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

[JD80]

Do we hate that Communicore Hall is large warehouse space? Yes. Do we think they better find ongoing uses for it? Also, yes. So they set up the equivalent of Romper Room with Goofy in air conditioned space during the summer. May not seem like much but kids get to play. Parents, grandparents, and other adults in the party get to rest for a bit in cool A/C. Sounds like a plan.

It's too small to be a warehouse in any fashion and the ceilings are too low.

 

[JD80]

Most of the time on the internet, whenever someone calls someone a shill, they are losing whatever argument they are having in their head.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Most of the time on the internet, whenever someone calls someone a shill, they are losing whatever argument they are having in their head.

Well, what’s neat here is that no one called anyone else a shill.

You and others HAVE tried to dismiss critical posters with ad hominem attacks, using insults like “holier-than-thou keyboard warrior.” How’s the argument going in your head?

 

[JohnD]

It's too small to be a warehouse in any fashion and the ceilings are too low.

Okay, warehouse-ish.

 

[marni1971]

Both you and Disney are doing children a tremendous disservice by pretending that the fact that this is, “you know, for kids,” exempts it from criticism.

Disney parks specifically and the entire Disney brand in general were built on the idea that children deserved quality entertainment, not cheap low-effort slop like this.

Kids aren’t stupid. They may enjoy both a fast food restaurant playland and a Disney park, but few are under any illusion as to which is the better, more complete experience, even if they can’t articulate that idea.

The fact that Disney has allowed their family and entertainment offerings to deteriorate so severely that this garbage is offered as a “fix” is an indictment, not a defense. We’re playing the perpetual bad faith game in which every new development at Disney must be understood in complete isolation in the shallowest way possible, with no recognition of patterns or understanding of history.

Well said. Very well said.

Kids (and adults) used to have JII and Cranium Command. Now they have…. this.

 

[Ayla]

I’ve never seen any conclusive evidence that any of these people are shills. Dismissing everything positive with shill is as weak an argument as dismissing any complaints with “hater”

Get back to me when you've been here for over a decade.

 

[WorldExplorer]

Expectation:

Reality:

 

[Sir_Cliff]

If this is contextualized as a response to massively increased prices and/or the opening of Epic, it goes from pathetic to insulting.

I don't know, this seems like a pretty targeted promotion offering ticket discounts and activities for families with children aged 3-9. I can only imagine their surveys are showing them that families with kids that age need an extra nudge to take the family to WDW, especially during the hot summer months. People with young kids say they like this kind of option, but I guess we'll see.

If they were pitching dancing around with Goofy inside Communicore Hall to me, I might be a little insulted. For what it is, I am indifferent. I am not getting the sense of what below the level of new theatrical extravaganzas or rides people would accept in its place as a summer promotion or whether people would just prefer they didn't do promotions like this full stop. Either way, it's not like they were thinking about restoring Horizons or the original JII but decided to go with this instead.

 

[brb1006]

From MouseSteps

 

[JD80]

Well, what’s neat here is that no one called anyone else a shill.

You and others HAVE tried to dismiss critical posters with ad hominem attacks, using insults like “holier-than-thou keyboard warrior.” How’s the argument going in your head?

You're the one who drops into a thread picking fights. Every time you do so, you get some poster that calls you out. This time it was @AidenRodriguez731

 

[Centauri Space Station]

Well said. Very well said.

Kids (and adults) used to have JII and Cranium Command. Now they have…. this.

I mean we also had temporary Barbie stage shows, and circle of life, and had kidcots as well. They also have nemo, figment, rat, journey of water, gran fiesta, etc. Sadly i didnt know Cranium command even existed as a kid.

 

[MisterPenguin]

“Shill” is fair only when a poster attempts to delegitimize the act of thinking critically about Disney - a favored tactic from some, as evidenced by this very thread.

Most posters here are positive about aspects of Disney (even me!) and aren’t shills. Heck, Penguin isn’t a shill, and he’s pretty relentlessly positive! I mean, I think he’s WRONG a lot, but he’s almost always insightful and articulate while being wrong, so that’s great!

I'm the best kind of wrong!!

 

[Casper Gutman]

Get back to me when you've been here for over a decade.

Nah, don't do that. His point is sound. We should address the argument, not the arguer.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A reminder that MGM Studios used to have a shaded play area for kids to run around and give parents a place to sit.

Honey I Shrunk the Kids wasn't replaced with a like-for-like experience elsewhere, despite the potential for one in both Galaxy's Edge and especially Toy Story Land.

The issue isn't just that Disney is offering simplistic children activities to temporarily pad out their entertainment line up, it's that they lack the space to offer other kinds of diversions that are built to last and to the standards of the rest of the park.

Disney used to be really good at this and the parks had multiple examples. Image Works, Sensory Fun House and the other activites in WoL, Communicore/Innoventions, and that's just in the park that was recently deemed not "family friendly" enough.

And now Disney is about to get rid of Tom Sawyer's Island (a great WED-era example) but not have an equivalent facility elsewhere in MK. You want the parks to be better for parents with young children? Stop having every new thing be a short, low capacity thrill ride with a height requirement.

 

[plutofan15]

Well said. Very well said.

Kids (and adults) used to have JII and Cranium Command. Now they have…. this.

My daughter has done both and would much prefer what is being offered currently. That is her choice but I am sure she is not the only one. And, also, I am sure others would prefer JII and Cranium Command.

 

[peter11435]

My daughter has done both and would much prefer what is being offered currently. That is her choice but I am sure she is not the only one. And, also, I am sure others would prefer JII and Cranium Command.

Just to clairify… your daughter prefers coloring and playing limbo over attractions like JII and CC?

 

[Casper Gutman]

Just to clairify… your daughter prefers coloring and playing limbo over attractions like JII and CC?

saves money on a trip to Florida, I guess.

 

[plutofan15]

Just to clairify… your daughter prefers coloring and playing limbo over attractions like JII and CC?

Absolutely. Prefers more physical activities than the screen/computer based activities. Actually, after surgery last month she found coloring the most relaxing way to pass time. Coloring books geared towards older kids/adults to be clear.

 

[plutofan15]

saves money on a trip to Florida, I guess.

Wrong again.

 

[peter11435]

Absolutely. Prefers more physical activities than the screen/computer based activities. Actually, after surgery last month she found coloring the most relaxing way to pass time. Coloring books geared towards older kids/adults to be clear.

I’m assuming your daughter is older since she’d need to be 30+ if she’s done JII and actually remembers it. I know many people enjoy coloring and playing party games. But there’s really no need to travel long distances and spend thousands of dollars to color.