News New Kid Zones and Character Experiences Coming to Walt Disney World Summer 2025

[AidenRodriguez731]

In addition to everything else the park has on offer

You are now seeing a grown man complain that kids can play their favorite games with their favorite characters because he personally doesn't want to play limbo with Goofy and elementary school kids

 

[dhslxop]

Disney Fans: We want Steetmosphere back and small offerings to do in between the long lines
Disney: Here you go, streetmoshpere back in Animation Courtyard and small offerings for you to do in between the long lines aimed at kids
Disney Fans: Ugh, why are Disney doing this instead of offering absolutely nothing instead?

This just continues to prove to me that EVERYTHING Disney does will just be wrong to people. I see them actually listening to critiques, better utilizing space, not keeping around aging attractions that no one goes to. And they are demonized for it. First off, this is like an hour activity, many families LEAVE the parks to do other stuff with their kids which takes multiple hours. Why are people as grown adults so upset that kids can play common games they KNOW with their favorite characters? News flash! You aren't the target audience for everything. People really had the nerve to compare this to Epic like its a fair comparison.

Every single move Disney makes has been criticized to a cartoonish level. I can't even pretend to care about some of these worthless anecodotes from the holier-than-thou keyboard warriors who act like Walt would have made 10 parks in FL by now with a Muppets theme, a Star Wars Park, and would have kept every single one of their rides, no matter what because guess what SOMEONE SOMEWHERE finds it fun.

I'm ready for when AC gets taken down, we will get "Well, where am I going to take my kids now??? There is nothing in HS for kids anymore, I just like hanging out in Disney JR dance party all day! Now you need a lightning lane for everything since they replaced it with a Marvel, Zootopia, whatever land.

My personal opinion: These small offerings are great, BUT it's what I want see every day, not part of a special event. These will go away at the end of the summer, when there used to be places like Innoventions, or the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, or even Citizens of Hollywood/Citizens of Main Street, that always provided places for guests to actively be doing something between bigger attractions.

 

[Pix E. Dust]

Ahh yes lets pay over $100 a day park ticket per person so my kid can play basic gym games... Disney has fallen so far.

If this isn't something your kid is interested in, you can do one of the other hundreds of things offered at the parks. I personally love little diversions more than headline attractions. When my kids were little, they loved this stuff. Heck, I think it would be fun to take part in, even now.

My personal opinion: These small offerings are great, BUT it's what I want see every day, not part of a special event. These will go away at the end of the summer, when there used to be places like Innoventions, or the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, or even Citizens of Hollywood/Citizens of Main Street, that always provided places for guests to actively be doing something between bigger attractions.

I guess time will tell. If these are well attended, who knows what offerings might come in the fall?

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Ahh yes lets pay over $100 a day park ticket per person so my kid can play basic gym games... Disney has fallen so far.

I remember playing a Barbie computer game in Innoventions for hours in the mid 90s… im sure my parents were thrilled but nothing else at Epcot was interesting me.

 

[castlecake2.0]

My personal opinion: These small offerings are great, BUT it's what I want see every day, not part of a special event. These will go away at the end of the summer, when there used to be places like Innoventions, or the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground, or even Citizens of Hollywood/Citizens of Main Street, that always provided places for guests to actively be doing something between bigger attractions.

Agreed. I’m sure they’re gathering data from this.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Disney Fans: We want Steetmosphere back and small offerings to do in between the long lines
Disney: Here you go, streetmoshpere back in Animation Courtyard and small offerings for you to do in between the long lines aimed at kids
Disney Fans: Ugh, why are Disney doing this instead of offering absolutely nothing instead?

Impressive spin!

Do you really want to compare this sorry mess with the entertainment offerings that have been cut over the last two decades?

 

[Casper Gutman]

This just continues to prove to me that EVERYTHING Disney does will just be wrong to people. I see them actually listening to critiques, better utilizing space, not keeping around aging attractions that no one goes to. And they are demonized for it. First off, this is like an hour activity, many families LEAVE the parks to do other stuff with their kids which takes multiple hours. Why are people as grown adults so upset that kids can play common games they KNOW with their favorite characters? News flash! You aren't the target audience for everything. People really had the nerve to compare this to Epic like its a fair comparison.

Every single move Disney makes has been criticized to a cartoonish level. I can't even pretend to care about some of these worthless anecodotes from the holier-than-thou keyboard warriors who act like Walt would have made 10 parks in FL by now with a Muppets theme, a Star Wars Park, and would have kept every single one of their rides, no matter what because guess what SOMEONE SOMEWHERE finds it fun.

I'm ready for when AC gets taken down, we will get "Well, where am I going to take my kids now??? There is nothing in HS for kids anymore, I just like hanging out in Disney JR dance party all day! Now you need a lightning lane for everything since they replaced it with a Marvel, Zootopia, whatever land.

Funny, this seems like pretty strong evidence that certain posters here will defend ANYTHING Disney does.

Oh, and that you don’t actually read posts and aren’t here for a meaningful conversation.

 

[Casper Gutman]

So Disney is just conceding every guest over 8 to Universal for the forseeable future, huh?

Odd that they’d announce that policy this publicly.

 

[plutofan15]

Impressive spin!

Do you really want to compare this sorry mess with the entertainment offerings that have been cut over the last two decades?

Pretty sure this added so those kids who would be traumatized by the new Villains show will have something to do.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

So Disney is just conceding every guest over 8 to Universal for the forseeable future, huh?

Odd that they’d announce that policy this publicly.

I think Disney very much wants families with small kids to vacation at WDW, including those who think it may not be worth it because their kids are too young to go on many of the rides. The reporting around the concern about pricing has suggested that internally some have flagged a long-term issue if younger kids today aren't going and forming an emotional connection to the parks.

Honestly, none of this is for me (sadly, I am not a cool kid), but it seems like a smart marketing move. While I don't think it is a direct response to Epic Universe, it is also not a bad counter-programming move considering all the height restrictions on the attractions over there that would really discourage families with younger kids from visiting.

 

[plutofan15]

I think Disney very much wants families with small kids to vacation at WDW, including those who think it may not be worth it because their kids are too young to go on many of the rides. The reporting around the concern about pricing has suggested that internally some have flagged a long-term issue if younger kids today aren't going and forming an emotional connection to the parks.

Honestly, none of this is for me (sadly, I am not a cool kid), but it seems like a smart marketing move. While I don't think it is a direct response to Epic Universe, it is also not a bad counter-programming move considering all the height restrictions on the attractions over there that would really discourage families with younger kids from visiting.

Yep , my daughter loved doing these type of activities when she younger. While her older brother was doing rides she was too young/small to ride. Inside during the summer heat is a bonus.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Yep , my daughter loved doing these type of activities when she younger. While her older brother was doing rides she was too young/small to ride. Inside during the summer heat is a bonus.

Indeed, the other part of this is recognising how nice it is to just get indoors during the summer period.

Honestly, not sure why people would be negative about this as a summer promotion.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think Disney very much wants families with small kids to vacation at WDW, including those who think it may not be worth it because their kids are too young to go on many of the rides. The reporting around the concern about pricing has suggested that internally some have flagged a long-term issue if younger kids today aren't going and forming an emotional connection to the parks.

Honestly, none of this is for me (sadly, I am not a cool kid), but it seems like a smart marketing move. While I don't think it is a direct response to Epic Universe, it is also not a bad counter-programming move considering all the height restrictions on the attractions over there that would really discourage families with younger kids from visiting.

Perhaps Disney should build something besides restrictive thrill rides rather then slapping in garden-party-level seasonal entertainment.

 

[Comped]

Perhaps Disney should build something besides restrictive thrill rides rather then slapping in garden-party-level seasonal entertainment.

You aren't wrong... But entertainment (beyond certain bright spots) has been in dire need of improvements longer than Disney has focused on building thrill rides in Orlando...

 

[Sir_Cliff]

Perhaps Disney should build something besides restrictive thrill rides rather then slapping in garden-party-level seasonal entertainment.

I agree they have been going heavy on the thrill rides in recent years, however their upcoming slate seems reasonably balanced. There are no indications the Encanto attraction will be a thrill ride (along with the carousel) in Tropical Americas and it seems at least one of the two rides in the whole Cars debacle will be aimed at families. I wish the latter wasn't happening, but that's not the point here!

To be honest, I'm also not sure this is especially below the level of the seasonal entertainment they used to lay on. It's less offensive than the Barbie and circus promotions they held at Epcot during the 1980s, at least.

 

[Comped]

To be honest, I'm also not sure this is especially below the level of the seasonal entertainment they used to lay on. It's less offensive than the Barbie and circus promotions they held at Epcot during the 1980s, at least.

Disney wishes they could get the GSAT scores they did from the Barbie show. It is still the highest rated show among teen boys and adult men in Disney history, all because of a joke one of the execs made, that "dads and older brothers would surely not fall asleep if there was a swimsuit section" (or so I was told).

No I am not joking.

 

[plutofan15]

Perhaps Disney should build something besides restrictive thrill rides rather then slapping in garden-party-level seasonal entertainment.

Got it. No more thrill sides, activities geared towards younger child and stage shows featuring Disney villains which may influence kids to turn to the dark side.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

You all being miserable for nothing. All of this is really great for not just kids, but for their families to participate in with them. You’ve all whined for years about the parks moving in too much of a thrill direction, and now that they’re offering things purely for all members of the family to do, it’s bad?

I’ve known it for a while but there’s a core group of you who isn’t interested in meaningful criticism and aren’t interested in engaging with anything in good faith. You just want to complain about everything, period, end of. You live for it.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Impressive spin!

Do you really want to compare this sorry mess with the entertainment offerings that have been cut over the last two decades?

Yea I do actually because when I was a kid visiting WDW, this is the exact same kinda stuff that was on offer. And I loved it.

Why don’t you stop paying so much attention and giving so much energy to things that clearly don’t interest you and let the kids have something that they’re clearly going to enjoy?

You don’t have to be this over the top about every single thing, dude. It’s not that deep.

 

[plutofan15]

You all being miserable for nothing. All of this is really great for not just kids, but for their families to participate in with them. You’ve all whined for years about the parks moving in too much of a thrill direction, and now that they’re offering things purely for all members of the family to do, it’s bad?

I’ve known it for a while but there’s a core group of you who isn’t interested in meaningful criticism and aren’t interested in engaging with anything in good faith. You just want to complain about everything, period, end of. You live for it.

Couldn’t have said it better myself.