Universal Kids Resort - Frisco, Texas

[UmmYeahOk]

It is funny I was on a cruise when a man from Texas every night ordered a well done steak and A1 sauce and I wanted to gag about it. So clearly not everyone from Texas knows how to eat/make beef.

How sure are you about the man’s authenticity? I mean, even the character Rich Texan from The Simpsons admitted to originally being from Connecticut. I say this because as a 6 generation (at least) Texan, my own mother would always grill her steaks well done, and used A1 sauce. Originally I thought it was my father’s own doing, but he just grilled them to the specification my mom liked them. So when he past away, I was shocked to learn that nothing he cooked changed.

I get my Texas heritage from his side, my mom however was born in WA, with her clan mostly being from OK, which is well known for keeping TX out the water (because it sucks). That’s why I mentioned “out of state parents.” Because as a child, I didn’t like BBQ, as hard as that can be for someone growing up in Texas. Most of Frisco and the surrounding cities are inhabited by these people, a great deal from CA even! Very few people around there born in the 20th century were actually born in Texas, let alone from the DFW area. That’s probably why they won’t care at all about how offensive SpongeBob is, and how culturally insensitive that Sandy character is. I was shocked that Universal licensed this IP, I mean, both SpongeBob AND Patrick say some pretty hurtful things. But it’ll bring in the adults, who cluelessly don’t care, so whatever. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to boycott it.

It is funny I serve Pulled Pork and/or Brisket at every party at my house and all the kids love and eat it. One mother was shocked her kids ate it but they ate it and loved it. I sent some home with her because she said her husband would never believe her. So if it is good BBQ kids will eat pulled pork. That is my go to food since I have a smoker, my own recipe, and it is CHEAP when feeding a lot of people. I actually never understood BBQ sauce on Brisket until I eat it out and realize how bad most places cook Brisket. I don't understand why people say it is hard to cook, I have never had issues cooking it. But I do agree theme park Brisket is normally not great. I will eat my pulled pork plain, but I also make homemade BBQ sauce with a kick so I will use that too. Never ever put store bought on though. But I hate pulled pork at most restaurants and you are correct you need BBQ to make it edible.

Brisket IS hard to cook. Using a smoker is the correct way, the problem is that it has to spend hours cooking. That’s why it’s so bad at most places. The cheat is to smoke it outside for a few hours, and then pop it in the oven so you can at least control it better.

The absolute worst cheat is plopping it in a slow cooker. That’s what my mom does. It’s better than any she grills, so we don’t complain. We just forgive her.

However, I think they absolutely will try a BBQ place and if it fails then will change it. Dollywood has BBQ and they have some fantastic local BBQ places there.

Have you ever eaten at Dickey’s Barbecue? It’s a Dallas based fast food chain with a lot of different locations nationwide. This is what I’d imagine BBQ at a theme park to be like. Not terrible, but not great. Pretty much this will be for tourists, not locals. Locals will already have their own favorite establishment, so if that’s what they truly want to eat, they’ll just go there.

BREAKING: Theme parks are not purveyors of fine dining and perfecting selected cuisines, rather they prefer profit. More at 11.

But seriously, no matter where a park is located they are not worried about making sure their food is the best or close to the best in relation to where they are located. They want easy, quick, and profitable.

Not true at all. I have been to several parks that strive to put their best foot forth when it comes to their food. That's all I will say on that as to not derail the thread, but more parks take pride in their food offerings and look to offer the best than you think.

You forget though, this is a regional park meant for kids and their families. They aren’t after the trendy childless foodies who need to try everything fancy the day it comes out to post up on their Instagram wall. You may get a seasonal cupcake, churro, or cookie, you know, things kids would like, but that’s probably it. Rainforest Café already has a DFW location. Having worked my first job there, I can tell you that “there can be only one!”

 

[jarmor]

You forget though, this is a regional park meant for kids and their families. They aren’t after the trendy childless foodies who need to try everything fancy the day it comes out to post up on their Instagram wall. You may get a seasonal cupcake, churro, or cookie, you know, things kids would like, but that’s probably it. Rainforest Café already has a DFW location. Having worked my first job there, I can tell you that “there can be only one!”

But. . . my response wasn't directed at this park Soley, or this park at all. . .

 

[UmmYeahOk]

But. . . my response wasn't directed at this park Soley, or this park at all. . .

Yeah, but being that this entire thread is about this specific kid park, I found it important to remind people about that, especially since I’m just as guilty of talking about high quality food. I could see such places at various other theme parks, but my own personal speculation is that “who cares what adults think?” It would be nice to give them a reason to come, I mean they’re competition is Legoland and Peppa Pig, and even if you have children that age, some parents don’t want to spend their entire day just to entertain one kid.

That’s what made Disney so special. It didn’t matter how old you were. There was something for everyone. And maybe that will become the final result. If they see their experiment become a failure, they may try catering to that older audience that’s already there, but sitting on a park bench bored.

 

[IzzyB]

How sure are you about the man’s authenticity? I mean, even the character Rich Texan from The Simpsons admitted to originally being from Connecticut. I say this because as a 6 generation (at least) Texan, my own mother would always grill her steaks well done, and used A1 sauce. Originally I thought it was my father’s own doing, but he just grilled them to the specification my mom liked them. So when he past away, I was shocked to learn that nothing he cooked changed.

I get my Texas heritage from his side, my mom however was born in WA, with her clan mostly being from OK, which is well known for keeping TX out the water (because it sucks). That’s why I mentioned “out of state parents.” Because as a child, I didn’t like BBQ, as hard as that can be for someone growing up in Texas. Most of Frisco and the surrounding cities are inhabited by these people, a great deal from CA even! Very few people around there born in the 20th century were actually born in Texas, let alone from the DFW area. That’s probably why they won’t care at all about how offensive SpongeBob is, and how culturally insensitive that Sandy character is. I was shocked that Universal licensed this IP, I mean, both SpongeBob AND Patrick say some pretty hurtful things. But it’ll bring in the adults, who cluelessly don’t care, so whatever. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to boycott it.



Brisket IS hard to cook. Using a smoker is the correct way, the problem is that it has to spend hours cooking. That’s why it’s so bad at most places. The cheat is to smoke it outside for a few hours, and then pop it in the oven so you can at least control it better.

The absolute worst cheat is plopping it in a slow cooker. That’s what my mom does. It’s better than any she grills, so we don’t complain. We just forgive her.



Have you ever eaten at Dickey’s Barbecue? It’s a Dallas based fast food chain with a lot of different locations nationwide. This is what I’d imagine BBQ at a theme park to be like. Not terrible, but not great. Pretty much this will be for tourists, not locals. Locals will already have their own favorite establishment, so if that’s what they truly want to eat, they’ll just go there.




You forget though, this is a regional park meant for kids and their families. They aren’t after the trendy childless foodies who need to try everything fancy the day it comes out to post up on their Instagram wall. You may get a seasonal cupcake, churro, or cookie, you know, things kids would like, but that’s probably it. Rainforest Café already has a DFW location. Having worked my first job there, I can tell you that “there can be only one!”

I am confused. In one breath you say that it is a crime to cook it wrong and BBQ would be a mistake, but then you say most of the people don't really care because they were not born in the state. Also, I seriously could not marry someone that made me overcook meat. When I met my husband he did them medium and I quickly got him to medium rare lol. As for the cruise, I honestly don't know, he had an accent and seemed to be a pretty proud Texan.

I have a Treager smoking for 12 hours isn't an issue for me. I also have gotten tips from a Texan.

I have not eaten at Dickey's, I avoid most chain BBQ places. I am super picky. Hole in the wall places are more my style. I tend to avoid BBQ at theme parks too. I will eat it here and there, but prefer other things since I know I won't like it.

Yeah, but being that this entire thread is about this specific kid park, I found it important to remind people about that, especially since I’m just as guilty of talking about high quality food. I could see such places at various other theme parks, but my own personal speculation is that “who cares what adults think?” It would be nice to give them a reason to come, I mean they’re competition is Legoland and Peppa Pig, and even if you have children that age, some parents don’t want to spend their entire day just to entertain one kid.

That’s what made Disney so special. It didn’t matter how old you were. There was something for everyone. And maybe that will become the final result. If they see their experiment become a failure, they may try catering to that older audience that’s already there, but sitting on a park bench bored.

Legoland in Florida actually had really good food. My kids and us adults all really liked the options and the food. We kept saying how good it was for theme park food. The Pirate restaurant at the hotel had lots of options for adults and kids. Seafood, steak, but also mac and cheese. The breakfast had a ton of variety and was included in our stay. And when I say variety I mean hot and cold, they even had these fancy skillet things you could have. The quick service burger was one of the better burgers at a theme park I have had. The food was a highlight for my husband and I as normally theme park food is Meh for us. This wasn't 5 star by any means but was at the top of our list for theme park food. So you can very much have a kid park with good food for all.

 

[mccgavin]

That’s probably why they won’t care at all about how offensive SpongeBob is, and how culturally insensitive that Sandy character is. I was shocked that Universal licensed this IP, I mean, both SpongeBob AND Patrick say some pretty hurtful things. But it’ll bring in the adults, who cluelessly don’t care, so whatever. I mean, it’s not like I’m going to boycott it.

I don't understand what you're saying at all here. SpongeBob is among the safest and universally loved IPs in existence with the general public. The show was known for having a bit of adult humor in the early seasons, but it's absolutely nothing compared to some of the stuff in the Shrek franchise, which Universal has heavily featured for decades.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I am confused. In one breath you say that it is a crime to cook it wrong and BBQ would be a mistake,

I am referencing a very well publicized court case where Oprah was sued for defaming beef.

The actual law is this one:

CIVIL PRACTICE AND REMEDIES CODE CHAPTER 96. FALSE DISPARAGEMENT OF PERISHABLE FOOD PRODUCTS

In a way, growing up with my mom’s steak and burgers, I hated beef. Like, legitimately did not like it. So, in by purposely preparing it badly, she was not only defaming the beef industry, but causing me not to want to order it anywhere. Since the beef industry is huge in this state, the loss of sales into adulthood potentially affected the industry’s livelihood. That’s why the law is there.

Around that same tine, there was a great fear of e-coli and other such disease (with Oprah, it was Mad Cow) since she had such a great marketing pull, if she didn’t want to eat it out of fear of a nonexistent disease, the ranchers potentially lost millions. Corporations responded by overcooking everything, so if you liked beef before, you weren’t going to afterward.

but then you say most of the people don't really care because they were not born in the state.

Because they don’t. They literally complained about a local smokehouse being too smelly. That location in particular is a family owned chain, so I know how amazing it smells, and wouldn’t mind at all if they were my neighbor.

They do that, and then wait in a several hour long line for an In N Out chain, which tastes IDENTICAL to Whataburger, only they cry when they eat it. Food lines is something they had in Soviet Russia, not here.

Also, I seriously could not marry someone that made me overcook meat. When I met my husband he did them medium and I quickly got him to medium rare lol.

It was the early 70s. People did stupid things back then, like die in a pointless war against their will.

As for overcooking meat. One of the last things my father ever said to me was “Did you not like the chicken?” That was 19 years ago, and we (not my mom) still refer to that meal as “chicken that would kill people!”

I have a Treager smoking for 12 hours isn't an issue for me. I also have gotten tips from a Texan.

Not an issue if you start it in the morning preparing it for dinner. 12 hours would be 7am to 7pm, and you also have to constantly monitor it. We have a Charboil “big green egg/kamato knockoff”

Legoland in Florida actually had really good food. My kids and us adults all really liked the options and the food. We kept saying how good it was for theme park food. The Pirate restaurant at the hotel had lots of options for adults and kids. Seafood, steak, but also mac and cheese. The breakfast had a ton of variety and was included in our stay. And when I say variety I mean hot and cold, they even had these fancy skillet things you could have. The quick service burger was one of the better burgers at a theme park I have had. The food was a highlight for my husband and I as normally theme park food is Meh for us. This wasn't 5 star by any means but was at the top of our list for theme park food. So you can very much have a kid park with good food for all.

I’ve only been to Legoland California (if you don’t count discovery centers). I didn’t like anything there. I had an amazing meal for dinner at the hotel, but it had odd hours, so it wasn’t open the other two times we went. The hotel buffet was alright, but being CA, we were constantly being reminded that anything at that restaurant, including the food, was known to the state as potentially causing cancer and birth defects.

I don't understand what you're saying at all here. SpongeBob is among the safest and universally loved IPs in existence with the general public. The show was known for having a bit of adult humor in the early seasons, but it's absolutely nothing compared to some of the stuff in the Shrek franchise, which Universal has heavily featured for decades.

I am talking about Season 1 Episode 18 titled “Texas.” In the episode both SpongeBob and Patric say that Texas is dumb and people from Texas are dumb. It gets worse when SpongeBob shapes himself into the Texas and says “Look, Patrick, I'm Texas! Duh, howdy, y'all! Howdy y'all!” Then Patrick says “I'm Texas, too. Git a dog, little longie! Git a dog!” They were doing it to tease Sandy, whom I feel is the most offensive stereotype of them all. But who care, right? Just me. This show was a hit nationwide, including here, and I could never figure out why. Every time I asked why someone liked it, they told me because “it was stupid.” I would ask if they had ever seen Ren & Stimpy, a show that was stupid and also on Nick. They never saw it!!!

Anyway, with modern day cultural sensitivity and wokeness, I’m surprised Universal didn’t even consider this, after all, he’s loved so much at their FL park.

 

[Jake S]

folks, flattening a large geographic area into basic, rote stereotypes is not a great way to understand the cultures of the people that live there. there's a lot of texas in the state of texas, and that includes a variety of barbecue cultures. I wouldn't be shocked if this park has a barbecue joint, but I also don't think most guests would lose any sleep if it didn't.

 

[IzzyB]

I am referencing a very well publicized court case where Oprah was sued for defaming beef.


Because they don’t. They literally complained about a local smokehouse being too smelly. That location in particular is a family owned chain, so I know how amazing it smells, and wouldn’t mind at all if they were my neighbor.

They do that, and then wait in a several hour long line for an In N Out chain, which tastes IDENTICAL to Whataburger, only they cry when they eat it. Food lines is something they had in Soviet Russia, not here.



It was the early 70s. People did stupid things back then, like die in a pointless war against their will.

As for overcooking meat. One of the last things my father ever said to me was “Did you not like the chicken?” That was 19 years ago, and we (not my mom) still refer to that meal as “chicken that would kill people!”



Not an issue if you start it in the morning preparing it for dinner. 12 hours would be 7am to 7pm, and you also have to constantly monitor it. We have a Charboil “big green egg/kamato knockoff”

I think you missed my point by saying in one breath and then another. I am saying if some don't care, then what is the harm of having a BBQ place. The ones that do care will go elsewhere and the ones that don't will eat there. Not a huge deal.

Also, I cook it overnight.

folks, flattening a large geographic area into basic, rote stereotypes is not a great way to understand the cultures of the people that live there. there's a lot of texas in the state of texas, and that includes a variety of barbecue cultures. I wouldn't be shocked if this park has a barbecue joint, but I also don't think most guests would lose any sleep if it didn't.

That was kind of my point. I have met a ton of people from Texas and visited there also and I would say they are all unique and to say they would never like this or never want this baffles me. Yes, I know some Texans that take their BBQ very seriously which I love since they also cook amazing BBQ. But I also have met some that absolutely don't care. And then met people in the middle. Just like any region there is a variety of people. Hence why Dollywood can also do BBQ when it isn't the best BBQ and they have amazing places in Tennessee too. They also do homestyle southern food again not the best and they have amazing homestile southern food all over that area that is way better than Dollywood.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I wonder what that dirt pushing is looking like. . .

Can we collectively figure out a way to summon a Texan Bioreconstruct? Cloning devices, time travel, witchcraft, black magic, crowdfunding, any other kind of general wizardry, I'm open to ideas here!

Here’s one that so far seems to do them monthly. No February yet, but they probably will.

They finally posted this months yesterday:



There seems to be temporary buildings in the “future expansion” area. But this is also where the park guest entrance will one day wrap around.

 

[Crypt Keeper]

 

[GAcoaster]

Looks like shipments from Zierer on their way:

News - Project 2026 (?): Universal Kids Resort Coming to Frisco, Texas

https://universalkidsresort.com/landing/en/us/universal-kids-resort Universal Kids Resort has officially been named! And alongside that--new artwork has officially been released, particularly featuring a familiar pineapple under the sea that has yet to be announced of it's debut to a Universal...

parkfans.net

 

[UmmYeahOk]

Looks like they got an upgrade.



I’ve included a site plan to help interpret. No vertical construction yet, but you can see where the internal roads will be going, as well as future staff buildings.



Yes, I stole this screen capture off Theme Park Stop’s video. I hope they don’t mind. Perhaps the great Alicia could provide us with the collincad.org link, or teach us how to find it so we can have better resolution for zooming in. All I could get off that site was tax documents.

 

[jarmor]

I am curious as to why much info is not coming out like with Epic? Is it because it is such a low level project that there isn't really anything to discuss that we haven't seen in the other parks or are they really being tight lipped about this project?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I am curious as to why much info is not coming out like with Epic? Is it because it is such a low level project that there isn't really anything to discuss that we haven't seen in the other parks or are they really being tight lipped about this project?

Universal has become better at plugging leaks, so no surprise there. After all, this project was a major surprise for lots of us and the industry.

 

[UmmYeahOk]

I am curious as to why much info is not coming out like with Epic? Is it because it is such a low level project that there isn't really anything to discuss that we haven't seen in the other parks or are they really being tight lipped about this project?

Probably has to do more with permits. The shared image is the most up to date info we have, and doesn’t go into depth at all about the hotel or the park. They’re treating this as phases. Get the approved stuff built first, then close to final inspection time, request new permits for the hotel, the park, and so on. Once those are public, we will know more.

I think with Epic, the first year, not a lot was known other than lands (like we have with UKR). Just a bunch of dirt digging, and excitement when paved parking finally occurred. Probably also, because now there was a place to stage building components, such as rides.

It’s just really a slow start, and the 10 months of delay between the announcement and actual breaking ground didn’t help much. We are already almost a year and five months in, and they haven’t even gone vertical yet. Not even pavement, other than a gravel base. This is supposed to be complete sometime in 2026. That’s only two years away. They surprised us with a completely different park concept, so which rides were already ordered and being built? Any? Or did they not start developing the rides until sometime around last December’s announcement?

 

[Disneyhead]

Probably has to do more with permits. The shared image is the most up to date info we have, and doesn’t go into depth at all about the hotel or the park. They’re treating this as phases. Get the approved stuff built first, then close to final inspection time, request new permits for the hotel, the park, and so on. Once those are public, we will know more.

I think with Epic, the first year, not a lot was known other than lands (like we have with UKR). Just a bunch of dirt digging, and excitement when paved parking finally occurred. Probably also, because now there was a place to stage building components, such as rides.

It’s just really a slow start, and the 10 months of delay between the announcement and actual breaking ground didn’t help much. We are already almost a year and five months in, and they haven’t even gone vertical yet. Not even pavement, other than a gravel base. This is supposed to be complete sometime in 2026. That’s only two years away. They surprised us with a completely different park concept, so which rides were already ordered and being built? Any? Or did they not start developing the rides until sometime around last December’s announcement?

We are in the dirt moving phase. Next comes utilities, then foundations. Then things move fast.

 

[Thorin Groth]

We’ve been spoiled with how quickly Epic has been going up. Any idea when this is supposed to open and what it’s even supposed to have? Is mid-2027 too far off?

 

[Jerroddragon]

I thought 2026 was the targeted date.....remember this park doesn't have one single E ticket

 

[UmmYeahOk]

We’ve been spoiled with how quickly Epic has been going up. Any idea when this is supposed to open and what it’s even supposed to have? Is mid-2027 too far off?

“A filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation shows further work on the Universal Kids Resort between Preston Road and U.S. Highway 380 could begin as soon as July. The delivery of this work — not the completion and opening of the project itself — is listed for May 2026.

The original agreement with Frisco for financial incentives requires the project to open by June 2026.”

Work on Frisco’s Universal Kids Resort set to ramp up this summer

Universal Kids Resort continues to move forward in Frisco. Here are some new details on the project cost, scale and timeline.

www.dallasnews.com

The targeted date of completion is May 15 2026, so we’ll see.

TDLR TABS - Project Details

www.tdlr.texas.gov

 

[Jerroddragon]

I hope it can open in May...my god the weather in June gets soooo hot haha