Universal Kids Resort Is Still Improving the Minions’ Bello Bay Cruise

Universal Kids Resort officially opened about a week ago. Naturally, the loudest conversation about the park is coming from people who haven’t actually been inside it.

The topic is the exposed concrete on parts of Minions Bello Bay Cruise. Nobody in the park seems especially concerned about it. That’s probably because they’re busy riding what is easily one of Universal Kids’ best attractions.

Update: Universal has added more graphics to Bello Bay Cruise since this article was published. We originally believed the murals were painted. After seeing how much changed in less than 48 hours, and after noticing seams and unfinished design edges, we now think the graphics are vinyl panels being installed in stages. More details below.

My family has ridden several times. After one cruise, I noticed the queue was mostly empty as we ascended the lift hill. I signaled to the Team Member that we wanted another lap. “Sure thing,” he said. We were about 60% soaked after the first ride. The second one finished us off.

At no point did anyone in our boat contemplate the unfinished concrete. We were having too much fun, which is apparently easier to do when you are physically present at the park. And even if we had noticed it, we would have moved on with our day knowing the obvious: Universal isn’t done with the ride. Since our preview visit, crews have added new artwork to two areas of the attraction.

Universal wanted an April opening

Universal originally wanted to open this park in April, before school let out and before summer could take hold. Honestly, who would voluntarily open a theme park in July in Texas? Not Universal. April would have made much more sense, when Frisco averages afternoon highs in the 70s and nighttime lows around 55.

So what happened? Bello Bay Cruise wasn’t ready.

Had Universal waited until the ride was perfect, with every inch of exposed concrete covered, we might still be waiting for the grand opening. Instead, the company opened when it was operationally ready, not aesthetically finished.

We’re not sure exactly why HAFEMA’s Wild Raft Ride caused issues. It does have a few wilder-than-expected moments. The boats spin. A lot. It’s possible the manufacturer was trying to tame the action before unleashing it on kids. More likely, there were construction delays.

You can see the ride’s action in the following video. I filmed it while Team Members rebooted it following a thunderstorm.

Whatever the reason, the delays were costing Universal money. School had already been out for 40 days by the time the park debuted. At some point, they had to open the gates.

The internet discovers concrete

Media previews happened in mid-June. As soon as photos of Bello Bay Cruise hit social media, the concrete became the story. Never mind the ride. Never mind the park’s many great qualities.

I’ll admit, it’s tough to shoot compelling photos of that concrete. But it’s also not difficult to see that, because the rest of the ride is painted, that area should get some love, too.

I first visited Universal Kids Resort during a friends-and-family preview day. Full disclosure: Universal comped that ticket. I was a paying customer the following day. I then returned on July 1 and 2, also on my dime. On Monday, I visited for the first time as an Annual Passholder.

The good news is that Bello Bay Cruise has improved with each passing week. On opening day, I noticed clouds had been added to the section where Yellow Minions are pelting a Purple Minion with golf balls. This improved Twitter’s mood slightly, which was thoughtful of Universal.

Yesterday, I found more artwork had been added on the opposite side of the ride, near the “World’s Largest Water Balloon.” The flat tan walls now feature 2-dimensional Minions, clouds, and deep blue water. It’s a big improvement, and it’s the kind of treatment we expect to see added to other areas, including the overflow reservoir. Maybe even the whirlpool eventually.

Vinyl, not paint

We originally believed the Bello Bay Cruise wall graphics were paint. I started questioning that tonight after seeing three new graphics had been added in the two days since our last visit. On an operating water ride, that kind of turnaround would be difficult if they were painted, since it would require stenciling or masking, drying time, and touch-ups. I think we’d have seen evidence of the work in progress, too.

My suspicions were confirmed when I sent Aahs n Oohs photos from tonight’s visit. He immediately responded: “They’re vinyl.” He keyed in on the seams in the scene where a Minion is shooting a water gun. Don’t worry if you can’t see them. Universal’s crews did excellent work.

He also noticed an unfinished pattern on the artwork featuring the Minion on the dark blue background. That abrupt stop on the left edge would be odd if the graphics were being painted with stencils. They make sense with vinyl since panels are applied in stages.

July 11 update

We visited Universal Kids Resort last night for Trolls pizza, Minions rafting, and another look at the Bello Bay Cruise vinyl. A lot has been added since Wednesday, especially along the approach to the reservoir. We’re also liking the freshly-wrapped wall near the diving platform, the ride’s centerpiece. We’ll check back after the next good-to-go Annual Passholder day.

July 13 update

More vinyl went up over the weekend. The entire inner wall of the Bello Bay Cruise reservoir is now wrapped in Minions graphics. One Minion’s surfing days appear to be over after a shark took a bite out of his board. A Yellow Minion also joined his Purple counterpart next to the lift hill.

July 28 update

After a couple of weeks without any visible updates, Universal has begun applying vinyl to the exposed concrete near Bello Bay Cruise’s whirlpool. Unlike the rest of the ride, the concrete didn’t receive a base coat of paint before the vinyl was installed.

The new vinyl’s design is similar to the one behind the diving platform at the center of the ride.

August 25 update

Universal has added a massive amount of vinyl since our last visit. The walls bordering Bikini Bottom and Jurassic World Adventure Camp are now covered with 2D Minions artwork. Aside from the whirlpool area, nearly every vertical surface on the ride features some form of theming.

The whirlpool can wait

Universal isn’t going to take Bello Bay Cruise offline this summer to finish decorating its walls. If they can keep adding details after hours, great. If not, the rest may have to wait until the park’s extended winter closure in January and February.

And I can say this with complete confidence: nobody visiting the park would have it any other way. They’re too busy having a blast on that ride.

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 coming to the new Frisco theme park.