My daughter spent the first few years of her life in Florida, so she’s used to theme parks. In fact, because of our proximity to theme parks, she’s become quite a ride fanatic (which makes her mom, who loves theme parks, very proud).
Now that we’re back up north and away from the amusement park hub, when we had the chance to visit the new Universal Kids Resort, we jumped at the chance. This all-new theme park in Frisco, Texas is something different for Universal. The regional theme park includes a 300-room hotel and a park with six immersive lands, rides, interactive shows, and more. The resort is aimed at ages 3 to 8 and has randos themed after the popular series. shrek, troll, jurassic world, minions, cat in bootsand spongebob square pants.
We were able to take our 4 year old and experience everything this resort had to offer. And what’s the important point? They know their audience.
Specifically, it solved one of my biggest frustrations as a theme park-loving parent: spending half the day telling my kids they weren’t tall enough.
If you’ve ever taken your preschooler to a major theme park, you know the drill. They were excited to see the ride, waited in line, and then found out they couldn’t ride it. Or spend the day watching older siblings do things that are too young for them. Universal Kids Resort felt refreshingly different because almost everything was created with kids like me in mind.
What is available at Universal Kids Resort?
First let’s get this out of the way — this is do not have Universal Orlando Resort. Orlando theme parks include three incredibly immersive parks, multiple hotels, many A thrilling ride. Universal Kids Resort bills itself as a regional theme park. Just about 30 minutes from the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, Universal Kids Resort features one hotel with direct access to the park and a variety of rides, splash pads, playgrounds, shows, and restaurants for families with young children.
Universal Kids Resort has six lands, each offering attractions, shopping and dining.
dreamworks shrek swamp
- Happy Shrek and Fiona’s Happy Ogre After: An outdoor track ride that tells guests the story of how Shrek and Fiona met.
- Swamp Snacks: snack stand
- Treasure of the triplets: stored in shrek-Inspired products
- Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp: playground
- Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash: splash pad
- Meet Shrek and Fiona
Illumination Minions vs. Minions: Vero Bay Club
- Vero Bay Cruise: Family Raft Ride Vero Bay Golf Cart Derby
- Vero Bay Golf Cart Derby: spinning ride
- Vero Bay Boutique: A shop with Minion-themed goods
- bellow bay bite: snack stand
dreamworks trollfest
- Hair in the clouds: rotating aerial vehicle
- Rhonda’s Trollfest Express: kiddie coaster
- Trolls Eats!: quick service location
- BroZone Cone: snack stand
- Sparkle Shine Glitter Glow: Troll-ify Me! experience
- Mr. Dinkle’s Market:Souvenir stand
- Troll creature crawl: playground
- Poppy’s playground: playground
- King Trolex Techno Dance Party: Indoor interactive experience
- troll-Themed amphitheater stage shows
DreamWorks’ Delmar Puss in Boots
- Swings Over Del Mar: swing ride
- Mama Luna’s Adopt Kitty Day!: outdoor puppet show
- Food and milk: quick service restaurant locations
- Dog market: Merchandise store
- Sweets shop: candy and snacks
island of curiosity
- Gabby’s cat-tastic dance party!
- Cakey cupcakes: snack stand
- Universal Kids Resort Store: product location
- Universal Kids Resort Cafe: quick service restaurant locations
Jurassic World Adventure Camp
- Meet the bumpy experience
- Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster: roller coaster
- Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin: rotating aerial vehicle
- Pterano drop: mini drop ride
- Jurassic World diner: quick service restaurant locations
- Jurassic World Outfitters: product location
- Jurassic World Observation Tower: play area
- Paddock play: playground
Nickelodeon Spongebob Squarepants Bikini Bottom
- Jellyfish Field Jamboree: Dumbo-shaped vehicle that spins around
- Barnacle bus: spinning boat ride
- Bobbing barrel: water cannon rotating vehicle
- Mrs. Puff’s Boat School: belt conveyor rotating vehicle
- Goofy Goobers: quick service restaurant locations
- Burgunmart: Merchandise store
- Pineapple Paradise Splash Pad
- Meet SpongeBob, Patrick and Sandy
What makes Universal Kids Resort special?
Universal shared that the resort is aimed at ages 3 to 8, but what struck me most wasn’t that age group, but how thoroughly the park embraced it.
At many theme parks, young children spend part of their day discovering things they can’t do. The opposite is true here. Playgrounds and splash pads are scattered throughout the park, and rides are designed with young riders in mind, making the character experience approachable rather than overwhelming.
Made with kids in mind down to the last detail
The rides are also aimed at that age group. If you have a teenager looking for thrills, they’ll probably find themselves bored with what’s available here. But toddlers and school-age kids looking to ride a big coaster for the first time will be excited about options like the Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster, arguably the park’s most adrenaline-filled ride. Ronda’s Trollfest Express may be an unfamiliar experience for smaller riders, but it’s a great first coaster for little ones.
Plus, every detail has been thoughtfully crafted with your little one in mind. For example, the bathroom has a small potty seat that pulls down over the toilet, making it more accessible for toddlers and small children (this is something I always wished Disney World would do as well).
Sensory evaluation
The park is also an official Certified Autism Center (CAC) and has sensory gardens throughout that provide natural sounds and tactile plants to help children recharge. On top of that, each ride comes with a detailed sensory assessment so parents know what to expect, and more than 80% of our team members have completed training to better help them.
The park also serves as a community park, providing another option for families in Texas and surrounding states looking for a theme park within driving distance. Florida may have been a more distant (and therefore more expensive) option, especially for younger kids, but this new park opens up opportunities for more local kids.
The biggest difference I noticed after becoming a mother
At the end of a (very fulfilling) day at Universal Kids Resort, I asked my 4-year-old daughter what she liked about it. Her reply? “all.”
The problem is that I’m a theme park junkie. If my budget allows, I would happily visit Disney World or Universal Orlando multiple times a year. I love the thrilling rides and the immersive atmosphere of the park. But for my younger child, the needs are a little different. She’s looking for rides that are tall enough to ride, opportunities to meet characters, and places to let off some energy at splash pads and play areas. In response to her needs, Universal Kids Resort provided several services.
I had never taken my daughter to Universal Orlando when we lived in the states, even though it was far from the park before. At the time, the vehicle was too big for her and she wasn’t familiar with the character. Universal Kids Resort is basically the gateway to the biggest park, with characters and everything else you love packed into a small package.
Instead of going from ride to ride telling her she was too small, she was happy to ride almost every ride the park had to offer (she was a little too small for Swings Over Del Mar, which had the highest height requirement at 42 inches).
But the biggest difference wasn’t the specific vehicles or character encounters. It meant that my daughter no longer spent her days watching older kids do things she couldn’t do. She wasn’t measuring herself against a height restriction sign or asking why she couldn’t ride something. Instead, she ended up being the person the park was designed for.
As a mother, it was incredibly refreshing. At Universal Kids Resort, we understand that little kids don’t necessarily need the biggest thrills. They need places to play, characters they recognize, and attractions they can experience. By the end of the day, my daughter looked exhausted and happy and was already asking when she would be back.
to be honest? This is the highest rating a theme park can get.
