Universal Kids Resort arrives in Frisco, Texas on July 1, built for children ages 3 to 9 and their families, with themed lands from Shrek, Jurassic World and Trolls, plus a hotel and ticket options designed for quick, family-friendly visits.
By the time the Bello Bay Cruise soaked their clothes for a second straight run, the point was clear: Universal Kids Resort isn’t trying to be a scaled-down version of the “grown-up” parks. It’s built for kids.
On July 1. Universal will open its newest theme park in Frisco. Texas—called Universal Kids Resort. and aimed squarely at children ages 3 to 9 and their families. The park is smaller than Universal’s parks on the east and west coasts. and its shows. characters and attractions are designed for younger guests. Families can bounce between lands themed to franchises like Shrek. Jurassic World and Trolls. cool off in a SpongeBob-themed splash pad. and even meet a baby dinosaur.
I traveled to the Dallas area with my seven-year-old son to preview the park before its grand opening, and the layout felt made for an all-in-one-day kind of experience—rides, themed play areas and meet-and-greets without the marathon pressure that can come with bigger theme parks.
The park’s location is part of its appeal. Universal Kids Resort is about 25 miles from downtown Dallas. placing it roughly 30 to 40 minutes from both Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and Dallas Love Field (DAL). That makes it easier for families coming from nearby—whether they’re planning a one-day trip or a weekend staycation—while still fitting into a broader Dallas itinerary.
After our visit, it’s easy to see two main visitor profiles. The first is families living in Dallas or within a few hours’ drive who want a day trip or a quick weekend. The second is families building a longer vacation around the Dallas area: they could spend a day or two at Universal Kids Resort and then move closer to downtown Dallas to see other family-friendly attractions.
There’s also a third group, even if it’s less “target age demographic” and more pure enthusiasm: theme-park fans like me. The best trips, though, still seemed to happen when parents came prepared to do everything together.
If you’re only going for one day, it’s possible to get on all of the rides. But the park leans heavily on themed play areas, shows, character meet-and-greets, and its hotel—so a longer stay can feel just as rewarding as lining up for attractions.
A two-night vacation package is built around that rhythm. It includes two nights at the Universal Kids Resort Hotel, half-day park admission starting at 2 p.m. on arrival day, and full-day admission the next day. The first afternoon gives you time to get your bearings, and the following day is for revisiting favorites.
My son’s day quickly narrowed into three standouts. His favorite ride was the Bello Bay Cruise in the Minions vs. Minions section. We got completely soaked on this rapids ride. which incorporated a lot of spinning that made it different from similar rides. We rode it twice—partly because it was fun. and partly because it helped us stay cool on a hot summer day.
He also loved—and asked to re-ride—Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After in the Shrek’s Swamp section. It’s the first Shrek-themed ride in the U.S. and on our visit. he was old enough to drive the car on his own. The second time around. he wouldn’t even let me in the car to prove he was big enough to do it without me.
Universal Kids Resort has two roller coasters: Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express and Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster. Cretaceous Coaster ended up being his favorite. He’s obsessed with dinosaurs and loves the “Jurassic World” movies, but it’s also the more thrilling of the two coasters.
The section that kept his attention the longest was Jurassic World Adventure Camp. In addition to the coaster, there were two other rides and a pair of dinosaur-themed play areas—and he didn’t want to leave.
For families trying to keep costs down, the park’s smaller size is a hook in itself: it can be more affordable than other theme park vacations. The bigger strategy comes down to which points and miles setup you already have.
Travel to Dallas can be straightforward depending on where you’re flying from. American Airlines offers the most direct flights to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport from cities like New York. Houston. Los Angeles and Miami. Southwest has the most flights into Dallas Love Field. where the airline is based. from Denver. New York. Atlanta. Chicago and Las Vegas.
Frontier Airlines tends to come out ahead on price, with nonstop service to DFW from many of the same cities.
If you’re using cobranded cards. Southwest Rapid Rewards and American AAdvantage miles can come into play—while Frontier doesn’t have any transfer partners. Bilt and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to Southwest Rapid Rewards points at a 1:1 rate. and Citi ThankYou Rewards transfer to American AAdvantage miles at a 1:1 rate.
To show how flights can be covered without paying out of pocket. there’s a specific example tied to a points card. If you sign up for a Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (see rates and fees). you can earn 75. 000 bonus points after spending $6. 000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Transferring those points to AAdvantage miles at a 1:1 ratio gives you 75,000 miles to book flights. Round-trip American Airlines flights between major cities like New York. Los Angeles and Chicago can be found for as few as 16. 000 miles. which could cover flights for a family of four with 64. 000 miles total.
Hotel options are another lever. Because of its proximity to the park, family-friendly setup and theming, the Universal Kids Resort Hotel is recommended as the default. Rates average around $250 per night, though searches showed rates as low as $166.
For bookings through points. the park’s newest hotel adds one more wrinkle: it is currently only bookable through the American Express Travel® portal. That matters if you’re aiming to earn points using a card like American Express Platinum Card® or The Business Platinum Card® from American Express. which earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked through the Amex Travel portal.
Outside the Amex Travel portal, you can also pay with credit cards that let you use points to cover travel purchases on your statement, including the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees).
If you’re comparing nearby properties. the Frisco area has other options too. including Courtyard by Marriott Dallas Frisco—about a five-minute drive from Universal Kids Resort—with rates starting around $148 or 14. 800 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. Hampton Inn and Suites Dallas Frisco is less than 10 minutes away. with rates starting at $92 or 28. 000 Hilton Honors points per night.
Tickets have their own decision points. Universal Kids Resort offers one- and two-day tickets, plus hotel-and-ticket vacation packages. Add-ons include a Trolls makeup experience, refillable soda cups and stroller rentals.
How you purchase can also determine how transactions code on your card statement. Vacation packages and tickets purchased through third-party sellers like Undercover Tourist typically code as travel. allowing you to use miles or a general travel statement credit to erase the transaction from your statement. But ticket-only purchases are likely to code as entertainment.
For families who still want points on tickets and other Universal Kids Resort spending. the suggestion is to rely on an everyday spending card or Universal Rewards credit cards—since those earn bonus points on qualifying Universal purchases. including tickets. vacation packages and in-park purchases like food and merchandise.
Two specific cards are highlighted: the no-annual-fee Universal Rewards Plus Visa Signature® Card earns 2 points per dollar on qualifying Universal purchases. while the $99-annual-fee Universal Rewards Plus Visa Signature® Card earns 4 points per dollar on qualifying Universal purchases. along with other perks. Points earned can be added to a Universal FUNds prepaid card to cover eligible Universal purchases on future trips. Both cards also include discounts on in-park dining and merchandise purchases.
The information for the Universal Rewards Plus cards was collected independently by The Points Guy, and the card details on its page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
The end of our preview day felt like the simplest conclusion. My son and I had a great time at Universal Kids Resort. and I’d recommend it for anyone traveling to the Dallas area or for highly obsessed theme-park fans. Yes. the park is built for kids—but for the record. I had as much fun as he did. even if he got the last laugh when he kicked me off the Shrek ride.
Universal Kids Resort Frisco Texas July 1 opening Universal theme park for kids ages 3 to 9 Shrek themed land Jurassic World attractions TrollsFest Express Bello Bay Cruise SpongeBob splash pad Universal Kids Resort Hotel points and miles DFW and DAL flights American Airlines Southwest Frontier Citi Strata Elite AAdvantage miles
July 1?? Bout time, my niece is gonna be thrilled.
So is it like the regular Universal but just for toddlers? Because the ticket prices are usually nuts already. Also Frisco traffic is already miserable so hopefully they timed this for off hours or something.
I saw the headline and thought it was a cruise ship thing?? Bello Bay Cruise soaking clothes like… is that part of the hotel or like a real ride off property? Either way, it sounds kinda wet and chaotic for kids.
My 5-year-old would love Shrek land, but ages 3 to 9 still feels weirdly narrow? Like what about the older kids who want Jurassic World too. And if it’s smaller, does that mean less to do and you end up spending all day waiting? Idk I’m skeptical, but I’ll probably still go once just to say we did.