In case you missed it, something Epic is coming to central Florida this summer. That’s right, Disney World is debuting “Cool KID SUMMER” this year! Okay, that’s probably not the first thing that came to mind, which speaks volumes as to what exactly is going on here. In this post, we’ll talk about Disney World’s new marketing effort seasonal celebration and what we expect from Cool KID SUMMER.
Here’s What We Know About Cool Kid Summer
Basically, “Cool KID SUMMER” is just a marketing label that Disney is giving to summer 2025. While there are some offerings that will seemingly be exclusive to this time period, it’s not as if there will be an exclusive parade or nighttime show. I’d be surprised to even see much merchandise.
The major upside of this marketing effort comes in the form of discounts, including 50% off kids’ tickets. Disney has also decided to have both water parks open together for the first time since 2019.
The marketing push also occurs alongside some big new arrivals at the parks. On May 27, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will both debut at Hollywood Studios. Plus, Later this summer will bring the debut of Disney Starlight, the new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom.
But the “core” of Cool KID SUMMER remains a bit unclear. Here’s a look at what Disney has confirmed…
Goofy takes over EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall. EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall (above) is the new indoor flex space in the front area of the park. It’s most often used for seating, but as part of Cool KID SUMMER, Goofy will transform it into the “ultimate game party and play space.”
“Kid Zones” at Magic Kingdom. Disney says Magic Kingdom will have “kid zones with added fun in Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland with Stitch.” As with Goofy at CommuniCore Hall, we don’t yet know what this will include.
I am a bit curious about this entire effort. At the last Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party we attended, there were basic crafts set up in Storybook Circus. This is a “nice” addition, but not really in keeping with the cost of the event. With spaces like Tom Sawyer Island and the Boneyard closing soon, it’s more important than ever for Disney to deliver with these secondary offerings.
Character encounters come to Early Entry. Early Entry allows guests of Disney hotels and select partner hotels access to select rides 30 minutes before the parks open to other guests. As part of Cool KID SUMMER, character “encounters” will be added to Early Entry.
I’m interested to see how this plays out—will these be rare characters or more typical ones? Will they be structured greetings or just roaming characters (a rarity at Disney World). And the logistics are interesting, too. Most recently, Hollywood Studios has all guests entering the park together while only allowing guests with Early Entry to queue for rides. In a situation like this, any character roaming in most areas of the park would be enjoyed by all guests equally.
Unique offerings coming to four hotels. Disney calls out four hotels—Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Wilderness Lodge—as offering “new Disney-themed activities”. Ongoing construction has me staying away from Pop Century this year, but those other three are all excellent hotel options. Until details are announced, I wouldn’t change my hotel pick just for these amorphous offerings, but if I were on the fence I’d be happy to lean toward any of those other three.
Conclusions
Altogether, this seems to be a pretty straightforward marketing push. While I hope some of the offerings surprise—CommuniCore Hall could use a win—I’m not counting on any of this to make or break a 2025 summer trip.
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