Universal Kids Resort

The first Universal theme park in Texas might also be the most unique.

A new Universal theme park is coming. Yeah, Universal is on a roll, and they are not done after opening Epic Universe in 2025. Now they move their attention from Florida to Texas, where Universal Kids Resort is set to open in Frisco sometime in 2026. This will be Universal’s first-ever theme park fully designed with children in mind. So, if you are used to Islands of Adventure’s VelociCoaster or the massive Stardust Racers at Epic Universe, now you should probably close your eyes and imagine instead dinosaur carousels and cute train rides.

We know that Universal Kids Resort will feature seven lands.

Shrek offers a full-sized playground themed after a swamp. Puss in Boots features a puppet show and some sort of sensory garden. Trolls promises to bring you a music festival, likely with live shows for children in addition to a small roller coaster. Gabby's Dollhouse serves as a hub area with Meet & Greets and interactive games. SpongeBob SquarePants is a water-themed area with an aerial carousel and splash areas. Minions sits in the central area within the SpongeBob section, also featuring water rides that include a river raft ride. Jurassic World offers… dinosaurs? Yeah, that’s probably it.

Phew, that’s a lot! Universal Kids Resort will also feature a 300-room Universal Kids Hotel positioned above the main entrance. Guests will enter the park by walking under the hotel, similar to what happens in Disneyland Paris.

Universal hasn't revealed specific ride details yet, probably waiting until the theme park is ready to launch in 2026. But you should definitely expect family-friendly attractions similar to Legoland, like family-friendly roller coasters, mini-games, playgrounds for toddlers, carnival-style attractions, and plenty of Meet & Greets. They have some amazing IPs that are part of this theme park and each of them has at least two or three characters that would be amazing for pictures. Yes, including Chris Pratt.

This won't be a massive blockbuster park, by the way, so don’t expect it to rival Islands of Adventure or Universal Hollywood in scale. Rumored costs sit around $600 million compared to Epic Universe's $7 billion budget, so the goals are completely different.

Ticket prices have not been announced but should be lower than the traditional Universal parks. We shall wait and see. This is already shaping up to be one of the best theme park destinations for 2026, and the meet-and-greets alone are really promising. I mean, Shrek and SpongeBob? Well, my children will not have much trouble convincing me to spend a weekend in Texas.