Is Universal’s newest theme park resort dead on arrival?
After the success of Epic Universe in Florida, it seemed as though Universal was an unstoppable freight train ready to take over the theme park industry. The expansion of the theme park juggernaut into the UK only furthered that idea. HOWEVER, it seems Universal may hit a snag with its latest American addition…
Universal Kids Resort is opening in Frisco, Texas, real soon on July 1st, 2026! This new resort is a first-of-its-kind and is “specifically designed and developed for families with young children.” Catering to a younger audience and families, guests can expect to see lands and rides based on Shrek, SpongeBob SquarePants, Minions, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, Trolls, Puss in Boots, and more! The resort will also have an attached hotel with a few perks like a dedicated entrance and Early Park Admission. The new resort sounds like a lot of fun, but there are skeptics.
While we’re so close to this new park opening to the public, a few issues have arisen that have totally underwhelmed lots of folks. For starters, although we know EVERY attraction that will open with the resort, we only have concept art.
One Instagram user replied to a Universal post, writing, “Opening in a month, but there have been no real pictures at all- only cartoon animations…. does this park really exist or is it frye fest theme park?”
While we’re certain this park is opening, and it won’t be another fake entertainment experience, this user is right — all we’ve gotten so far outside of the construction photos we’ve periodically collected over the months is concept art released by Universal.
That doesn’t exactly inspire the most confidence. You’d figure Universal would be showing it off more than they have. And yet…conceptual renderings are still the biggest teases we have.
Another Instagram user added on the same post, “You’re opening in a month, but using an animated video to sell tickets? Are you sure it’s done, or do you not want us to see it yet? 😂” The video in question was an ad for the resort, but completely digital without any real footage.
And that sentiment is not limited to one video. Another user wrote, “Is there a reason why no emails about this sent for the people who you urged to sign up for exclusive emails and first access?!”
Whether or not the new resort lives up to the hype is moot right now in the hype stage. A lack of tangible footage and aggressive hype will naturally make people skeptical — especially in this age of media literacy. If you’re advertising any product and don’t actually show the real-life product, people are going to be hesitant to trust you. That doesn’t mean Universal Kids Resort will stink — it just means that consumers are finding Universal’s resort campaign to be lackluster and not very compelling.
Another complaint won’t be fixed by real-life photos and videos being posted. The price is ticking some people off. General Admission starts at $54.99 per person, and two-day tickets start at $73.99 (children under two get free admission), but folks are really upset about the hotels and annual passes.
The Silver Annual Pass costs $129.99 per person for 12 Months of General Admission, and the Silver Annual Pass with Parking costs $164.99 per person for 12 Months of General Admission with Regular Self Parking included — which isn’t ludicrous. But they’re a bit restricting.
One Instagram user wrote, “I was very disappointed in the only option for annual pass being silver with a ton and mostly weekends blacked out. Will there be a more expensive annual pass option with less blackout dates and more perks?”
The blackout dates have been criticized quite a bit, and several people are questioning whether this initial pass is worth getting. Annual passes are also the same price for kids and adults.
Another user added, “Too many blackout dates, a bit absurd for passholders. You are blacking out all of the weekends during summer when parents can take the kids to the park. There’s not even an option to have a pass that doesn’t have blackout dates. If I’m going to invest in passes for the whole family, I’d prefer to not have to plan around blackout dates. It’s a bit restrictive. Also, there’s not really a lot of benefits for being a passholder, not even discounts to purchase tickets for non-pass holders. Peppa Pig season pass has way more benefits. I’ve been looking forward to Universal Kids but the pricing, blackout dates and lack of passholder benefits is a bit of a turn off.”
To make matters worse, both passes are currently sold out.
Another thing going against this new Universal resort is the hotel prices. It costs around $359+, with family suites coming in closer to $500. These aren’t the craziest prices we’ve ever seen, but they are a break from an affordability model that has worked for Universal in the past.
Ultimately, people are skeptical. Can a resort in Texas work with a lack of thrill rides, higher hotel costs, a limited annual pass, and an aversion to flaunting its stuff? Time will tell.
In the meantime, we’re willing to give Universal the benefit of the doubt and will start our coverage of the resort’s opening with optimism until proven otherwise. You can follow all of our in-depth on-site reporting right here at AllEars!
Stay tuned, because we’re experiencing the park for the very first time on June 18th. We’ll report back with all of our thoughts and findings, so follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube!
ALL Height Requirements For Universal’s NEWEST Kids Theme Park
How are you feeling about the new Universal Kids Resort? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
How long until the put in some sort of Harry Potter land. Universal parks need HP to survive.