Universal Studios recently revealed two new projects that don’t conform to the usual theme park design they are known for. A small park focused on young families will be built in Texas, and a year-round horror-focused attraction will be built in Las Vegas. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg on their plans to expand Universal branded entertainment, culinary, gaming and consumer product experiences “for new audiences, in new places, and on new platforms in both the physical and virtual worlds.” To punctuate that goal, the Universal Parks and Resorts unit was rebranded on March 8th to become “Universal Universal Destinations & Experiences.”
But don’t be too concerned that Universal is abandoning major theme parks, their new Epic Universe resort in Orlando Florida (just down the street from the current Universal Studios Resort) will have a major theme park, hotel, and shopping district when it opens with room for more theme parks and hotels in the future, potentially rivaling Disney for the title of most theme parks in Orlando. And, in California, Universal has just opened a Mario themed land, Super Nintendo World, which is thrilling guests with immersive theme and interactivity.
Mark Woodbury, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Destivantions & Experiences commented that the new name…
“…aligns with our aspiration to be the Destination of Choice in the markets where we are today and the markets we enter in the future. We are thrilled to expand how we bring the Universal brand to life in new, immersive and compelling ways for fans around the world using our rich collection of stories, characters and franchises.”
To get a sense of the new experiences on the way that break out of Universal’s normal theme park model, take a look at two uniqe new projects on the way…
Universal Studios Frisco Texas
Universal has purchased 97 acres in Frisco, Texas – a wealthy community within a short drive of about 8 million residents of the Dallas metro area. The new park will be family focused and offer a 300-room hotel that runs along the front side of the park and over the entry. The experience will be different from other Universal Parks with a footprint about one-quarter the size of the Orlando Studios park. As a comparison, Disney California Adventure is 72 acres, so this new park and hotel are likely in that general size range.
Unlike other Universal Studios parks worldwide, this one won’t focus on thrill rides and scarier characters and themes, but rather on kid-friendly concepts. Universal has a huge library of characters and popular family film franchises to draw upon. While they haven’t revealed the specifics for this park, they could easily fill an entire park with characters from Despicable Me, Secret Life of Pets, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Shrek, Trolls, and many other properties they hold the licensing or rights to.
Concept art was released for the unnamed park, but it has been sanitized of any recognizable franchises while final details are completed. But you’ll get the idea of the size and colorful atmosphere.
The park has a Hotel in the front and a lagoon in the middle.
A coaster is shown in the back with wispy details that indicate this is just a placeholder and not an actual completed coaster design.
Some attractions have show buildings that indicate possible dark rides or well-themed indoor experiences and shows. While other attractions are obvious kid rides and spinners. This concept also shows a large water ride that meanders through the entire back of the park. Guests can be seen on the islands.
We look forward to hearing more about this interesting park as the details emerge.
More kid-centric parks on the way:
Universal Horror Experience Las Vegas
Those of you who have visited Las Vegas in the last few years may be familiar with the AREA15 entertainment zone which contains shops, bars, art installations, and an immersive art project called Meow Wolf (which is one part art gallery, one part themed experience, and one part escape room).
AREA15, which opened in 2020, has been so successful that a 20-acre expansion is already planned, which will contain a unique Universal Parks and Resorts horror experience.
The 110,000-square-foot Universal offering will craft an ever-changing experience that takes advantage of Uni’s collection of classic and modern monsters, thrills and chills. This original concept will bring to life Universal’s vast library of classic horror films and today’s most terrifying tales. The space will also feature seasonal events and unique merchandise.
Horror isn’t just for Halloween anymore!
Let’s Hear Your Thoughts
The concept of a theme park offering smaller projects in cities away from the big theme park hubs isn’t new. Disney tried and failed at DisneyQuest and various restaurant projects over the years. Walt Disney had famously wanted to build a Ski Resort, but died before he could see it through to approval. But Disney’s Aulani Hotel in Hawaii is a huge success with tourists and locals alike. And amusement providers like Legoland have successfully offered kid-focused parks, aquariums, and hotels all over the world for decades. But the big theme park operators have tended to stick to major traditional parks.
What are your thoughts on the Universal Parks rebranding and what that means for the future? How do the first two projects sound to you so far? And how do you think Disney will respond? Have fun speculating on what you think will happen and what you’d like to see in Universal’s new “Destinations & Experiences.” We look forward to hearing your thoughts below.
Related reading:
Kid-tastic! A Family Guide to Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal isn’t the only theme park company making some changes. Disney just announced a new head of Imagineering:
March 8, 2023 – Our article on the new Universal park in Texas and experience in Las Vegas has been updated on the rebranding of Universal Parks and Resorts to Universal Destinations and Experiences.