Universal Revises SpongeBob Mural Design at Universal Kids Resort Hotel
Crews have resumed painting a SpongeBob SquarePants mural on the southeast corner of the Universal Kids Resort Hotel. Artwork first appeared there in November but was quickly painted over, leading us to believe it may have simply been a field mockup. Now, it appears Universal wasn’t satisfied with the original look. The newly painted mural is slightly different from what we saw on site last fall and the concept art Universal shared last June.
Update (February 16, 2026): The mural is complete, and the scaffolding has come down. SpongeBob, Sandy, and Patrick are officially on display and look fantastic.
Our original article continues below.
That mural concept art – for Minions, SpongeBob SquarePants, Trolls, and Shrek & Puss in Boots murals – was submitted to the City of Frisco ahead of a vote to approve the hotel’s exterior facade. While the hotel itself had already received council approval, the addition of four character-themed murals required a separate vote. The measure passed unanimously.
The revised SpongeBob mural fixes a visibility problem. A louvered wall that conceals the hotel’s air-conditioning equipment effectively blocks the lower third of the canvas. In the original concept art, Patrick Star occupied that space. In the updated design, he’s been moved closer to the roofline, keeping him fully visible. Sandy Cheeks remains on the far left, while SpongeBob and the Universal Kids Resort logo have shifted slightly left to accommodate the new layout.
SpongeBob’s mural is the only one that has to work around air-conditioning units. Scaffolding is already going up on the northeast corner of the hotel, where the Trolls mural is next.
In an earlier version of this article, I wrongly assumed Universal might be dialing back the more abstract elements to make the mural easier for kids to read. A second look today made it clear that isn’t happening. And I’m happy that’s the case. The concept art undersells the finished product. Once the scaffolding comes down, these murals are going to pop.
