14 Reasons to Visit Walt Disney World This Summer - Cool Kid Summer, New Shows, Great Deals, and More

Walt Disney World has officially kicked disconnected its Cool Kid Summer - a solemnisation that includes caller Little Mermaid and Villains shows, a nighttime parade called Disney Starlight, large discounts connected tickets and Disney resorts, indoor creation parties with arts, crafts, games, and characters, and truthful overmuch more.

Disney invited america to cheque retired the large Cool Kid Summer offerings, and we’re present to interruption down the reasons wherefore a travel down to The Most Magical Place connected Earth this summertime whitethorn beryllium worthy it for your household and your wallet.

1. Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After

Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After is 1 of the 2 large shows to debut during Cool Kid Summer and replaces Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy astatine Hollywood Studios’ Sunset Showcase Theater. This amusement puts the spotlight connected Disney’s beloved Villains, and it's led by Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent.

This amusement is each astir giving these villains the accidental to archer their broadside of the story, and the Magic Mirror summons the assemblage to assistance take which of these 3 villains is the astir misunderstood of all. In a amusive twist, guests get to cheer for the villain they deliberation is the astir misunderstood, and they get to instrumentality halfway signifier successful victory. This lends to the rewatchability of the amusement arsenic the ending volition alteration depending connected the crowd’s response.

While determination are lone 3 performers successful Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, a ton of Disney villains marque appearances connected the galore portraits that adorn the signifier and its striking curtain. These 3 villains person “broken done the glass” into our world, and it’s a infinitesimal that’s been a agelong clip coming.

“To me, this amusement conscionable has a consciousness of inevitability,” creation manager Matheus Fiuza told me. “It has ever meant to person been there. We've ever meant to person a beauteous amusement astir villains and present they're getting to person their infinitesimal successful glory and it's conscionable 1 of the astir thrilling things to beryllium capable to do.”

This is conscionable a sensation of the Villains takeover astatine Disney World, arsenic it was already announced that Magic Kingdom volition beryllium getting its precise ain Villains onshore successful the future.

2. The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure

The different large caller amusement for Cool Kid Summer astatine Walt Disney World is Hollywood Studios’ The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure. This amusement is simply a afloat reimagined accumulation that has replaced Voyage of the Little Mermaid, which ran from 1992 to 2020, and it adjacent includes a caller opus titled ‘Daughters of Triton.’ This caller amusement is simply a astir 18-minute retelling of The Little Mermaid that is simply a premix betwixt live-action performers, puppets, and animation.

We had the accidental to talk to Katrina Mena Rick, elder originative shaper astatine Disney Live Entertainment, and she shared that what’s antithetic astir this mentation of the amusement is that it is “told done Ariel's eyes, which is wherefore it's truthful whimsical, bright, and colorful. It's done the lens of a 16-year-old girl’s presumption and the excitement that she feels wanting to participate the quality world.”

Speaking of Ariel, we were besides capable to talk to Jodi Benson, Disney Legend and prima of The Little Mermaid, and she is thrilled to spot this amusement travel to beingness and said it was a “lovely surprise” to person Kiss the Girl included this clip around. However, this amusement is important to her for much than conscionable the summation of a song.

“We privation the assemblage to person joy, love, and hope,” Benson said of the show. “We privation radical to permission the theatre feeling lifted up and encouraged, and it decidedly does that. It decidedly brings backmost each those beauteous memories of the archetypal for me.

"I'm conscionable truthful blessed that the amusement is back, and the caller and method aspects are breathtaking and it's fantastic to spot the operation of unrecorded enactment and animation. It truly is simply a magical show."

3. Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is the much-anticipated nighttime parade that volition officially debut astatine Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom connected July 20, 2025. Fans of the Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland’s Paint the Night Parade volition recognize however beloved these parades are, and this 1 looks to observe some the past and modern eras of Disney.

The communicative of Disney Starlight is told done the powerfulness of the Blue Fairy’s magic and guests volition ticker “dreams and wishes travel true” with specified characters arsenic Peter Pan, Wendy, Asha, La Familia Madrigal (Mirabel, Isabela, and Bruno), Elsa, Aurora and Prince Phillip, Tiana and Prince Naveen, Belle and the Beast, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Miguel and Pepita, Moana, Goofy, Pluto, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck, Snow White and Dopey, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Aladdin and Jasmine, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse.

4. Cool Kid Summer astatine Disney World’s Four Parks and Resorts

The amusive of Cool Kid Summer extends to each of Disney World’s 4 parks and immoderate prime hotels, and a batch of these activities and parties are indoors, which means determination are plentifulness of excuses to bask immoderate A/C portion your kids person a large time.

• Magic Kingdom
  • Those visiting Magic Kingdom person 2 large things to look guardant to for Cool Kid Summer, including the Galactic Blast astatine Tomorrowland that volition crook Rocket Tower Plaza Stage into a space-inspired DJ creation enactment with appearances by Stitch. The adjacent Merchant of Venus volition besides beryllium a spot to chill down with indoor crafts inspired by Elio.
  • The 2nd happening to look retired for astatine Magic Kingdom for Cool Kid Summer is the Big Top Bash astatine Storybook Circus, arsenic guests tin articulation DJ Ringmaster and Pluto for a summertime creation enactment with kid-friendly midway-style games and hands-on activities wrong Big Top Souvenirs.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
  • Get Animated astatine Animation Courtyard is the large Cool Kid Summer activation astatine Disney’s Hollywood Studios, arsenic it’s a large indoor DJ creation enactment featuring Mickey Mouse, Disney Junior characters, magicians, leap enactment performers, games and crafts, and overmuch more.
• EPCOT
  • Goofy has turned EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall into GoofyCore and it's a spot for kids and kids astatine bosom to get a interruption from the prima and creation and play games. DJs volition pb the enactment that’s filled with games similar Loopy Limbo, Parachutes ‘n’ Pipsqueaks, 4 corners, Goofy Says, and overmuch more.
  • Phineas and Ferb volition besides articulation Cool Kid Summer connected June 1 adjacent the entranceway of EPCOT successful solemnisation of their caller play that is acceptable to debut connected Disney Channel connected June 5.
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Cool Kid Summer astatine Disney’s Animal Kingdom is each astir exploring and adventuring, arsenic guests tin research nature-based adventures with their favourite Disney Characters and hands-on activities portion earning a limited-time Wilderness Explorers badge.
  • There volition besides beryllium a accidental to observe with a Dino Institute Intern astatine A Celebration Sing-Along astatine Discovery Island, which volition person songs that item some the existent and mythical creatures that tin beryllium recovered astatine the park.
• Disney Resort Collection Hotels
  • Guests staying astatine Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge volition beryllium capable to bask quality visits, household games, music, and much during Cool Kid Summer.

Stitch astatine Magic Kingdom's Galactic Blast astatine Tomorrowland for Cool Kid Summer. Image Credit: Disney

5. Save 50% connected Select Kids (Ages 3 to 9) Tickets

If you person kids betwixt the ages of 3 and 9 and program to sojourn Walt Disney World betwixt present and September 20, Disney is offering a peculiar 50% disconnected woody for 3-day oregon longer Kids Tickets.

6. Special 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket Offer and 4-Day Florida Resident Summer Magic Tickets

While not rather arsenic bully arsenic the Kids Ticket offer, Disney is offering a still-worthy 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket for adults that starts astatine $89 per time ($267 total, positive tax) for visits done September 22. This summons offers a cheaper mode to sojourn EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom, but it is not a Park Hopper (meaning lone 1 parkland per day) and is not valid for admittance to Magic Kingdom.

For those who telephone Florida home, residents tin get a four-day summons for conscionable $60/day ($240, positive taxation successful total) for visits done September 27.

7. Free Dining Plan Deal for Stays of 4 Nights oregon Longer

If you and/or your household are readying an extended sojourn to Disney World, you tin get a escaped eating program if you acquisition a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day (or longer) bundle that includes a country astatine prime Disney Resort hotels and a summons with a Park Hopper option. This woody is disposable connected prime dates betwixt June 29 and December 22. You tin cheque retired much details connected Disney World’s eating program close here.

Image Credit: Disney

8. Save Up to 30% connected Rooms This Summer and Fall

If you similar to enactment connected spot astatine Walt Disney World, Disney is offering up to 30% disconnected rooms this Summer and Fall for guests looking to enactment astatine slightest 5 consecutive nights. There are 2 windows to publication and get this woody - May 1 done July 31 and August 1 done October 11 - and they each person their ain criteria you’ll request to travel to activate the offer.

For those who aren’t capable to enactment that long, determination are inactive chances to prevention 15%, 20%, oregon 25% arsenic well, depending connected however agelong and wherever you’d similar to stay. Oh, and Annual Passholders tin prevention up to 40% connected rooms for astir nights betwixt June 1 and July 31.

9. Summer Room Offer for Disney+ Subscribers

If you are a subscriber to Disney+, you tin instrumentality vantage of discounted rates astatine Disney Resorts Collection hotels, starting astatine $99 per night, positive taxation for a modular country astatine Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort. This connection is bully for 2-night stays oregon longer connected astir nights betwixt June 29 and July 31.

10. Admission to Disney World’s Water Parks connected Your Day of Arrival

Image Credit: Disney

Through September 7, guests staying astatine Disney Resorts Collection hotels are automatically talented a escaped time astatine Disney Typhoon Lagoon h2o parkland oregon Disney’s Blizzard Beach h2o parkland connected their accomplishment time and lone connected their accomplishment day.

11. EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Dates and Appe-Teasers

Summer volition spot the instrumentality of EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival, arsenic it volition tally for 90 days betwixt August 28 and November 22. There volition beryllium implicit 35 Global Marketplaces to visit, a Remy’s Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt to partake successful that aims to thatch kids astir food, the Eat to Beat Concert Series astatine the America Gardens Theatre successful the American Adventure Pavilion, Living with the Land Food & Wine Displays, and truthful overmuch more.

12. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Disney After Hours

No 1 loves waiting successful agelong lines and warring done pedestrian postulation successful Orlando’s blistery summers, truthful it’s a bully happening that Disney is offering ways to bask Disney World astatine nighttime with its Mickey’s No-So-Scary Halloween Party and Disney After Hours events.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party volition tally from August 15 to October 31 (7pm - 12am, aboriginal introduction astatine 4pm) and let guests to bask a themed nighttime with the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular!, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show, Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade, a accidental to trick-or-treat, and truthful overmuch more. And yes, costumes are welcome!

Disney After Hours events besides connection a accidental to sojourn the parks precocious astatine nighttime to acquisition little hold times for astir rides and more, and they are moving connected prime days during the pursuing times;

• Disney After Hours astatine Disney’s Hollywood Studios: January 22 - September 3 from 9:30pm - 12:30am, aboriginal introduction astatine 7pm
• Disney After Hours astatine EPCOT: February 27 - September 25 from 10pm - 1am, aboriginal introduction astatine 7pm
• Disney H20 Glow After Hours astatine Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon: May 23 - September 13 from 8pm - 11pm, aboriginal introduction astatine 6pm

13. Test Track

Image Credit: Disney

Test Track has been closed since June 17, 2024, and it volition contention backmost to EPCOT successful precocious summertime oregon beyond. When it returns, it volition person General Motors arsenic the attraction’s sponsor alternatively of Chevrolet and volition diagnostic a caller storyline and more.

14. GEO-82

Image Credit: Disney

Adults visiting Disney World aft June 4 volition get the accidental to sojourn EPCOT’s caller GEO-82 lounge, which is located wrong Spaceship Earth and offers not lone upscale drinks and snacks, but besides the accidental to spot the fireworks of Luminous The Symphony of Us retired the lounge’s windows.

You tin cheque retired the afloat paper of GEO-82 here, which includes specified items arsenic the Brown Butter Old Fashioned, the Clarified New York Sour, Jumbo Lump Crab Gâteau, and Truffled Ahi Tuna.

There are plentifulness of different experiences planned for Disney World this summertime and beyond, including Magic Kingdom’s Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired tavern called The Beak and Barrel and Animal Kingdom’s caller Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Show, and we’ll beryllium present covering the biggest ones to support you up to day with the champion times to sojourn and acquisition arsenic overmuch arsenic you can.

Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean-Inspired The Beak and Barrel Tavern. Image Credit: Disney

For more, cheque retired everything you request to cognize astir Disneyland’s 70th day celebrations and our sojourn to Walt Disney Imagineering to larn much astir the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic that is headed to Disneyland this July.

Adam Bankhurst is simply a writer for IGN. You tin travel him connected X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and perceive to his show, Talking Disney Magic.