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Universal Kids Resort
Frisco, TX
NBC Universal / Comcast
Opened July 1, 2026
---- THE LATEST BUZZ ----
(9/30/2026) Universal Kids Resort Now Selling Gold Annual Passes
(6/24/2026) Universal Kids Resort Has Generated Some Very Decisive Reviews Thus Far
(6/10/2026) Universal Kids Resort May Offer Preview Visit Tickets Soon
(5/30/2026) Ticket Prices, Operational Schedule and Closure Dates
(5/28/2026) Universal Kids Resort Sets Grand Opening Date!
 New Park - (9/30/2026) Universal Kids Resort has announced that they are expanding their Annual Pass program by adding a new Gold tier AP that will feature no blackout dates, include parking, add guest discounts, plus other added perks. The price is a bit steep though… as it comes in at $199.99 per person, compared to the $129.99 Silver pass. As single day tickets start at $49.99, I guess you’ll know if you need the Gold pass if you visit the park at least 4 or more times a year.
(6/24/2026) While I have not visited myself, it seems that the early reviews from the Universal Kids Resort have been a bit decisive… with some of the invited guests previewing the park and resort actually slamming it a bit hard.
I’d have to say that some of this may have to do with a “poor choice” of selection of who they may have invited, bringing in a few too many mommy blogger types and lifestyle influencers who don’t know anything about the theme park industry other than the occasional visit to Walt Disney World. The other mistake may have been inviting those who didn’t understand that the intended demographic of this very different park for Universal was for kids age 12 and under… the same basic demographic that the Legoland parks appeal to, of which Texas does not yet have such a park other than the micro Peppa Pig Theme Park park that opened last year.
I’ve been trying to ignore most of them, but I keep seeing comments about how the park lacks any thrill rides for the teens or adults (this wasn’t supposed to be a Six Flags park…) as well as the fact that it also lacks any big budget indoor dark rides, which Screamscape readers have also known to expect from the very start of this project.
I will say that I do find it a little disappointing that Universal didn’t try to install any kind of more family friendly dark ride experience… as even a simple 4D theater may have been fun (a Shrek 4D revival anyone?) and most certainly a good way to get out of the heat. I’ve also got to think that a copy the Villain-Con Minion Blast attraction from Florida would have gone over very well in Texas too. Some of the kid-friendly rides from Universal Beijing that have never been bult in the US may have been a good fit here too, like the Jurassic Flyers powered coaster from Mack Rides, or the Kung Fu Panda Journey of the Dragon Warrior dark flume ride, or the Secret Life of Pets dark ride from Universal’s Hollywood park. So there is a valid point there, but this is a new park with plenty of time to expand and add things to fill in the gaps.
Of course the other big complaint I’m seeing repeated is from people complaining about the lack of shade or green spaces because they haven’t had time to grow in yet. Valid complaint? Sure… but this is a new park and you’ve got to also expect that is going to be an issue as it is for every new park I’ve ever seen open at first. And this is Texas after all… it’s not exactly a lush forest style landscape, so let’s be realistic.
From what I’ve seen, this is exactly what it was promoted as being… a more budget friendly Universal themed theme park resort experience aimed at small children, in a market that really has no such experience other than a visit to someplace like a Great Wolf Lodge. Ironically, I was just there driving past the park a week ago before these previews began, but not because I was invited, I went to Texas to visit family and we just happened to be close and I had my brother drive past it. So… am I planning a visit myself soon? No… not at all really, because I’m not the intended market for it. My kids are grown and in college and finishing high school… and they aren’t the intended market for this park either. If Universal wanted to invite me out to see it and cover it as part of a story, sure as an industry professional I’d be happy to tour it, but as a theme park fan… I know this park was not designed or intended for me and I’m smart enough to know it and not complain about it, in much the same way that I know that I’m also not the intended audience for the Peppa Pig Theme Park down the road.
(6/10/2026) If you are local to Frisco, Texas, you might get a chance to peek behind the curtain a bit early. Universal’s highly anticipated kid-centric park is thought to be opening its doors for a limited number of discounted preview days ahead of its official grand opening on July 1st. Keep an eye on the website and Universal’s social media for an announcement about possible early access tickets that could be offered very soon.
(5/30/2026) Some interesting news has come to light regarding the new Universal Kids Resort. For starters, ticket prices are not bad… starting at $54.99 for a 1 day ticket and $73 for a 2-day ticket, and Silver annual passes being offered for $129 for a basic pass and $164 if you want to include parking.
Currently hours of operation are only being listed for July, August and September, with the park typically open from 10am to 7pm (Sundays through Thursday) and 10am to 8pm on most Friday and Saturdays. Things slow down a bit on August 17th when the hours cut back when local schools start to 10am to 5pm operations on most weekdays, but daily operations seems to be the norm.
HOWEVER… above it is a note from Universal that says that the park will be open most of the year but it does mention the possibility of “brief seasonal closures and schedule adjustments” that will be added to the calendar once the park is open for a bit. While nothing is there currently on the official calendar, if you visit the page about Blackout dates for the Silver Annual Passes, in addition to the scheduled Blackout dates already posted from July 2026 through to September 2027, they have posted some of the aforementioned seasonal closure dates as:
Nov 2026: 3–4, 10–11, 17–18, 26 (Tuesdays and Wednesdays, plus Thanksgiving)
Dec 2026: 25 (Christmas Day)
Jan 2027: 5–8, 11–15, 19–31
Feb 2027: 1-10, 16-19, 22-26
Mar 2027: 1, 2, 3, 9
So we’re looking at Tues/Wed closures in November, plus closed of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, then in January it looks like they’re planning to be closed most weekdays, with an extended closure from Jan. 19 through to Feb. 10th, then they reopen for a couple of long weekends to finish out the month, with a few early March weekdays dates still closed. Beyond that is unknown territory, so I assume they’ll have to see how things go this year.
(5/28/2026) Universal has confirmed that their newest theme park, the Universal Kids Resort in Texas, will now officially open on July 1, 2026. You can view the park preview video that Universal posted below.
(1/25/2026) Some new details about the upcoming Universal Kids Resort park in Texas have come to light, but in an interesting way. Everyone knew from day one that the park was being designed for younger guests, so this meant smaller rides with height requirements that would allow for most young children to be able to ride about everything. This has held true, with early information about the attractions being released from Universal with most attractions featuring height restrictions as low as 30 inches and most around 36 or 39 inches and some upwards of 42 inches. However, there is an interesting twist on these however… as the majority of the park attractions also include the verbiage, “Children under 48” must be accompanied by a supervising companion.”
So for parents who think they can just set their kids loose upon the park on their own… this is not the case, as you’ll have to join them on all those rides as well. This is a great way to ensure that a day at the Universal Kids Resort remains a “family experience” to remember, but I’m also thinking there is a bit of a secondary agenda here as well. We’ll have to see what the eventual park entry requirements are as we get closer to opening day to know if Universal will enact a “Chaperone Policy” to prevent minors from visiting the park without an adult present, but requiring a “supervising compassion” on the attractions with small children is also a great way to keep the park from becoming used as a “day-care” in the summer, preventing parents from buying annual passes and dropping off their kids at the park for the day while they go to work.
As odd as it may sound at first, this was an issue that many Six Flags parks (and mini-golf courses, movie theaters, malls, etc… ) were having up until the pandemic years when Chaperone Policies began to appear as hordes of unsupervised teens and pre-teens began to decent upon various locations causing fights, security problems and more.
(11/27/2026) Since Universal has released most of the “official” information about the new Universal Kids Resort theme park opening in Texas in 2026, I figure it was time for an update about the park along with all the official names for “all the things…”
Guests will enter into the park by passing under the Universal Kids Resort Hotel, which features 300 guests rooms and family suites along with dining options. You won’t find anywhere else to stay any closer to the park than this. Upon entering the park everyone will pass through the “Isle of Curiosity”, designed both as a place to play as well as a place to meet some of your favorite characters. The Isle is also home to Gabby’s Dollhouse where you can meet Gabby and some of her friends.
Hang a left and you’ll find yourself entering TrollsFest, a glitter-filled, ‘round-the-clock park where the music never stops. Look to meet up with your favorite Trolls characters like Branch, Poppy or ride on attractions like the Hair in the Clouds balloon ride or the Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express roller coaster.
Pass here you’ll enter into Shrek’s Swamp, where of course you’ll find Shrek and Donkey and Fiona. According to the description you’ll experience their fairytale love story, be able to splash around at Shrek’s Swamp Splash and Smash, or ride on Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After.
Next up is Puss in Boots Del Mar, where a village of festive colors, games and food awaits. Take a ride on the Swings over Del Mar ride, or enjoy a puppet-show and fun carnival games.
The next land is the Minions vs Minions: Bello Bay Club, where you watch the chaos unfold as the Yellow Minions take on their twisted Purple nemesis. Look to find lots of wet fun here, including taking a spin on the Bello Bay Cruise rapids ride, or ride the Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby.
The Jurassic World Adventure Camp is next on the horizon, featuring climb and play areas, dinosaur interactions, and rides like the Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster, Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin or scale the Jurassic World Lookout Towers.
Your last stop on this whirl-wind tour is to stop into SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom to meet all your favorite characters from the bottom of the sea like SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy while you explore Mussel Beach, ride the Jellyfish Fields Jamboree, or go for a ride on Mrs. Puff’s Boating School, the Bobbing Barrels or the Barnacle Bus.
More details are still to come, so stay tuned while we wait for an official opening day. Otherwise, you probably noticed by now that the park is a little light on the rides side of things, especially in terms of dark rides or rides that might appeal to teens or adults. As the park’s name clearly conveys, this is Universal’s “Kids Resort” park, where the focus is on the smaller guests… the ones that are below the typical 54” height requirement that they would encounter on most of the big thrill rides when visiting Texas’s more traditional Six Flags theme parks. So this is most definitely a park looking to cater to the families with younger children who aren’t ready to take on the bigger rides just yet.
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