Planning a summer trip to Disney World in 2025? Here’s what’s on tap for Disney’s self-proclaimed “Cool Kid Summer”, plus some all-ages stuff we think Disney left off the to-do list. Cool Kid Summer activities run from May 27 through September 1, 2025.

• Summer 2025 Disney World activities at Magic Kingdom
• Summer 2025 Disney World activities at EPCOT
• Summer 2025 Disney World activities at Hollywood Studios
• Summer 2025 Disney World activities at Animal Kingdom
• Savings on your Summer 2025 Disney World vacation

Summer 2025 at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Cool Kid Summer

Big Top Bash at Storybook Circus

Head over to Storybook Circus for some shade under the Big Top, and work up a sweat at this summertime dance party. Kids can join the DJ ringmaster for tunes and pop-up silliness with Pluto. Mix it up with roaming stilt walkers and jugglers, and it’s just going to be good old-fashioned fun.

Galactic Blast at Tomorrowland

Stitch takes the stage at the Rocket Tower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland for another high-energy dance party. Too cool to dance? (Or too hot?) Head inside the Merchant of Venus shop to find a craft activity inspired by the upcoming Disney-Pixar film “Elio.”

More to Look For at Magic Kingdom

Later this summer, the Starlight Parade will begin running. We don’t have an opening date yet, but available clues suggest a date on or shortly after July 6, 2025. The word in the back room (Disney hasn’t made an announcement yet) is that the parade will run twice daily throughout the summer, at 9 and 11 pm, with one showing of Happily Ever After at 10 pm.

If you’re visiting in August and would like to celebrate Halloween at that time, we expect that Disney will announce Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party dates sometime in the next couple of weeks. For the last few years, the party season has launched in early August, and we don’t expect that to change.

Summer 2025 at EPCOT

EPCOT Cool Kid Summer

GoofyCore at CommuniCore Hall

We love the ¡Celebración Encanto! show on CommuniCore Plaza Stage, but we’re the first to admit it can get a little hot watching this outdoor offering in the summer. Enter GoofyCore. Step inside CommuniCore Hall for some aircon and kid-focused entertainment. Dance with Goofy in a DJ-led dance party, or join a game like Loopy Limbo or Parachutes ‘n’ Pipsqueaks.

CommuniCore Hall will close temporarily beginning on May 12 so that Goofy can redecorate. The Farmer’s Feast Food options, currently sold at the booth inside, will migrate to the Florida Fresh booth just outside until the Flower & Garden Festival ends on June 2.

More to Look For at EPCOT

A date hasn’t been announced yet, but Test Track will reopen in late summer – we’ve already heard them testing cars. And ICYMI, Guardians of the Galaxy now uses a standby line (no more Virtual Queue), and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure has a Single-Rider line. Two great changes that make touring easier to manage!

Also opening on June 4: The GEO-82 Lounge at Spaceship Earth. This one’s adults-only, so you definitely need to be a kid-at-heart and not a kid-in-years.

Summer 2025 at Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios Cool Kid Summer

Get Animated at Animation Courtyard

What do you do with a big empty courtyard at Disney World? Fill it with fun! You’ll find games and crafts in Animation Courtyard all day long. Disney has called out that there will be magicians and jump rope performers, plus surprise character appearances. But you never know what other surprise they’ll have on tap!

Looking for a break from the heat? Head indoors to join Mickey and Disney Junior friends at a DJ dance party. This event will be temporarily taking over from Disney Jr. Play & Dance, which will be temporarily unavailable beginning on May 25.

New Stage Shows

Two new stage shows will open their doors on May 27, and continue on past September 1 when the rest of Cool Kid Summer comes to a close.

Just next to the fun in Animation Courtyard, the Animation Courtyard Theater once again hosts a retelling of The Little Mermaid. Look for digital puppetry, awesome special effects, new-to-the-show songs, and more in “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure”.

Head to the Sunset Showcase Theater to catch “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After”. You know that you can expect to scream with laughter as Disney’s most iconic villains take over the stage. Who has been the most unfairly treated, the most misunderstood? They’ll make their case, and you’ll get the vote.

Summer 2025 at Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom Cool Kid Summer

Adventure with New Activities

Rafiki’s Planet Watch has the best air conditioning in Animal Kingdom, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise. But this summer, it will also have a lineup of hands-on crafting activities with a focus on pollinators like bees and butterflies. Catch the Wildlife Express Train from Harambe Station to find these attractions.

Earn a New Wilderness Explorer Badge

Calling all Wilderness Explorers! Thought you’d done it all? Think again. This summer, you can earn a special, limited-time Wilderness Explorers Badge. Wondering what this ‘Wilderness Explorers’ thing is? See our review of this Animal Kingdom not-quite-a-scavenger-hunt here: The Wilderness Must Be Explored!

A Celebration Sing-Along at Discovery Island

Dinoland U.S.A. is undergoing a transformation to the Tropical Americas, and some attractions have already closed. But there’s still plenty of fun to be had in this devoted-to-dinosaurs space. The Boneyard playground remains open, and this summer you’ll be able to join an interactive sing-along attraction. Celebrate all the animals at the park with songs and storytelling led by your Dino Institute Intern host.

More to Look For at Animal Kingdom

We understand why Disney doesn’t want to list baby animals as “limited-time fun”, even though they kinda are. Head for the Maharajah Jungle Trek to see Bakso, the Sumatran tiger cub born late last year. Over on Kilimanjaro Safaris, you might see the baby giraffe Tucker, who was born in February and introduced to the ride’s savanna in early April.

Schedule changes? Some dates in early July are showing Extended Evening Hours in the Animal Kingdom instead of Magic Kingdom. With the Starlight Parade opening this summer and shifting Magic Kingdom to a later closing, there’s been some speculation that we might see this change all summer. We think that’s a solid take, and here’s why we think it’s great news for those visiting with or without kids.

First, Animal Kingdom is just spectacular at night. It’s beautifully lit, Pandora has bioluminescent features that change up the entire vibe after dark, and it even has an attraction – Tree of Life Awakenings – that doesn’t run until the sun goes down. But these days, Animal Kingdom often closes before or shortly after twilight, and there’s not a lot of time to appreciate this park without sunlight.

But also … I have had small kids, and I know the pain of trying to stick close to a regular routine on vacation to avoid meltdowns and running out of steam. Extended Evening Hours at the Magic Kingdom usually begins at 10 pm, which means choosing between a super-late kid bedtime just to get to the starting line, or skipping this perk of staying on site. At Animal Kingdom, the park typically closes at 6 pm (could change!), a time that’s much more accessible for younger kids.

Remember, Extended Theme Park Evening Hours are a perk that’s only extended to guests staying at Deluxe and Disney Vacation Club resorts. But you can use the park on either your check-in or check-out day, so a savvy split-stay strategy might bring this in line with your budget – and give you the chance to take advantage of the arrival-day water park benefit twice!

Summer 2025 Disney World Savings

On top of the fun, Disney has a variety of savings on hotel stays and tickets right now, including some Free Dining deals. You can check those out below, and to get a sense of which ones might be the best for you, see What’s the Best 2025 Disney World Discount?

• Summer and Fall 2025 Room Discounts for Disney World
• New Disney World Free Dining Offers for 2025 – For Everyone!
• Kids and Adults: Save on Tickets at Disney World in Summer of 2025
• 2025 Florida Resident Summer Magic Ticket Deal

And at four resorts, you’ll find extra fun added to the savings. Disney’s Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Wilderness Lodge Resorts will have extra activities during Cool Kid Summer – including Meet & Greets with scheduled times during your stay.

What are you looking forward to at Disney World this summer? Did we leave something out? Let us know in the comments!