New ways to play

Universal Beijing completed its core projects at the end of last year and is ready to greet travelers.

The resort launched 10,000 "early-rights" packages on Oct 21, which sold out in just 131 seconds. Similar packages launched on Oct 23 and 28 also sold out within seconds. Customers who bought these packages can buy tickets five days before general sale and can choose when to visit the parks.

The Universal Beijing resort has integrated Chinese culture to tell stories in a Chinese context, says Sabrina Han, creative coordinator for the resort's Transformers Metrobase.

Chinese humor, pop culture and creative thinking are also considered in the attraction's development.

"Storytelling has become a standard feature of theme parks," says Beth Chang, executive director for economic practices at Asia AECOM.

"Most of the newer theme-park projects in China revolve around local history and culture."