Universal Destinations & Experiences plans its long-awaited grand opening July 1 for the first amusement park of its kind in the portfolio, a move that could signal shifts in the design of properties across the industry.
Universal Kids Resort, a regional amusement park catering to young children, plans to open on 20 acres in North Texas with attractions that include Shrek, Trolls, Minions and SpongeBob SquarePants. The property includes the Universal Kids Resort Hotel, a 300-room property with family suites and other amenities. The hotel, designed by Gensler, opens June 30 with prices between $259 and $519 per night, depending on the room and the day of the week.
The property marks Orlando, Florida-based Universal's first foray into opening an amusement park a fraction of the size of its typical parks that cater to a targeted audience. The strategy could be replicated elsewhere as part of its national expansion and, as a major force in the industry, any changes could influence rival parks in coming years.
Universal, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, first announced plans for the kids resort in early 2023 and broke ground on the project in Frisco, Texas, a suburb almost 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, that year.
Prices for admission to Universal Kids Resort range from a 1-day pass that starts at $54.99 to a Silver Annual Pass that includes parking for $164.99 for a 12-month period with some blackout dates and other restrictions, according to the resort's website. The blackout dates seem to include most weekends and Spring Break in March, according to the website. Tickets can also be custom-made for visitors.
Universal Kids Resort will offer seven different themed areas. These so-called "lands" include 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 Isle of Curiosity featuring DreamWorks' Gabby's Dollhouse.
Universal declined an interview with CoStar News on Thursday.
The theme park will operate seasonally and close Nov. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 26; Dec. 25; and Jan. 5-8, 11-15, 19-31, with any additional closures added at the discretion of Universal Kids Resort Theme Park, according to its hotel booking website. This is different than Universal's full-scale resorts in Florida and California that operate year-round.
The hotel opening at Universal Kids Resort comes just in time, with local economic incentives riding on that opening date. To receive $12.7 million of performance-based incentives from the city of Frisco, Universal must spend at least $550 million on the construction of the project and open by June 30.
Universal Kids Resort's grand opening comes more than a year after Merlin Entertainments opened its Peppa Pig Theme Park in North Texas that also caters to young children.