Yes, Universal IS Building a Theme Park In Texas — Here Are The Latest Updates (2024)

Universal, you’ve got a LOT going on — are you sure you didn’t overexert yourself?

Not only is Epic Universe planning to open in Orlando in 2025 AND there’s a year-round horror experience coming to Las Vegas, but that’s not all! Universal also has a park planned for Texas, but we haven’t heard anything about it in a couple of months — let’s look at EVERYTHING we know!

This new park, Universal Kids Resort, sits on 97 acres of land off Dallas North Tollway and Panther Creek Parkway in Frisco, Texas. Construction was set to begin in 2023 and is set to open in 2026.As it stands, it’s expected to be about 1/4 of the size of the Orlando parks.

While some people who live near that area voiced their concern about the new park being a few streets away from residential areas, the park plan was approved anyway. The city of Dallas said the park is expecting to bring in 7,000 guests on a weekday and 14,000 on weekends. This is in comparison to the “28,000 weekday visitors that the high-rise buildings, restaurants, and retail space(s)” bring into the area.

We also know that the park will have rides, shows, a hotel, and character meet and greets that are all geared toward kids and families. It’s meant to be a 1-2 day destination, so no weeklong vacations here! To quote Universal exactly, the park will include “family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows, unique merchandise, fun food and beverage venues and character meet and greets.”

And, Universal has already filed trademark applications for “UNIVERSAL KIDS RESORT” for theme parks, clothing, books, general merchandise, and more. Progress on the park is also creating over 2,500 construction jobs for the area!

The most recent update on this park came in February 2024, when we found out a Dallas-local utility company, Moss Utilities, had been tapped with a contract for the site utilities. These services include storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water, fire lines, duct banks, and emergency services.

These services will provide the first phase of plumbing, sanitation, and emergency basics for the theme park and resort hotel, meaning that this new park is very much still in the early stages of physical development.

So, will this park still open in 2026? It’s hard to say, but right now we’re not ruling it out! We’ve seen how fast and efficient Universal can be when building new parks like Epic Universe, and considering this park is much smaller, we’re thinking it’s still doable. However, it’ll likely be in the latter half of 2026.

Just as a recap, here’s a bit more about what we know this park will include:

• It’ll be a family-focused resort
• It’ll be on 97 acres of land (ultimately it’ll end up being around 1/4 the size of the parks in Orlando)
• You’ll find it in the Dallas suburb ofFrisco, Texas(on the east side of the Dallas North Tollway near Panther Creek Parkway)
• It’ll haverides, shows, and a hotel
• There will also becharacter meet-and-greetstied to films and TV properties likeMinionsandShrek
• It’s meant to be a1-2 day destination

Oh, and did we mention that the resort will include a 300-room, themed hotel for those looking to stay on property? Progress on the park is creating over 2,500 new construction jobs in the region.

The company plans to build this new, experimental “mini-park” on 97 acres of land near Frisco, Texas. Page Thompson, President, New Ventures, Universal Parks & Resorts, said of the location: “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with the city of Frisco and Mayor Cheney as we work to bring this innovative, new concept to life designed specifically for a younger generation of Universal fans. We think North Texas is the perfect place to launch this unique park for families given its growing popularity within this part of the country.”

If you’re planning a trip to this theme park, you might be wondering just how you’ll get there. Luckily, we’ve rounded up the closest airports you might want to consider flying into!

The Dallas area’s main airport, Dallas Fort Worth AKA DFW, is located about 22 miles/30 minutes from the planned location of Universal’s planned park. DFW is the second largest airport in the United States, coming in at 17,207 acres (approximately 27 square miles), and even has its own ZIP Code. The airport services over 260 destinations from 28 airlines, headlined by a massive American Airlines hub.

Beyond DFW, Frisco is also approximately 30 miles from Dallas Love Field. This city-owned public airport has been open since 1917 and is the birthplace, corporate headquarters, and hub of Southwest Airlines. There are several other small and/or private airports in the Dallas metroplex area as well.

Be sure to stay tuned to AllEars for the latest Universal news!

Take a look at the latest Epic Universe construction update!

Are you looking forward to this new theme park? Tell us in the comments!