Universal Kids Resort: What were they thinking?

It definitely doesn't seem at the level of Legoland. No way. Maybe more like the Peppa Pig park out in Central Florida. That park charges $35 last time I visited. Universal CANT charge more than $40-50 tops for this... right?!

I have to say that this looks much more slight than I was expecting. We all knew that the lineup of attractions wasn’t necessarily going to be world class, but I felt that universal would be able to compensate for that with color and enough immersive theme to at least feel a glimpse of the universal magic. Maybe that is there for those who visit in person, but it definitely doesn’t show up in the videos.

One day tickets start at $55 (sorry, I should have included that in the piece). But it's variable pricing, so most tickets over the summer will be at least $60 with many weekends reaching $75. That's absurd. Two season passes are offered but the website says both are sold out right now.

It really feels like turning Camp Snoopy into an entire theme park, but even that isn't quite right because Camp Snoopy is significantly cuter and more charming than anything on display here.

This place looks like a disaster. It's not like Universal can't/hasn't built some incredible looking kids lands, Camp Jurassic and Seuss landing continue to impress me. But first Minions Land, then Dream works Land, then this?

The Del Mar area doesn't even look that good in my opinion. It only looks better than everything else because Universal bothered to paint the sidewalks. This whole complex looks like unpainted sidewalks and boxy buildings where the "theming" is just cheap cutouts. I watched the walkthrough, and I thought you hadn't even entered the park yet, that's how bland the concrete looked.

I hope everybody gives this the flack it deserves until Universal makes a change. And if they can't make a change because of zoning ordinances yada yada yada, then that's their own fault for building a park that can't be improved with any significant family coasters or dark rides. It's an embarrassment.

Maybe you are looking at this in the wrong light.

This is for Kids 3-9 correct?

And one has to remember this is for Local Texas Kids, they are very slow and dim so this will fell like a fantastic rides\park to them.

But I do have a problem, Jacob. you are very negative - there are many positive things: new park, jobs, infrastructure, alternative entertainment instead of a TV, phone or computer.

I would much rather have a 3 to 9 year old outside enjoying live rides than sitting in a room on a binary digit machine..

Try to find the Positive when writing. Showcase the good also not just the bad or what you perceived bad. I am sure there is a lot of fun, decent things there.

So the person who wrote this:

"And one has to remember this is for Local Texas Kids, they are very slow and dim so this will fell like a fantastic rides\park to them."

Wants me to be more positive about this very bad theme park? Give me a break, dude.

Stay classy Brian. Nothing like offending an entire state's population. I know this was supposed to be a "slam" on conservatives, but you do know that Hispanics/Latinos make up approximately 40.3% of Texas's population. So, you're saying that Hispanic kids are slow and dim? Seems pretty racist, but very much on brand for you!

Jacob - Fantastic story, well written and I appreciate the perspective on this park, which now is squarely in the "skippable" bucket.

I was being positive - Jacob, and I have a name.
It is a well know fact Texas has some education issues.

And MLB - did one of his "Basic google searches" and as usual he knows everything but seemed to miss this White (Non-Hispanic) = 40%.

Oklahoma White: 61% to 66% - Missed that one also.

You mentioned the Hispanics but did not mention the same damn number of resident being white.... HAHAHAHAHA, Weird.

This is too easy...

THIS PARK IS FOR KIDS - KIDS FROM TEXAS and Oklahoma.

It is not intended for clowns from GA and Florida as a destination.

It's just a Local park for young Kids.

UOAP here, Universal superfans expecting our first.

We've been to 6 Universal parks globally plus Horror Unleashed in Vegas. Do HHN every year. So this new Texas Kids Park was on our radar. So far I think we're going to pass...which is pretty damning.

A few thoughts:

The budget was no where near Epic, estimates are ~7.7 billion vs ~500 million for TX. So yeah, lower your expectations. A lot.

And this is for little kids. If the DreamWorks land in Universal Studios Florida is any guide, theming will be more mild and yes vinyl and just flat cut outs. (Even at their flagship Orlando resort!). So not super shocking there either.

Theming does appear empty...but both the Popeyes and Duddley Do Right have lots of empty spaces....

It cost the Circus Circus ~6 million for Sally to make that new SpongeBob dark ride. It's a shame that something like that couldn't happen (Mayor said no dark rides?!?! Odd to not want inside rides in hot Texas).

I wonder if and how they will try to save this. Plussing seems critical.

Jacob and MLB... no need to acknowledge and engage with mean spirited, irrelevent comments. As a proud Texan dad who works in education, I'm not going to think twice about some comment on the internet.

PSA over. (That was my lone non-theme park related comment in over 20 years on this site)

Jacob, appreciate your honesty here on this review. I was planning a visit but... idk now. Over $55 for tix and up to $80?! I'd consider a lone visit for $45 or less. Not sure the value is there.

At what stage of this park’s development was Universal aware of these reported design restrictions i wonder? And if they knew from a pretty early stage, why do did they proceed anyway to create a half-assed kids playground? Presumably there were tax incentives involved that just couldn’t be ignored?
I am a father of a five year-old and a one year-old and I’m sure that my girls would have a fun time on a couple of these rides at least. But I can also guarantee that all of the time in the punishing sun and among the bland cutouts would erode that fun sooner than late. I for one don’t care if a land or park is tailored to toddlers, if you are expecting the parents of said toddlers to pay above average prices because of the name attached to the park then you’d better come correct with more than six flags level flat rides.

Look, it's fine that this experience is meant for kids, but then why are prices so high? It's not like this is the only thing to do in Texas, and it's not like it's that much better than a carnival. When I was younger, the park was enough to entertain me for the day, and that sure didn't cost the family $70 per person.

Also, children are observant. They can tell the difference between high quality theming and giant concrete walls. They will probably notice the fact that the SpongeBob area is just a few spinner rides and the Shrek ride looks bland as rocks.

Yeah, I think it's broadly true that your 5 year old won't turn to you and say, "boy, it sure seems they cut corners with placemaking in Bikini Bottom!" But they may get tired and overheated and be ready to go at lunchtime. That's something I saw happening yesterday — lots of families packing it in after lunch rather than gearing up for another few hours of action.

I can't imagine paying $70 to go to this park. Tickets to the Dallas Zoo start at $18. You're going to tell me that's not a better value than this? The aquarium in Dallas starts at $35 and at least that's all indoors!

Manny said "As a proud Texan dad who works in education, I'm not going to think twice about some comment on the internet."

But you did by answering.....

Proud HAHAHAHA - Texas is 10th worst state in the US for education...

But hey, at least you are 'Proud'

Update after sharing some Frisco pics to wife, who is also UOAP:

Wife: "wow...[Frisco] objectively looks bad....makes me want to see it....

...Wanna go?!"

Me: "wanna go?!"

Wife: "...I'm so glad we found each other".

To that point a lot of the reviewers are saying "kids seem to be having fun, this is a great place for kids!" As Jacob said at the beginning of his review (and kudos to him giving an honest review), many of these "reviews" are bought and paid for with free travel/tickets/hotels, so many people feel they can't criticize the place. So they end up saying "the kids seem to be having fun!"

Well sure, little kids have fun playing with rocks/play doh/local playground and splash pad for free. It doesn't take much to impress 3-9 year olds, so to get people to travel to a place like this they need to make it worth it for the parents as well. That was the genius of Disneyland from the outset.

I won't get into my whole thesis on why I think this place is destined to fail because I did it another topic, but seeing the place now in operation hasn't changed my mind.

Jacob: "There is nothing at Universal Kids Resort that would make me more intrigued by what Universal has up its sleeve".

Me: Ouch! Great Britain beware!

VelocicoasterFan - I agree with you, children are observant. And why...just because it is aimed at children, is it considered acceptable to put forth an inferior product. This is the same thinking that has chicken nuggets and hamburgers as the only foods offered to kids. Many kids, mine included, are as adventurous as the offerings allow. If nuggets and burgers are all that are offered, they'll capitulate to the lowest denominator. However, when options are provided, they know what is superior. The same with theme park offerings. It's safe to assume that every kid who has a parent who posts on this site understands superior offerings. Theming doesn't have to mean expensive, it just means they put in the effort...look at Holiday World.

It almost looks like Universal decided it was going to take inspiration from the old Submarine Quest at SeaWorld San Diego. That Shrek ride looks to be the modern day equivalent of an elevated tram ride in a park filled with marine animals that doesn't feature live animals. They also are both operated entirely outdoors, which in the Texas heat should be a lot of... "fun."

...Universal UK is expected to cost ~5 billion GBP or ~6.6 billion USD, not including the UK government contributions.

Using Frisco (~500 million USD) as a baseline comparison for mega Universal budgets would be folly.

So it's the Universal equivalent to the original Disney Studios Paris?

@mweyer75:

Lmao that’s a quality burn

Hey, even the Imagineering series on Disney+ has them calling it their worst park. "Never build a park just to use up a land deal."

Out of all of Kabletown's expansion efforts this one seemed the least likely to work out so I am not surprised with this review. As the Mouse has found out, the regional attraction market is a tough nut to crack. And while lightly themed off the shelf attractions may succeed in a kiddie land within a destination park it's not enough for a stand along park.

Kids know when attractions aren't up to snuff. When my boys were little we visited Canada's Wonderland the summer after visiting WDW. My kids were huge Nick fans and I thought that they would love the Paramount Parks Nickelodeon themed spin and spews. But they were very unimpressed and we ended up bailing early.

Jacob- I need to desperately know- do they have churros and are they as good as Orlando’s?

As far as the park goes, it’s pretty funny to see the Disney adult influencers (ahem, trackers, allears, cough!) who basically earn money from blogging and get free trips from the parks walk back their opinions of this park by saying, “we’re sure young kids will enjoy it, they’ll think it’s great” as a nice way to say that universal has missed the mark by a long shot with this park. But hey, if you make your living off the parks you gotta do what you gotta do.

Big props to TPI for providing a honest review and disclosing how it was given.

I don’t know what’s more embarrassing, this park or all of the vloggers out there giving it glowing reviews just to keep their univeral “press” perks. Truly pathetic.

Kudos to TPI for actually giving an honest and accurate assessment of this dumpster fire.

To Disney, landscaping is an integral part of theming and atmosphere. To Universal, landscaping is just an afterthought.

@Beacher, this is so far from the truth, I don't even know how to begin to respond.

@HHNForever - Please respond. Educate me.

I don't know...I obviously wasn't there to see it in person, but I don't think it looks terrible like most of the reviews are claiming. No, it's not on the level of a Disney park, a bigger Universal park, or even a Legoland, but I don't think it's trying to be one of those. When I compare it to the two Sesame Place properties (both of which I've visited) or the Peppa Pig Parks (neither of which I've visited), this looks like a better park in many ways, and certainly offers more to do than those properties. I do agree that the lack of shade is a major flaw and contributes to the stark appearance of some areas within the park, but I don't really have a problem with the attractions on offer or the level of detail given the audience that is being targeted by this property, as it appears to be at least on par with that found in the kids areas of most major theme parks around the country.

I've said it before, but I think the biggest issue here is the marketing. By dubbing it the Universal Kids Resort, it sets expectations far higher than were ever going to be met by the property, and as a result those who don't know better are likely to leave disappointed. If they had called it something different like Universal's Land of Animation and marketed it as a very different offering from their other resorts rather than the feeder approach they seem to have taken, I think a lot of the criticisms would be far more muted.

Beacher, I don't know, I think I disagree with you too. Universal pretty carefully plans out their landscaping, and I can't think of a single example outside of this park and maybe the opening of celestial Park of universal leaving landscaping as an afterthought.

I think of the coniferous and tropical plants in Jurassic park setting the tone for the land and the deciduous trees in the Wizarding World providing a lush atmosphere for Hagrid's. It's not animal kingdom, but then again, what is?

@VelocicoasterFan - I was thinking specifically of the very weak landscaping in this park and in Celestial Park. (It's striking that Universal's two newest parks are so poorly landscaped.)

What a dump. Six Flags has done better theming than this place has. This will be damaging to Universal's brand.

They are just being cheap. They can plant more mature foliage, but that is more expensive than letting it grow in. Penny pinching and bad press on a new park is dumb. Can get away with it at Epic, not here.

You know if I lived in the 20 minutes away from here and the kids needed an outlet this could work. But a better experience for the whole family at SFoT is 40 minutes away and 39.00. Seems to leaning on the brand name alot. Hopefully they continue to make improvements each year.

I just watched the 30 minutes video on YouTube on this entire park,
And it is what it is described as, A Kids park.

Why should we the People listen to a guy named Jacob; what makes him the foremost authority in a KIDS park?

I say, see many reviews and videos before judging. Or go in person for yourself.

Yes it could use more natural shade as all parks could.

Let's take soccer, I hate it, boring, low scoring, flopping everywhere, ridiculous off sides. This does not mean soccer is horrible, it just means I don’t like it. I prefer hockey and football.

Brian, I don’t think this is just a case of taste.

Is flat images of shred on a Shrek ride as a specific what we expect of universal today? I think the answer is a very clear no. How to train your dragon doesn’t rely on flat images of dragons, the wizarding world don’t just have flat paintings of cast members.

We’re not talking some budget park operator here. We’re talking about the one theme park operator that can claim to have theming at a Disney level, trying to build a up exposure in new markets to try to encourage people into the full park experience.

This doesn’t appear to be anywhere near that level… what that results in is damage to the universal brand.

If Universal have done the best they can for the budget they had then they would have been betting off shelving it. This park, for young kids or not, does not fit with their brand as an innovative market leader rivalling Disney.

HHNForever: "The budget was no where near Epic, estimates are ~7.7 billion vs ~500 million for TX".

Me: Academic question: Gotta source on that $500 million estimate?

@ProfPlum: well said. You pretty much encapsulated what I was trying to say

@TH Creative

That’s an estimate given by the city of Frisco, though it should be noted that it is an estimate of the floor of the amount of money Universal was expected to invest. We don’t have a concrete number.
https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2023/12/04/construction-begins-universal-kids-resort-frisco

This almost sounds like a secret desire for anything with the Universal attached to fail. Maybe you should find the opinion of who the park was built for... you know, kids....

Theme park obsessed adults are some of the strangest people around, and in true TPI fashion, as I seem to be the only one to ever call out the bias around here while simultaneously getting my digs in at Disney... where was the "What were they thinking" post on the main page when the Galactic Starcruiser opened, then failed spectacularly?

Crickets...

I'd have to see this park in person to for my own opinion. I watched a video on YouTube that showed a more in depth review, and it seems perfectly designed... for the children it was created for.

Children don't care about sightlines or having every square inch themed. It does seem like they built this park with a very limited budget, and is not up to anything close in Orlando, but these 3-9 year olds it was built for are the ones you should ask.

Robert, perhaps when you stop receiving free swag and invites from Disney, we can get some balanced coverage. I cannot be the only one who does the math here.

Universal paid for my travel and accommodations. I said that in the second paragraph of this piece. Kinda makes me think you didn’t read it!

Robert also didn’t write this piece, but again, you’d only have to read the piece to figure that out.

"it's okay that it's bad because the children will tolerate it"

NB, Children don’t make spending decisions on future trips. The adult riding with them however does.

Is an adult going to be convinced to buy a ticket for a “full fat” trip to Orlando based on… flat panel images of Shrek?

No. Adults are going to think “jeez, if that’s what we get for Shrek, those Harry Potter photos have got to be fake”.

Jacob Sundstrom - I read your piece in it's entirety. If this was a Disney created park it would be all rainbows and perfection. It would have to be since it's published on TPI.

Don't try and make people feel stupid with your bait. It doesn't work on me. Even your writing style is wooden and unpleasant. Were you hangry or something?

I know Robert didn't write this piece. His style is completely different than yours. You did manage to get more comments than the last 50 stories combined. Rage bait get gets reactions, like I posted a couple weeks ago.

VelocicoasterFan - It's hard to take anything on this page seriously anymore. You have TH, who went Colonel Markinson for months on end then comes back whining about Epic Universe and the "attention" they stole from Disney, and him posting the opposite... and the never disparage Disney mentality by everyone else.

It's like a sad cabal.

Yes, as anyone who has read my work on this website over the past few years knows, it’s all sunshine and rainbows when I write about Disney lmao.

Well Ja-cub obviously Universal made a huge mistake by sending a clown like you to do Hit piece.

I understand - do a hatchet job for clicks and all...

I have a great feeling this will be your last paid invitation by Universal.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I for one am grateful for the unbiased warts and all reviews of old media theme parks. I’d hate to see that change because of pearl clutching from pathetic Kabletown or Mouse lickspittles

I didn’t read the review as a “hit piece” at all. In fact there were a few instances of things that Jacob pointed out that he felt were positives. I’m also very curious as to what in the world this corkscrew element is on the raft ride.
What I think many people are trying to convey, myself included, is that Universal has (rightfully) built ann increasing reputation for top tier design and theming. This park, despite being marketed as a “kids park”, still carries the Universal name on its back, and as such said reputation for excellence, even if it is a pared down experience.
If Disney brought out a similarly lacking regional park, I would be just as critical of their efforts as I am a universal’s here. Not because the park itself will be necessarily bad, and not that this park is either- as a general run of the mill family attraction, but because I would expect much more given the weight of the company behind it. My opinion. I love the neck and neck battle of Disney / universal but I think the tribalism regarding park and / or corporate fandom is absolutely silly.

If y’all are interested in more in depth discussion on this park I’d encourage you to check out the last Theme Park Insider podcast episode we released last week. I think Robert’s thoughts were especially interesting and helpful.

I have mostly sat out this fight because as a childless adult, I have no desire to visit the park based on the current attraction lineup (which is totally fine because Peppa Pig Park is another place that holds no appeal to me yet seems to do well enough on its own).

But I am more willing to listen to a writer's opinion who does hold companies' feet to the fire and offers honest feedback about a product. That speaks more to me than a paid shill who will blindly offer praise in return for access privileges. Criticism isn't the opposite of praise as far as I'm concerned, it's apathy. Universal is a hugely successful company and the folks here making ad hominem attacks against the writer aren't doing them any favors.

And for the record, one only needs to look at the comment sections for videos of this park on YouTube to see that the opinions expressed in this piece are NOT alone.

I don't understand what the ROI is on this park. Exactly how does it elevate the brand?

Does the Comcast Frisco park even have an icon?

>> If this was a Disney created park it would be all rainbows and perfection. It would have to be since it's published on TPI.

I think that claim is frankly ridiculous

Want to read a real article GO to Attractions Magazine and find this.

Universal Kids Resort isn’t focused on impressive rides — it’s for young families

Like I was saying - We need sever reports not just One.

Ja-cub is entitled to his opinion but he is not entitled to his onw facts. There is a huge difference.

I was on my own theme park vacation last week when many of the reviews of this new resort came out, but I was following the discourse pretty closely. First, I have a huge problem with the backlash that many of the invited theme park media have been getting regarding their reviews of this new theme park. From what I've seen, Universal was pretty careful in who was selected to cover this new park, and did not simply spam every theme park influencer on the planet. Most of the coverage I've seen has been from legitimate theme park outlets and from folks with a wide range of experiences and coverage of theme parks beyond the major chains. The fact that these people who are just trying to give fair and honest reviews of a park specifically targeted towards children, but are being lambasted for those opinions is depressing. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and adults trying to view something through the eyes of a child can often be difficult to articulate, but the hate many reviewers are receiving on social media simply for reporting from this new park is unfair and I guess par for the course in today's social media landscape.

Second, I think given the almost unanimous poor reviews of this park from the invited media, Universal owes their future customers some explanation. I want to think the many critiques of this park is directly related to the restrictions placed on this development from local officials. Now, Universal obviously doesn't want to throw Frisco under the bus for hamstringing the potential of this park, but I do think there are ways to provide some backstory here that may explain why the look and feel of this park is not meeting expectations. Now, it has been reported that the park has sold out of its allotment of season passes, supporting the demand for this park, but a more in-depth interview with established industry outlets could help to explain many of the choices here. I want to believe that Universal signed the agreement for this park and started committing resources to the development before realizing how limiting local officials would be. If I was a Universal exec, I would have signed off on this deal, even with restrictions hoping to eventually persuade officials that this park could eventually put Frisco on the map (a build it and they will come-style approach), and subsequently frustrated when those same officials dug in their heels whenever UC came up with a cool idea that could not sway opinions or stance of officials to make this a unique theme park. I want to think that when Universal realized they weren't going to make this park more than a local kiddie playland, they started kneecapping budgets and cost-cutting maneuvers that resulted in what we're seeing in the finished product. For me, that seems like the most logical explanation for such a substandard product, and not Universal deliberately under-delivering this park.

I think most expected this park to match what Merlin has been able to deliver with their Legoland Parks, but this result appears to be even below Sesame Place, which similarly has issues with shade and lack of immersive theming on attractions. The difference here is that shade and AC spaces are nice to have near Philadelphia, while those amenities are essential in north Texas, especially for more sensitive groups like small children that are the target demo for this new park. The inability for UC to develop a dark ride here is on Frisco, but Universal should have designed more indoor spaces for dining, lounging, queues, and other uses to escape the heat.

Ultimately, I think Universal and Frisco are getting exactly what each other wanted in this park. I do think Universal should have abandoned this project the second they realized the local government was going to be so limiting/inflexible and would not allow this development to become a true theme park, but what has happened here should not guide expectations for other Universal projects around the world, particularly the new park coming to the UK.

The apologists using the "Relax, It's a kids park!" argument for this mess should really drag their keisters to a quality version of a kid focused park and see for themselves how badly Kabletown screwed the pooch. We brought our kiddos to Storyland Park every summer when they were at the target age for the Frisco park, and a walk through video of that park shows the ginormous difference in quality between the two. Admittedly, the Herschend owned park benefits from a beautiful mountain setting, established landscaping and decades of development. But there is no good excuse for Kabletown crapping out that turd in Texas.

Brian your article acknowledges the bare bones theming, which is the core complaint here, it also highlights the high price, and the lack of shade

my biggest surprise is no dark rides, not even a shooter. would be welcome in the Texas heat and definitely an opportunity to better tell the story. the shrek jeep would be perfect as an indoor ride. did i read something above about the mayor not wanting and indoor attraction?

@mbrussmco - It's been widely reported that local officials specifically prohibited Universal from developing a dark ride for this park (and also limited fireworks/nighttime shows and even operating hours/days), most likely to limit the appeal of this park beyond locals. Again, I'm not sure if that was outlined up front when Universal signed the deal to develop this park or if Universal thought they could persuade officials to change their stance, but the lack of dark rides here is not of Universal's doing, though they should not be let off the hook for the Brutalist look to many of the spaces that scarcely looks like the concept imagery or the lack of unique park merch..

Dark rides and indoor rides were allowed to be built for this park. Universal chose not to build them.

Well that's a missed opportunity. Now there's really nobody to blame for this dump.

Are you sure about that Jacob? Have Universal or local officials confirmed this on the record? Other trusted theme park news sources have been pretty clear that dark rides were prohibited in the development agreement between Frisco and Universal for this park. Perhaps the agreement doesn't necessarily exclude dark rides specifically, but a restriction on the sizes of enclosed structures may make developing a dark ride or other indoor attraction impractical or virtually impossible.

If other trusted sources are wrong here, it would certainly shift the blame for this solely at Universal's feet, which would shift my opinion of UC and the company's commitment to themed entertainment.

Yes, I'm sure! The original source for this is a bullet list Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney posted to Facebook. That bullet list included "no dark rides." Later in that discussion he clarified:

“We are working with [Universal], and there will be indoor immersive rides and experiences. This references full dark thrill rides targeting teens and adults.”

Source: https://diservations.com/universal-kids-resort-was-built-for-kids-that-doesnt-mean-its-only-for-kids/

No dark rides strikes me as an odd condition. If I’m concerned about the potential impact to neighbours of a ride, I would be much happier that ride was in a noise containing box.

Yeesh! The Comcast Frisco park is really getting slapped around on the internet.

That’s why my sense is when the mayor said “no dark rides,” he meant, “no thrilling rides that pesky teens would enjoy!” Because ultimately that was a concern of the people speaking up in Frisco.

The agreement between the City of Frisco and Universal is public record and available online. I will show you how to reach it below.

The agreement does not prohibit dark rides or fireworks. But it does have a lot of limitations intended to ensure the park stays a children's park. It says no ride can be taller than 80 feet tall and no other structure can be taller than 100 feet (except the hotel). It says that riders cannot be required to be taller than 48" to ride any rides. And it says the characters and theming should align with young children ages 3-11.

It also limits the hours of operation, so that it is mostly open between 10am and 6pm (and never open before 9am and only 20 days a year is it allowed to stay open until 10pm). It specifies fencing and landscaping requirements. It specifies where the entrances and exits for traffic must be located. And it says it cannot expand in a way that would generate more traffic than the approved traffic study proposed. (The map in the agreement shows there is already an approved expansion area between the current theme park area and the parking toll plaza.)

There are no limitations on dark rides and no limitations on fireworks, as so many people have stated incorrectly. This was misconstrued because the mayor was trying to calm fears that many locals had that this park was going to be as big and busy as Orlando. He was explaining that Universal had told him there were not going to be dark rides and there were not going to be fireworks. This did not mean that the mayor or the City prohibited these items. He was simply relaying Universal's decisions which were in line with creating a kid-focused park, but they helped the mayor make the point that this was not going to turn into an Orlando-style theme park.

You can find the agreement by going to this address:
https://agenda.friscotexas.gov/PublicAccess/Index.html

Change the Search Type to "Ordinance Query"
In the search term, type "Theme Park"
Set the date range to be in March 2023
Hit Search
Click on the document at the top entitled "Ordinance granting specific use permit for a commercial amusement outdoor land use to FTNV Corp"
The limitations start on Page 10. Happy reading!

Oh, also, it is not true that the City imposed the children's park on Universal. Universal approached the City with that concept. It was after the backlash from the residents who feared an Orlando-sized theme park that the City put those limitations into the ordinance.

Wait a minute, since when is something "for kids" ok to be drab and themeless? Isn't the genius of Disney that he built a place where kids AND their parents can have fun together and theming was the key to that. If you think this is ok because its "just for kids" then I seriously doubt that you can be a serious theme park fan. If kids don't care about theming then why do so many of them want to go to Disneyland? I just took my kids to Disney Sea last week. I had to drag them (and myself lol) away after 12 hours straight. Don't tell me kids can't tell the difference.

Great research and fact-finding, Transporter.

If there was nothing preventing Comcast from building dark rides (such as local agreements/ordinances), but they elected not to pursue that type of attraction ... That's pretty pathetic.

You're right TH. Even Legoland has a decent catalog of dark rides. As a Universal fan, I don't see how this can be viewed as anything but a failure and move in the wrong direction. But in context they just debuted Epic Universe and are beginning work on the UK park, and we know they have big plans to upgrade USH, USF and IOA, so with that in mind Universal is certainly not resting on their laurels. Hey even Disney went through their CA Adventure and Studio Paris phases.

@Daniel
I agree. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of Disney 20 years ago thinking that they have the theme park thing "figured out" and pushing to see how far they could value-engineer before people wouldn't come anymore. I am sympathetic to the argument that this wasn't meant to be more than a regional park. But that's the challenge of regional in general--how do you plus a brand for a local market without watering it down in general. I am sure Universal Creative already received the memo that this opening was not a success. It also seems like the fix is relatively easy, and that Universal should have the resources to fix it: Add more to the outdoor Shrek ride, paint a mural on the expanses of concrete in the rapids ride, add more plantings and shade, and develop a dark-ride or two with some better theming. If Epic Universe is an all E-ticket park that needs some flat rides, this is the opposite. But the bones are there for something worth visiting, if they can do right by their fans and get it up to the standard they have set.

To those complaining that this review is anti-Universal propaganda, I counter that it is the HIGH BAR that Universal has set for itself that is prompting this criticism. With this flop, and the choices Universal makes next, we'll get to see just how serious Universal's ambitions are to be the market leader in this space.

Writing as someone with 30 years in construction management (including parks) I believe people should keep in mind the term "value engineering" is related to core trades as much (if not more) than it is to creatives. VE is often a response to budget excesses related to everything from HVAC, to drywall, to paint, to structural steel or masonry. The VE process is not inherently an example of a park operator being cheap when it comes to creative work. It's often a necessary action that prevents cost overruns related to construction and even attraction operations.

I agree with @Jonah, and I also appreciate how honest this review is. The main defense seems to be "It's for kids, get over it." But so is Legoland, and those parks are charming and full of opportunities for creativity and play. I have a kid, I'm not traveling to Texas for this park. Which begs the question: who is this park for? The locals who claim they did not want it? And if it's a "regional" park, Universal was not the best company for this project. You can't attach the Universal brand to a regional kids park and not expect comparisons and criticisms.

The whole thing is a mess.

I'm of the same mind as TH - if there was nothing specifically in their agreement with Frisco preventing them from building at least 1 or 2 dark rides in a climate like North Texas, then that is creative malfeasance. However, it's quite possible that Universal looked at their target audience and requirements to tailor attractions to that specific demo and felt that the juice wasn't worth the squeeze. Of Universal's current dark ride portfolio, the only ones they currently have that would work for smaller guests would be Cat in the Hat (IOA), Secret Life of Pets (USH), and Yoshi's Adventure (Epic and USJ). Certainly some of those ride system could work with the IPs in this new park, but would they really move the needle for a park that is not intended to draw much outside of the local Metroplex market?

I would really love to have a sit down with a team member who worked on this and was able to give it honest, off the record account of what Comcast has in terms of expectations for this.
I’d also love to hear about what the initial pitch might’ve been in terms of how different it was from what was actually delivered or if this was what was planned for all along.
It’s just such a curious thing to me to have universal build this after having just last year built “the most technologically advanced theme park in the world”. I’m terribly vexed lol

Hey Jacob,

Maybe you should have learned to work the Google on the internet machine before your toddler meltdown post.

"The Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas, is the first Universal theme park in the U.S. to be certified as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) Park Features & Accessibility

Universal designed the resort from the ground up specifically for young families, making it highly accommodating for children with autism and sensory processing needs.

Specialized Staff: Team members have received comprehensive autism and neurodiversity training to better assist and accommodate families.

Sensory Spaces: The park features designated quiet rooms with sensory toys, as well as multiple sensory gardens and shaded, low-stimulation areas to help children decompress.

Manageable Scale: Because the park is tailored to young children, it naturally operates at a calmer pace than larger, bustling resorts."

I actually had no idea about this until someone else stepped in an explained the park's intentional design.

As the father of a son with autism I can speak from experience that folks on the spectrum don’t like poorly themed amusement parks with uninspired off the shelf rides anymore than the rest of us.

There is someone on this thread having a toddler type meltdown, and it ain’t the author.

Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio is geared toward similar ages and special needs kids, has lots of shaded areas, and is much more reasonably priced. No, it doesn't have Minions or Shrek but it's a pretty charming little park with a lake, train, boat rides, easy amusement park rides, and a water park. Plus, you are welcome to bring in your own food. Oh yes, and free parking. Ticket prices are about half what Universal charges.

The autism training is pretty standard at most North American theme parks in 2026, for what it’s worth. I went through it years ago at Knotts Berry Farm. Great that they are attempting to make this park accessible, but I think it’s pretty insulting to say that’s why this park turned out as crummy as it did.

Jacob, when can we expect to see your piece on the hotel and resort? I'm wondering if the rest of it is as cheap, too, or if there's something salvageable here.

I’m working on it tomorrow! Should be up in the next week.

Zarex writes: "There is someone on this thread having a toddler type meltdown, and it ain’t the author."

Me: That's hilarious.

As someone who is on the spectrum and has a kid on the spectrum, I believe this park isn't worth a visit. Go to Legoland instead. :-)

You theme park fanboys need to get over yourselves. If it's not TH waiving his 3 decade old mildly successful and now irrelevant pedigree no one asked or cares about, it's Jacob doubling down on his rage bait post.

Universal's success or failure has zero effect on my emotions, unlike some of you people and your Disney obsession. I can't imagine being that emotionally invested in anything but my work and family.

I do love to see you get all bunged up over something you have zero control over and does not directly affect your lives. At least I know why the new Texas park I will never visit is more "minimal" that I expected. I agree, it's a swing and a miss for someone like me.

I love the commotion and overstimulation of CityWalk / UO Resort / Hard Rock Hotel.

Get in nice and close on the bullying, I can take it.

Thanks Jacob! I can't wait to check it out.

NB, just because you're getting irrationally angry at any universal criticism does not mean this post is "ragebait". Maybe for you it is.

Also, bold of you to call us "fanboys". . .when you're the one who's desperately defending this place. . .

Review posted: https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202606/12520/

I have a young child, and was optimistic about this park. as I read the review by Jacob above, I thought surely it can't be that bad... then clicked on the video for the Shrek ride. Even if I lived close to this I wouldn't bother (I don't). I'm sorry, but the Shrek ride looks like a ride through a sparsely landscaped office park with some plywood cutouts every thirty feet. My 5 year old would be bored, and likely complaining about being out in the sun. Yes he is entertained by running in circles at our local park, but that doesn't mean he wants to be strapped into a tour of nothing for 5 minutes. Universal should have at least built this to be an equivalent to Dollywood's Wildwood Grove which is geared towards kids and families and yes is mostly flat rides with a couple tamer coasters... but is well themed, well landscaped and has shade. Oh and I think admission for Dollywood (the entire park) is about the same price as this tiny park. Don't get me wrong I love Universal, but this park was a mistake. And everyone keeps saying it's for locals... then why the hotel?

AngryDuck hits on the biggest conundrum with this park. That's why it seems like Universal must have thought they could make this more than it has become and somewhere along the line pivoted to what we see now. I just cannot believe that a major theme park company with a massive reputation to uphold would risk it with something so below the bar they've established to date. This feels like a Michelin-starred restaurant opening a food truck selling $5 hamburgers next to the local factory or office park. The Universal brand might present a draw and appeal to some, but once people realize it's just a "Temu" version of what the brand represents, the customers will quickly start speaking with the wallets.

And the "toddler type meltdown" continues.

(Chuckle)

NEXT!

VelocicoasterFan - I am a huge fan of the Universal parks, but I am not upset nor going to defend at all costs. I think Jacob's writing style is terrible and biased. This is why he's contributing to TPI and not the New York Times.

We did manage to dump tens of thousands at Disney in the late 90s / early 2000s. I didn't know little I was getting for my money until we had our first Universal Experience. Night and day difference, and that was before the Mummy even opened.

The parks are completely different now with all that Harry Potter money Disney missed out on three times (Book, movie, and theme park rights).

You know as well as I do this site would never allow a Disney project or property to be bashed like this. Even the failed Star Wars LARPing hotel got a pass on everything cringe about it.

I give no pass to the horrible handling of all things Star Wars by the Disney company, and EPIC Universe is awesome... but this kids resort looks awful.

NB Creative, many thanks for clearing this up as a specialist autistic family park. It never entered my head. I will retract my previous comment as it has been designed specifically for a very important purpose. Case now closed on us naysayers. I hang my head in shame in my initial interpretation and eat a super-sized slab of humble pie with an additional double dollop of humble pie on top.

"I think Jacob's writing style is terrible and biased."

I think that's rude and unfair. I'm not saying that TPI contributors are not immune from criticism, but those of us covering events, openings, and other news do so because we love theme parks, not because we're professional journalists. Robert generally posts writings unedited (and posts on the Discussion page are mostly unfiltered), so you will see occasional type-o's and grammatical errors, which frankly is refreshing given some of the AI slop you find on some mainstream theme park news and review websites.

I really don't understand your motivation here NB other than to rage-bait and insult. Critique is fine, and offering well composed thoughts and opinions are welcome, but telling a contributor that their "writing is terrible" is not really warranted when that person is just trying to cover a theme park event to the best of their ability, most likely never having any formal journalistic training.

Russell Meyer - Read it again.

"This is an ugly, underthemed theme park"

Really? And my comments are rage bait? That alone was my motivation. Does Robert even pre-read or approve these "stories". The squeaky clean facade of TPI and their inability to ruffle a single Disney feather is also my problem.

I've never seen someone so afraid of a corporation in my life. We all know why, it's a just a shame no one else will admit it. Invites and swag... great price to pay for your integrity.

There are plenty of YouTubers who were "Disney approved" and were cut off after a single criticism. They couldn't be happier to tell the truth and be off the Disney leash.

What's wrong with that statement. It seems pretty consistent with 90% of the first hand reviews of the park, including from nationally recognized (non-industry) publications including the Dallas Observer, Axios, and others. It's an opinion, and you're welcome to retort that opinion with your own if you disagree, but don't say that Jacob is biased without some clear evidence to back it up. Did you not read that Jacob was comped admission, food, lodging, and travel expenses by Universal. I will say from experience that it's hard to be critical of a project when the company inviting you to review it flies you out and wines and dines you during your visit (especially if you interview the folks responsible for delivering the project who put countless hours into the finished product), so if anything, Jacob's review is likely biased slightly towards Universal if anything. Also, your insinuation that TPI knowingly and deliberately critiques Universal to stay in Disney's good graces is a total crock. Executives and creatives (and marketing folks) are constantly floating between various companies within the industry, so I find it hilarious that you think any single company is evaluating the "worthiness" of individual outlets to attend events and receive "insider" tips/news because of the tone and evaluation of industry peers.

Your notion that this site has a deliberate or strategic pro-Disney (or anti-Universal) bias is laughable. While I wouldn't be surprised if Robert has been comped some travel or other perks for attending Disney media events (I was comped my family's trip to review the Galactic Starcruiser), this site offers some of the most balanced reporting on the industry as a whole anywhere on the internet.

To say that Jacob is deliberately critical this new park because of a bias against Universal is ridiculous. Have you seen the videos of this park? His reviews jive not only with the videos provided here and elsewhere, but are consistent with an overwhelming majority of the people invited to preview this new park. Universal appears to have missed the park with this project. That doesn't mean the park won't be successful or can't be improved, and it certainly doesn't mean that Universal is better/worse than Disney. Jacob provided an honest evaluation of what was experienced during the media event, and if that rubs you the wrong way, perhaps you should go visit the park yourself when it opens and see for yourself if Universal Kids Resort meets your expectations of one of the most successful theme park companies in the world.

If you think my writing is terrible now, you'll really hate that I spent four years getting a journalism degree just to suck!

Jacob Sundstrom - The guy I just replaced went to "art school" for four years. You can't teach someone to be an artist. It comes naturally.

I don't believe there is a Disney bias. Maybe the Disneyfiles are more vocal and to the point criticising Universal and praising Disney than the other way around. The beauty of TPI, which we should never take for granted and which elevates this site way above the rest, is giving all of us who wish to comment and contribute an opportunity and equal voice as long as we stay within the parameters of acceptability. It is down then to the contributor with how eloquently we articulate our message.

I love reading THC's Disneyfile discussion topics and comments. We all need perspective to give us our balanced personal view.

I love love love universal and I also love Disney equally. If Disney had uncorked a project like this I’d be giving them the same opinion.
Universal is doing some great things at the moment, with many more groundbreaking attractions and parks to come. They also, for whatever reason, decided to slap this on their portfolio even though it’s far below their own lofty standards. Universal is amazing. Universal made a (at least for NOW, probably not forever) subpar half day park. Two things can be true. @Jacob thanks for the write-ups and transparency. It is appreciated.

My daughter is Four, so my family and I should be the target demographic for this place. But, based on this piece, I don't think I'd go out of my way to visit unless I'm already in the Dallas area. Maybe I'll do a combo-trip with Six Flags Over Texas at some point. I could buy this as a more upscale entertainment offering for the locals. But, with the hotel in place, it's clearly meant to be more than that.

Well said, Russell. I personally, have never seen any "pro-Disney propaganda" on here.

The Universal website shows that tickets to Universal Kids Resort are sold out for the first two weeks that it'll be open (starting July 1). Season passes are also sold out. And now they've raised the price for summer Fridays to $85 and summer Saturdays and Sundays to $90. It will be interesting to watch this calendar of ticket sales/prices after the public experiences it for the first week.

@Transporter Those tickets include a refillable cup. Regular tickets are still topping out at $75.