Universal Announces New Kid-Friendly Park Concept in Texas

You may read the headline and think you slept through the first part of the year until April Fools’ Day, but you didn’t. Universal Parks & Resorts has announced a new theme park concept coming to Texas. What’s wild is the demographic they’re aiming for – families with young children. Universal Parks & Resorts have basically ignored younger children in their parks with the exception of some playgrounds and small rides, so an entire park dedicated to a younger audience is huge.

The new park concept will be in Frisco, Texas with close proximity to Dallas – Fort Worth. The setting will be a lush green landscape featuring immersive-themed lands celebrating Universal’s iconic brand of entertainment, humor, and innovation. The stories and characters being brought to life in the park will wow even the youngest theme park goers.

Bloomberg reports that Universal has acquired 97 acres of land for the family-focused resort that will include rides, shows, and a hotel. The specific properties it mentioned are Minions and Shrek.

A new park in Texas is a huge step forward for Universal, but it still doesn’t solve the lack of experiences for families with young children at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. Most of Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone is closing at the end of this week and will be replaced by a new area focusing on favorite Universal characters, so there’s a chance this new park includes portions of what is happening at Universal Studios Florida. Universal has never shied away from duplicating lands and attractions at its different parks.

Universal hasn’t shared the projected opening date for the new concept park in Texas, but it truly opens up a new market segment for Comcast and NBCUniversal.