Walt Disney World had a modestly-major (is that a contradiction?) news week with several announcements containing concept art, details, dates and more as part of its Play ‘n’ Preview event, ahead of the bigger Destination D23. Some of the more consequential updates fell through the cracks, so we’re breaking down the big announcements and covering what we view as key takeaways…and why.
There were also a few conspicuous omissions that were not shared that otherwise would’ve been logical fits for the presentations. In this case, we’re largely talking about dates. The only announcement on this front is the Zootopia: Better Zoogether opening date & details, which doesn’t make this list of key takeaways because there’s not really much to say. It’s the biggest news from the event, but is more or less as expected–just a couple of weeks early. (Perhaps even more than that, depending on the duration of previews.)
More notable is the lack of timelines about everything else on the horizon in 2026. No specific dates, and not even any seasons. Anyway, here’s the news that stuck out to us, some of which flew under the radar among the announcements…
Cool Kid Summer Returns in 2026
“Cool Kid Summer” is the new summer event at Walt Disney World aimed at families with small children. During this special event, there are new experiences in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom from May 27 through September 1, 2025. These include DJ-fueled dance parties, surprise character appearances, hands-on activities, and more.
In announcing that Cool Kid Summer would return in 2026, Imagineer Michael Hundgen didn’t provide any additional details or dates. He did, however, share his family’s experiences during Cool Kid Summer. Hundgen is the Portfolio Executive Creative Producer for Walt Disney World, and having a Florida-based head Imagineer who actually experiences the parks with his young family as a regular guest is a huge asset. Disneyland has benefited tremendously from this dynamic over the decades.
Let’s be real: Cool Kid Summer was nothing special this year. It strikes me as an “event” that was thrown together very quickly as Walt Disney World tried to market to families and combat mainstream media reports that Walt Disney World was “turning its back” on middle class families. Despite this, I saw tons of families partaking in the activities–Animation Courtyard felt like a dead mall that was somewhat-alive for the first time in years.
I’m cautiously optimistic about Cool Kid Summer getting a sophomore season. Hopefully the inaugural year was a learning experience, and it returns bigger and better next year. I could see it being a Jollywood Nights kind of scenario, with year two offering a marked improvement over the first.
With more time, I hope more emphasis is placed on the cool aspect of Cool Kid Summer, as there are so many creative ways for Walt Disney World to help guests beat the summer heat. Again, we’ll point to the “Get Wet!” ride enhancements and entertainment Tokyo Disney Resort has done for years.
Robin Williams “Lost Boy” Character Returns
Although Walt Disney World did not make any new announcements about the upcoming ‘Magic of Disney Animation’ attraction, they did release a new poster teasing the return of the late Robin Williams’ Lost Boy character from the original attraction’s short film, Back to Neverland, that debuted in 1989.
In Back to Neverland, Williams played a Disney-MGM Studios guest chosen from the crowd by Walter Cronkite to go through the animation process and be turned into a character to enter the world of his favorite film. As the title suggests, Williams heads to Neverland (as a Lost Boy) and battles Captain Hook.
Back to Neverland actually predates Aladdin, in which Williams starred as the voice of the Genie. Although it’s come to be associated with Aladdin, the tourist costume Genie wears at the end of the film is actually a nod to Williams’ stereotypical tourist attire worn in Back to Neverland. Williams’ Lost Boy was also featured in the Once Upon a Studio short film released in honor of the Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary.
Walt Disney World already announced that a film is coming to the Magic of Disney Animation, and honestly, we hope it’s just a revival of Back to Neverland. Although Once Upon a Studio is fantastic and something excellent could be done in that style–and that’s probably what will happen–Back to Neverland still holds up.
Unlike other celebrities who appear in theme park attractions as check-cashing or contractual obligation exercises, Robin Williams (unsurprisingly) gave it his all and is his quintessential larger than life, hilarious self. Captain EO made a comeback after Michael Jackson’s death, and so should this.
New Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Vehicles
Walt Disney World also shared a first look at the new ‘star cruiser’ ride vehicles for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. As you can see, the new vehicles have a look inspired by Star Command, which is perfectly on-theme for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
This is a nice glow-up. The previous ride vehicles were originals, dating back decades and serving faithfully to prior iterations of the flight-centric attractions that have occupied this space. Also of note is that these ride vehicles have real-time video displays for scoring, and they do not max out at 999,999. (Imagineers said the scoring is unlimited, to which we say, challenge accepted.)
Although it’s not new-news, Imagineering reiterated that each ride vehicle will now include handheld blasters for better aim, helping guests to score even more points. These enhanced blasters will also include an always-on laser and come in two different colors per star cruiser, in addition to new lighting, sound and vibration effects, so players know where they’re aiming throughout the mission.
The static Z targets found in the attraction today will be upgraded with new technology that will allow them to react and light up when hit. It also opens the door for a few other ideas Imagineers have in mind.
Equally significant here was the lack of updates about a reopening date or season for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, suggesting it’s not before Spring Break. We anticipate the reimagining will take much longer than that, and will be one of the offerings for Cool Kid Summer 2026. Expect a bigger reveal and more surprises on the horizon.
New Rainbow Caverns Scene in Big Thunder
For around a year, Disney has been promising “new magic” in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We now know that one such instance of this is when the trains rattle their way underground to spectacular natural caverns full of phosphorescent pools, shimmering and illuminating iridescent stalagmites (the ones on the floor) and stalactites (the ones on the ceiling). Plus, hundreds of bats!
The Rainbow Caverns are beautiful, true to their name with a scene that’s more vibrant than before. But then a flash of lightning reveals that they aren’t as friendly as they first appear. That menacing rumble from deep within the mountain may be a sign that we aren’t welcome and shouldn’t venture deeper.
I’m a sucker for good lighting, and this has the potential to be a nice plussing to Big Thunder. But honestly, I also have a “that’s it?” reaction to this news. I’m aware that the whole point of this project is the track replacement. That’s the bulk of the budget and what’s taking so long. But that isn’t exactly marketable, and Imagineering has perfected a ton of technology–projection mapping, lighting, physical effects, etc–over the last decade since BTMRR was redone at Disneyland.
My hope and expectation was that Walt Disney World’s version of the ride would follow the template of the Disneyland version, while also pulling from the playbook of Jungle Cruise at Tokyo Disneyland and other more recently enhanced classic attractions. Hopefully that’s still the plan, with bigger and better reveals on the horizon. It doesn’t make much sense for Disney to cheap out on enhancing the show scenes, as whatever money spent there is significantly less than the track replacement project as a whole, but what’ll see the outsized return.
No Big Thunder Reopening Date
Takeaways are as much in what was not said as what was revealed. In this case, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad not getting an official reopening date or even a season suggests one of two things.
The first is that it’s not as close as many fans are hoping. Certainly not as soon as a surprise Christmas 2025 return, which was further reinforced by reference to its 2026 return. Even if this were tracking for January or February, my hunch is that we would’ve received an “early 2026” timeline.
The second is that a bigger reveal is planned for Big Thunder in the future. One that will include the reopening season, more concept art of other enhancements, and details about the restoration and refurbishment. This is the type of topic that would’ve been perfect for Destination D23. It’s honestly odd that there’s not a dedicated ‘Disney Mountains’ panel with an emphasis on BTMRR, especially given that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and TRON Lightcycle Run (both mountain-adjacent) have opened recently.
Zootopia Meet & Greet at Animal Kingdom
Not only will you see Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde at Zootopia: Better Zoogether, but the pair will be greeting guests at Discovery Island near the Tree of Life at the Zoogether Day Gathering Spot.
You’ll find Judy and Nick sporting new looks from Zootopia 2, and they’ll be delighted to give you a hug and shake your paw.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether is opening right before DINOSAUR and the rest of Dinoland close. Part of the reason that DINOSAUR hasn’t closed already is probably because Animal Kingdom can’t afford to lose yet another attraction. Even so, this is swapping an E-Ticket thrill ride for a show. Animal Kingdom is going to need all the help it can get in 2026, and “more meet & greets” and quick hits aimed at families is probably the best fix.
Audio Animatronics in Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
During the pre-show of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, you’ll be welcomed inside the recording studio, where you’ll find the Electric Mayhem are cranking out some seriously rocking tunes. Along with the finest penguin audio engineers, we’ll see Scooter doing his best to convince Electric Mayhem to stop jamming and get to their increasingly restless fans.
As is probably pretty obvious, this pre-show occupies the exact same space as the current Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. It even uses the same style, with the Electric Mayhem Band on the other side of the recording studio “glass” via a large screen. Also appearing on separate screens flanking the main one are Kermit and Miss Piggy.
What’s less obvious is that Scooter and the penguin audio engineers are Audio Animatronics! This is a huge win for an attraction that we previously expected to be an efficient and inexpensive project–a “no dough” reimagining that was a passion project for Imagineers, as opposed to a well-funded one. Disney has already teased that there are more reveals in store for RnRC, so we hope that this means even more changes from a show perspective.
Electric Mayhem Performs on Board Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
With the help from our friends at Muppet Labs and a very fast limousine, we’ll take a twisting, turning, and screamingly fun road trip across Hollywood to reach the concert in time during the ride experience of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets. Along the road, the iconic scenery and landmarks of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist.
Throughout the very fast limousine ride, you’ll hear the Electric Mayhem playing some of the most iconic, rockin’ hits in your ears to keep the music and adrenaline pumping. Walt Disney World also teased that G-Force Records could release a concert setlist soon.
The big takeaway here is that Electric Mayhem will play covers of hit rock music. It won’t be their music (as some fans hoped), and it won’t be regular rock music (like Cosmic Rewind, and as we expected). This is somewhere in between.
I am personally excited for this, as I think it opens the door for humorous interludes, and I enjoy Electric Mayhem. I also think the Muppets are at their best when reinterpreting others’ material. I’m also a little nervous, as I’m not sure if the average guest response will be as strong. Regardless, great to see Imagineering take a bigger swing and get the budget and autonomy to do something more ambitious with the RnRC reimagining.
No RnRC Dates
This is not hugely shocking, as Walt Disney World’s typical approach is announcing closing dates as part of ‘guest experience updates’ that are added as website alerts and distributed to media and travel agents. This isn’t just about wanting to not announce “bad news” at press conferences, it’s also about giving a chance to notify impacted Cast Members so they don’t find out news about their jobs at a splashy event.
In any case, it’s tough to announce an opening date or season for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets without sharing the closing date for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. My guess is that the closing date will be shared sometime in September, probably alongside a ‘guest experience update’ that reveals extinction dates for DINOSAUR and the rest of Dinoland.
Tom Morrow 2.0 Returns
Walt Disney Imagineering has released the first episode of Imagineer That! with Tom Morrow 2.0, its Audio Animatronics host, on YouTube. During this series, you’ll hear directly from the creative minds designing Disney’s theme parks. Tom Morrow 2.0 will ask your questions and cracking a joke or two along the way.
During his reintroduction, Disney teased that viewers should keep their eyes peeled during each episode: “You never know what you might spot in the background.” Meaning that Easter Eggs for past projects and teases about future ones will be featured. The next episode of Imagineer That! comes out September 15th.
This is a reboot of interstitials hosted from EPCOT by Tom Morrow 2.0 that aired on Disney Channel in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Guests could also meet Tom Morrow 2.0 at Innoventions in EPCOT, where he served as a mascot of sorts for the interactive exhibits until 2007.
I only vaguely remember Tom Morrow 2.0 from Innoventions and never saw the Disney Channel interstitials, but I was surprised to learn there’s a lot of Tom Morrow 2.0 lore. He later matter an appearance in Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration, and canonically, now belongs to Robo-Mart, the parent company of X-S Tech, the evil corporation in the extinct Alien Encounter that was replaced by Stitch’s Great Escape. It’ll be interesting to hear how Imagineering reacquired Tom Morrow 2.0 from Robo-Mart. Perhaps a robot swap via Buy ‘n Large?
This is only a YouTube series and not an in-park presence for now, but it would be fantastic if Tom Morrow 2.0 also found his way to CommuniCore Hall. Walt Disney Imagineering has a great robots program, and it’s great to see that on full display with characters like Tom Morrow 2.0, as well as HERBIE in Tomorrowland at Disneyland and the BDX Droids in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
It would be fantastic for some of those robotics to have a permanent, indoor home. Walt Disney World did not announce any food booths or programming for CommuniCore Hall, but apparently I’m the only one who thinks this is a potentially big deal. I don’t actually expect a Tom Morrow 2.0 takeover, but anything to put lipstick on CommuniCore Hall would be very welcome. And it would be fitting for a revival of the Audio Animatronics, following a reboot of his series on YouTube and of CommuniCore at EPCOT!
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Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts about this news? Pleased to see Cool Kid Summer get a second chance, or should Walt Disney World do a different summer event? What about a return of Robin Williams in the Magic of Disney Animation? Predictions about as yet unannounced opening & closing dates? Agree or disagree with our assessment of the news? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
