There have been numerous ads promoting Texas as a destination of choice running on TV since November 2024. Originally, the Texas Destination Resort lobbyists were promoting this in order to legalize casinos, making Texas the new Las Vegas.
The proposed bill was released on March 17, 2025, allowing voters to decide if they wanted more destination resorts and casinos in Texas. The original bill planned to keep most of the money flowing here in Texas for casinos only.
Although some amusement parks already exist in Texas, such as Six Flags and SeaWorld San Antonio, many exciting new developments were recently announced.
The Peppa Pig Theme park plans were revealed a month before the bill was proposed. It opened on March 1, and is operated by Merlin Entertainment. Although this is a children’s park, its development paved the way for some serious competition to brew, especially in North Texas.
This year, Universal Destinations and Resorts released their concept art for the brand new Universal Kid’s Resort, to be located in Frisco. The new park will feature famous characters such as Shrek, Minions, Trolls and others, and has a tentative opening date of 2026.
This forced the Six Flags Corporation to make huge investments in their Six Flags park located in Arlington in order to compete with the new parks. This includes a world-record breaking new roller coaster, the Dive Coaster, set to open in 2026. Six Flags is also investing in improving their branding and upgrading their water park down the road.
The Formula One race track in Austin is expanding to include a brand new theme park featuring two major coasters from Vekoma and Gerstluer — the leaders in roller coaster development — promising to thrill guests both at the track and beyond.
In San Antonio, despite being far from North Texas, the theme parks Six Flags and SeaWorld have increased their investments. Their improvements are keeping in mind the younger audiences, including a brand new DC Universe and a Sea Rescue Jr. area.
All these new projects are moving quickly, with comparisons being made to the Destination Resorts in California and Florida. It’s clear that many companies are discovering the benefits of doing business in Texas.
The growing support of Texas Destination Resorts is helping bring more family entertainment and inspiring the local theme park boom, proving it’s not just about casinos. This means more money in the state’s economy, more investments and more entertainment for families and thrill seekers, making it a winning combination for all. Which new park are you excited to try?
