Universal Kids Resort Review: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go
Written By: Travel Advisor, Jodi Chiz
Just 10 days after it's official opening, my 6-year-old daughter and I took on what can only be described as the ultimate “turn and burn” adventure. We flew from Charlotte, NC to Dallas-Fort Worth, TX early Saturday morning, spent the entire day exploring Universal Kids Resort, and flew home that same night!
It was a whirlwind… but it gave us plenty of time to experience nearly everything the park has to offer. If you’re wondering whether Universal Kids Resort is worth the trip for your family or your clients, here’s my honest review.
First Impressions of the Hotel
Although we weren’t staying overnight, we entered through the Universal Kids Resort hotel to get a feel for it.
The lobby is bright, colorful, and incredibly kid-friendly. We walked past the café, arcade, and the fun rainbow hallway leading toward the hotel access door to the park entrance.
Hotel guests receive early park entry beginning at 9:00 a.m. through a dedicated hotel entrance, although everyone ultimately enters through the same security checkpoint.
Inside Universal Kids Resort
After moving thru security and scanning our tickets, we officially entered the park just after 10:00 a.m.
Immediately inside is Gabby’s Dollhouse. While it’s more of an entrance area than a full land, you’ll find Cakey’s Cupcakes, a gift shop, character greetings, and Gabby’s Dance Party.
From there, we headed left—and honestly, I think it was the perfect choice.
TrollsFest Was the Star of the Day
Without question, TrollsFest was my daughter's favorite area of the park.
We rode both attractions:
Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express
Hair in the Clouds
Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express is the perfect first roller coaster for young children. My daughter is 6½ years old and normally avoids coasters at other theme parks. Here, she not only loved the roller coaster, but asked to ride it again and even put her hands in the air on our last run before we left! HUGE WIN!
The area also includes:
Trollify Me face painting inside Sparkle, Glitter, Shine, Glow
Trolltastic: Concert Countdown stage show
King Trollex Techno Dance Party
Playground
Ice cream
Great character atmosphere
The Techno Dance Party ended up being one of my favorite experiences. It’s held indoors with air conditioning, making it a wonderful escape from the Texas heat.
Splash Pads Aren’t Just Extras—They’re Part of the Experience
This is probably my biggest takeaway.
If you’re visiting Universal Kids Resort during warmer months, expect to get wet.
The park is intentionally designed so that nearly every themed land is followed by a splash pad or water play area. Families naturally rotate between rides, cooling off, drying while walking, then repeating the cycle.
Shrek’s Swamp featured the wettest splash pad (if that's even a thing?), complete with a giant tipping bucket that absolutely drenches everyone underneath.
Each splash pad also has:
Changing stalls
Bathrooms nearby
Body dryers available (for a fee)
My advice?
Pack or wear swimsuits, water shoes, bring towels, and have a complete change of dry clothes.
You’ll thank yourself later.
Jurassic World Adventure Camp
The playground in this area is fantastic and gives kids a chance to climb and burn off energy before jumping back into attractions. It's a huge dinosuar - obviously.
The Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster was another huge hit! This coaster is faster and a bit more aggressive than Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express - but still super kid friendly.
The only attraction I’d probably skip next time is Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin. It had one of the longest waits of our day and is by far the slowest-loading ride in the park, and the spinning wasn’t especially enjoyable for either of us.
Bikini Bottom & Minion Areas
These sections definitely lean into water fun.
We rented a locker before riding Bello Bay Cruise because I was carrying quiet a few electronics in my backpack and wasn't willing to risk soaking any of it on the ride. The locker rental was $5 for 90 minutes.
If you’re only carrying a phone, you may be okay—but backpacks placed at your feet on several rides will definitely get wet.
The Minion splash area and Bikini Bottom splash pad were perfect afternoon cool-down spots before heading back toward the front of the park.
Character Meet & Greets Need Improvement
This was probably our biggest disappointment. Unlike other theme parks, there currently aren’t posted character schedules - or an app.
Every character greeting has a designated location, but when asking Team Members, the answer was almost always: “They’ll be back soon.”
Unfortunately, that makes it difficult to plan your day. We successfully met Gabby, saw Branch from afar, and almost met Shrek and Fiona—but they left just before we reached them. Hopefully, posted schedules or a Univeral Kids Resort app are something Universal adds in the future.
Technology Isn't There YET
As just mentioned - currently there is not an official park app with:
Show times
Character schedules
Wait times
Interactive map
There also weren’t printed maps available—only QR codes.
As someone accustomed to using my phone and mobile app in most other destinations, this made touring feel much less efficient in some ways - but also just being able to wander thru the park was nice in others! I didn't feel attached to my phone which gave me more time for human connection - but the Type A planner in me would've loved a list of showtimes or character greetings to be more accessible.
The photo package also required Team Members to manually enter card numbers and photo IDs each time ride photos were linked. It worked—but definitely felt a little taxing for me and them.
Food
The food was really good! Pricing was exactly what I’d expect from a theme park, but every meal we tried was fresh and enjoyable.
There were options for indoor, air-conditioned dining spaces in some lands, along with outdoor seating in others.
Restaurants stayed consistently busy throughout the day, but tables were cleaned frequently and everything flowed well.
Touring Tips
A few things I’d recommend knowing before you visit:
Rent a locker if you’ll be riding the water attractions
Bring extra clothes for the end of the day!
Wear water-friendly/quick dry but comfortable shoes
Expect to remove backpacks and hats before most rides
Character greetings are still a bit unpredictable - but the park is still new!
Don’t skip the playgrounds, they’re excellent!!
Plan time for splash pads, not just attractions - it's part of the experience!
Who Is This Park Best For?
Universal Kids Resort absolutely shines for families with younger children.
If your kids are preschoolers through early elementary school, they’ll likely have an incredible time.
The roller coasters are approachable without being intimidating, and there’s enough interactive play that the park feels very different from a traditional theme park.
Older thrill seekers may find themselves finishing the rides fairly quickly - but can still have fun with their family for sure.
Is One Day Enough?
Technically? Yes.
But I actually think Universal Kid Resort’s hotel package with a day-and-a-half admission is the sweet spot. You can experience every ride in one day, but the magic of this park isn’t just checking attractions off a list...
It’s slowing down.
Playing.
Running through splash pads.
Climbing playgrounds.
Dancing at shows.
Meeting characters.
That’s what makes this park different.
Final Thoughts
Universal Kids Resort exceeded my expectations.
Is it perfect? Not yet.
The technology needs improvement, character schedules need to be more predictable, and a few attractions could load more efficiently.
But the park succeeds at exactly what it set out to do—it gives young families a place where play is just as important as rides.
Watching my daughter confidently ride roller coasters without hesitation (and ask to do it again), dance with the Trolls, splash through every water play area, and make memories together made the whirlwind trip completely worth it.
Would we go back?
Absolutely.
Next time, though, we’ll stay overnight—and I definitely won’t forget to check out the pool.
If you have questions about Universal Kids Resort or are wondering whether it’s the right fit for your family, I’d love to help! Whether you’re planning a quick getaway or building a larger Texas vacation, feel free to reach out. I’m always happy to share tips from our firsthand experience.