Universal Kids Resort Adds Shade Umbrellas Around the Park
Universal Kids Resort isn’t waiting for its winter hiatus to make improvements. This weekend, we highlighted new flooring at Shrek’s Swamp Splash & Smash. The same upgrade appears to be coming to the Pineapple Paradise splash pad in Bikini Bottom. But the most welcome addition may be the shade umbrellas going up around the park.
When Universal Kids opened in July, it drew plenty of criticism. A lot of it was overblown, but the complaints about the lack of shade were fair. It prompted Universal to release this statement a week after opening:
“We are always listening to guest feedback and will continue enhancing the park experience over time, adding landscaping and additional shade elements throughout the resort. Universal Kids Resort features a variety of offerings including outdoor attractions and indoor experiences, as well as multiple splash pads and play areas, restaurants, shows and merchandise locations.”
We’ll talk about the landscaping another time. The park has plenty. I have photos.
But shade has been harder to find. Fortunately, that’s starting to change. Over the last couple of weeks, crews have added permanent umbrella structures to four spots: two in TrollsFest, one in Shrek’s Swamp, and one in Jurassic World Adventure Camp.
In TrollsFest, the umbrellas cover benches near Rhonda’s TrollsFest Express and tables beside BroZone Cones. In Shrek’s Swamp, benches just outside Shrek’s Swamp Rompin’ Stomp now have shade.
Umbrellas also cover a quiet seating area behind Jurassic World Adventure Camp. It’s a good place to take a break and wait for Sierra or Tango before their next velociraptor meet-and-greet. Team Members bring them into the land right next to those benches.
The umbrellas, manufactured by The Shade Experts USA, feature two vented canopies extending from a single steel post bolted to the concrete. They should withstand North Texas thunderstorms a lot better than the park’s table umbrellas.
That simple design should make it possible to add more structures where shade is needed. When I asked Team Members about future updates, they pointed me to Universal’s statement. But they also said the park will feel a lot different next summer. We’ll see whether that means more umbrellas or something else entirely.
Universal could have waited until the park closes for winter to make these shade and splash pad updates. After all, we only have a few days of summer-like weather left. I take that as a very good sign.
Want to learn more about Universal Kids Resort and its seven themed lands? We’ve got you covered. Visit our Universal Kids Resort hub for everything available at the new Frisco theme park.
