New Universal Theme Park Includes Some Surprising Lands

Universal is expanding beyond its main theme park locations in Orlando and Hollywood with a brand new park. This one will be themed around beloved children’s franchises like Shrek, Minions, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Jurassic World.

I just got a first look at the plans for Universal Kids Resort, and let me tell you, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic destination! Set to open in Frisco, Texas next year, Universal has finally revealed all of its themed lands – and the concept art looks incredible. It’s a fitting name, really – this place is clearly designed with families in mind.

The park is being transformed into a fun and imaginative place called “Isle of Curiosity,” designed for kids to explore. It will feature a meet-and-greet and dance party with characters from *Gabby’s Dollhouse*. Guests can also visit “Shrek Swamp” to meet Shrek and Fiona, enjoy two interactive play areas, and experience a Puss in Boots-themed “Del Mar” section with carnival games.

The “Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club” area features more water play where Yellow and Purple Minions compete. Meanwhile, “Jurassic World Adventure Camp” lets guests meet dinosaurs and explore a detailed play area called “Lookout Tower.”

I’m so excited about the TrollsFest area! It sounds amazing – they have a super fun meet and greet covered in glitter, plus two interactive play areas. But the best part, from what I’ve heard, is Bikini Bottom! It’s designed like an underwater world where kids can relax on Mussel Beach or splash around and play in Pineapple Paradise. It sounds like pure, silly fun!

The announcement didn’t offer many details about the rides themselves, but the Universal Kids Resort website shows some early designs. These include swings themed after *Puss In Boots* and a raft ride based on *Minions*.

The Universal Kids park will open in 2026.

The Best Food and Drink at Epic Universe

Burning Cheddar Bites

You can find these at The Burning Blade Tavern in the Dark Universe area of Epic Universe. They’re described as crispy fried jalapeño pimento cheddar bites served with sriracha ranch. Honestly, they don’t *look* amazing, but they were surprisingly one of the best savory things I tasted! Plus, the theming is really creative. The tavern is designed to look like the windmill from the 1931 *Frankenstein* movie (you might have seen videos of it on fire!).

The story behind the tavern is that it’s full of coal, which is why everything is so flammable – and these cheese bites are meant to look like little pieces of coal! They have a nice, crispy outside and a hot, gooey inside with a kick from the jalapeño and pimento. The sriracha ranch just adds even *more* heat, tying it all together. So, sorry Frankenstein, but in this case, fire is a good thing! This is a perfect example of fun, over-the-top movie-themed food.

Butterbeer Crepe

You can find this treat at Café L’air De La Sirène in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic. It’s a crepe filled with shortbread cookie butter Bavarian cream and Butterbeer™ cream, topped with fresh strawberries, Butterbeer™ drizzle, and a Butterbeer™ shortbread cookie.

I’m a big fan of anything Butterbeer – I think it’s the best part of the *Harry Potter* franchise! I enjoy every new Butterbeer creation Universal comes up with, from the original drink to hot, frozen, and fudge versions. This new crepe is another success; it’s light, thin, and filled with a sweet, rich cream that isn’t overly sweet. I do question the decision to make the Wizarding World area look like 1920s Paris – it doesn’t feel as much like *Harry Potter* as Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley – but since it led to this delicious crepe, I’m not complaining!

Crimson Glazed Pork

You can find this dish at Das Stakehouse in Dark Universe. It’s described as Crimson Glazed Pork – char siu-style roasted pork belly with a bloody roast pork dipping sauce, served with charred green onion mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots, acorn squash, and crispy maitake mushrooms.

Das Stakehouse is a restaurant with a vampire theme, and they’ve gone all-in on the spooky details, including the food presentation. The “crimson glaze” on the pork is actually char siu sauce, but it’s designed to *look* like blood. The charred vegetables, like the black carrots, taste delicious and fit the eerie atmosphere.

Luckily, despite the horror-themed presentation, the food is genuinely good. The pork was cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of sweetness from the char siu, and – importantly – no garlic, since vampires don’t serve garlic!

DK Crush Float

You can find this treat at The Bubbly Barrel in Super Nintendo Land. It’s a Banana Pineapple soft serve float. I thought this over-the-top dessert looked like something Donkey Kong would love! It’s a huge pile of banana and pineapple ice cream with chocolate pieces and caramel popcorn, served on waffle cone pieces and surrounded by pineapple soda. While I’m not a big fan of pineapple soda, everything else was fantastic – the perfect treat for a hot Florida day. I think it would be even better if they used pineapple juice instead of soda.

Dragon Fire Chicken Spire

You can find this item at Hooligan’s Grog & Gruel in the Isle of Berk area of How to Train Your Dragon at Universal’s Epic Universe. It’s described as creamy mac & cheese with Nashville-style pulled chicken, hot honey, Calabrian peppers, chimichurri, and crispy onions, all served in a crunchy cone. While the connection to the How to Train Your Dragon theme isn’t completely clear (perhaps the cones are meant to resemble Viking helmets?), it’s a delicious addition to the park. Epic Universe offers three versions: a classic mac & cheese cone, and two with added toppings. The pulled chicken and chimichurri version was the best, but the PB & J version—with BBQ harissa pulled pork and peanut bacon jam—was also excellent. The only downside is that the toppings are only on top; the cone itself is filled solely with mac & cheese. It would be even better if some of the topping was at the bottom of the cone, too.

First Light Mocktail

You can find the First Light Mocktail at Meteor Astropub in Celestial Park at Epic Universe. It’s made with Monin blue raspberry and vanilla crème syrups, blue prism powder, Minute Maid blue raspberry lemonade, Sprite, and topped with sweet cream cold foam and galactic sugar sprinkles.

I’ve been focusing on the park’s food and drinks, especially those tied to the themed lands, and found a lot of interesting options in the central Celestial Park area. The First Light Mocktail stood out because the sweet cream cold foam reminded me of the Butterbeer topping at Universal parks. Basically, it tasted like a liquid blue raspberry lollipop with that same creamy topping. It’s very sweet, so it’s perfect for kids (or anyone who loves a sugary treat!).

Frank & Friends Pretzel

You can find this snack at De Lacey’s Cottage in the Dark Universe. It’s described as a pretzel served with white cheese. I have to say, theme park pretzels can be hit or miss – sometimes they’re warm and perfect, but often they’re cold and stale. Thankfully, the Frankenstein pretzel at the snack stand between Monsters Unchained and the Burning Blade is definitely a win! It’s a really good theme park pretzel, and you even get to ‘bite off’ the bolts from Frankenstein’s neck! I think they should expand the idea and offer pretzel versions of all of Frankenstein’s body parts – an arm, a leg, a torso – so you could build your own monster before eating it and shout, “It’s alive!” (Seriously, how did my spouse stay married to me for over 15 years? I’m still amazed.)

Frankenstein Gummy Brains

You can find these candies at Moonship Chocolates & Celestial Sweets in Celestial Park. They’re gummy brains – and surprisingly delicious! I wasn’t expecting much, but they had the perfect gummy texture and a bright strawberry flavor. If brains aren’t for you, Epic Universe also sells other Universal Monsters candies like Dracula fangs, Creature From the Black Lagoon fish, and Wolf Man stars and moons, all at the candy shop near the entrance. Be warned: buying gummy brains instead of the fancy pastries will definitely get you some amused looks from the staff!

Gobber’s Mead

You can find this drink at Mead Hall in the How to Train Your Dragon area of Epic Universe. It’s called Gobber’s Mead – a special recipe made just for the park – and is described as boysenberry-blackcurrant vanilla infused with Grains of Paradise. I decided to try it, and it was surprisingly good! The flavors were all there as described, but it was still light and refreshing – it might just make you a mead fan too.

Labotocotta

I recently visited Das Stakehouse in Dark Universe and was absolutely captivated by their desserts! They have two incredibly creative (and spooky!) options. One is a red velvet cake covered in what looked like realistic maggots, but I was particularly fascinated by the “Labotocotta” – a vanilla panna cotta shaped like a brain, served in a dish of raspberry sauce that looked like blood. While the red velvet cake was visually more striking, the panna cotta actually tasted better. The creamy texture and rich flavor paired perfectly with the tangy raspberry sauce. Honestly, two of my favorite treats at Epic Universe were fake brains! I guess years of eating unusual themed food has really done something to *my* brain, and now I’m on the hunt for a replacement!

Red Shell Calzone

You can find the Red Shell Calzone at Yoshi’s Snack Island in Super Nintendo Land. It’s described as a calzone filled with Italian meat sauce and mozzarella cheese. While some reviewers weren’t impressed, comparing it to a pepperoni pizza Hot Pocket, I personally loved it! It brought back fond memories of late-night snacks during my college days. It seems intentionally designed as a quick, easy bite – perfect for refueling between rides like Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge and Mine Cart Madness. A vegetarian option is also available, served in a green calzone.

Snow Wraith

You can find the Snow Wraith drink at Spit Fyre Grill in the Isle of Berk area of How to Train Your Dragon at Epic Universe. It’s officially described as a Piña Colada ICEE® with blue raspberry syrup. Initially, I wondered why a dragon-themed drink wasn’t hot, but then I remembered the nearby Snow Wraith animatronic – an ice-breathing dragon! Like many of the themed drinks at Epic Universe, it’s very sweet, but the Snow Wraith had a nice balance thanks to the combination of piña colada and tart raspberry syrup. I finished it quickly before it melted in the 95-degree heat – now *that* felt appropriately dragon-themed!

2025-10-15 22:27