“Cool Kid Summer” is the new summer event at Walt Disney World aimed at families with children. This guide covers the seasonal entertainment and offerings you can experience in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom–plus our thoughts on what (and what not) to expect.
Walt Disney World will celebrate “Cool Kid Summer” from May 27 through September 1, 2025. According to the company, Walt Disney World is the perfect destination for kids and kids-at-heart with DJ-fueled dance parties, surprise character appearances, hands-on activities and nonstop summer vibes. According to us, the event follows in the rich traditions of “Hot Girl Summer” and “Short King Spring” and that one that Sarah’s favorite actor, Chet Hanks, did a few years back.
Please note that “cool” is a state of mind; you don’t have to actually be as hip as Steve Buscemi to participate. Moreover, cool should not be misconstrued as being about weather patterns. This summer will assuredly be the opposite of “cool” from a meteorological perspective. Point being, “Cool Kid Summer” is an event where everyone is a kid (whether in age or heart), able to sweat their butts off in harmony this summer at Walt Disney World. Except the curmudgeons out there (stay tuned for “Grumpy Guys & Gals Winter”).
Here’s your first look at what’s coming across Walt Disney World for “Cool Kid Summer” starting on May 27, 2025…
Cool Kid Summer at EPCOT
GoofyCore at CommuniCore Hall
Playtime gets a Goof-tastic twist during the Goofy takeover of CommuniCore Hall, otherwise known as GoofyCore Hall. Get ready to dance and play along with Goofy in this immersive experience. Show off your best moves in DJ-led dance parties and join your favorite games with silly twists, like Loopy Limbo and Parachutes ‘n’ Pipsqueaks.
To make way for all the goofiness, CommuniCore Hall will temporarily close starting May 12, 2025 as it transforms into GoofyCore Hall. CommuniCore Plaza and Mickey & Friends will remain open during this time. And while you’re exploring EPCOT during Flower & Garden Festival, keep an eye out as Farmer’s Feast food options might be sprouting up at Florida Fresh just outside CommuniCore Hall.
In other words, the inside of CommuniCore Hall–including Farmer’s Feast (the best booth)–will close a few weeks prior to the end of the 2025 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival. But it sounds like the food will migrate over to the Florida Fresh menu, which is the walk-up window on the exterior of CommuniCore Hall. That makes sense, as both booths use the same kitchen. The loss of indoor seating as the weather is heating up is the real consideration here (my pro tip: take your food over to Connections Cafe for indoor seating–it isn’t that long of a walk).
Also coming to EPCOT during “Cool Kid Summer” is the brand-new GEO-82 lounge inside Spaceship Earth. This adults-only bar will open on June 4, 2025. Advance Dining Reservations will be available for booking on May 6, 2025. While the adults-only rule at GEO-82 doesn’t bother me the same way it does many of you, I do find the timing mildly amusing. Maybe this summer, the cool thing for kids to do will be to roam the worlds of EPCOT by themselves. Unaccompanied minors (and Goofy) takeover of CommuniCore Hall!
Cool Kid Summer at Animal Kingdom
Earn a New Wilderness Explorer Badge
For all who believe the wilderness must be explored, you can unlock a special, limited-time Wilderness Explorers badge along the way. As you make your way around the park, keep an eye out for some amazing animals, including tigers, okapi and more.
Adventure with New Activities
Get ready to roam, explore, and earn your adventure stripes! Buzz over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch for hands-on crafting activities all about pollinators, like bees and butterflies.
A Celebration Sing-Along at Discovery Island
Wrap up your wild day with a musical moment you won’t forget! Join an interactive sing-along with the Dino Institute Intern celebrating all the amazing animals spotted throughout the park – with original songs, playful storytelling, and plenty of chances to join in.
As a certified hater of Dino-Rama, even I have to admit that the Dino Institute Intern is a nice atmospheric entertainment addition. Glad to see this being used more. (Also, keen-eyed Starcruiser fans might notice something about one of the musicians…)
Cool Kid Summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Dance Party & Activities at Animation Courtyard
Jump into energetic fun at Animation Courtyard, where games and crafts will keep kids moving and creating all day long. From magicians and jump rope performers to surprise character appearances, you never know what delightful moment is waiting around the corner!
Keep the fun going as you join Mickey Mouse and Disney Junior friends at a lively indoor DJ dance party where little ones can move and groove. As someone who has recently been indoctrinated into the “Hot Dog Song,” I’m actually looking forward to this–assuming the “Hot Dog Song” (and only the “Hot Dog Song”) is performed at this thing.
Two new indoor stage shows will also debut on May 27, 2025:
- “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After” – Step into the reflective world of the Magic Mirror as Disney’s most infamous baddies take center stage in a show that’s as wickedly fun as it is spellbinding.
- “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” – Dive into a breathtaking retelling of the beloved animated film featuring fan-favorite songs, stunning visuals, and theatrical magic.
Cool Kid Summer at Magic Kingdom
Galactic Blast at Tomorrowland
Make your way over to the Rocket Tower Plaza Stage to dance with Stitch at this high-energy DJ party. After grooving with the galaxy’s coolest alien, head inside Merchant of Venus with an out-of-this-world craft inspired by the upcoming Disney-Pixar film “Elio.”
Big Top Bash at Storybook Circus
Step right up to summer fun under the Big Top. Kids can join the DJ ringmaster for a summertime dance party full of pop-up silliness with Pluto. And with stilt walkers and jugglers performing around you, you’ll feel like the ringmaster of fun.
Disney Starlight Night Parade
Later this summer, get ready for a star-kissed constellation of Disney wishes as “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” comes to life with beloved characters from “Encanto,” “Frozen,” “Coco” and more.
As we discussed earlier this week, Walt Disney World has made several calendar changes strongly suggesting the debut date of Disney Starlight Night Parade! If our sleuthing is accurate, Magic Kingdom is laying the scheduling groundwork for the parade’s debut and, assuming it’s able to hit that target, we should have an official opening date fairly soon.
Cool Kid Summer During Early Entry
Some characters will also be out in the parks earlier than normal for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests during their daily Early Entry period. What better way to rope drop than saying hello to some of your favorite Disney pals?!
I like the idea of characters being out for Early Entry, cheering me on runDisney style as I move at a record-setting pace to be the first guest of the day on OG Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin one last time. I’m only half-joking. This is a qualitative enhancement that has the potential to brighten days and lighten moods during what can otherwise be stressful as guests worry about making it to their first attraction of the day.
It’s also Disneyland-esque, and Walt Disney World fans have wanted this type of thing for a while. It kind of already happens with the Country Bears in Frontierland, and really, what more could you want than some rope drop shenanigans with Big Al?! But average guests might appreciate more familiar faces in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. (Or rare characters!)
Cool Kid Summer at Water Parks
Make a splash right from the start. Guests of Walt Disney World Resort Collection hotels can enjoy free admission to one of the two Walt Disney World water parks on the day of their check-in for free.
In case you missed it, both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will be open this summer starting on May 21, 2025.
This is something that hasn’t happened since 2019 and it almost didn’t happen this year, either. When Typhoon Lagoon’s reopening was initially announced, so too was Blizzard Beach’s closure. It wasn’t until about one-month later that Walt Disney World changed course.
The reason for Walt Disney World’s about-face and opening both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon is pretty simple and straightforward: crowds. Something to keep in mind when planning your water park visit–see Beat Big Crowds & Make the Most of Walt Disney World’s Free Water Park Day in 2025!
Cool Kid Summer at WDW Resort Hotels
Additionally, this summer guests staying at select resorts – Art of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort and Wilderness Lodge – will be able to enjoy even more Disney-themed activities designed for families with kids. These activities will include character visits with set appearance times to help you plan your day and an expanded itinerary of things to do with your family throughout your stay at these four resorts.
Having set schedules at the resorts for character appearances might be nice (as opposed to the Character Caravan, which is still a thing but random and not daily at every resort). This is probably a positive from the perspective of guests who actually care about characters being able to schedule their days around meeting them, but it does remove the “surprise and delight” element from the Character Caravan.
Worth noting is that the set schedules for characters is just one example of what’s coming to Art of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort and Wilderness Lodge for families in Summer 2025. You’ll also be able to enjoy even more Disney-themed activities and an expanded itinerary of things to do with your family throughout your stay at these four resorts.
It’s hard to say what this means, but we always recommend these 4 resorts to families (and everyone else). Check out our Rankings of ALL Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World from Worst to Best. Those are ranked #8, #5, #4 and #1 out of roughly two-dozen hotels. So it’s not really like you’re going out on a limb or taking a leap of faith when booking any of those 4 resorts. They’re great options, regardless. (With that said, if you have your heart set on something else, I also would not switch resorts to one of these–at least, not until we know more about what’s being offered.)
WDW Deals
To add even more magic to your visit, there are great deals to help your family visit this summer:
- 50% Off on Kids Tickets: You can purchase a 3-day or longer kids (ages 3-9) standard ticket for 50% off. This deal is available for visits beginning May 27 through September 20, 2025.
- 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket: Get a 3-day, 3-park ticket starting at $89 per day ($267 total, plus tax) for visits starting on April 6 through September 22, 2025. This ticket is for admission to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom (one theme park per day, not valid for admission to Magic Kingdom).
- Disney Resort Room Deals: Save up to 30% on select Disney Resort hotel rooms when you stay longer for visits beginning August 1 through October 11, 2025. Special deals on rooms are also available for Florida Residents and Annual Passholders. Plus, Disney+ subscribers can save on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels – starting from $99 per night at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort – when staying two nights or longer most nights from June 29 to July 31, 2025.
All told, Walt Disney World has unprecedented discounts that essentially offer 2019 pricing. That post explains how to leverage the various deals to save the most money on a Summer 2025 vacation.
Honestly, that is what “Cool Kid Summer” is all about from my perspective–improving the value proposition of Walt Disney World, especially for young families.
This isn’t super surprising, as Walt Disney World is Worried About Its High Prices has been an ongoing topic since bombshell reporting by the Wall Street Journal. In fact, we offered a thorough discussion of demographics in Disney’s Response to Rising Costs Criticism. That specifically focuses on why Walt Disney World needs to continue attracting its core audience of families with young children.
Ultimately, everything else is gravy. It feels to me like “Cool Kid Summer” is the marketing package put together to tie those discounts into something bigger picture. The character experiences, dance parties, and various activities should all be nice plussings or value-adds, but that’s really all they are. I cannot imagine anyone booking a trip for any of these things–whereas people will for the deals.
If anything, I could see the entertainment component of “Cool Kid Summer” being not all that popular, or most guests completely missing it and having no clue that “Cool Kid Summer” is even a thing. As for the popularity, that largely comes down to many of these things being outdoors during the hottest time of the year.
What I’d like to see Walt Disney World do with a future iteration of “Cool Kid Summer” is put more emphasis on the cool part of the promo, and offer ways to beat the heat. For years, Tokyo Disney Resort has done summer celebrations that lean heavily on water, with entertainment that involves dumping buckets of water on guests and fire hoses, cooling stations, and “get wet” versions of popular rides. That type of thing, along with more indoor activities, is the right idea. GoofyCore Hall is a good start, as are some of the other entertainment offerings during “Cool Kid Summer.”
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think of the “Cool Kid Summer” special event? Will you be taking advantage of the deals during this seasonal offering? Thoughts on the new character experiences/encounters at the parks & resorts this summer? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!