My daughter and son walking towards Universal Kids Resort when we first arrived, with the colorful building in the background.

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

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Are you thinking about taking your kids to the Universal Kids Resort in Frisco, TX, and wondering if it’s worth the trip? Let me give you my perspective from our family of 4 (with a teen and a 9-year-old) that went at the end of July 2026, just 3 and a half weeks after opening day.

We went to celebrate my son’s 9th birthday, and he wanted to go while he was still 8 since the park was marketed towards kids 3-8, so we went just before he turned 9. We paid for our entrance tickets, hotel, and food and experienced everything as other parkgoers would. This post is not sponsored in any way.

To give you some context, we live in the North Dallas area and have been seeing the advertisements and articles talking about the park opening for a long time. Then, when the opening day was finally announced, it was the same month as my son’s birthday, so I asked him if he’d like to go there for his birthday. He’s a huge Jurassic Park fan, and since they had a section for that, he said he really wanted to go.

I warned him about the Texas heat… I knew it would be hot. Still, he really wanted to go.

I told him there are no huge dinosaurs for him to look at. Again, he still wanted to go.

So, we earmarked the date, which was a Saturday. In hindsight, our experience would probably have been a little less crowded if we went during the week, but that would have required my husband to take a day off work, and I wasn’t sure if that was necessary.

After going, I would say… if you have the option, consider a weekday. There might be fewer people then.

If you’re short on time and don’t have time to read the entire article, here’s a quick verdict if you want to know if Universal Kids Resort is worth it for your family.

Universal Kids Resort: The Quick Verdict

If you are wondering whether Universal Kids Resort in Frisco is worth the trip, here is our honest takeaway as a local North Dallas family with a 9-year-old and a teen:

  • The Age Sweet Spot: The park is designed for kids age 3-8.

  • Older Kids & Teens: They will enjoy meeting the baby raptor (for dinosaur fans) and themed areas like SpongeBob, Shrek, or Trolls. The Cretacous Coaster , Pteranodrop, and Bellow Bay Cruise offer some thrills, but keep expectations low.

  • Ticket Prices: Single-day tickets start at $54.99+ for weekday prices and go up to $74.99 for weekends (kids under 2 enter free). Two-day tickets cost more.

  • Time Required: Plan for a half-day to a full day. If you stay on-site and want to take hotel breaks, a 2-day pass offers a more leisurely pace.

  • The Ultimate Ticket Warning: Never show up without buying tickets online first. The park completely sells out on busy weekends. We had to use a resort hotel loophole to get inside the gates.
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Universal Kids Resort Tickets: Prices, Discounts, and Hidden Fees

Buying Tickets Quick Facts

  • Starting Price: Single-day tickets begin at $54.99 + tax, typically on weekdays, and can go up to $79.99 + tax on holiday weekends. Typical weekend prices are $74.99 + tax.

  • Souvenir Cup: Adding a Souvenir Cup gives you unlimited refillable drinks at dispensers located at restaurants inside. Tickets start at $69.99 + tax for this add-on.

  • Children under 2: Enter free.

  • Add-ons: Rent a double stroller for $15 + tax. Add a Troll-ify Me! Experience (colorful troll character face paint) for $25 + tax.

  • 2-Day Price: For just a little more, you can add on a second day at the park. 2-day tickets start at $73.99 + tax, depending on the day you choose.

  • Annual Pass: Annual passes are available, but include blackout dates, such as school breaks and weekends.

  • Private VIP Experience: A private 4-hour VIP experience with a dedicated guide, priority access, and perks available starting at $999 + tax. Ticket prices not included.

  • Best Buying Strategy: Purchase tickets online to skip the lines and ensure tickets are available.

Since we lived close and were planning on going in the morning, we didn’t buy tickets in advance. I researched tickets online and saw that they were fairly reasonable, at $54.99/person on the Universal Kids website. (Later, I found slightly discounted tickets here.)

We thought we could just buy tickets there, and if the tickets were different at the ticket counter, we were planning on buying tickets online just before going in. More on that later.

The morning of our planned outing, we were planning on arriving at the opening time at 10 am, but we were running a bit late, trying to pack up things to keep us cool at the park. We figured we had all day at the park and didn’t anticipate staying there more than 3-4 hours, so we weren’t in a huge rush.

Perhaps we would have beaten some of the Texas summer heat if we went a bit earlier. We ended up arriving at the park around 11:30 pm.

What To Pack for Universal Kids Resort: Summer Essentials

We live in Texas, so we’re no stranger to the summer heat. We decided to pack:

I would also recommend bringing an umbrella or parasol for each person if you need to stand in line. You will really want to be in the shade.

  • Umbrella or parasol – for each person

Other people with younger kids brought their strollers along with stroller fans and stroller umbrellas.

Some people brought wagons to put their little kids in. The ones that had umbrellas attached to these came really prepared.

Others had neck fans and fans that hung on a string around the neck that pointed up towards their face that looked very handy.

Many kids were running around in bathing suits, as there are many water spray areas around the park, including a splash pad and the Minion water ride. Be sure to have your kids bring shirts and shorts, as these are required when going on rides.

  • Bathing suit
  • Swim hat
  • Change of clothes

Arriving at Universal Kids Resort

We finally arrived at Universal Kids Resort a little before noon.

My son marveled at all the colors of the resort building as we were driving in. He was so excited to see the colorful hotel building even though we weren’t really going there.

Universal Kids Resort Parking at a Glance

  • Standard Parking Cost: Parking is $20 + tax (cash not accepted). The NTTA TollTag will soon be accepted for parking.

  • Premium Parking Cost: $30 + tax (if available)

  • Drop-Off/Rideshare Zone: A designated pickup/drop-off lane is available for Uber/Lyft or rideshare pick-up and drop-off.

  • EV Charging Stations: Not available at the resort

  • Valet Parking: Not available

Upon entering the park, you’ll be directed to the parking booth and the parking lot. You will have to pre-pay for parking, which is $20 + tax.

Parking is charged to hotel guests too.

If you live in Dallas, the Dallas toll pass will soon be accepted as a method of payment.

After paying, we were directed by lots of parking attendants to fill up the parking spots in order. Even though we arrived later than the opening time we had originally planned, we thought everything was good because the parking lot only looked about 1/3 full.

Buying Tickets at the Ticketing Booth

Gate Ticket Window Realities

  • Availability: Yes, physical ticket booths are open at the front entrance, but during peak days, tickets can sell out.

  • Wait Times: Ticket booth lines can add additional delay to your day. Buy tickets online to skip the line.

We walked to the ticketing booth area where we saw a line. Not too long. We went to check the ticket prices listed, and it said $74.99.

I thought it confirmed that we could possibly get cheaper tickets online, but it turns out that tickets are different prices depending on the day.

My husband went online to purchase the tickets, and he suddenly told me that tickets were sold out online.

Huh?

Then, I overheard a conversation from someone who was at the front of the line and left the ticketing counter, saying that there were no more tickets.

What?

A few others heard, and confusion set in. How do tickets get sold out at noon? The parking lot is still more than half empty.

Then, someone who worked at the park came out and made an announcement. Tickets were indeed sold out for the day. Annual passes also didn’t work because it was a blackout day.

Someone asked… “If I get a hotel room, can we get tickets into the park?” She answered, “Yes.”

Word spread, and people were left bewildered. It looked like some people had driven from far away to come here.

We were all told to come back tomorrow. There were no more tickets.

So, we contemplated coming back tomorrow. But we already had plans for Sunday and realized today was the only day we had to celebrate his birthday at the park.

Thankfully, we were in a position to be able to consider the hotel stay, so we decided last minute to make lemonade out of lemons. We were going to have fun that day!

The ticketing line cleared out fast, and many people returned to their cars. I felt so bad for them. What if this was their only day to come here? What if they came far and just drove in thinking they could go to the park, and now they had to give it up?

This was a mistake by Universal Kids for sure. At the very least, there should be some sort of compensation for turning people away without warning… perhaps a coupon for another day at least? People should also have been notified before paying for parking. I’m sure they were refunded for their parking, but what a hassle.

That’s why I’m here to let you know. Please buy your tickets online in advance. This will guarantee you will be able to enter the park as planned.

Universal Kids Resort Hotel Check-In

Perks of Staying at the Universal Kids Resort Hotel

  • Early Park Admission: Enter the park 1 hour before it is open to the public, which means shorter lines for rides.

  • Dedicated Park Entrance: Hotel guests can use a separate dedicated entrance to the park (with purchased theme park tickets).

  • Shopping Privileges: You can charge purchases directly to your room and have items purchased delivered directly to the hotel, free of charge.

Ok, so now that hope was restored, we headed into the lobby of the Universal Kids Resort. There were only a few people in front of us in line.

The kids loved the colorful interior. The little fluffy balls on the couches seemed to be every kid’s favorite thing to entertain them while they waited.

I wish I could say checking into the hotel room was seamless, but we were met with surprises there too. The room that we found online (the least expensive room) was not available, even though it was available online. So, we were offered the Deluxe room at a price slightly more than we were anticipating, around $360 + tax.

We took it. It was a special day for us, and I was determined to have the best day possible.

Now that we were checked in, we decided to visit the room. My son was SOOOOO excited. He exclaimed, “I was so excited to come to Universal Kids, and now that we have a room too, it’s even better! This is the best day of my life!”

You know, those words can melt any parent’s heart. All these last-minute changes were worth it, and shelling out way more than we expected, too. At least I have all these photos and video memories to remember his day!

Tip: Benefit To Staying at the Resort

If you stay at the hotel, you are able to enter the park 1 hour earlier than the public entrance, so target those long-line rides first! You can enter at 9 am while the park opens at 10 am for everyone else.

Inside the Universal Kids Resort – Deluxe Room

Our kids were very excited about staying at the resort and were so happy about the bunk bed. Our son was happy to share a room with us to celebrate his birthday, and my daughter was very happy to have a full-sized bed in the bottom bunk to herself.

I will be creating a video of the room tour to show you what it was like. I will link it here when it is ready.

Or subscribe to our YouTube channel to see when it pops up.

Entering the Universal Kids Theme Park

After relaxing and cooling down for a few minutes in the room and planning which areas we wanted to go to, we finally headed into the park.

Since it’s located right next to the resort, it was a quick walk out the door to the entrance.

But first, we had to go get our tickets at the ticket counter. We had to show our receipt plus our room key to be able to purchase tickets. Tickets cost more on weekends, so we paid $74.99/ticket.

You can buy tickets here.

The sold-out sign was a sad sight to see, but we were so thankful that we were still able to get tickets with a hotel room.

Universal Kids Resort Security: Bag Rules & Outside Food Policies

Security & Bag Check Rules

  • Allowed Items: Reusable water bottles, small snacks for toddlers, baby food, standard-size strollers and wagons.

  • Items Not Allowed: Large coolers with hard sides, loose ice, glass containers, and large pre-prepared family meals.

  • The Process: All bags go through electronic screening in bins.

You go through security and place your items in bins (like at the airport) to get screened to get in. That’s a nice safety precaution since there are a lot of kids here. Our water bottles were allowed.

Once we gave our tickets, the admissions staff took photos of each one of us as we entered. I think it was for those staying at the resort so that they would know who could re-enter.

I thought it was strange, but perhaps it was due to security as well. I know that some other theme parks do this just in case kids get lost; they can use the photo to search for the child in the park. We did see a lost child later in the day, and security and staff were tending to the child at one of the gift shops.

Inside the Universal Kids Theme Park

I was honestly preparing for an underwhelming experience because of all the YouTube videos I watched about the park from the influencers and media that were invited before the opening of the park. But as I walked in, everything reminded me of a normal theme park, and it was located so close to home for us! How convenient!

We recently went to Universal Studios Theme Park in Orlando, Florida, earlier this year so that my son could visit the Jurassic Park area. He enjoyed it, and I wondered how he would react to the Universal Kids theme park, so I asked him what he thought of the park.

Turns out, he had already set his own expectations and told me it was a smaller park because it was designed for kids. He was super happy and enjoyed seeing the gift shop with the dinosaur toys.

Eating Lunch at Universal Kids

Since it was past lunchtime, our first stop was the Jurassic World Canteen. It was somewhat of a respite from the heat, but since it was crowded in there, it was a bit stuffy inside.

We ordered food and hoped a table would open up for us.

It took a while to find a table, and then some more time before our food finally arrived.

It was here I realized that perhaps the limited number of tickets to the park was to limit the wait times for those already in the park. Or perhaps they reached some sort of quota. Who knows.

It was about 45 minutes before our food arrived. My son was famished, so I was relieved when the food finally came. I was about ready to have my husband go buy something from a food cart when the food came.

The food was good and expected for a theme park. We laughed about my daughter’s mac and cheese meal, which came in a rectangular shape. My kids were happy with their meals, but they especially enjoyed the grilled beef skewers in my meal, the Carnivore Beef Bowl. My husband ordered the Campfire Chicken Bowl.

Now that we were fueled up, we were ready to explore the rest of the park.

First, we found a little dinosaur-themed playground.

Then, there was an area where kids could walk through a roped area.

I found some shade while my son explored.

Pteranodrop Ride

My daughter wanted to go on this ride that goes up and down. The little kids looked scared on this ride and were holding onto their parents. My son didn’t want to go, so we waited in the shade as my daughter and husband went on.

Minion Bello Bay Cruise

This ride seems to be the main attraction at Universal Kids. It’s located in the center of the park, and we waited an hour to get on this ride. The first half of the wait was pretty miserable in the heat.

We didn’t have any shade except for our hats, and honestly almost gave up halfway through, but we could finally see that we were only 2 rows away from getting on the ride, so we stuck it out, and I’m glad we did.

The cruise boats were not packed. Maybe they were trying to keep families together and had to leave many of the boats not completely full. In our boat, we had our family and two other people. Children have to sit in the middle seat. There are 3 sections of 3 seats.

Be prepared to get wet on this ride!

After such a long wait, cooling off by getting wet was pretty refreshing… and funny. We were soaked! It was like a bucket of water was dumped on a couple of us.

We looked back and found the people who were spraying us!

Once you get off, there is an area where you can direct water onto upcoming boats that will pass! It’s pretty funny.

Baby Raptor Meet & Greet

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to have my son meet the baby raptor. This was the thing he wanted to do the most, but was too shy to go up at first. We had to nudge him a bit, and finally I was able to get this photo:

This was his birthday wish checked!

Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster

My son is not into roller coasters, so he did not go on the Cretaceous Coaster, but my teen daughter and husband did. They had fun, but said it was scary for a lot of kids on the ride because not only did it go forward very quickly, it rattled from side to side a bit as the ride went on. Some kids were crying, but it wasn’t scary for them.

I’d reserve this ride for the older kids unless your young kids truly do love roller coasters.

The best part of this ride was that it was only a 10-minute wait, probably because little kids can’t ride.

Minion Mac and Cheese on a Cone

My daughter saw this mac and cheese on a cone in a TikTok video and asked if we could try it, so before leaving, we found it. The minion is a little hash brown cutout. How cute.

The kids enjoyed it and said it was good. If you like mac and cheese, it’s a fun, creative food to try.

Trolls Makeup Area

My daughter commented that if she had been younger, she would have liked to try the Trolls makeup. The makeup area is inside the Universal Kids Resort Store, if you are wondering where to find it.

The entrance was through the Gabby’s Dollhouse door.

Birthday Badge

We didn’t figure this out until the end of the day, but if it is your child’s birthday, you can get a birthday button with their name on it at Guest Services.

We were able to get it before we left the park and thought it would just be a nice souvenir, but it was a way for the employees of the park to call my son out by name and wish him a happy birthday!

He had several people wishing him a happy birthday as we left the park, which made him so happy. What a nice, thoughtful way to make a kid feel special.

Once back at the resort, we decided to eat at the restaurant (the braised beef was really good), and the employees there also wished him a happy birthday and even offered him a birthday dessert. He chose the s’mores cookie and kept commenting on how good it was. I’d say that was a great way to end the day!

I really appreciated how his birthday was recognized this way.

After eating, we drove back home, packed some overnight clothes and toiletries, and came back to the resort to spend some time in the resort pool before calling it a night.

Universal Kids Resort Pool

The pool was fairly crowded — it seems everyone had the same idea after the park closed. The water was very cool, which I would have appreciated much more during the middle of the day.

This photo below was taken in the middle of the day.

If you decide to stay at the resort, consider taking a swim break in the middle of the day to cool off. It will be less crowded or even empty (as we saw it) during the day because everyone is at the park.

Tips To Stay Cool in the Summer Heat at Universal Kids Resort

We thought the stores and restaurants would be cool inside, but with as many times the doors open and close, the air conditioning seeps out and wasn’t as cool as we’d hoped.

  • The coolest place I found in the park was the women’s bathroom. It was so nice and empty, cool and refreshing when we went in there. I’m sure the men’s bathroom was also air-conditioned. If you need to cool down, check the bathrooms.
  • You can get free water and ice in the restaurants at the drink dispensers. Bring a thermos and fill up on ice.
  • You can also purchase a refillable cup, where you can get refillable drinks at the same dispensers.

  • There are spray areas to walk through. Spend a few minutes each time you see one to cool down.
  • Bring a parasol or umbrella to create your own shade.

The Final Verdict: Is Universal Kids Worth It For Your Family?

Universal Kids Resort Final Scorecard

  • Who It Is For: Families with children aged 3 – 8, or even slightly older, who love Jurassic World, Trolls, Minions, SpongeBob, or Shrek.

  • Who Should Skip It: Families with older kids who are looking specifically for high-thrill roller coasters.

  • The Cost vs. Value: At $54.99 – $74.99 for most days, the price is much lower than major Florida or California theme parks with shorter lines, making it an easier trip for younger kids. If you live within driving distance, you can also skip the flights, making it a less expensive trip than other theme parks.

While in Dallas, you can make a trip out of the DFW area, which has many other things to do with kids.

Overall, we had a fun time. We didn’t experience the whole park since my son was really fixated on the Jurassic section, but even with that alone, we had a great time.

Whether this park is worth it will depend on your own family’s needs and interests.

We spent roughly 5 hours at the park and enjoyed experiencing a theme park so close to home. We are not theme park connoisseurs as other reviewers seem to be. We are just a family that likes to create happy memories.

We don’t go on every ride. We go to enjoy some food, go on a few rides and attractions our kids are interested in, and shop at the gift shops for some souvenirs.

I love taking photos and videos to remember the day after it’s long gone, and that’s what I’m sharing with you!

Even with the summer Texas heat, we still had fun. We survived the heat by heading indoors as often as we could. If you can go on a day that is not nearing 100 degrees F, you’ll thank yourself.

Thank you to Universal Kids for a fun day for my son’s birthday. I appreciate all the time, planning, funding required, and all the construction it took in the Texas heat to create a theme park in the Dallas area. And I’m grateful that it opened in time for my kids to be able to enjoy it!

Despite all the hiccups at the beginning trying to get tickets to enter the park, he still exclaimed it was his best day ever! And as a parent hearing that, I feel like it was a very successful day.

If you’re planning a trip to Universal Kids Resort, you can buy tickets online to guarantee your tickets.

If you’re interested in staying at the Universal Kids Resort, you can book your hotel here.

Book Universal Kids Resort HOTEL

Universal Kids Resort Hotel

Check Prices on: Expedia | Hotels.com

If you decide to stay overnight and want to visit other things to do in the area, you can check out my other posts about:

If you need a relaxing day after a theme park outing, you may 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!

If you’d like to support this blog, you can support us here so I can bring you more reviews like this about family travel destinations.

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Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy your trip to Universal Kids Resort!

Christine is passionate about traveling the world, exploring new places, and building memories with family. She has been traveling the world with her family for the past 14 years and believes life is too short to constantly put bucket lists dreams off for later. Christine loves to inspire families to travel more by sharing her family adventures around the world.

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