May 23, 2026, 2:41 AM ·
Time for the week in review!I spent the past week in Orlando, where Walt Disney World was hosting a national press event for its “Cool Kids Summer” and new attractions. I will get to those reviews in a moment, but wanted to write a bit first about why Disney is leaning into its Cool Kids Summer promotion for a second year.As anyone who lives in Central Florida or has visited in a recent summer knows, the weather here can be brutal in the middle of the year. But parents with school-age children often do not have the schedule flexility to come to Orlando from mid-October to early April, when the weather is at its best.For them, it’s summer or bust, so Disney is crafting promotions to lure those families down to Florida for a Disney vacation. Obviously, the “Cool” in Cool Kids Summer serve a dual purpose, both to position a Disney visit as something that a “cool kid” would do and to at least plant the whisper of a suggestion that it might not be unbearably hot in Orlando during the summer vacation months.I do not how successful either attempt at suggestive marketing might be, but I do know that Disney is backing up its words with deals. Disney is offering free Disney Dining Plans for kids ages 3-9 with adult purchases, as well as hotel and ticket package discounts, and an after 2pm theme park ticket.We talked about that specific deal before [Walt Disney World offers new summer afternoon ticket deal], and I think that another name for that offer might be the “we know you don’t want to be outside in the parks between 10am and 2pm, so let’s not bother” ticket. If that helps save a family some money while keeping them comfortable, what’s not to like about that option?The fact that many visitors have switched to visiting Disney during the holidays and spring break season clears the inventory that allows the resort to offer deals during the summer months, something that Disney almost never did when the summer was its high season and no one save climate scientists knew was a “web bulb temperature” was.In addition to the deals, Disney also is offering special programming during the summer vacation season to increase its appeal to families. The Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe is hosting Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue!, while EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall presents GoofyCore, with both venues providing a space for families to connect with beloved Disney characters while enjoying some shade and air conditioning. Disney’s resort hotels also are hosting special character appearances and activities during the summer.What’s new at DisneyBeyond the summer-only stuff, Disney is working to maintain its appeal to vacationers with new and refreshed permanent attractions. This week, Disney opened the first phase of its Walt Disney Studios land in the former Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Walt Disney Studios at Walt Disney WorldIn addition to hosting the new The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure show that I reviewed when it opened last year [see ‘The Little Mermaid’ returns on stage at Walt Disney World], this land is home to the new east coast installation of the Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! that debuted at Disney California Adventure last year.I love this show for its music and energy. It does what it seeks to do wonderfully, entertaining kids while putting a smile on their parents’ faces. It’s grown on me in the year since it debuted in California and I would recommend it as a delightful mid-day treat for families whose kids love Disney Jr.Next up in the land will be the Magic of Disney Animation attraction, an indoor character interaction zone that is set to open later this year. Look for more information about that next week.Joining Mickey in Hollywood Studios is the revamped Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, now Starring the Muppets, which opens officially on Tuesday. You can read my review and watch my pre-show and on-ride video here: Disney upgrades Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with The Muppets.Across the park, Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge has welcomed The Mandalorian and Grogu onto a new mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Disney has upgraded the game engine on this interactive motion base attraction. It also has created new roles for the Engineer position on the ride, helping to make this an even more fun and engaging adventure for families. Again, here is my review and on-ride video: Flying Disney’s theme park ride with The Mandalorian and Grogu.Over at EPCOT, this summer’s new attraction is Soarin’ Across America, a new version of The Land pavilion’s popular flying theater ride. Here is the review and POV video: Disney invites fans to celebrate 250 by Soarin’ Across America. No spoiler right here, but I remain Team California when it comes to Soarin’. But the joy of “flying” and enjoying the smells remains constant across all three versions.Finally, in addition to Soarin’ opening on Tuesday, the character interaction experience Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station debuts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.What’s updated at DisneyWalt Disney World recently has refreshed three other of its top attractions: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, now with new carts, targets, guns and improved gameplay:Frozen Ever After, with new Audio Animatronics:And Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which was completely retracked:I am a former Big Thunder cast member, so I especially enjoyed riding this one and connecting with the current crew at the “wildest ride in the wilderness.” Read Disney’s Big Thunder earns its spot atop its coaster class for more thoughts about this popular ride.Wrapping up the news from Walt Disney World, congratulations to former Jungle Cruise skipper Joe Schott, who this week was named WDW’s new president.Happy birthday to Epic UniverseFriday was the first anniversary of the official opening of Universal Epic Universe. Universal marked the occasion with the debut of a new Captain Cacao meet and greet character. [See Universal celebrates Epic’s birthday with new, original IP.]Universal Orlando also invited me to talk with Epic’s VP and GM, who shared his thoughts about the park’s creation and its future: Let’s talk about Universal Epic Universe’s first year.Thank you for reading and for sharing links to my work via email and social media. With AI taking over search engines, personal recommendations are the best way to connect more people with actual human writers on the Internet. So thank you again for your support.
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