easy, especially with young children.
The Universal Resort Hotel offers several different themed rooms . We opted for the double, Minions themed room. A themed room helped make our stay feel that little bit magical. With Minion themed goodies, embroided linen and Minion movies available 24/7 on the TV, this room was awesome. Free water is also included with all rooms.
We booked the room through trip.com – who have the best deals.
Get the BEST discount on your next stay at the Universal Studios Grand Resort – Beijing right here:
There are several dining options at the Resort, with daily breakfast buffet offered at the Lotus Garden. The breakfast has a great selection of both western and Asian cuisine. They also have an all day dessert bar (yes, even at breakfast). The whole place was Christmas themed during our visit – which meant hot ham and Christmas treats too. It isn’t exactly promoted as a character breakfast, but the Minion characters do appear during breakfast for photos.
However, our daughter woke up on the wrong side of the bed! She wasn’t even remotely interested in taking a photo (boo!).
We also checked out the Lotus Garden for buffet dinner on our first night. They had an excellent spread, but it was quite pricey. We checked-in after 7, so as a trade-off we paid a bit more to stay close to our room.
The hotel is a great addition to the theme park and offers a comfortable stay, so you’re well rested for your day at the park – but here are some things that worked well for our family:
Overall, our stay at the resort was awesome! If we come back, I would love to come back and stay. It makes things so much easier – and the bed is COMFY.
As comfy as the beds are, our daughter woke up on the wrong side of the bed. That meant, no amount of minions, buffet food or birthday excitement was going to change a 5-year-old’s attitude.
This followed us into the park.
We skipped the Express Passes this time around. This was influenced by the fact our daughter is too short for most of the express pass rides. It wasn’t worth it for this visit, but I would consider when family come. If you’re into the thrill rides (think Harry Potter, Transformers and Jurassic Park) then it’s worth it. The park does get VERY busy, especially on weekends and public holidays. Save yourself a couple hours wait time, by cutting the line.
While we skipped the Express Passes, the early entry into the park well made up for it.
If you stay at one of the 2 Universal Hotels, you get the perk of early entry into the park. This also comes with a dedicated entrance. The entrance opens a whole hour before the park. This alone, I think justified our stay at the hotel. The best part about it was:
This single perk made our entire day SO. MUCH. BETTER.
If you haven’t been to a Universal Park with the Harry Potter area, then be prepared for crowds. In Beijing, it is particularly popular during the Christmas period and on snow days. Getting in early, getting the rides done and exploring without the crowds is VERY enjoyable. Waiting any later, you’ll see a million people trying to take aesthetic pictures for social media. This helped us structure how we spent the rest of the day.
Harry Potter for this millennial, was easily the highlight of the morning – especially during the early entry hour.
Compared to Universal Studios Japan (which was overwhelming) Beijing’s counterpart was genuinely enjoyable early in the day. Walk the streets of Hogsmeade, explore house coloured robes and be sure to buy yourself a wand from Ollivanders. I will warn you though, it is quite pricey.
If you’re into thrill rides, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is good for older kids. Flight of the Hippogriff is a great roller-coaster to get the kids started. These rides get SUPER busy once the general public is let in. If you can clear them in the first hour then you won’t have to fight the crowds.
Kung Fu Panda Land is on the far side of the park . It does offer great Chinese cuisine, caramel popcorn and a kids playground in return for the walking to get there. It’s dark inside, lit up with traditional lanterns.
Located in a large warehouse, this place offers reprieve in all weather. We went in November and it was cold (about 3-5 degrees). This place was heated comfortably which made it really tempting to stay all day. One of the biggest attractions here though is the playground. Made up of a large climbing structure, an animated show and slides, it’s a kid perfect hangout. It’s great of kids who just want to do what kids do, play.
They also have a couple of Chinese food outlets here and did I mention caramel popcorn? As a midway stop-off, it’s perfect to relax here before tackling the rest of the park.
After a Waterworld show, a couple hours in Kung Fu Panda Land and a looksy through Minions – we were already half-way through the park.
But by midday, reality had set in.
We spent a good 2 hours in Kung Fu Panda Land. But, as we made our way back for the second time, it did raise a tough question:
Why are we paying theme park prices, for something our kid could be doing anywhere? (Running around, climbing structures and sliding down slides).
Kung Fu Panda Land is clearly designed for younger kids. If your child prefers free play over rides, they’ll love it. Of the whole park, our daughter was happiest there. From a value perspective though, it started to feel like we were paying for a very expensive playground.
This won’t be popular – but it’s honest.
I don’t think Universal Studios Beijing offers great value for most 5-year-old’s UNLESS they love thrill rides and coasters.
Not because the park isn’t impressive – it is.
Not because it’s poorly run – it’s not.
But because:
I also feel that, because we live in Beijing now, it doesn’t feel like a once-in-a-lifetime trip. If we were coming as tourists, we would probably be more inclined to make the most of it.
This doesn’t mean we aren’t excited to come back with family and friends though – because we are. It just means, we’ll be more prepared on what to expect.
A few practical things to know before you head to Universal Studios Beijing:
Despite nothing going exactly to plan, the weekend was still EPIC!
It was my husband’s birthday.
We were together.
It was messy, real, and imperfect.
Sometimes the best memories aren’t the most Instagram-worthy ones. They’re the ones where expectations shift and you enjoy what is, not what you hoped for. Even if that means calling it a day by 5:30 pm and heading back to the hotel early.
Universal Studios Beijing is impressive.
It’s beautifully designed – you could easily think you’d walked straight into any one of your favourite movies. It also has undeniably thrilling and exciting rides that would test even the biggest adventure seekers. It truly offers cinema magic, in real life.
The reality is, it might just be the most expensive playground you’ll ever visit. I think if you know this before going, you’ll enjoy it a lot more. There is plenty of fun for a 5-year-old at US Beijing. But temper expectations about riding roller-coasters all day.
The best recommendation I can make is, take plenty of snacks and your water bottles.
Overall do I think it’s worth it? Yes! But, with tempered expectations. It’s not somewhere we’d come regularly, but as a special trip I think it’s worth a visit.
Loved this review? Next, read our full 5-Day Beijing Family Adventure Itinerary to play your whole trip!
It can be, but expectations matter. While there are kid-friendly areas like Kung Fu Panda Land and playground spaces, many rides are geared toward older children. For some families, a 5-year-old may prefer play areas over major attractions, which can make the experience feel less value-for-money.
If you’re traveling with older kids (7+) or extra adults who can help rotate rides, it can feel worthwhile. With younger children, especially if they aren’t thrill-seekers, the cost may feel high compared to how many attractions you actually manage to experience.
Staying on-site is extremely convenient for families. The biggest perks are early park entry, quick access back to the hotel for breaks, and shorter wait times in the morning. If your budget allows, the location alone makes a noticeable difference.
Not always. For families with young kids, Express Passes can be poor value if your child can’t ride many attractions. Early park entry through an on-site hotel stay can be a better investment.
Kung Fu Panda Land is the standout for younger kids thanks to its playground areas and gentler attractions. Harry Potter World is visually impressive, but may be more enjoyable for adults and older children.
Try to arrive by 5:00 pm and claim a viewing spot early. After 5:30 pm, crowds become very dense, and movement is difficult — especially with strollers or young children.
It can feel smaller depending on how much you’re able to do in one day. The park is beautifully themed, but families focused on thrill rides may want more time or additional help.
Toddlers may enjoy the themed environments and play areas, but many major rides won’t be suitable. For families with very young children, the value will depend on how much time is spent in free-play zones rather than attractions.
With young children, two slower days (especially if staying on-site) can work well. A single rushed day may feel exhausting and limiting, particularly if crowds are high. There is an option to buy a day + 1/2 a day pass if you’re staying at the hotel (this could be a great option).
Personally, I’d wait until my child is older before planning another major visit. The park itself is impressive, but I think the experience improves significantly once kids can handle more rides and longer days.
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*The information in this blog is accurate as of 10 May 2026. Policies, laws, regulations,…
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