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Universal Parks and Resorts to open new theme park in Frisco
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Universal Resorts announced Jan. 11 a new theme park to be located along the Dallas North Toll- way in Frisco. Parks and The new park concept will feature immersive-themed lands and cele- brate Universal’s “iconic” brand of entertainment, humor and innovation, according to a Universal News release. The development, named Universal Kids Frisco, is a regional park concept aimed at children ages 3-9 years old, BY COLBY FARR, SHELBIE HAMILTON & GRANT JOHNSON
at the press conference. The park is intended to be a one- to two-day experience designed for families in Frisco and the surrounding areas, Woodbury said. The park will be located on 97 acres of land in the Fields development at the northeast corner of Dallas North Tollway and Panther Creek Park- way. To compare, The Star District in Frisco sits on 91 acres. The land for the theme park was recently purchased by Universal, said Page Thompson, president of new ven- tures for Universal. The proposed proj- ect is several years out from opening, but when it does it will only use about a third of the land pur- chased, leaving room for future expansions and keeping the park “manageable” for young children, Thompson said. “That gives us plenty of room to build a park, this themed hotel fea- turing Universal characters, parking areas and still have lots of room for a really lush landscape buffer as well as lots of space for a thoughtful exit and entrance plan,” Thompson said. Universal operates five resorts worldwide, with nine total hotels and 10,000 hotel rooms, Woodbury said. This new regional park con- cept will be roughly a quarter of the size of Universal’s Orlando, Florida, theme park, which is a scale “appro- priate for [a] young family audience,” Thompson said. “It’s big enough that everyone will
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remain for parking, entrance and exit corridors, and future expansions.
by Universal Parks and Resorts in the Fields development in north Frisco.
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will be used for Universal Kids Frisco.
according to Univer- sal Parks and Resorts officials. The park will have a 300-room themed hotel at the front along with four or five themed areas, according to Mark Woodbury, Univer-
SOURCES: UNIVERSAL PARKS AND RESORTS, CITY OF FRISCO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
"WE PICKED FRISCO JUST BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A DYNAMIC, EXCITING, FAST-GROWING ENVIRONMENT..." PAGE THOMPSON, PRESIDENT OF NEW VENTURES FOR UNIVERSAL
everything,” Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney said. The target audience of young children is a new concept for the company. Other Uni- versal theme parks feature “thrill- ing experiences” that do not cater to young children, Thompson said. Recent additions to other Univer- sal theme parks aimed toward that demographic, such as attractions for movies that include “Shrek,” “Trolls” and “Minions,” created the oppor- tunity to design a park aimed at a younger audience, Thompson said. The project’s tourism potential could also increase the city’s tax base, Cheney said in Universal’s news release. As the official destination marketing organiza- tion for the city, Visit Frisco hopes the project will shine a spotlight on Frisco, Director of Marketing and Communica- tions Cori Powers said. “I think [the development] just adds to our growing family-friendly envi- ronment and very playful atmosphere
have a great time but not so big that children get exhausted by the end of the day,” Thompson said. Drawn to Frisco Universal began working on this concept a year ago and considered locations around the world, Thomp- son said. The company chose North Texas due to the region’s growth, and it expects the park will draw locals and travelers from surrounding states, Thompson said. “We picked Frisco just because it’s such a dynamic, exciting, fast-grow- ing environment with a really strong base of families here in the area,” Thompson said. Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney agreed that the city is a good fit for this kind of project. “All of you can see why they chose Frisco. Frisco is known for being family-friendly. It’s known for being innovative, being first in leaders in
sal Parks and Resorts chair and CEO. “Each one of [the park areas is] full of attractions, interactive experiences, discovery experiences, exploration, learning opportunities and just a rich, rich experience for families to enjoy together,” Woodbury said. Park details Universal Parks and Resorts selected Frisco for this new concept because of the city’s growing popula- tion and ability to attract businesses to the area. The proposed park will include family-friendly attractions, live shows, character meet and greets, merchandise, and food and beverage options, according to a presentation
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