Cool KIDS’ SUMMER is now underway across Walt Disney World for 2026, with family programming in all four theme parks, Disney Springs, both water parks, and select resort hotels.
The dates are May 26 through Sept. 8. Bluey and Bingo are at Conservation Station. Goofy has a party inside CommuniCore Hall. Disney Jr. takes over Animation Courtyard. Jessie and Toy Story friends move into Diamond Horseshoe. Disney Springs has evening dance parties, the Drawn to Life child-ticket offer, and Level99 opening June 29 on the West Side.
Dates and the basic idea
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER starts May 26 and runs through Sept. 8. The lineup gives families more kid-friendly things to do without making every plan depend on a headliner ride time.
Do not treat it like a festival with one central booth area. This is spread out. The best version of the trip builds one or two Cool KIDS’ SUMMER stops into each park day instead of trying to chase every offering in one sprint.
Park-by-park lineup
Each park has a different job. Disney’s Animal Kingdom gets the biggest new family character draw. EPCOT gets an indoor dance-and-game space. Disney’s Hollywood Studios gets the new Disney Jr. show and character zone. Magic Kingdom gets the Toy Story roundup inside Diamond Horseshoe.
That spread is useful. It gives families an indoor or lower-pressure target in each park, which is exactly what summer touring needs when the afternoon turns sticky.
Animal Kingdom: Bluey’s Wild World
Bluey and Bingo opened May 26 at Conservation Station after a May 25 soft opening. The experience used My Disney Experience virtual queue access during opening week, then switches to standby beginning June 2. That makes the Animal Kingdom piece easier to plan, though the Wildlife Express Train still turns it into a real time block.
Guests reach the area by taking the Wildlife Express Train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which automatically makes this a different kind of character plan. You cannot casually drift past it on the way to a ride.
The setup includes games from Bluey episodes, a photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo, and Jumping Junction, where guests can learn about animals from Australia. Build in train time both ways. Conservation Station can be a great midday reset, but it is not a five-minute detour.
EPCOT: GoofyCore at CommuniCore Hall
GoofyCore brings DJ-led dancing and oversized games to CommuniCore Hall. The location is the important part. EPCOT can be a tough summer park for small kids because so much of the day involves walking through open spaces. CommuniCore Hall gives families a central, air-conditioned target that does not require a long ride queue.
The activity names sound silly because they are supposed to: Loopy Limbo, Parachutes ’n Pipsqueaks, and other movement-heavy games. If your kids are bouncing off the walls after lunch, this is where that energy can go.
Hollywood Studios: Disney Jr. and Animation Courtyard
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live opened May 26 at Hollywood Studios. The show follows Mickey and Minnie as they look for Goofy, Daisy, and Pluto, with songs and interactive moments aimed at younger guests.
Animation Courtyard also gets a Disney Jr. Zone with Sofia the First and Bitsy from SuperKitties. This is probably the most obvious relief valve for families trying to balance Hollywood Studios headliners with younger kids who are not tall enough, patient enough, or interested enough for every thrill ride.
Magic Kingdom: Jessie’s Roundup
Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue takes over Diamond Horseshoe for the summer, with Jessie, Woody, Bullseye, songs, dancing, games, and Toy Story energy in an indoor Frontierland space.
This should work best as a break between ride blocks. Pair it with Adventureland or Frontierland plans, then let the kids burn energy before you ask them to stand still for fireworks later. If Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is on the list, keep an eye on its updated vehicles, handheld blasters, and new Buddy support bot too.
Disney Springs and the water parks
Disney Springs adds the DescenDANCE Party x Camp Rock Jam in the Marketplace every Tuesday through Thursday from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The evening party uses music from Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, Camp Rock 3, and other Disney Channel favorites.
Disney Springs also has a Drawn to Life child-ticket offer. Guests buying an adult ticket can get a $25 child ticket for ages 2 through 12 for shows from May 27 through Sept. 20, with purchases available through Sept. 6.
Level99 opens June 29 next to Drawn to Life and across from House of Blues Restaurant & Bar. Tickets are on sale for the social gaming venue, which has 63 Challenge Rooms and Player-vs-Player Duels, more than 40 original art pieces, and a two-story bar with Detroit-style pizza, wagyu burgers, cocktails, and beer.
Six Ravens is also headed to The Landing at Disney Springs with grab-and-go hand pies called Coffyns, smashed potatoes, dips, and local beers made with Orlando restaurants. Vans opens at Disney Springs this month, Oakley has reopened with a refreshed store, and Morimoto Asia has a Kakigori Kool cart serving Japanese shaved ice outside the restaurant.
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop will move to a temporary Town Center location later this summer while the Marketplace shop is remodeled for 2027. Goofy’s Candy Company is getting a create-your-own popcorn option with caramel, buttered, and orange citrus popcorn, chocolate drizzle, and candy mix-ins.
AMC Disney Springs 24 gives families another non-park option during the heat of the day, with Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu, Toy Story 5, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and the live-action Moana all part of the summer movie lineup.
The water parks get character energy too. Goofy appears in beach style at Blizzard Beach, while Stitch brings his usual chaos to Typhoon Lagoon. Both water parks are open this summer, and that makes the check-in day water park benefit far more useful than it would be in a one-water-park season.
Snacks under $10
Walt Disney World added a limited-time Cool KIDS' SUMMER snack list with drinks, sweets, and small savory items under $10 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Typhoon Lagoon.
Magic Kingdom has the Zurg Overload Shake and Space Ranger Float at Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies. At Animal Kingdom, Bluey's Berry Lemonade is available at Eight Spoon Cafe and Pizzafari, while Pizzafari also has the Wackadoo Fruit Freeze and Fairy Bread Cake.
EPCOT's GRAB-N-GOOF has Goofy's Gone Fishing, Gawrsh! Worms Everywhere Cake, Chicken Goof-ups, and the Goof Troop Mac Snack. The useful part is the price ceiling. These are easier to work into a summer day than another full meal or table-service break.
Hotel perks and family extras
Disney Resort hotel guests get free admission to a Disney water park on their check-in day. That perk has been one of Disney World’s strongest family add-ons because it can turn arrival day into pool time instead of luggage, lobby, and dinner.
Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Port Orleans Resort - Riverside also get extra summertime family programming. The resort add-ons include scheduled character visits, kids’ care items such as bottle warmers and infant bathtubs, curated children’s libraries, pajama-party story time on select evenings, pool activities, campfires, marshmallows, and sing-alongs. That is very specific help for families traveling with younger kids.
Tickets, dining offers, and room savings
The 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket starts at $436 plus tax, or $109 per day, for visits between May 26 and Oct. 3. It gives one admission to each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks and must be used within seven days of first use.
The free dining plan offer applies to eligible non-discounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company packages with Park Hopper tickets, booked between March 12 and April 30, for select 2026 travel windows. Longer stays can also unlock room savings. The broad summer room offer reaches up to 30% for select Disney Resorts Collection stays of five nights or more from July 30 through Oct. 3. Florida residents and Annual Passholders have deeper room-discount ceilings during that same window.
Families can also use early-summer room savings for select Disney Resorts Collection stays of five nights or more through July 29 and a Disney+ Perks room offer for two-night or longer stays from June 21 through Aug. 15. Separate-ticket Disney After Hours nights continue during the summer at Hollywood Studios through Sept. 12, EPCOT through Sept. 24, and Magic Kingdom through July 27.
Family strategy
Use the summer offerings as anchors, not chores. Pick one kid-focused stop per park day, then let the rest of the plan breathe. Animal Kingdom can be Bluey plus safaris. EPCOT can be GoofyCore plus Frozen or Remy. Hollywood Studios can be Disney Jr. plus Toy Story Land. Magic Kingdom can be Jessie plus the rides your kids already talk about at home.
The best summer plan still respects Florida weather. Do outdoor rides and animal trails earlier, move toward indoor shows and games after lunch, and keep a water park or pool break in your back pocket. The whole point of this lineup is that families have more places to go when the afternoon needs a reset.
Image credit: Disney Parks Blog.