Disney World Has So Many New Attractions This Summer (Hello, Bluey!). Here’s What My Kids Thought.

Last year, we took my daughter (and her baby brother) to Disney World for her 4th birthday present — and she spent every single one of the next 365 days trying to manifest a repeat visit for her 5th birthday. My husband and I ultimately decided to take a shorter visit over her spring break. And while trip two met every single wildly hyped expectation for her, my husband and I both ended up sick while we were there. For the two of us, it was a slog — and such a bummer after all of the planning, anticipation, and expense.

So it absolutely blew my mind when the literal day that I returned back to the office after spring break, Disney invited me to represent Cubby and Apartment Therapy Media at their Cool Kids’ Summer preview event last month at their parks in Orlando. It felt like the do-over we dreamed of — and turns out, it was even better than that.

We got to explore the parks, meet favorite characters (my daughter swears Snow White remembers meeting her brother in March), and preview the many new things opening up for kids and families this summer. Here are some of the highlights:

After closing for more than a year, the newly refurbished Big Thunder Mountain Railroad returned in early May. My daughter is a huge, huge fan of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — and according to her, this is an equally fun ride that’s a great introduction to coasters for kids who aren’t ready for something truly scary (though be warned that a few sections are in the dark). The really great news for thrill-seeking kids who aren’t quite tall enough for some of the intermediate roller coasters is that Big Thunder reopened with a lower height requirement of 38 inches. It’s also a part of Lightning Lane Multi Pass, while Seven Dwarfs requires a separate single-pass Lightning Lane.

For our 2025 trip, we rode Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin on a whim way past bedtime, and it was one of my favorite memories. My daughter sat in the middle and chaotically spun our car while my husband and I tried to hit our targets (with the baby in the carrier). So we were all a little bummed when it hadn’t reopened in time for our 2026 spring trip. But it turns out that we did get to ride it again as a family at Cool Kids’ Summer. The new look is amazing, and it’s much easier to understand when you hit your target (or not — I lost to my husband). It was a little dark and loud for our 2-year-old, but it was nice that we could all be together.

I first rode Soarin’ Around the World — a flight simulator journey across the globe — in 2018 on a Disney World trip with my niece. But this summer, Soarin’ has reopened with a semiquincentennial celebration: Soarin’ Across America. Despite meeting the height requirement, my daughter didn’t love Soarin’ as a 4-year-old — she’s prone to motion sickness and it can feel a little intense. But at 5, it was just right. She gasped at the opening shot of our hometown, New York City, and asked me to name each city and landmark we passed through after. 

But the best part? We got to use Disney’s Rider Switch program, which meant my daughter was able to ride two times in a row, once with each parent. While this attraction has a very long walk after check-in, it actually has a designated rider switch room, so the whole family could stay together until the last moment. Then I waited with our 2-year-old in the nearby room, and my husband and I easily swapped for the next ride.

Part of the Disney Magic is simply happening upon a classic character — Minnie was in our hotel lobby for checkin, and my daughter is still starstruck. Turns out, it wasn’t a fluke: This summer, Pop Century, Art of Animation, Caribbean Beach, and Port Orleans-Riverside (where we stayed) will all have scheduled character appearances. And now there’s new places to spot your old favorites inside the parks too. Disney World has set up new character experiences for this summer. For example, GoofyCore is available in CommuniCore Hall at EPCOT, where Goofy himself will pop up throughout the day to dance and play. And Toy Story’s Jessie is starring in “Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue” in Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe.

Cubby got a chance to preview the new Bluey experience at Disneyland in March — and now TV’s favorite Australian dog is headquartered at Disney World too. You can take the Wildlife Express Train from Animal Kingdom to get to Conservation Station. The best part is that your kids will have the opportunity to play real games from Bluey, like Magic Asparagus and Keepy Uppy.

A lot of this trip centered around my 5-year-old — she’s firmly in her Disney era, and knows exactly what she wants to do and see in the park. But previewing the new live version of my 2-year-old’s favorite TV show was an unexpected delight. He sat totally still (which never happens) for the entire 20 minutes while Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, and Pluto went on a high-energy and sometimes interactive adventure. We also saw the Frozen sing-along, “For The First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration,” and the relatively new “Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After.” And we saw “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” on our last trip. I can say that all are utterly delightful, even for the adults — and the AC cannot be beat when you need a break from the Florida summer heat.

At the end of May, Hollywood Studios debuted updated versions of the iconic Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster — this time starring the Muppets — and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, a new mission that features The Mandalorian and Grogu. Both of these were way too intense for my small kids, and, frankly, for me. But when my kids passed out in the stroller for a midday snooze, my husband loved getting the opportunity to preview both. I saw plenty of slightly older kids at the exit of Millennium Falcon — one reported it was “the best ride ever.” And if you have two adult thrill seekers? This is another great way to use Rider Switch and only wait in line once, while you each take a turn with the kids.