Universal signs deal to open biggest theme park in Beijing

Scene at the Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles. It allows visitors to go behind the scenes on a real working movie studio. [Photo/IC]

World's oldest and most famous Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles offers a collection of rides, shows, food and beverage and merchandise shops all at one place. The latest attraction - Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem - features a family friendly simulator adventure through the Minion training facility, which opened on April 12, 2014.

The giant theme park, operated by US cable company NBCUniversal, was the first to allow the public to experience action-packed entertainment and take a behind–the-scene look at movie making.

Universal Orlando consists of two theme parks: Universal Studios Florida, which opened in 1990, allows visitors to "Ride the Movies" and Islands of Adventure, opened in 1999, hosts the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Visitors to the theme park resort can also dine in style, with a large group of characters from The Cat in the Hat to Spider-Man to keep the diners a company for breakfasts and dinners.

As the first Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia, Universal Studios Japan got off to a roaring start with tourists flocking in from other Asian countries. Visitors to the Osaka park reached 11 million in 2011, its launch year, becoming the world's fastest growing amusement park at the time.

Located within popular island resort Sentosa, the Universal Studios Singapore was the second Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia, and the first to open in Southeast Asia.