Amusement Park News

Universal Kids Resort finally reveals all details of new Frisco park

Universal Kids Resort

Courtesy rendering

The final last big reveal has been dropped on the new Universal Kids Resort regional theme park targeted to families with young children that's opening in Frisco in 2026.

Since the park was first announced in 2023, Universal Destinations & Experiences has been teasing with sneak peeks and crumbs of information, designed to whip up a fervor of anticipation and pre-opening press.

Now we have the whole loaf: all of the details and snacks and merch that the attraction will be offering at each of its seven themed lands.

Here's the info:

Jurassic World Adventure Camp
At Jurassic World Adventure Camp, the curious Ankylosaurus, Bumpy, has gone missing, so families will zoom through twists, turns, peaks and valleys on Jurassic World: Cretaceous Coaster to help find her. Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin will take families on a twisting and turning journey. The Pteranodrop ride will give a bird's eye view of the park from high above.

Food and merch: It'll come with a Jurassic World Canteen restaurant, and a Jurassic World Outfitters store.

Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom
Jellyfish Fields Jamboree will allow kids and their families hop aboard their very own Jelly Angler to bounce around with SpongeBob SquarePants. Barnacle Bus will showcase Bikini Bottom’s sights and residents. Bobbing Barrels will feature water cannons for families to blast water at each other as they spin around. Mrs. Puff’s Boating School will have the class take a spin through her specially designed course.

Food and merch: Goofy Goober’s will offer chicken sandwiches, salads, hot dogs, and sundaes. Barg’N-Mart will sell apparel, toys, and plushies.

DreamWorks’ Shrek’s Swamp
The attraction Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After will take kids and their families on a ride through the story of how Shrek met Fiona. There will be Shrek and Fiona meet-and-greets, plus two interactive play areas, Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp and Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash.

Food and merch: Swamp Snacks will serve something called the Shrekzel. Triplets Treasures will sell adult-and-child matching and complementary outfits.

Illumination’s Minions vs. Minions: Bello Bay Club
Unexpected water surprises include water blasters, a splash zone, and a Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby competition.

Food and merch: Bello Bay Bites will serve Minion-themed snacks. Bello Bay Boutique will sell Team Yellow, Team Purple, and other themed merchandise.

DreamWorks’ TrollsFest
King Trollex Techno Dance Party will be an indoor interactive experience with a Trolls-themed amphitheater stage show. Rides will include Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express bus ride twisting and turning through the festival grounds, and Hair in the Clouds sky ride. Families can meet-and-greet Poppy and Branch, and there will be two interactive play areas, Poppy’s Playland and Trolls Critter Crawl.

Food and merch: Trolls Eatz! will serve family-approved bites. BroZone Cones will offer ice cream. Sparkle Shine Glitter Glow will sell apparel, hair, and make-up. Mr. Dinkles’ Market will sell T-shirts and souvenirs.

DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots Del Mar
Swings Over Del Mar will have guests flying high. Kids and their families can also enjoy Mama Luna’s Adopt a Kitty Day! where they’ll be able to see Puss in Boots return to the village of Del Mar for a puppet performance.

Food and merch: Comidas y Leche will serve up Puss in Boots’ approved eats. Mercado de Perrito will sell apparel. Tienda de Dulces will sell candies and treats.

Isle of Curiosity
The Isle of Curiosity will serve as the gateway to the other themed lands at Universal Kids Resort. Gabby’s Cat-Tastic Dance Party! will allow kids and their families to boogie with Gabby from DreamWorks’ Gabby’s Dollhouse.

Food and merch: Cakey’s Cupcakes will sell cupcakes. Universal Kids Resort Café will offer dine-in and bites for the road. The flagship Universal Kids Resort Store will be the one-stop-shop for gearing up for the day or finding best-of-the best from each themed land and a variety of merch inspired by Gabby’s Dollhouse to dress the part for their meow-zing adventures ahead.

Universal Kids Resort Hotel
The on-site Universal Kids Resort Hotel was designed with families in mind. Rooms will sleep up to five or six guests. Standard Queen, Deluxe Queen and Signature Queen rooms will each offer a twin-over-full bunk bed and a queen bed. Family suites will offer a king bed in a separate bedroom, a queen pullout sofa and a twin-over-twin bunk bed along with an eating area.

Food and merch: Curiosity Café will be a quick service restaurant offering hotel guests meals throughout the day. A full-service bar, outdoor pool, fitness room and a game room will round out the hotel amenities.

kids openings

Movie review

Nick Jonas steals song from Paul Rudd in music-heavy Power Ballad

Photo by David Cleary for Lionsgate

Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd in Power Ballad.

Writer/director John Carney is one of the great purveyors of movies featuring music (as opposed to musicals) in the 21st century. Starting with Once in 2007 (which was turned into a Broadway musical several years later), he has made music-themed stories like Begin Again, Sing Street, Flora and Son, and now Power Ballad.

Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a former wannabe rock star who is now the lead singer of “Ireland’s #1 Wedding Band,” The Bride & Grooves. While they mostly play smaller weddings, a gig at a country estate leads to an encounter with Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy band member struggling to make it as a solo artist. Rick and Danny wind up bonding in a booze- and pot-filled jam session, sharing various song ideas.

After returning to Los Angeles and desperate for a hit, Danny steals one of Rick’s songs, which miraculously turns into the No. 1 “How to Write a Song (Without You).” Rick, initially overjoyed that something he wrote has become big, is crushed when he finds out Danny didn’t give him credit. His quest to find a way to prove his worth sends him into a spiral, upending the ordinary life he had built.

Co-written by Peter McDonald, the film is a nice exploration of two men trying to hold on to their music dreams. Their individual circumstances could not be more different, but each of them knows the ups and downs of the business as well as the other, as well as the ineffable magic of creating that one great song. While the music scenes are hit-and-miss because of a reliance on lip synching, the scene featuring Rick and Danny trading ideas is electric with creativity.

Oddly, though, the film could have used a bit less music and more of a focus on the two men’s personal lives. Rick wound up living in Ireland after falling in love with his future wife, Rachel (Marcella Plunkett), while on tour with his former American band. He spends a decent amount of time with her and his daughter, Aja (Beth Fallon), but his story needed a few more family scenes to drive the point home. Danny’s personal life is all but nonexistent, giving his arc less impact than it could have had.

Instead of loved ones, Carney and McDonald try to give Rick and Danny more depth through friends and business associates. Rick’s bandmate Sandy (McDonald) is a ride-or-die kind of guy for him, but his presence is only good for a few humorous distractions. Danny’s manager Mac (Jack Reynor) is difficult to parse, as he goes to bat for Danny on multiple occasions, but also seems to keep him at arm’s length.

It’s long been joked that Rudd never ages, and that youthfulness serves him well in this role, in which his character is supposed to be much younger than his actual age of 57. His energy and enthusiasm make his character appealing throughout, even when Rick starts to go off the deep end. Jonas is decent in his role, selling the music side well, but there might be a reason his character doesn’t have many scenes requiring him to show emotions.

While Power Ballad has all the hallmarks of another great Carney music movie, it’s missing a few pieces that could have put it over the top. It’s still a fun film with an insanely catchy song at its center, but it’s not quite as memorable as most of the filmmaker’s previous efforts.

---

Power Ballad is now playing in theaters.

movies music film