The Universal Kids Resort is Universal's sixth resort in the United States and its third theme park project in the US. The park covers 32 acres (approximately 13 hectares) and is located at the northeast corner of the Dallas North Tollway and Panther Creek Parkway in Frisco, with a total investment of approximately $550 million.

Unlike traditional Universal Studios parks, this resort is designed specifically for young children and families. It is smaller in scale, focusing on interactivity and immersive experiences, targeting children aged 3 to 9 and their families.

The project was first announced in January 2023, broke ground in November of the same year, and is expected to open before May 2026 to coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the region.

Latest Concept Art and Themed Area Logos

According to documents submitted to the Frisco city government on June 19, 2025, Universal Kids Resort released updated concept art showcasing the overall layout of the park and details of the various themed areas. In addition, the document revealed for the first time the official logos for some themed areas, including “Shrek’s Swamp”, “SpongeBob SquarePants – Bikini Bottom”, “TrollsFest”, and “Minions vs Minions”.

These logos correspond to the mural designs on the exterior walls of the resort hotel, which were recently approved by the Frisco City Council.

The park has a total of seven themed areas, arranged clockwise from the entrance:

1、Gabby’s Dollhouse ：As the central hub of the park, it features interactive play areas, shaded lawns, and an immersive retail experience themed around Gabby’s Dollhouse, offering character meet-and-greets.

2、Trolls ：Themed around DreamWorks Animation's "Trolls," creating a colorful music festival scene. The new concept art shows the large performance building in this area with the "TrollsFest" logo on its exterior wall; the original tent-like structure has been removed, possibly indicating adjustments to the internal performances or facilities.

3、Shrek’s Swamp ：Themed around DreamWorks Animation's "Shrek," designed as a swamp playground created by Shrek himself, including rides, attractions, and interactive experiences. The exterior walls of the buildings in this area have undergone slight changes in the new concept art, but the overall layout remains stable.

4、Puss in Boots ：Themed around the "Shrek" spin-off film "Puss in Boots," presenting Del Mar's cat adoption festival, including game stalls, rides, and festive food, and featuring a sensory garden for visitors to relax.

5、Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous ：Based on DreamWorks and Amblin Entertainment's animated series "Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous," rather than the live-action films, offering dinosaur interactive experiences suitable for young children. The new concept art has adjusted the design of the main building entrance, emphasizing a youthful aesthetic.

6、SpongeBob SquarePants – Bikini Bottom ：Themed around Nickelodeon's "SpongeBob SquarePants," showcasing the fun scenes of the underwater world. The new concept art adds a treasure chest-shaped "Barg’N-Mart" store, and SpongeBob's pineapple house has been moved to the water play area, enhancing the interactivity of the area.

7、Minions ：Themed around Illumination Entertainment's "Minions," focusing on the "splashing fun" of the yellow and purple Minions battle. The new concept art updates the water ride loading area roof to a wood color and adds a rotating vortex design. The ride equipment is mainly yellow and purple, echoing the "Minions vs Minions" theme.

Hotel and Mural Design

The resort's accompanying 300-room hotel is yet to be named and is located at the entrance to the park. It is expected to be a five-story colorful building. The new concept art shows that the exterior walls of the hotel will be decorated with murals featuring characters such as Shrek, Minions, SpongeBob, and Trolls.

The murals facing the city will mainly feature Shrek and Puss in Boots, while those facing the park will mainly feature SpongeBob and Trolls.

These mural designs were approved by the Frisco City Council on June 17, 2025, in accordance with local regulations requiring approval for buildings exceeding 50 feet in height.

However, some local residents, especially those in the Cobb Hill community, have expressed concerns about the park's construction regarding traffic, noise, and quality of life. The city government and Universal are attempting to alleviate community opposition through measures such as adding green spaces, shrubs, and fences.

Construction Progress and Opening Plan

According to John Lettelleir, director of development services for the city of Frisco, construction of the Universal Kids Resort is progressing smoothly and is expected to open between April and June 2026.

The site shows the structures of the hotel and several amusement facilities, including a SpongeBob-themed flat ride, a Trolls-themed roller coaster, and ride components in the Jurassic World area.

The main road to the resort, Universal Parkway, is expected to be completed by 2025, with a total cost of approximately $12.94 million.

Summary

Universal's children's resort, with its unique focus on young children and immersive themed design, aims to provide families with a parent-child interactive amusement park experience.

The newly released concept drawings and logo showcase the park's attention to detail and reflect Universal's balance between responding to community concerns and advancing construction.

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