Disney World Unveils Season Full of Exclusive Snacks, New Closures, and a Nighttime Parade

This summer is absolutely BUSTLIN’ in Disney World!

It’s a busy travel season for many folks, and Disney is ramping things up with lots of new entertainment, food, and some major changes to the parks. So if you haven’t stopped by recently, we’re here to catch you up on ALL the happenings!

Cool Kid Summer Offerings

We’re starting this list off with a fun summer promotion Disney’s offering called Cool Kid Summer. Across all four parks and the resorts, Disney World is doing some specialty activities geared toward kids. From dance parties to random meet-and-greets to limited-time snacks, you’ll be surprised by what you encounter.

We’ve danced with Stitch and Pluto in Magic Kingdom and tried a limited-time Dole Whip float at Auntie Gravity’s. In Animal Kingdom, we’ve hung out with Daisy at Restaurantosaurus, listened to the Dino Institute Intern perform, and even participated in an exclusive Wilderness Explorer activity.

EPCOT is home to GoofyCore at CommuniCore Hall, where you can play games, dance, and meet the main Goof himself! Then over at Hollywood Studios, you might want to stop by Get Animated! in Animation Courtyard to hang out with characters, watch a magician perform, and do some crafts.

At each park’s entrance, you can find Cool Kid Summer guides with all the activities happening in that location. Be on the lookout!

A NEW Parade!

One of the major highlights of the summer is the introduction of a NEW nighttime parade for Magic Kingdom! It has been years since we’ve had one here, and now Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is taking up the mantle.

The parade had a soft opening on Friday, July 18th, and officially launched on July 20th. It happens at 9PM and 11PM each night and features many of our favorite characters!

Attraction Closures

Unfortunately, there are also several attraction closures happening these days. Muppets Courtyard, including Muppet*Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s, recently shut down to be replaced with a Monsters, Inc.-themed land. 

Another giant closure that happened recently was the shutdown of Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat. The Rivers of America and the island are going away to make room for new Cars-themed attractions in Frontierland.

Also in Magic Kingdom, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is set to close on August 4th, 2025, to get some major updates. The ride will be getting new handheld blasters and reactive targets, as well as a new ride scene. The ride vehicles will also be getting some touch-ups. It’s set to reopen in 2026.

Over in EPCOT, the park’s icon, Spaceship Earth, will be getting a refurb as well! The ride will close on August 25th and reopen later this year. This one seems to be a routine refurbishment with no major changes at this time.

WHEW, that’s a lot of closures! Make sure to check the list of ongoing refurbishments on the Disney World website before you book your trip.

Menu Changes

Something else there seems to be quite a bit of? Menu changes! In Animal Kingdom, some big shakeups happened with fun macaroni & cheese moving from Eight Spoon Cafe to The Smiling Crocodile. Now, the flavors have been swapped out for the mac & cheese, and Eight Spoon has a new menu entirely.

In Disney Springs, the summertime brings Flavors of Florida, where you can enjoy lots of locally-inspired eats at many of the restaurants. This is a great time to plan to eat around the shopping and dining complex — just be prepared for a LOT of citrus!

At sweets shops around Disney World, we’ve been spotting a lot of chocolate-covered s’mores lately! Zuri’s Sweets Shop had both PB&J and banana flavors, while Goofy’s Candy Co had orange and key lime versions. These are fun and summery, but BOY are they a mess when the chocolate melts.

And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the waffle change at Sleepy Hollow! A while back, they replaced the delicious round waffles here with Mickey waffles, and they just didn’t hit the same. But earlier this summer, the round waffles RETURNED. Waffle fans everywhere can rejoice!

So if you’re heading to the parks soon, your must-try snack list might be about a mile long.

A Brand-New Lounge

Speaking of new eats and drinks, GEO-82 is a brand-new adults-only lounge INSIDE Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. This new spot has some fun cocktails and delicious eats, as well as spectacular views of the park.

It’s pretty popular right now, so you may have a hard time getting in, but if you get the chance to stop by, we highly recommend it.

A Popular Ride Is Reopening…With CHANGES

EPCOT is the place to be this summer, because another major update is that Test Track is reopening with a complete overhaul! This is the third version of the ride, and it officially opens to the public on July 22nd. 

There are new ride scenes, updated vehicles, and some awesome thrills and technology. Make sure to add it to your to-do list!

If you were looking for a reason to go to Disney World soon, it seems like Disney just gave you a dozen! Here’s to a jam-packed few months in the parks.

Check out the video below to learn the truth about the Disney College Program!

We’ll be sharing more updates you need to know from Disney World, so stay tuned to AllEars!

Click Here for Changes Coming to Disney World This Fall!

Are you heading to Disney World this summer? Tell us in the comments!

Post a Comment