Universal Parks & Resorts is planning a new kind of theme park in North Texas, specifically designed to inspire fun for families with young children. The new park concept will reportedly have lush green landscape and feature immersive themed lands like in Orlando, Florida and will aim to hold up Universal’s iconic brand of entertainment, humor and innovation. The company said it hopes to bring to life its beloved characters and stories “in ways that will wow even the youngest theme park goers.”
The proposed North Texas family park will be smaller, covering 97 acres of land recently purchased by the company. Just like in Orlando, there are also plans for an adjacent themed hotel and room for expansion. Of course, the Universal park in Texas won’t be a true rival to the flagship parks in Orlando, especially with the new Epic Universe park being constructed.
The proposed Universal Texas park will be designed to be more intimate and engaging for younger audiences and will be sized for a regional audience. It will be full of family-friendly attractions, interactive and playful shows, character meet and greets, unique merchandise and fun food and beverage venues. Although smaller in size, it will still carry the same quality as Universal’s other larger resort destinations.
According to the company, the entire area is intended to have a completely different look, feel, and scale than Universal’s existing theme parks and will appeal to a new audience for the brand.
Universal Parks & Resorts selected the city of Frisco, in North Texas, as the area for this new concept given the city’s growing population and ability to attract businesses to the area. The proposed location for the new concept is ideally situated east of the Dallas North Tollway and north of Panther Creek Parkway, close to the PGA of America headquarters and the multi-billion dollar Fields community development.
“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,” said Page Thompson, President, New Ventures, Universal Parks & Resorts. “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.”
“Frisco is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. and has been recognized as a great place to plant professional roots and raise a family,” said Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney. “This new Universal concept will continue to enhance our tax base, expand employment opportunities and bring even more fun to Frisco benefiting our residents, businesses, and visitors.”
