Universal Kids Resort Opens July 1 in Frisco, Drawing North Texas Families Down I-75

Universal Destinations and Experiences will open Universal Kids Resort in Frisco on July 1, 2026, the company announced May 28. The 97-acre park at the Dallas Parkway and Panther Creek Parkway is the sixth Universal resort worldwide and the company's first designed specifically for families with children ages 3 to 11. For Grayson County residents, the park sits roughly an hour south on Interstate 75, putting it within easy day-trip range of Sherman, Howe, Denison, and Van Alstyne.

Tickets and the park

Single-day general admission begins at $54.99 on lower-demand weekdays and runs up to $79.99 over Labor Day Weekend (Rosenbaum and Candido, 2026). Two-day tickets start at $73.99, and the new Silver Annual Pass is priced at $129.99, or $164.99 with parking included (The Disney Food Blog, 2026). Children age 2 and under enter free.

The resort includes a 300-room hotel at the park entrance and seven themed lands built around DreamWorks, Illumination, Nickelodeon, and Universal properties, including Shrek's Swamp, Jurassic World Adventure Camp, SpongeBob SquarePants' Bikini Bottom, and a land themed to Gabby's Dollhouse (Universal Destinations and Experiences, 2026).

The economic case

The opening activates a development agreement Frisco approved in March 2023. Universal committed to a minimum $550 million capital investment in exchange for $12.7 million in performance-based incentives, all drawn from sales tax the project generates (City of Frisco, 2023). City staff projected $3 million annually in direct property and sales tax to the General Fund, or $30 million over ten years, with an indirect economic impact estimated at $1.5 billion over the same period.

Universal projects 175 full-time and 1,400 seasonal or part-time positions at the resort, a workforce of roughly 1,575 jobs concentrated in attractions, hospitality, and food service. "The tourism revenue and increase to our tax base help us maintain a low tax rate which, ultimately, improves quality of life for our residents," Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said when the council approved the agreement (City of Frisco, 2023).

Mixed reception in Frisco

The agreement passed despite organized opposition from nearby Frisco neighborhoods. At a January 2023 public meeting reported by Fox 4 News, residents raised concerns about traffic, property values, and the city's suburban identity. "We feel it is precisely that quality of life that's in danger if we start bringing in theme parks to encroach on what is essentially a bedroom community," one resident said (Battah, 2023). Universal subsequently agreed to scale down portions of the original design.

For North Texas families farther up the I-75 corridor, the park adds a major attraction within day-trip range, joining Frisco anchors like The Star, Toyota Stadium, and the PGA of America headquarters.

References

Battah, H. (2023, January 18). Some Frisco residents voice concerns about Universal theme park in their city. Fox 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. https://www.fox4news.com/news/some-frisco-residents-voice-concerns-about-universal-theme-park-in-their-city

City of Frisco. (2023, March 7). Frisco approves zoning for theme park, $12.7M in performance-based financial incentives. https://www.friscotexas.gov/CivicAlerts.asp?AID=1881&ARC=3928

Rosenbaum, S., and Candido, S. (2026, May 28). Universal Kids Resort in Frisco reveals opening date and ticket prices. CBS Texas. https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/universal-kids-resort-in-frisco-announces-july-1-opening/

The Disney Food Blog. (2026, May 28). Ticket prices revealed for new Universal theme park. https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2026/05/28/ticket-prices-revealed-for-new-universal-theme-park-and-theyre-on-sale-now/

Universal Destinations and Experiences. (2026, May 28). Save the playdate! Universal Kids Resort officially opens on July 1, 2026. https://corporate.universaldestinationsandexperiences.com/save-the-playdate-universal-kids-resort-universal-destinations-experiences-first-ever-theme-park-designed-for-families-with-young-children-officially-opens-on-july-1-2026/