I’m walking Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, on opening preview day. This is Universal’s first theme park built for kids, and it opens July 1, 2026. I toured it Thursday, June 18, 2026, and here’s my first look from inside the gates.
Universal brought me out to Frisco for this hosted media preview event.
The drive in sets the tone right away. The hotel facade is a wall of bright color blocks with round windows. A giant “kids” letter sculpture sits out front on a bold blue pad. The whole arrival feels playful before you even step inside.
Checking in at the lobby
Check-in runs through the main lobby, and it leads straight into the Curiosity Cafe. The space is bright, open, and clearly built with families in mind. I walked the lobby and headed right for the cafe to see the food.
Here is a look at what it’s like to walk through the main lobby of Universal Kids Resort and into the Curiosity Cafe!
The Curiosity Cafe is the hotel’s main dining stop. The menu covers pizza, salads, pasta entrees, and a full kids section. I walked through every dish and price in my Curiosity Cafe menu guide.
For dinner I tried the Penne Rosa, which runs $13.99 with grilled chicken and mozzarella in a tomato cream sauce over penne. It’s genuinely tasty.
Here is the Penne Rosa from the Curiosity Cafe at Universal Kids Resort Hotel!
$13.99 Penne pasta, grilled chicken, tomato cream sauce and mozzarella cheese!
Very tasty! 😋
The freestyle cup is a smart touch
One detail jumped out at me. The refillable freestyle cup runs $19.99 and you can fill it all day. Bring it back on later days and refills are $12.99 per day.
Just like at Epic Universe, the freestyle machine carries unique flavors tied to the park’s central lands. That’s a fun bit of theming on something as simple as a drink.
For $19.99 here is a look at the refillable freestyle cup at the Universal Kids Resort! The cup can be filled all day and brought back on subsequent days for refills at $12.99 for the following days!
My room for the trip
This is my room for the trip, a Standard Queen with a theme park view. It pairs a queen bed with a built-in bunk, so it sleeps a family with ease. Color pops everywhere, from the patterned wall to the orange rug.
The window is the highlight. It looks right out at the park itself. I can see the rides and the lands from my room. Kids will love waking up to that view.
Into the park
From the hotel I headed into the park. Stepping through the gates drops you into a bright, open space built for young families. The scale feels right for little kids. Here’s how it feels from the ground.
Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom
My first steps land me in Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom. This land nails the cartoon look in real life. Goofy Goober’s is the spot here, known for sky-high sundaes. I stopped in for a look.
Here’s a closer look at the Goofy Goober’s menu.
Jellyfish Fields Jamboree is the land’s spinner. You ride your own Jelly Angler alongside SpongeBob. It’s a charming first ride for young kids.
The land rewards anyone who reads the signs. The theming gags go all the way. Goofy Goober’s sits “only 473 steps away,” Gary has gone missing again (call 55-SNAIL), and Glovey Glove waits over at Glove World.
These details give the land its charm. I kept finding new ones the longer I walked. Here’s a closer look at the jokes I caught.
Jurassic World Adventure Camp
From Bikini Bottom I reached Jurassic World Adventure Camp next. The theming shifts from cartoon reef to rugged dino camp fast.
The land’s coaster, Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster, sends you to find the missing baby Ankylosaurus, Bumpy. I caught it running in action.
Eating at the Jurassic World Canteen
The Jurassic World Canteen is the main eatery in Jurassic World Adventure Camp. I sat down for lunch here on preview day. The Carnivore Beef Bowl runs $13.99, and it shares the menu with the Campfire Chicken Bowl and the Herbivore Cauliflower Bowl at the same price.
The dessert is the showpiece. The Excavation Brookie is $12.99. It’s a warm brownie with a dino sugar cookie baked inside, and it’s built to share. I dug into one and shot the whole spread.
The Dinosaur Bites round out the kid-friendly side. They run $10.99: dino nuggets piled on a mashed potato volcano with lava BBQ. It’s exactly as fun as it sounds.
There’s a hidden drink here too. The Coca-Cola Freestyle machines hide a Minute Maid Triceratops Twist. It blends peach, orange, and strawberry lemonade. I went looking for it and found it.
The land shops lean into classic film nostalgia. The Supply Depot stocks original logo tees, board shorts, and Bumpy gear. I browsed the racks at both the Supply Depot and Jurassic World Outfitters.
The Minions take over Bello Bay
Next door, Illumination’s Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club pits Yellow Minions against Purple ones in a water battle. The land has two rides, the Bello Bay Cruise and the Bello Bay Golf Car Derby. I came here for the food first.
The Bello Bay Mac & Cheese Cone is the must-try. It runs $14.99 at Bello Bay Bites, and it arrives with a Minion lounging in a hot tub of mac and cheese. Universal calls it instantly iconic, and I get why.
TrollsFest puts on a show
From Bello Bay I followed the music into DreamWorks’ TrollsFest, a glitter-filled party land. The headline here is the Trollstastic: Concert Countdown show at the Trolls AMPitheater. The Trolls take the stage for a full song-and-dance set, and the crowd was on its feet.
I grabbed a seat and caught the show start to finish. Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express and Hair in the Clouds give the land its rides, with Trolls Eatz! and BroZone Cones handling the food.
Inside Puss in Boots Del Mar
DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Del Mar is a sunny village themed around kitty adoption day. Swings Over Del Mar and the Mama Luna’s Adopt a Kitty Day! show live here. I walked in and the warm coastal look hit right away.
The merch at Mercado de Perrito is the cheeky standout. I spotted “I’m a Donkey on the Edge” tees and tumblers, a “Swamp Daddy” tee, Shrek-face tumblers, and a “Most Handsome in All the Land” Prince Charming ringer. Tienda de Dulces handles the candy and sweets nearby.
Relaxing in the Isle of Curiosity
The Isle of Curiosity is the gateway land, where guests begin their day. It pairs shady lawns with space to rest and play, and it features DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse. I slowed down here to take in the front of the park.
The team members stood out
One thing I want to call out is the staff. These are the most attentive, courteous, and genuinely ecstatic team members I have seen inside a Universal park. I could not go anywhere without a smile and a greeting.
You can feel that this is a big moment for Frisco and for Texas. That energy carried through my whole day in the park.
This one hits home for me. I grew up in San Antonio, Texas. Back then a big weekend meant Dave and Buster’s, the bowling alley, or Six Flags Fiesta Texas. Now Texas has a Universal park of its own. That still feels surreal to write.
Having a brand like Universal in Texas is a big deal. Universal parks have always meant a trip to Orlando or California. Now families across middle America have one close to home. For a lot of them, that’s a first.
The park ahead
The park is finished and ready for opening day on July 1, 2026. I walked it on Thursday, June 18, and the seven themed lands are all here. Those are DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Swamp, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom, Illumination’s Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club, DreamWorks’ TrollsFest, DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Del Mar, and the Isle of Curiosity featuring DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse.
One land I still want more time in is Illumination’s Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club. The Bello Bay Cruise there is high on my list.
The place is alive with rides running. I caught a full minute of park ambiance from my room earlier in the trip.
Here is one minute of theme park ambiance with multiple rides functioning at Universal Kids Resort #Hosted
The Universal Kids Resort Hotel sits right at the park entrance. It carries 300 rooms and family suites, dining, and an outdoor pool. Stores for all seven lands are already revealed too, which I covered in my merchandise and stores roundup.
First impression
This place is built for families with young kids, and it shows in every detail. The color, the scale, and the room design all point at one audience.
Now that I’ve walked it, my early read holds. This is made for young families, and every land says so. A Universal park in Texas could be the start of something that spreads to more of the country.
My early tip is simple. Book a theme park view room if you can, because that window is half the fun. Tickets are on sale now at UniversalKidsResort.com.
For background on the park, see my earlier coverage of the lands and the Jurassic World Adventure Camp first look.
Related Articles
- Curiosity Cafe menu and prices at Universal Kids Resort
- Universal Kids Resort merchandise and stores for all seven lands
- First look at Jurassic World Adventure Camp
Source: Universal Kids Resort official site.
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