:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Universal-Kids-Resort-01-062226-0d413f4fcdc441058ba766a34c741299.jpg "What age is Universal Kids Resort for? Things to do at Universal's new Texas theme park, from Jur...")
EW went to Universal's new kidfocused theme park. Here's our guide on what ages the park is for, how much it costs, and exclusive photos from inside! What age is Universal Kids Resort for? Things to do at Universal's new Texas theme park, from Jurassic World to Minions EW went to Universal's new kidfocused theme park. Here's our guide on what ages the park is for, how much it costs, and exclusive photos from inside! :maxbytes(150000):stripicc()/JoeyNolfiBiophotof93a23298bdd47ba9c13f53815fc469b.jpg) Joey Nolfi Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at .
EW went to Universal's new kid-focused theme park. Here's our guide on what ages the park is for, how much it costs, and exclusive photos from inside!
What age is Universal Kids Resort for? Things to do at Universal's new Texas theme park, from Jurassic World to Minions
EW went to Universal's new kid-focused theme park. Here's our guide on what ages the park is for, how much it costs, and exclusive photos from inside!
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Joey Nolfi
Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul's Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.
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June 30, 2026 2:00 p.m. ET
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New Universal Kids Resort theme park in Frisco, Texas. Credit:
Joey Nolfi for EW (3)
- Universal Kids Resort is set to open July 1 in Frisco, Texas as Universal's third theme park destination area in the United States.
- * *went to the park that features lands and rides themed to *Shrek*,* Jurassic World*, *Minions*, *SpongeBob*, and more.
- Here's a guide for everything to do in the new park, from what ages the park is for to how much it costs and exclusive photos from inside the park and hotel.
Universal is about to open a new theme park in Frisco, Texas that's more colorful than the bananas language mouthed by the Minions of the *Despicable Me* franchise. With so many things to do at the family-focused Universal Kids Resort, planning a visit can get a bit complex when it comes to figuring out which ages the new park is for.
** recently went inside the park (and its on-site hotel!) before its opening date, where Universal Creative leaders Molly Murphy and Brian Robinson spoke about which age the park is designed for — and why there's plenty for adults to do as well.
"We were really focused on children ages 3-8 and their families," Murphy tells EW of the park, which features lands themed to *Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous*, *SpongeBob SquarePants*, *Trolls*, *Puss in Boots*, *Shrek*, *Gabby's Dollhouse*, and the aforementioned *Despicable Me *franchise*. *"We kept coming back to the words 'unbridled creativity.' There's no limit. They don't understand limit," adds Robinson. "They express themselves in ways so freely. When you design in that [headspace], you give them all these ways to express themselves. That's hopefully how the park comes off to everyone."
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Universal Kids Resort's 'Trolls' roller coaster.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Murphy echoes the sentiment when she observes, "We hope that everyone who comes here finds the kid in themselves."****Before the Universal Kids Resort opening date on July 1, read on for EW's in-depth guide on all the rides and attractions inside, tips on things to do, the best food at the resort, how much the park will cost, what age the park is for, and more. Read on for EW's full breakdown.
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Universal Kids Resort photos show new Minions water ride.
Joey Nolfi for EW
How much does Universal Kids Resort cost?
Universal Kids Resort offers vacation packages with a hotel stay and day-based admission tickets, as well as annual pass options. Admission tickets are currently available in six different options:
- 1-day general admission (starting at $54.99)
- 2-day general admission (starting at $73.99)
- 1-day general admission (including refillable souvenir cup, starting at $69.99)
- 2-day general admission (including refillable souvenir cup, starting at $101.99)
- Silver annual pass (starting at $129.99, with blockout dates)
- Silver annual pass with parking (starting at $164.99, with blockout dates)
Guests staying at the Universal Kids Resort Hotel can also receive access to early park admission up to one hour prior to the general park opening.**
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Universal Kids Resort hotel.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Isle of Curiosity — Gabby's Dollhouse
**Age range:** 3-8****Best things to do:** Character meet-and-greets from *Gabby's Dolhouse*, sweet treats in Cakey's Cupcakes****Cost:** Included with park admission
Isle of Curiosity is the first land Universal Kids Resort guests will encounter. It features a colorful row of trellis-like structures framing a tall diving board in the distance — one that's overrun with mischievous Minions (more on that later).
To the left, guests can browse merchandise offerings inside the park's main retail location, or purchase sweet treats from Cakey's Cupcakes, a shop inspired by the animated *Gabby's Dollhouse* character of the same name. Here, kids can experience a dance party with characters from the show, and also meet the titular character at times throughout the day.
The introductory land serves as the first experience families encounter inside the park, and sets the stage for what Murphy says is the goal anchoring this smaller park's place in the Universal lineup: "The hope is that this might be their first Universal experience or first theme park experience ever, and they'll grow up with a goal of going to one of our major destinations around the world."
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Universal Kids Resort's Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club area.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club
**Age range:** All ages****Best thing to do:** Bello Bay Cruise water ride****Cost:** Included with park admission
This *Despicable Me*-themed land features the park's best (and most thrilling) ride: Bello Bay Cruise, a raft-style ride that sets guests on a white-water journey through playful scenes featuring Minions characters, water jets, and even a spiral drop surrounding an actual whirlpool.
The ride offers a much-needed cool-down in the blistering Texas heat, but there is a pay-to-use human-sized dryer if you get a little *too* wet during the experience. There's also a spin-dry option via Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby, a small spinning ride that's a more appropriate speed for smaller children visiting this section.
Or, if you want even more Minions moisture, there are several interactive water play areas featuring characters from the film series sprinkled throughout the land.
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Universal Kids Resort's 'Trolls' land.
Joey Nolfi for EW
**Age range:** 3-8 (though the stage show will impress all ages)****Best things to do:** Rhonda's TrollFest Express, *Trollstastic: Concert Countdown*****Cost:** Included with park admission
"When you walk into those lands, you'll see different types of design decisions," Robinson explains to EW, and that's apparent when viewing the numerous play structures and interactive experiences inside this *Trolls* area. "When you're designing for 3-8, you've got to have play. You've got to have free places where they run and express themselves, then you have dance parties, then you have sing-alongs, then you get into okay, it's your first thrill, we're going to go on a coaster!"
That philosophy carries through TrollsFest, where a large-scale stage show unfolds throughout the day in a shaded amphitheater-style venue that offers big-time *Trolls* characters singing and dancing on stage. There's also an indoor dance party led by a team member, and a vibrant merch shop decked out with disco balls, an infectiously enthusiastic staff, and an opportunity to get your face painted like your favorite *Trolls* characters that anyone can do.
For bigger thrills, children might enjoy their first roller coaster on Rhonda's TrollFest Express, a small (but surprisingly punchy, depending on where you sit, as sitting toward the back of the train offers slightly bigger thrills). If they're not up to the coaster's speed just yet, smaller children can run around on two play sets, including a web of netting inside Poppy's Playland: "Poppy lives in a forest and she loves to scrapbook, so that entire land is expressed through an exuberant scrapbooker," Robinson adds of the creative throughline for this area.
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Universal Kids Resort's 'Shrek' ride.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Shrek's Swamp
**Age range:** All ages****Best things to do:** Shrek meet-and-greet, Shrek-shaped pretzels, Shrek & Fiona's Happily Ogre After****Cost:** Included with park admission
Universal Kids Resort answers the film series' age-old question: What *are* you doing in Shrek's swamp? The land offers a range of activities, from the *very* young (there are two play areas, including one *super* wet interactive zone and a playground) to older kids who want to take the wheel behind the Shrek & Fiona's Happily Ogre After ride.**
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"Shrek decides to tell his love story over again and creates that entire land as a love note to Fiona, and he's doing it for the triplets," Robinson says of the land — the ride through which sees Shrek recreating his love story with Fiona via colorful wooden storyboards that guests ride through in swamp buggies constructed by the green ogre himself.
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'Puss in Boots' land at Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Puss in Boots Del Mar
**Age range:** All ages****Best things to do:** *Mama Luna’s Adopt a Kitty Day!* puppet show, great merch location, great food options in the park's nicest themed restaurant****Cost:** Included with park admission
Perhaps the most immersive themed land inside the park, *Puss in Boots* Del Mar transports guests to a Spanish-inspired town that includes one of the park's best dining options and a thrilling swing ride that's zippier than it looks from the ground.
The most impressive part of the land is, however, *Mama Luna’s Adopt a Kitty Day!*, a stage show featuring incredible acts of puppetry from skilled performers.
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'Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster' at Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, Texas.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Jurassic World Adventure Camp
**Age range:** 3-12 (bigger rides for bigger kids in this section)****Best things to do:** *Jurassic World*: Cretaceous Coaster, baby velociraptor meet-and-greet, while the *Jurassic World* Canteen offers eclectic food options****Cost:** Included with park admission
Welcome to a kids-sized version of* Jurassic World*, which adapts the thrills of the main Universal parks' *Jurassic*-themed lands for small kids on the hunt for bigger thrills inside the park.
Inspired by Netflix's *Camp Cretaceous *animated series, Adventure Camp hosts the park's wildest roller coaster: *Jurassic World:* Cretaceous Coaster, which ends with a surprise reveal of the park's sole animatronic figure (spoiler alert: Fans of *Camp Cretaceous*' Bumpy will be very pleased if they look to the right on the ride's brake run.)
Between meeting a baby velociraptor (yes, team members carry them around this area!), other rides here offer moderate thrills, via the Pteranodrop tower attractions and Mr. DNA's Double Helix Spin that takes guests high above the park on an experience that draws aesthetic inspiration from the animated character who first appeared in 1993's *Jurassic Park* film.
The park's other standout dining location is also in this area, as the *Jurassic World* Canteen boasts an eclectic menu with chicken and beef skewers and a Nathan's hot dog wrapped in an empanada crust. Pickier eaters can also order up an adorable display of dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets scaling a mountain of mashed potatoes with broccoli trees and a river of sauce.
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SpongeBob rides at Universal Kids Resort's Bikini Bottom area.
Joey Nolfi for EW
SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom
**Age range:** All ages****Best things to do:** Goofy Goobers ice cream shop, numerous thrilling rides****Cost:** Included with park admission
Thanks to Universal Kids Resort, you, too, can feel what it's like to live in a pineapple under the sea. Here, guests can plunge down to Bikini Bottom to meet characters from the *SpongeBob *animated series, ride an array of spinning rides (some of which get you wetter than others, like Bobbing Barrels), play carnival games, and more.
Visitors can also snack on the sweetest offerings in the entire park in this section, where the Goofy Goobers ice cream shop includes a life-size recreation of the notable *SpongeBob* franchise treat, the Triple Gooberberry Sunrise sundae.
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Universal Kids Resort hotel photos.
Joey Nolfi for EW
Things to do at Universal Kids Resort's on-site hotel
**Age range:** All ages****Best things to do:** Large pool area, Curiosity Café, aesthetically pleasing interior with range of room sizes****Cost:** Varying prices for rooms and dates. Check availability on the Universal Kids Resort website.
The Universal Kids Resort Hotel has several room options, all of which include bunk beds and colorful interior design accents mirroring the hues used in various lands around the park.
A colorful, neon-lit, rainbow-arched entryway in the main lobby leads to the Curiosity Café, the hotel's only dining option, and a full-service bar for adults. In addition to its standard menu (chicken sandwiches, burgers, flatbread/pizza, vegetable curry, salads), the restaurant also has Starbucks drinks and a soft drink machine that, in typical Universal parks fashion, includes a wide array of fountain drinks — and even Universal Kids Resort-exclusive flavors.
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Universal Kids Resort hotel room.
Joey Nolfi for EW
One drawback to the hotel's restaurant, however, is the lack of gluten-free bread and pizza crust, which is easily available at other Universal parks, and an option that we hope to see here in the future.
The hotel also features a moderately sized pool that includes a unique feature: Underwater speakers, so you can feel (and hear!) the bass of the tunes blasting through the air while beneath the surface as well.
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Universal Kids Resort bar at the park's on-site hotel.
Joey Nolfi for EW
What can adults do at Universal Kids Resort?
While Universal Kids Resort was created with attractions aimed at kids ranging in age from 3-8, there's plenty for adults to enjoy both inside the park and at the on-site hotel.
The Universal Kids Resort hotel has a full bar to the left of the Curiosity Café entrance, featuring a colorful menu of playfully named cocktails. EW's personal favorite was the Paloma Juice Box, though a range of different liquors, wines, and beer are also available. (There are additional carts serving alcohol peppered throughout the main park.) Adults are also permitted to take their drinks to the large hotel pool (which doesn't get more than four feet deep — ideal for kids and adults) to the right of Curiosity Café as long as they ask for plastic cups from the bartenders.
There's also a gym on site for adults to prep a workout, either to amp up for a day in the park or to get those extra steps in afterward.
More Universal Kids Resort photos
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SpongeBob and Patrick characters at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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'Trolls' stage show at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Universal Kids Resort features 'SpongeBob' ice cream shop Goofy Goobers.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Meet Shrek at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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'Puss in Boots' Del Mar land at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Dinosaur landscape made with chicken nuggets at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Shrek & Fiona's Happily Ogre After ride at Universal Kids Resort theme park.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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'Jurassic World' Adventure Camp at Universal Kids Resort theme park.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Mr. DNA ride at Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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'Puss in Boots' Swings Over Del Mar ride inside Universal Kids Resort.
Joey Nolfi for EW
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Source: Universal
Published: July 1, 2026 at 01:38AM on Source: MORNING MAG
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EW went to Universal 's new kidfocused theme park. Here's our guide on what ages the park is for, how much it costs, and exclu...
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