A completely new kind of Universal theme park has officially opened its gates.
Universal Kids Resort welcomed its first guests in Frisco, Texas, on 1 July 2026, introducing a smaller and more playful theme park experience designed specifically around families with young children.
Rather than attempting to recreate the scale or intensity of Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood or Universal Epic Universe, the new destination has been built from the ground up with younger visitors in mind.
That means kid-sized rides, interactive playgrounds, splash areas, live entertainment and plenty of familiar characters, all spread across seven colourful themed lands.
A Universal theme park designed for younger children
Universal Kids Resort is the first regional theme park from Universal Destinations & Experiences to be developed specifically for children and their families.
Its main target audience is children between the ages of three and eight, although the park includes experiences intended for younger visitors, older siblings and accompanying adults too.
The entire resort has been designed to feel more manageable than a traditional destination theme park. Its compact layout allows families to move between attractions, shows and play areas without spending large parts of the day crossing an enormous park.
Smaller details have also been considered. Signage has been positioned at a child-friendly height, play spaces are treated as major attractions rather than occasional additions and changing facilities have been placed close to the park's water play areas.
It is a noticeably different approach for Universal, but one that recognises that a successful theme park day with younger children is not always about moving from one major ride to the next.
Seven themed lands are now open
The new park brings together characters and worlds from DreamWorks Animation, Illumination, Jurassic World and Nickelodeon.
Guests begin their day in the Isle of Curiosity, a bright central area featuring experiences inspired by Gabby's Dollhouse. From there, families can explore DreamWorks' Shrek's Swamp, DreamWorks' TrollsFest, DreamWorks' Puss in Boots Del Mar, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom and Illumination's Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club.
Each land combines rides with interactive experiences, character encounters, entertainment and places where children can explore at their own pace.
Shrek's Swamp includes Shrek & Fiona's Happily Ogre After, a family ride in which Shrek retells his love story with Fiona. TrollsFest brings music, dancing and colourful performances to the park, while Puss in Boots Del Mar features a Spanish-inspired setting, a swing ride and the Mama Luna's Adopt a Kitty Day! puppet show.
Kid-sized thrills in Jurassic World
For children ready to take on something slightly more adventurous, Jurassic World Adventure Camp offers some of the park's biggest thrills.
Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster provides a family-friendly rollercoaster experience inspired by Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous. The land also includes the Pteranodrop tower rides, Mr. DNA's Double Helix Spin and opportunities to encounter a baby velociraptor.
It is a clever way of adapting one of Universal's most thrilling franchises for a younger audience. The dinosaurs are still present, but the land has been created as an adventure camp rather than a full-scale encounter with Jurassic World's most intimidating residents.
Universal Kids Resort also includes a second family rollercoaster in TrollsFest, giving younger visitors the chance to experience their first coaster without immediately facing the much larger rides found at Universal's destination parks.
Minions, SpongeBob and plenty of water
With the resort located in Texas, water-based attractions and splash areas are likely to become an important part of a summer visit.
Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club includes Bello Bay Cruise, a family raft ride filled with Minions, water effects and a spiralling section around a whirlpool. The land also features additional water play areas and the smaller Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby spinning ride.
Over in SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom, families can explore a colourful recreation of the underwater world, meet familiar characters and experience several playful spinning attractions.
The land also features Goofy Goobers, bringing one of SpongeBob SquarePants' most recognisable locations into a Universal park. Guests can even find a recreation of the enormous Triple Gooberberry Sunrise sundae.
These areas make it clear that Universal Kids Resort is not simply a collection of smaller rides. Much of the experience is built around physical play, character interaction and giving children the freedom to explore.
A hotel built alongside the park
The opening also includes the Universal Kids Resort Hotel, positioned just steps from the theme park entrance.
The colourful hotel features 300 rooms and family suites, with accommodation options capable of sleeping groups of five or six. Rooms include bunk beds, while the resort also offers family-friendly dining, an outdoor swimming pool and spaces where guests can relax between visits to the park.
Its location could prove particularly useful for families who need to return for an afternoon nap, escape the Texas heat or take a break before heading back into the park.
Guests staying at the hotel can also receive early park admission on eligible dates, allowing families to begin exploring before the main opening time.
A different direction for Universal
Universal Kids Resort may be considerably smaller than the company's major theme park destinations, but its opening represents an important new direction.
The resort has been designed as a child's first Universal experience, potentially introducing younger guests to the company's characters and style of themed entertainment years before they are ready for attractions such as Jurassic World VelociCoaster or the larger experiences at Epic Universe.
It also gives Universal a new regional model. Families in Texas and the surrounding states can now experience a Universal theme park without planning a full holiday to California or Florida.
For theme park fans, the most interesting part may be how confidently the resort embraces its younger audience. Universal has not simply reduced the height of its rides. It has created a park where playgrounds, splash areas, puppet shows and character interactions are just as important as rollercoasters.
Universal Kids Resort is now officially open in Frisco, marking the beginning of a colourful new chapter for Universal and a new generation of theme park guests.
