Here’s What We Know About Universal Kids Resort

Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 1, 2025. It will be updated as new details are released.

Universal theme parks have generally skewed towards families with older kids due to a smaller percentage of attractions with no — or low — height requirements than other parks; however, Universal aims to change all that with the 2026 debut of Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.

Designed specifically for young families, Universal’s all-new theme park will offer seven themed lands chock full of kid-friendly rides, interactive play areas, live shows and character meet-and-greets, all featuring stories and characters kids love, including the Minions, the Trolls, Puss in Boots, SpongeBob SquarePants, Shrek and Princess Fiona, Gabby from “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” and even baby dinosaurs from Jurassic World.

“The new Universal Kids Resort … will focus on rides and attractions that younger children can enjoy, making it a perfect choice for clients who don’t want to commit to a big, expensive vacation while their kids or grandkids are still little,” said Susanne Hays, owner of Fairytale Journeys Travel.

The new Universal Kids Resort [is] a perfect choice for clients who don’t want to commit to a big, expensive vacation while their kids or grandkids are still little.

In addition to themed play areas, Universal Kids Resort will feature multiple sensory gardens designed to give children and families opportunities rest and reset.

Here's what clients can expect at Universal’s new pint-sized park.

Isle of Curiosity

Themed to “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” Isle of Curiosity serves as the gateway to the other themed lands at Universal Kids Resort. The land is designed for kids to roam freely and play with favorite characters, including Gabby herself, who’ll be hosting Gabby’s Cat-Tastic Dance Party.

Isle of Curiosity will also feature Cakey’s Cupcakes, the Universal Kids Resort Café and the flagship Universal Kids Resort Store, a one-stop-shop for items from each of the park's themed lands.

Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club

The mischievous minions and their wild purple counterparts from “Despicable Me 2” are vacationing at the relaxing Bello Bay Club — but things won’t be relaxing for long.

This is not the place for clients who don’t want to get wet as they'll quickly be roped into participating in an action-packed — and water-soaked — head-to-head competition that takes over the once-peaceful vacation spot. Park guests will also find themselves in the splash zone on the Bello Bay Cruise, but the competition really spins out of control at the Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby.

TrollsFest

The only people who love to sing and dance more than Trolls are kids, so they’ll be thrilled to join the interactive glitter-filled King Trollex Techno Dance Party and rock out to their favorite tunes with Poppy and Branch.

Families can also board Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express for a spin through the festival grounds on an armadillo bus ride and soar high above TrollsFest on the colorful Hair in the Clouds ride, featuring flower-faced balloons.

To make sure they’re ready to shine, Sparkle Shine Glitter Glow will offer the ultimate Troll-ify Me! makeover with headbands, apparel, make-up and more. The land’s two interactive play areas, Poppy’s Playland and Trolls Critter Crawl, ensure everyone has plenty of Trolls-fashioned fun.

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Puss in Boots Del Mar

Kitty adoption day in Del Mar, Spain, is in full swing with festivities that include meet-and-greets, classic carnival games, a sensory garden and, yes, swings — the Swings Over Del Mar attraction, that is.

Kids and their families can enjoy Mama Luna’s Adopt a Kitty Day where they’ll join Puss in Boots as he returns to the village of Del Mar for an interactive puppet performance, and meet the swashbuckling feline, along with Mama Luna and Puss’ sidekick Perrito from “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”

SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom

Clients can visit Bikini Bottom for an undersea adventure in the middle of Texas, including opportunities to meet SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Squidward Tentacles and Sandy Cheeks. There’s also a whole lot of interactive nautical nonsense going on in familiar locations from the hit show and movies such as Jellyfish Fields and the bubble-filled Mussel Beach.

Even small guests can get a license to drive through the specially designed course at Mrs. Puff’s Boating School. On the Jellyfish Fields Jamboree attraction, riders board a Jelly Angler to bounce around with SpongeBob himself, Bobbing Barrels provides guests with opportunities to blast each other with water cannons as they spin around, and Barnacle Bus showcases the sights of Bikini Bottom.

Shrek’s Swamp

Building on the success of DreamWorks Land, which opened in 2024 at Universal Studios Florida, Shrek’s Swamp invites clients to meet Shrek and Fiona, who will share their fairytale — or, more accurately, ogretale — story.

The swampy land's two interactive play areas, Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp and Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash, give kids the chance to stomp and/or splash to their hearts content and Swamp Snacks will serve up the triplets’ favorite eats, including the popular Shrekzel from Universal Studios Florida. 

The signature attraction is Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After, where guests journey through the story of how Shrek rescued the princess from a dragon (with help from Donkey, of course).

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Jurassic World Adventure Camp

Even the dinosaurs are scaled down at Universal Kids Resort as Jurassic World Adventure Camp recruits young adventurers to help find a missing Ankylosaurus named Bumpy as they zoom through the twists and turns of Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster.

The land's other attractions are Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin, which takes riders on a second twisting and turning ride and the Pteranodrop rewards brave adventurers with a bird's eye view of the park.

Young clients can also discover the sensory garden, explore dinosaur paddock play areas, climb the Jurassic World Lookout Towers for a Pteranodon's-eye view of the camp below and maybe even come face-to-face with a newly-hatched baby Raptor.

Universal Kids Resort Hotel

The colorful 300-room on-site hotel at the entrance to Universal Kids Resort — and just outside Isle of Curiosity — has been designed with families in mind, offering advisors opportunities to sell complete vacation packages.

Resort guest rooms include standard queen, deluxe queen and signature queen guest rooms featuring a twin-over-full bunk bed and queen bed, plus family suites featuring a king bed in a separate bedroom, a queen pullout sofa and a twin-over-twin bunk bed along with an eating area. Hotel amenities include the quick-service Curiosity Café, a full-service bar, outdoor pool, fitness room and a game room.

“Universal Kids Resort is a place where kids are free to dance, dream and play,” said Brian Robinson, executive vice president and chief creative officer at Universal Creative. “For many, it will be the first time the worlds they’ve only seen on screen come vividly to life — moments that ignite creativity, confidence and joy. It celebrates all the best parts of being a kid...and in doing so, invites a new generation into the incredible thrills of Universal.”