Universal Kids Resort Hotel – Is Staying at the Hotel Worth It?

You’re probably looking to take a trip to Universal Kids Resort for a fun day out with your kids and wondering if a hotel stay is worth it. Let me dive into our experience staying at the Universal Kids Hotel, so you can see if it might be worth it for you.

Before coming to the park, I had contemplated booking the Deluxe Room, but then opted out of it since we are a local family in the North Dallas area and thought it might not be worth it. But, we ended up changing our minds after finding out that tickets were sold out when we finally arrived.

Read: Universal Kids Resort Review: The Mistake You Don’t Want To Make

Now that we had to get a room in order to enter the park, we were thinking of getting the smallest room, price at around $340+. We’re a family of 4, and that should be plenty since we weren’t going to be spending much time in the room other than sleeping overnight.

It turned out that the hotel was sold out of the Standard room, so we were offered the Deluxe room, priced $20 higher, for the same layout with a little more square footage.

Was Staying at the Universal Kids Resort Hotel Worth It?

Since we were celebrating my son’s birthday, this change of plans actually ended up being the perfect thing to make our day extra special.

So for us, yes, it was worth it, especially since we were celebrating two birthdays that weekend — my son’s and mine (our birthdays are close together). Although it was a last minute decision, staying here made our birthdays feel like we were traveling somewhere rather than just visiting somewhere locally.

If I were to do it again, I would have planned stayed the night before. That way, we would have been able to start the day an hour earlier at the park at 9 am and skip some of the longer lines for rides, such as Bello Bay Cruise, for example. That line was an hour wait mid-day, half of which was in the hot Texas sun!

Despite the late start at the hotel, we really enjoyed staying the night there, especially because our kids were so excited. Who knew just a colorful room with a bunkbed could make them so happy!

The bunk bed had a twin bed on top and a larger full-sized bed on the bottom for my teen daughter. That was all they needed to have a good night.

We did end up needing to call housekeeping to provide us with an extra blanket for the top bunk since my son was cold. Even with the thermostat adjusted, the sheet and blanket must have been a bit thin because he usually runs hot at night.

Will it be worth it for you? Well, that will depend on what you are looking for.

Let me dive into more of what you can expect at the hotel.

Universal Kids Resort Hotel Rooms

Standard, Deluxe, or Signature Queen Rooms

Which room should you get? If you’re not looking for a suite and want to know the difference between the 3 different room types available, you’re looking to choose between the Standard Queen, Deluxe Queen, or Signature Queen Rooms. So, what’s the difference between these rooms?

The room layouts are exactly the same, with a bunk bed that has a (twin bed on top and a full bed on bottom) a Queen bed, and a little seating area. The only difference is in the square footage. Here’s the breakdown:

• Standard Queen Room – 288 sq ft
• Deluxe Queen Room – 314 sq ft
• Signature Queen Room – 424 sq ft

Room prices go up depending on which size you choose. It was a $20 bump up from the Standard to Deluxe when we were booking.

Family Suite

The Family Suite gives you a little more square footage at 488 sq ft and a different layout where a King bed is in a separate bedroom. This is especially handy if your kids are young and go to bed much earlier than you and you don’t want to sit in the dark trying to make sure not to wake them up.

There’s also two seating areas — one with a little couch area, and one with a little table for 2. This gives space for everyone to sit somewhere other than the bed.

The couch is a pull-out queen sofa bed, so if you have 3 or 4 kids, or traveling with grandparents too, this might be a great option so everyone has somewhere to sleep.

The bunk bed in this room are both twin beds.

Access to the Universal Kids Resort Park

Staying at the hotel gives you easy access to the park, and you are able to go back to the hotel during the day.

There is a dedicated entrance to the park for hotel guests that is separate from the theme park admission.

The Food at Universal Kids Resort Hotel

We ate dinner at Curiosity Cafe. Originally, we were planning to eat out somewhere, but we were hungry after leaving the park, and seeing that the food on the menu was slightly more interesting than usual kid-food, we opted to stay for dinner. I’m glad we did, because our birthday boy was offered a special birthday treat after the staff saw his birthday badge, free of charge! He was so happy!

If your child is going to celebrate a birthday, be sure to get your birthday badge at Guest Services.

Here are some of the dishes we ordered to give you a sense of what you could expect from the food.

They also serve breakfast, but we didn’t eat breakfast there, so I don’t have any pictures to show you the breakfast meals. Breakfast is not included with the hotel stay.

Shopping Perk

If you purchase anything at one of the shops, you can have it delivered to the hotel free of charge so that you walk around the park without carrying extra baggage.

Other Details About Universal Kids Resort

Some other things to note before you go.

Parking is $20. There is no valet. If you want premium parking, it will be $30. Honestly, it’s not that far of a walk, so regular parking should be just fine.

Universal Kids check-in and check-out times:

• Check-In Time is: 4 pm
• Check- Out Time is: 11 am
• Early check-in or late check-out times are available by request for an additional fee.

If you want to enjoy the park before your check-in time or after you check out, luggage storage is available.

Cancellations must be requested at least 48 hours in advance.

The Universal Kids theme park hours vary depending on the day.

• 10 am – Open to the public every day
• 9 am – Opens to hotel guests

Universal Kids Resort Closing Times:

• Monday – Thurs – Closes at 5pm (with extended hours on certain days)
• Fridays – Close at 7 pm
• Saturdays – Close at 8 pm
• Sundays – Close at 6 pm

The Universal Kids theme park admission is not included in the hotel stay. You will need to buy those tickets separately.

The Pool at Universal Kids Resort Hotel

The pool has a zero entry, which is nice for younger kids. When we went to the pool after dinner, it was quite busy and the water was much cooler than expected — a bit cold for my preference, but kids and parents seemed to be okay with it. I imagine it is super refreshing in the middle of a hot day! I wish we had been able to enjoy it earlier in the day, but we were busy at the park.

Is the Universal Kids Resort Hotel Worth It?

So, what do you think? Is it worth it for you?

I definitely think for a special day and a special memory, it is worth a stay. For us adults, these bright colors may not be our taste (and sometimes quite jarring), but the colorful decor makes kids happy, and they’re sure to remember it. Your little ones will remember the photos you take to show them later.

The biggest perk of staying at the hotel is the early entry you get to the park to go on some rides before the park gets really busy.

It’s also nice to have a place to take breaks during the day and cool off or rest.

If you think you might want to stay at the resort, you can book here.

If you want to stay elsewhere, other hotel and accommodation options are also available:

Universal Kids Theme Park Admission

If you’re planning a trip to the Universal Kids Resort Theme Park, you can buy admission tickets online to guarantee your tickets. Don’t make our mistake!

Read: Universal Kids Resort Review: The Mistake You Don’t Want To Make

If you book a hotel, you’re guaranteed tickets, so no need to sweat it, but you can bypass the ticket line by purchasing your tickets in advance.

Looking for More Things To Do Nearby With Kids?

There are so many things to do in the DFW area with kids, with plenty of things indoor options if you’re trying to beat the heat (or cold). If you are visiting for a while and have time, check out the GetOut Pass (and get $5 off each pass). Otherwise, Kidzania is close by and is worth a visit if you haven’t been.

• Check out Kidzania USA – located in Frisco, TX, not too far from Universal Kids Resort, less than 15 minutes away- where your kids can try different “jobs.”
  
• Want a discount on the GetOut Pass? Check out our previous pass on Pogo Pass (before they merged with GetOut) to see what you might be able to get access to with just one pass. Or use our code TGF to get your discount on their website.
  
• Read about 80+ Things to Do in DFW with Kids. There’s sure to be something on the list that you can do.
  
• Find Water Parks, Lazy Rivers, and Pools around DFW.

If you need to schedule a relaxing day after a day at the theme park, you might want to consider a day at:

• WorldSprings – a hot springs experience (kids allowed in main pool)
• Spa Castle – saunas and hydrotherapy (family-friendly venue) – blog post coming soon!

Hope you enjoy your trip to the Universal Kids Resort!