Opens Monday Next Week: Entrance Tickets Sold Out In An Instant, Beijing Universal Studios Management Apologizes

Universal Studios Beijing Resort. (Source: Universal Beijing Resort)

JAKARTA - Universal Studios Beijing Resort issued an apology late Wednesday, after its website and app crashed several times due to a spike in traffic during the first day of ticket sales yesterday.

"An error occurred in the ticketing system while performing a real-time inventory update for Universal Express Pass, which resulted in problems with order confirmation," the management said, citing China.org.cn Sept. 15.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused," the management said in a statement.

Universal Studios Beijing Resort admission tickets officially went on sale yesterday, however, many general admission tickets and VIP packages for the upcoming Mid-Autumn Day holiday and beyond are quickly selling out. In fact, tickets for the opening on September 20th sold out in a minute on Ctrip.

Similarly, the Universal Express Pass, a premium ticket that reduces waiting time for attractions, is also sold out until December 11. The resort said its ticketing system had experienced unprecedented amounts of traffic, with peak orders continuing to set new records.

The resort clarified, they are proactively handling and confirming orders for the remaining inventory, while communicating closely with relevant platforms to provide a 'suitable solution as soon as possible', working with the platform to deal with related issues.

Fliggy, Alibaba Group's online travel booking platform, and Universal Beijing Resort's official ticketing partner, also issued an apology and a solution for canceled bookings.

To officially open on September 20, Universal Beijing Resort is a joint venture between Comcast Corp's Universal Parks & Resorts and the state-owned Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment, CCTV quoted CNA as saying Aug. 30.

This is the fifth Universal Studios-branded theme park in the world, or the third in Asia, after similar parks in Japan and Singapore. The planned opening was delayed by several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before officially opening, this amusement park has been undergoing operational trials since last September 1. Citing SCMP 2 September, the public complained about the ticket price because it was considered expensive.

Ticket prices range from 418 yuan or 64 US dollars in low season to 748 yuan or about 115 US dollars during peak seasons, such as public holidays and most summer vacation periods.

"Because I most likely only have time to go on special days, such as National Day holidays, this price doesn't apply to me. It's too expensive," said one Weibo user.

"I can accept the price of the ticket, but the food and other items inside the park are so expensive that I can't afford it," wrote another.

Located in the Tongzhou District on the outskirts of Beijing City, China, the much-anticipated Universal Studios Beijing will feature seven themed grounds. In total there are 37 rides and attractions, 24 shows and shows, 80 restaurants, and 30 retail stores throughout the park and the adjacent Universal CityWalk Beijing.