Construction Milestone: Universal Kids Resort’s Ride Staging Yard Is Now Empty

Written by Joshua Posted February 17th, 2026

Universal Kids Resort hit a major construction milestone yesterday when its ride staging yard closed.

For more than a year, that laydown yard has served as the temporary home for ride vehicles, track pieces, and attraction components. As recently as Sunday, it held Jurassic World–themed coaster cars and swings for a Puss in Boots Flying Carousel.

Street sweeper cleaning up a Universal Kids Resort parking lot

Today, it was empty. Well, mostly. A street sweeper was rolling through, prepping the space for its next role: a Team Member parking lot.

I knew this was coming. On Sunday, two telehandlers removed dozens of Swings Over Del Mar parts. Those pieces are now sitting in the Puss in Boots-themed land, waiting to be installed on the park’s north side.

Telehandler carrying Flying Carousel swings at Universal Kids Resort

I’ve been covering Universal Kids Resort construction since December 2023. For much of the first 14 months, my photos consisted of land prep, footings, and general vertical construction. Important stuff, but not exactly thrilling.

Everything changed last February when the first ride materials began arriving. The yard was now filled with SpongeBob barrels and Jelly Anglers, Jurassic World towers, and Puss in Boots carousel panels. It was the first tangible proof that this wasn’t just a construction site anymore. It was becoming a theme park.

SpongeBob SquarePants ride equipment at Universal Kids Resort — Watermania ride parts and vehicles

SpongeBob SquarePants aerial flyer ride vehicles — Jellyfish Fields Jamboree

Zamperla Jumping Tower — A Jurassic World Pteranodrop tower

I needed help identifying those partially wrapped pieces, so I reached out to Aahs n Oohs. For the next year, I’d text him what I was seeing as I walked around the park. By the time I got home and started editing my camera shots, he usually already had answers.

Here’s a brief history of what we uncovered.

Pink coaster tracks at Universal Kids Resort — Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express coaster track

Wrapped SpongeBob Watermania ride vehicles at Universal Kids Resort — Wrapped Bobbing Barrels ride vehicles along with Sandy Cheeks and Patrick Star figures

SpongeBob SquarePants Rockin' Tug ride vehicle (in two parts) at Universal Kids Resort — SpongeBob’s Barnacle Bus

SpongeBob SquarePants Watermania ride vehicle barrel — A SpongeBob Bobbing Barrel

Trolls coaster ride vehicle — A coaster car for Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express

HAFEMA Wild Raft Ride vehicle segments — Bello Bay Cruise ride vehicles

Shrek-themed Zamperla Convoy ride vehicle with an onion carriage hood ornament — Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After vehicle

Mr. DNA's Double Helix Spin — Mr. DNA’s Double Helix Spin tower with Hair in the Clouds gondolas in the distance

HAFEMA Wild Raft Ride submersible water pumps — Bello Bay Cruise water pumps

Yellow Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby ride vehicles waiting to be installed at Universal Kids Resort — Bello Bay Golf Cart Derby cars

A Zamperla portable office in the Universal Kids Resort staging yard

Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After ride vehicle, complete with onion carriage hood ornament — Shrek & Fiona’s Happily Ogre After vehicles recently returned before quickly moving to Shrek’s Swamp

A Jurassic World Cretaceous Coaster car

Flower clouds and a jellyfish on the center hub for Jellyfish Fields Jamboree — Swings Over Del Mar swings and Jellyfish Fields Jamboree parts

It’s possible that a few ride vehicles could still roll through the yard. After all, we’ve only seen one Cretaceous Coaster train so far.

Update (February 18): While most of the ride parts are now inside the park, Universal has moved a few SpongeBob components to the resort’s main parking lot. And for the first time, purple Bello Bay Cruise rafts are on site. Those, along with their yellow counterparts, are also in the day guest parking lot.

Purple and yellow Bello Bay Cruise ride vehicles

Our original story continues below.

Aahs and I will still collaborate. He’s dialed in on the Monstropolis coaster construction at Hollywood Studios. I just won’t be firing off photos of onion carriage hood ornaments the second they touch down in Frisco anymore.

But that’s cool. An empty staging yard means we’re in the home stretch. Crews are on seven-day schedules. Flower clouds are getting painted. Sod is going down. Vehicles are migrating to their permanent homes.

Next up is ride testing. And hopefully an official opening date.