FRISCO, Texas -- While touring the new Universal Kids Resort here, words from Beci Mahnken, owner of Universal Fan Travel, stuck with me. She said Universal Kids "doesn't need to be compared to existing theme parks to be successful. It's trying to fill a different niche."
That niche is children ages 3 to 8, and Universal has built a welcoming place with little and big touches throughout that make a visit there very easy.
Ahead of its July 1 opening, Universal hosted a media preview of Universal Kids on June 17 and 18. I brought along my wife and daughter, who's almost 5, so she was the perfect tester of the park and adjacent 300-room hotel.
As we checked into the hotel, it became immediately clear that kids were top of mind. Rainbow color schemes dominate the lobby, which is decorated with bright, fun furniture. A rainbow hallway, an Instagrammable feature, leads to the guest elevators, the Curiosity Cafe, the arcade and the door to the pool.
The bright color scheme continues in the hotel's hallways and guestrooms, where bunk beds are a main and fun feature. The rooms have a lot of smart storage throughout, making it easy to tuck a large suitcase into a bureau and wheel in a stroller. Instead of a pen next to the notepad in the room, there was a pack of small colored pencils, a gift that kept on giving whenever there was downtime.
The pool features a sloping entrance on one side and doesn't get deeper than 4 feet, enabling kids to move freely about. For adults, it was just enough to cool off.
Hula hoops in every color of the rainbow placed around the pool area provided a little extra entertainment, as did underwater speakers that kept the music going wherever you were.
The Curiosity Cafe, the Universal Kids Resort Hotel's dining venue. Photo Credit: Jamie Biesiada
The Curiosity Cafe is the hotel's eatery. It features eat-in options for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as to-go options. We were particularly happy with the applesauce pouches and Uncrustables.
There is a full bar off to the side of the cafe where adults can sit and enjoy an alcoholic beverage. Bartenders there were happy to make drinks to go for a nightcap in the room after the kids are tucked in.
The food was far better than I expected, in the hotel and theme park. Its appeal to kids and grown-ups was by design, said Christopher Colon, Universal's executive sous chef of research and development.
"There isn't a kids menu -- there is only a menu, a balance of food," Colon said. "It's very kids-focused, with relatable items that parents will like, as well."
The hotel sits at the entrance to the park, a huge selling point for parents with littles who sometimes need a nap or a swim to recharge. The hotel is within a five-minute walk from anywhere in the park.
This, too, was by design, said Sharon Parker, Universal Kids Resort's director of marketing and sales. The hotel's proximity to the park was one of many considerations made in the design.
Previewing the Universal Kids Resort
Through the eyes of a child
Inside the park, there are seven themed lands designed around beloved characters like Shrek, Trolls and Minions.
Throughout the park there are features that make clear the park's target guests, such as kid-size toilet seats, diaper vending machines from Diaper Concierge in the family-services locations, calming gardens where families can take a break and kid-height sensory toys mounted on the walls in stores.
"One of our creators said it's important to get on your knees and see what it's like from their point of view," said Parker. "How would they take in what's being shown?"
There are also some big features: playgrounds and splash pads throughout, and two mini-roller coasters just long enough to give kids a taste of a thrill (if they like it, it's easy enough to ride again, and if they don't, it's over fast).
Bello Bay Cruise, a raft ride at the park's Illumination's Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club. Photo Credit: Jamie Biesiada
The park's centerpiece attraction, Bello Bay Cruise, is a water ride with a fun feature I haven't seen anywhere else. At one point, guests' rafts (each holds nine) move around a large spiral before rushing downhill. While the ride could use a bit more theming, it's on par with those you'd find in bigger theme parks.
The other attractions throughout the park won't thrill grown-ups as much, but they're perfect for the intended audience. They're not as stimulating as attractions in larger parks.
Theming could be better in parts of Universal Kids Resort. While some areas are well themed, like DreamWorks' Puss in Boots Del Mar, other areas, like DreamWorks' TrollsFest, don't stand out from the rest of the park.
Some of this is undoubtedly by design to keep the park less stimulating than its bigger brothers in Orlando. At Puss in Boots Del Mar, for instance, buildings are highly themed, but they're not overly flashy. Particularly effective is the calming fountain and surrounding area that sits in front of some stores and eateries.
This is a welcome feature of the park for many kids, especially those who have sensory-processing issues. But there are ways to incorporate more theming without overwhelming them.
Load times for many attractions were longer than expected. This is likely because the park is new and so are operational procedures, but streamlining a bit now will help cut down wait times when the park opens.
This park is especially perfect for preschoolers, and parents may feel like they got their money's worth at $54.99 per person. In larger theme parks, a day's visit is significantly more expensive and there are restrictions on what younger kids can do because of height requirements on some rides.
Parker said Universal Kids is "about making sure kids can take it in, that it isn't overwhelming, that they can find opportunities to explore and imagine and create every step that they take.
"If it's not one of our kid-sized coasters, maybe it's interacting with one of our characters or having the ability to just be free and dance. Those things are very intentionally placed throughout the park."