Universal Kids Resort: Explore The Newest Theme Park for Families!

With Epic Universe racing toward its grand opening in Orlando next year and a mysterious Universal Great Britain project in the works, you might have forgotten that Universal has another brand-new theme park on the way—this time, in Texas… Universal Kids Resort!

Set to open in 2026 in Frisco (just outside Dallas), Universal Kids Resort will be the company’s first theme park designed specifically for younger children. First announced in 2023, the resort will feature lands inspired by Shrek, Puss in Boots, Trolls, Gabby’s Dollhouse, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minions, and Jurassic World.

Here’s what we know so far about Universal’s kid-sized theme park:

Universal’s newest (and smallest) park will still include immersive themed lands, shows, and meet-and-greets with popular characters, but all of it will be scaled down for little parkgoers…. think of it as a gateway theme park.

The entire resort will be built on just under 100 acres, including a 300-room hotel at the park’s entrance.

The park’s central hub will feature shady lawns, interactive play areas and an immersive shopping experience themed to Gabby’s Dollhouse. In comparison, Gabby only has a small meet-and-greet area at Universal Studios Florida.

Universal Kids Resort Lands

Now that we know one of the park’s lands will be themed to DreamWorks characters, including Trolls and Shrek, we can expect it to look similar to the new kid-friendly DreamWorks Land that opened last year at Universal Studios Florida.

“At this colorful, joy-filled, and, of course, glittery fest, guests of all sizes get to join Poppy, Branch and the rest of the gang to bring their voices together in harmony while shining brightly.”

“Ogre-sized fun awaits in DreamWorks’ Shrek’s swamp themed playground built personally by Shrek. Kids can stomp, ride, laugh and play as they celebrate the magic of friendship, warmth of family and power of love.”

“The merriment continues with DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots, Kitty Softpaws and Perrito. A kitty adoption drive is in full swing with fabulous decorations, sideshow games, fun rides and festive food. For those needing a cat nap, guests can recharge in a sensory garden.”

The kitty adoption drive is a similar story line to the puppy adoption in The Secret Life of Pets: Off The Leash ride at Universal Studios Hollywood.

We may also see a version of the theater-based DreamWorks attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Following the addition of the colorful Minions Land to Universal Studios Florida, we can expect the Minions Land in the new kid-friendly park will be similar.

“Let the games begin as Illumination’s Minions overrun a peaceful vacation retreat. When Yellow Minions attempt to rein in their Purple counterparts, it leads to a wave of unpredictable, water-soaked fun. Take part in this action-packed competition, or just relax, and watch the chaos unfold. Whatever you choose, every splash, laugh, and surprise might just bring everyone closer together.”

When concept art was first revealed, there was speculation that a building with a curved wooden roof looks a lot like the Krusty Krab restaurant from SpongeBob – and now we know SpongeBob’s undersea world will indeed be one of the lands.

“For the best day ever, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick, Sandy Cheeks and Squidward will show guests around their neighborhood under the sea. From earning a boating license to relaxing on the beach as bubbles float by, kids and their families and friends can enjoy the nautical, nonsensical delights.”

The wildcard (quite literally) is Jurassic World, which is definitely not the first franchise we think of when we hear “family-friendly.” Still, kids do love dinosaurs, and it seems dinos of the less-ferocious variety will be taking up residence in Texas. 

“Discoveries abound as kids learn about and come face to face with beloved dinosaurs of Jurassic World in uniquely exciting and interactive ways. The new adventure exclusively created for young explorers will be both exhilarating and awe-inspiring.”

It’s A Small World After All

Catering to the smallest members of the family is nothing new, and even the biggest theme parks are actively expanding their family-friendly offerings, including Universal’s new DreamWorks land in Orlando and the reimagined Toontown at Disneyland.

But now it seems like entire theme parks are literally being down-sized. Between Legoland resorts in California, Florida, and New York; Peppa Pig theme parks in Orlando and Dallas; Sesame Place parks in Philadelphia and San Diego, an upcoming Mattel toy-themed park in Arizona, and of course, Universal Kids Resort in Texas, there are more and more places for families with little kids to play. And for a good reason.

Back in 2023, we pointed out that high ticket prices at Disney and Universal parks are hard for a family to justify if their kids are too small to ride many of the attractions. Those are likely the guests Universal is (wisely) courting for their new scaled-down park in Texas because if a family will get on a plane to Florida or California, they’ll certainly fly to Dallas.

Even at the brand new Epic Universe theme park built entirely from scratch, there are only two attractions that have no minimum height requirement: Constellation Carousel in Celestial Park and Fyre Drill in How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. So, why wouldn’t families choose to spend their theme park dollars at a park where everyone can ride everything (or nearly everything)? And Universal Kids Resort will be that park.

Related Reading

Theme Parks Race To Build More Parks For Kids!

Inside Universal’s NEW DreamWorks Land!

Disneyland ToonTown REOPENED – Essential Guide to Rides, Food, Shopping & More!

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