Summer is a popular time to visit Walt Disney World, and Disney often capitalizes on this busy season to introduce new attractions. Disney tends to launch multiple new experiences at the same time to market the attractions together as part of a sweeping campaign. That’s truer than ever for summer 2026.
13 new attractions and returning seasonal experiences opened in the same week at Disney World, hitting all four theme parks and the resort’s recreational properties beyond the parks. This includes one event that lasts for only two days. We have the full list of new attractions, what to expect from each experience, and tips for visiting. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including our pick for an underrated Disney World restaurant and 11 new Disney rides opening in 2027.
READ MORE – These 10 Disney Rides Have Changed Dramatically Since Their Opening
Disney World Kicks Off Summer with New Attractions and Hotel Perks
Walt Disney World in Florida is ringing in the season with Cool KIDS’ SUMMER, a campaign focused on families with young children. The celebration kicked off May 26 and continues through September 8, 2026.
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Cool KIDS’ SUMMER features new character experiences, including the Disney World debut of Bluey, which we detail below, and new hotel room perks for kids, like night lights and bed bumpers.
Beyond Cool KIDS’ SUMMER, Disney World also opened permanent new attractions, like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, pictured above.
The resort will also host Banana Ball for two games, bringing the popular sport to Disney World for the first time. We share those details below.
The new attractions and experiences span every corner of Disney World, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Disney Springs. Let’s see what’s new at each destination.
New at Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom converted a table service restaurant into an entertainment venue for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER.
Inside The Diamond Horseshoe in Frontierland, dining is temporarily paused to accommodate Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue!, a new, interactive character experience with Toy Story friends.
Entertainment rotates continuously from 9:30 AM to 6 PM daily. Guests may see Jessie and Woody lead the crowd in hoedown dancing, or a live guitarist and Bullseye lead everyone in a sing-along.
Jessie and Woody wear their new costume accessories from Toy Story 5, a sheriff’s badge and a poncho, respectively.
Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue! will continue through September 8, 2026. The Diamond Horseshoe will resume its operations as a table service restaurant sometime this fall.
We got a sneak peek at Jessie’s Roundup, along with other character-based activities that serve as a strategic departure from the typical photo-and-autograph routine of traditional character greetings.
New at EPCOT
EPCOT opened a new version of a classic ride as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary and reintroduced a seasonal character experience for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER.
Soarin’ Across America is now open at EPCOT, pairing a completely new film with the familiar hang-gliding simulator ride system. In this version, riders fly above famous landmarks of the United States, including the Grand Canyon and Mount Rushmore.
Disney says Soarin’ Across America will run only for a limited time, but has not specified an exact end date. The film will also debut on the West Coast at Disney California Adventure on July 2, 2026.
GoofyCore has returned to EPCOT for another summer of kid-focused activities inside CommuniCore Hall, the flex space that opened in 2024 as part of the transformation of the park’s central plaza, now called World Celebration. Goofy and energetic cast members lead guests in games like “Goofy Says” and the limbo.
GoofyCore also features a snack location called GRAB-N-GOOF, serving menu items such as the “Gawrsh! Worms Everywhere Cake” and Chicken “Goof-Ups” bites.
CommuniCore Hall is open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM, with specific showtimes for that day’s Goofy games displayed on a sign outside, as captured by @EYNTKInfo on X. These aren’t shown in the My Disney Experience app.
GoofyCore will continue through September 8, 2026. After that, we expect CommuniCore Hall to host a new seasonal offering as part of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened the most new attractions out of any Disney World theme park for this summer, including two new versions of familiar rides and a makeover of a previously underutilized section of the park.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge now stars the Mandalorian and Grogu for its mission. Guests get to choose one of three new planets to visit for the ride’s finale. See our firsthand report from riding the new version, which also debuted at Disneyland Park. This is a permanent replacement of the ride’s original iteration.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is now open, permanently transforming the former Aerosmith thrill ride into a reimagined experience in which guests launch from 0 to 60 mph to the tune of The Muppet Show’s Electric Mayhem band rather than Steven Tyler. Riders hear one of five songs. See the full set list and celebrity guest musicians.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is a new show now open, bringing the titular preschool series to the stage. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and Daisy appear in this interactive show, which first debuted at Disney California Adventure in 2025. The production replaced Disney Jr. Play and Dance!, a similarly preschool-focused show. Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! will remain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios beyond the conclusion of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER.
Mickey’s new show is located in The Walt Disney Studios, a makeover of the former Animation Courtyard that presents a fanciful version of Disney’s global headquarters in Burbank, California. The area imagines Disney’s collegiate-feeling campus as being inhabited by favorite Disney animated characters, scattered throughout as small statues.
The Walt Disney Studios’ marquee attraction, The Magic of Disney Animation, flanked by Mickey’s sorcerer hat, will open later this summer. For now, some of the characters who will eventually meet guests inside that attraction roam the courtyard, including Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, Chip, Dale, Stitch, Mulan, and Rapunzel.
New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Animal Kingdom transformed an opening-day area into Disney World’s haven for Bluey, the popular preschool character, making her Florida debut.
Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station features an interactive, small-scale show starring Bluey and her sister, Bingo, as well as Jumping Junction, a habitat for kangaroos, native to Bluey’s Australian home.
Guests visit Bluey’s Wild World by boarding the Wildlife Express Train, which reopened from a three-month closure with a Bluey-inspired audio track and new narration recorded by Robert Irwin, as posted by @DrewDisneyDude on X.
Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station will stick around even after Cool KIDS’ SUMMER is over.
Operating hours for Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station are 8 AM to 3:45 PM. For now, guests need a virtual queue reservation to access Bluey’s Wild World. There is no standby line offered.
At select dining locations elsewhere in Disney’s Animal Kingdom beyond Bluey’s Wild World, guests can find new Bluey treats, including Fairy Bread Cake, pictured above and available at Pizzafari on Discovery Island.
Many Disney characters just moved around at Disney’s Animal Kingdom following the opening of Bluey’s Wild World:
- Donald Duck and Daisy Duck meet near Garden Gate Gifts at the front of the park
- Rafiki and Timon from The Lion King roam The Oasis at the front of the park
- Russell from Up roams Discovery Island
- Goofy and Pluto now meet in Asia, near Yak & Yeti
New at ESPN Wide World of Sports
ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World will host Banana Ball, an alternative baseball league, for the first time.
The Loco Beach Coconuts and the Party Animals, two of the league’s six teams, will play against each other on May 29 and 30, 2026, on Disney’s fields.
See the full schedule of Banana Ball activities at Disney World, happening both days:
- 3:30 PM: Pre-game plaza opens with player appearances
- 4:30 PM: Pre-party
- 5:30 PM: Gates open
- 6:30 PM: Show starts
Disney has an existing relationship with Banana Ball, having hosted Savannah Bananas Day at Disneyland annually for the past few years. That event has become very popular as the players bring their signature high energy to their park appearances.
New at Disney Springs
Disney Springs is launching two new offerings for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER.
DescenDANCE Party x Camp Rock Jam celebrates the new movies Descendants: Wicked Wonderland and Camp Rock 3, both debuting on Disney+ this summer. The dance party takes place at the AdventHealth Waterside Stage on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 6 to 10 PM, now through September 8, 2026.
Disney Springs Kids Club is a new live entertainment offering featuring acts inspired by Polynesian culture at the Marketplace Splash Pad. Guests can see the performances on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:15 AM to 1:15 PM, from May 30 through September 6, 2026.
Still to Come at Disney World This Summer
In addition to everything described above, which all opened this week, more attractions and seasonal events will launch at Walt Disney World later this summer.
Disney H2O Glow After Hours kick off at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park on June 2, continuing select nights through September 5. Other Disney After Hours events continue on select nights at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Two Disney World parks will present Independence Day fireworks shows on July 3, 4, and 5. Magic Kingdom will host Disney’s Celebrate America! – A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky, a full show. EPCOT will present Heartbeat of Freedom, a special ending to its regular show, Luminous The Symphony Of Us.
Disney Vacation Club Welcome Home Weeks take place from July 22 through August 22 with special perks for DVC members.
Magic Kingdom kicks off Halloween season with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on August 7, continuing select nights through October 31. See our tips for which dates to avoid.
The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens in “late summer,” though Disney hasn’t announced an exact opening date. The attraction will feature a drawing class taught by an Audio-Animatronics figure of Olaf from Frozen.
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival returns August 27, lasting through November 21.
Additionally, V.I.Passholder Summer Days have been ongoing since May 1 and continue through July 31, offering exclusive discounts and experiences for Disney World annual passholders.
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