{"id":343390,"date":"2026-06-19T21:49:09","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/343390\/"},"modified":"2026-06-19T21:49:09","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T21:49:09","slug":"texas-new-universal-amusement-park-hasnt-even-opened-and-its-already-being-mocked-online-for-low-effort-rides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/343390\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas\u2019 new Universal amusement park hasn\u2019t even opened – and it\u2019s already being mocked online for \u2018low effort\u2019 rides"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new Universal theme park<\/a> in Texas isn\u2019t set to open until next month, but some fans are already criticizing its rides on social media.<\/p>\n

Universal Kids Resort<\/a>, set to open in Frisco, Texas,<\/a> on July 1, will mark the company\u2019s first-ever theme park designed specifically for families with young kids. But some social media users are slamming the park as \u201ccheap\u201d and \u201clow effort\u201d after a video of its \u201cShrek and Fiona\u2019s Happily Ogre After\u201d ride went viral this week.<\/p>\n

The Shrek-themed attraction places guests in open-air carriages and gently moves them along a track as they pass by different vignettes from the animated film series, according to a sneak-peek video <\/a>shared Thursday by the theme park news site Laughing Place.<\/p>\n

The clip, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, quickly drew backlash. One X user said<\/a> the ride \u201cmay be the worst attraction I\u2019ve ever seen in my entire life.\u201d Another user claimed<\/a> \u201ceverything I am seeing from this park seems so cheap and last-minute,\u201d while a third person called<\/a> the park \u201clow effort.\u201d YouTuber Jenny Nicholson, known for making in-depth videos on amusement parks, also offered<\/a> her two cents on the issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn most industries you can make something that’s pretty bad and be like \u2018well it’s okay because it’s made for little kids\u2019 but with theme parks the best and most famous stuff out there is also made for little kids,\u201d she wrote on X<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The Universal Studios globe at the Orlando, Florida theme park (Getty\/iStock)<\/p>\n

Others defended the park, pointing out that it\u2019s designed for young kids, rather than adults who might be looking for flashy, thrill-seeking rides.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is mad but is this not for like… literal toddlers? This is how toddler rides are,\u201d one X user wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made for five year olds not families like Disney parks are designed for. A five year old may really love this,\u201d another said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Independent has contacted Universal for comment.<\/p>\n

The park is expected to feature seven different themed areas dedicated to beloved animated characters like Shrek, SpongeBob, and the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise. One-day general admission tickets start at $54.99, while two-day passes start at $73.99, according to Universal\u2019s website. The park also offers annual passes, which are currently sold out.<\/p>\n

Guests have the option of staying at the park\u2019s on-site hotel, which has \u201c300 rooms and family suites, delicious dining that will delight even the pickiest of eaters, an outdoor pool, and other family-friendly amenities,\u201d Universal said in a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“Every detail was designed through a child’s eyes, from signs at their height to colors that invite them in,” Molly Murphy, president of Universal Creative, said in a statement last year. “The result is a park that celebrates the joy of being a kid \u2013 where imagination isn’t just encouraged, it’s embedded in every attraction, space, and experience.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new Universal theme park in Texas isn\u2019t set to open until next month, but some fans are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":343391,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[122474,27,29,28,5231,122473],"class_list":["post-343390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-shrek-and-fiona","tag-texas","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-universal-kids-resort","tag-universal-theme-park"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343390","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343390"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343390\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/343391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}