After a very successful first run in 2025, the Cool KIDS’ SUMMER event at Walt Disney World has returned this year with plenty of entertainment and characters for younger guests. In this article, I’ll walk you through everything you can expect during this celebration, along with my honest opinion after experiencing it firsthand this year.
What Is Cool KIDS’ SUMMER?
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER is the name Disney has given to its special summer-season entertainment offerings. This year’s season runs from May 26 through September 8, 2026. Most of the entertainment is geared toward younger children and is included with park admission or with your stay at the official Disney Resort hotels participating in the program.
What makes Cool KIDS’ SUMMER special is how well it combines new entertainment for younger children with indoor, air-conditioned spaces that give adults a welcome break from Florida’s sometimes oppressive summer heat.
You’ll find the full lineup of entertainment and activities in the My Disney Experience app and on the dedicated Cool KIDS’ SUMMER maps available free of charge at the map stands throughout the parks.
Beyond the special entertainment, you’ll also find limited-time snacks, character meet-and-greets, and activities and games for kids. Here’s a look at the highlights across all four parks.
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World’s most-visited park presents Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue presented by Babybel. Located in the Diamond Horseshoe – which is not operating as a restaurant during this season – it offers an indoor space with interactive games for kids and, as its main draw, a show featuring Jessie, Woody, and/or Bullseye with music, dancing, songs, and recreational activities. The character shows run on rotation roughly every 15 minutes, and the space stays open throughout the day for you to enjoy.
Without a doubt, the chance to see the Toy Story characters with no wait times or lines, in an indoor, air-conditioned setting, is the biggest highlight of Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue – especially now, with a new film in the franchise on the way and much of Frontierland under refurbishment.
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
Perhaps one of this year’s most anticipated additions at Walt Disney World is the presence of Bluey and Bingo in Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station. This is a complete reimagining of Conservation Station that includes two distinct activities: the Bluey show and Jumping Junction, which – at least for now – offers views of animals native to Australia from behind a fence.
The Bluey show was one of my favorites of the entire Cool KIDS’ SUMMER lineup. It’s a loud, chaotic, and genuinely fun experience – exactly the kind of thing more outgoing kids will love. I also really appreciated that the characters share the same space as guests and interact with them directly, something you don’t often see in other Walt Disney World shows.
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at EPCOT
Returning for a second consecutive year, GoofyCore at EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall offers an experience similar to Bluey’s but with Goofy: the character plays and dances with the kids in a chaotic, loud, music-filled setting. Unlike the Encanto show staged just outside, here you can sit down and rest in the shade and air conditioning while your kids have fun.
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The star of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER at this park is Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, featuring Mickey and his friends in a song-and-dance show. It’s far less interactive than the ones above, but no less fun for it.
Something that adds a great deal to the experience at this park is the opening of The Walt Disney Studios – the former Animation Courtyard, now completely reimagined. In my opinion, it’s an excellent addition to the park, with plenty of characters roaming the area during the season, plus new spaces set to arrive later in the summer.
Cool KIDS’ SUMMER Beyond the Parks
At Disney’s water parks – which, around these same dates, include complimentary access to either one on your hotel check-in day – you’ll also find character meet-and-greets such as Goofy at Blizzard Beach and Stitch at Typhoon Lagoon.
Disney Springs also offers the DescenDANCE Party x Camp Rock Jam experience Tuesday through Thursday, beginning May 26, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m.
But the biggest draw, without question, is the Disney Resort hotels that are part of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER. This year those hotels are Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside.
I had the chance to stay at three of them last month – all except Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. As part of the Cool KIDS’ SUMMER program, you can request a small gift at the hotel front desk if you’re traveling with young children, and the special recreational activities include character meet-and-greets, pool parties, storytime pajama parties featuring readings of Disney stories, and more. All in all, it’s a wonderfully complete offering for enjoying relaxing days at the resort without heading into the parks.
Watch our complete Cool KIDS’ SUMMER 2026 video guide here:
My Honest Take on Cool KIDS’ SUMMER
As I was leaving one of the Bluey experiences at Animal Kingdom, I overheard a child tell his mother with pure excitement, “That was amazing!” I think that, as adults, we sometimes forget that cutting-edge technology – the “wow” factor behind so many park attractions, or the way shows like Happily Ever After lean on nostalgia – isn’t what the youngest children notice or enjoy most. The beauty of childhood innocence lies precisely in the ability to delight in simpler things, like uncomplicated games and dances – something we, as adults always chasing the newest thrill, often forget.
That’s exactly what Cool KIDS’ SUMMER is: giving kids extra spaces to burn off energy and play and dance without a care, while parents take a break from the Florida heat.
It’s not an experience built for adults, and that’s perfectly fine. I hope Disney brings Cool KIDS’ SUMMER back in 2027 – and if you’d like to book for the rest of 2026 or for 2027, don’t hesitate to reach out for expert advice grounded in firsthand experience with these destinations. Contact us now to begin your planning.
