Walt Disney World has introduced new character experiences coming this summer time and a 50% off youngsters ticket deal, as a part of the “Cool Child Summer season” marketing campaign geared toward attracting WDW’s core demographic of younger households. This shares dates & particulars of what’s launching in Summer season 2025, in addition to our evaluation of this low cost and these recreation/leisure choices.
This isn’t tremendous stunning, as Walt Disney World is Anxious About Its Excessive Costs has been an ongoing subject since bombshell reporting by the Wall Road Journal final month. In actual fact, we supplied a radical dialogue of demographics in Disney’s Response to Rising Prices Criticism. That particularly focuses on why Walt Disney World wants to proceed attracting its core viewers of households with younger kids.
As pointed on the market, this isn’t a brand new concern. The entire cause Disneyland supplied its latest $50 youngsters ticket deal, or that Walt Disney World lowered the worth of the Disney Eating Plans for kids final 12 months, or any variety of different provides focused at youngsters, is as a result of fewer households with babies can afford to go to the parks. The initiative we’re seeing now could be simply the most recent on this line, and the identical inside considerations that gave rise to the WSJ report in all probability are also ensuing on this. Towards that backdrop, let’s dig into the small print…
“Cool Child Summer season” will run from Might 27 by way of September 1, 2025, following within the wealthy traditions of “Scorching Lady Summer season” and “Brief King Spring” and that one which Sarah’s favourite actor, Chet Hanks, did a number of years again. (Okay perhaps not that final one.) All youngsters are cool youngsters and everyone seems to be a child at Walt Disney World (whether or not in age or coronary heart), so it’s actually an occasion for everybody. Besides the curmudgeons on the market (keep tuned for “Grumpy Man Winter”).
Throughout Cool Child Summer season at Walt Disney World, households must be looking out for limited-time experiences good for younger youngsters within the theme parks, together with child zones that includes new actions and enjoyable methods to work together with extra Disney characters. There will likely be pop-up leisure choices, video games, music, dancing and different adventures to assist your little ones make these core Walt Disney World recollections.
Over at Magic Kingdom, households can uncover child zones with added enjoyable in Storybook Circus and in Tomorrowland with Sew. After the EPCOT Flower and Backyard Pageant ends, households with younger youngsters will be capable to quiet down whereas having fun with the final word recreation occasion and play area that includes none aside from Goofy as he takes over CommuniCore Corridor at EPCOT. Be looking out for extra particulars about these zones, coming quickly.
Some characters may also be out within the parks sooner than regular for Walt Disney World Resort resort company throughout their day by day Early Entry interval. What higher option to rope drop than saying howdy to a few of your favourite Disney friends?!
Moreover, this summer time company staying at choose resorts – Artwork of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, Caribbean Seaside Resort and Wilderness Lodge – will be capable to get pleasure from much more Disney-themed actions designed for households with youngsters. These actions will embody character visits with set look occasions that will help you plan your day and an expanded itinerary of issues to do with your loved ones all through your keep at these 4 resorts.
On this announcement, Walt Disney World additionally signifies that its “theme parks are sometimes open for longer hours in the course of the summer time months, which will help you intend your day round a mid-day pool break or get on extra of your favourite points of interest.” Except there’s a change for 2025 because of the launch of Starlight at Magic Kingdom (or past), I’m skeptical of this declare. The assertion might be technically appropriate by together with Magic Kingdom’s party-shortened days within the closing 4 months of the 12 months, however I’m undecided that’s truthful.
Lastly, there’s the ticket low cost for Cool Child Summer season. Walt Disney World is providing a 50% off low cost on 3-day or longer youngsters (ages 3-9) normal tickets. This admission deal is out there for visits starting Might 27 and operating by way of September 20, 2025. This low cost will go dwell together with a number of different particular provides on March 27, 2025.
Our Commentary
Let’s begin with the ticket deal. After I first noticed this low cost, I used to be reminded of two totally different particular provides. The primary is talked about above, the $50 youngsters ticket deal at Disneyland that lately ended. The opposite is final 12 months’s Children Play & Dine for 50% Off Low cost that was launched in late 2023 and was legitimate for dates final 12 months from March by way of June (minus Easter).
Simply in shortly operating dates, it appears pretty apparent that this deal received’t be nearly as good as its $50 per day Disneyland counterpart for all 3-4 day durations. For tickets of 5 days, it seems prefer it’s date-dependent, with the Disneyland deal being higher more often than not. For six+ days, the Walt Disney World 50% off deal often wins.
Once more, all of that is fast math based mostly on Walt Disney World’s transient particular supply tease–we’d uncover one thing totally different as soon as full particulars are launched and the deal is bookable. However I’m betting it’s roughly a matter of ‘what you see is what you get.’
The comparability to final 12 months’s Children Play & Dine for 50% Off Low cost is a tad trickier. At first blush, that low cost would possibly sound higher to lots of you. In spite of everything, it was not simply tickets, it was additionally the Disney Eating Plan.
Nevertheless, I’d warning towards this attitude, because it required shopping for the Disney Eating Plan for adults at full value, which is rather more costly (and more durable to ‘hack’ nowadays). Much more critically, it required buying a full value room. That meant forgoing a room-only low cost, which is able to seemingly be one other 15-30% off this summer time for most people, relying on dates, period, and resort tier.
From my perspective, that makes this half-price youngsters ticket deal rather more enticing. One of many through-lines in deal evaluation is that I’m a giant advocate for flexibility in reductions, and likewise not buying belongings you actually don’t need or want for the sake of larger ‘bundle’ financial savings. (It’s not a deal for those who don’t need or want it!)
For a lot of–if not most–events, that’s the place the Disney Eating Plan lands nowadays, particularly with the adults having to pay full value for it. I’m positive there are some situations (single mum or dad and a number of youngsters), the place the mathematics nonetheless pencils out on final spring and summer time’s deal that included a half-price youngsters DDP being higher. However that’s merely not going to be the case for many households, particularly as soon as factoring in that room-only low cost.
Once more, full particulars haven’t but been launched and these reductions aren’t bookable, but it surely’s additionally secure to imagine you received’t be capable to double-dip on this ticket deal and Free Eating. Walt Disney World particular provides that require a trip bundle (as is the case with Free Eating) are sometimes not stackable with standalone provides.
Maybe that’ll change this go-round, however I’m about 98% positive it is not going to. That places Free Eating at a definite drawback with households…which had been beforehand just about the lone demographic with whom it “received” over various provides. I suppose we will see. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you concerning the subsequent wave of Walt Disney World reductions involving a variety of math and comparability buying–that is exactly why I advisable utilizing a TA!)
Circling again to the ticket deal itself, particularly since many company keep off-site making the comparability irrelevant, anyway, that is large.
One factor I positively didn’t totally recognize till being a mum or dad is simply how little of a distinction there’s between youngsters and adults pricing. In lots of instances, it’s a negligible distinction, which doesn’t fairly appear truthful for a 3 12 months outdated that may’t do a full day within the park, not to mention the various new points of interest with peak necessities. Because the clock is ticking on our daughter hitting that milestone (we nonetheless have over a 12 months, however time is flying), I’m changing into extra conscious about youngsters pricing, and the way baffling the worth proposition is. However I digress.
Level being, half off youngsters tickets is a extremely large deal that may quantity to appreciable financial savings. We’re speaking over $200 off normal 4-day tickets, which quantities to main financial savings for households and makes these larger base costs for babies a bit extra palatable. This when paired with the room-only low cost will likely be formidable for households. I’m not fairly positive the way it works with the 3-Day, 3-Park Magic Ticket given the Magic Kingdom exclusion, since onerous ticket occasions are additionally tough with youngsters given bedtimes and all that. Regardless, this can be a nice particular supply for folks with younger kids.
As for the opposite character experiences and so forth, I’m probably not positive what to suppose, fairly actually.
I like the concept of characters being out for Early Entry, cheering me on runDisney model as I energy stroll at a record-setting tempo to be the primary visitor of the day on OG Buzz Lightyear’s Area Ranger Spin one final time. I’m solely half-joking. That’s a qualitative enhancement that has the potential to brighten days and lighten moods throughout what can in any other case be hectic as company fear about making it to their first attraction of the day.
This strikes me as Disneyland-esque, and Walt Disney World followers have needed this kind of factor for some time. It type of already occurs with the Nation Bears in Frontierland, and actually, what extra might you need than some rope drop shenanigans with Large Al?! However common company would possibly recognize extra acquainted faces in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. (Or uncommon characters!)
I extremely doubt anybody is dashing to plan a visit over this kind of factor, however that’s exactly the purpose–Walt Disney World must be making extra little enhancements and have “shock and delight” sort choices even once they don’t transfer the needle on bookings. (Yeah, this can be a advertising and marketing marketing campaign, in order that’s the purpose…however I view this as one thing tacked-on, with the particular provides being the primary course that’s consequence determinative.)
The whole lot else will come all the way down to specifics and execution, that are unknowns at this level.
Having set schedules on the resorts for character appearances is likely to be good (versus the Character Caravan, which continues to be a factor however random). Alternatively, it’d induce demand that wasn’t there from character hunters and non-resort company. That one might be a constructive from the attitude of company who truly care about it being those most inclined to put it to use, but it surely does take away that aforementioned “shock and delight” aspect.
Value noting is that the set schedules for characters is only one instance of what’s coming to Artwork of Animation Resort, Pop Century Resort, Caribbean Seaside Resort and Wilderness Lodge for households in Summer season 2025. I can’t assess the remainder of it as a result of Walt Disney World hasn’t introduced it. I can, nonetheless, say that I like to recommend households with babies keep in these 4 particular resorts this summer time…as a result of I at all times advocate households (and everybody else) keep in these 4 particular resorts.
Try our Rankings of ALL Resort Inns at Walt Disney World from Worst to Greatest. These are ranked #8, #5, #4 and #1 out of roughly two-dozen inns. So it’s probably not such as you’re going out on a limb or taking a leap of religion when reserving any of these 4 resorts. They’re nice choices, regardless. (With that stated, you probably have your coronary heart set on one thing else, I additionally would not swap resorts to one among these–not less than, not till we all know extra about what’s being supplied.)
Then there are the youngsters zones in Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland, in addition to Goofy’s takeover of CommuniCore Corridor. Worst case state of affairs with these is we get what’s roughly already there. Sew on the deserted stage in Tomorrowland together with Forged Members and hula hoops, and one thing related in Storybook Circus.
Greatest case might be one thing resembling what Disneyland has finished with the Fantasyland Theater throughout final 12 months’s Pixar Fest and vacation season. The latter is certainly a lot better than the previous, and one thing the place households might spend half-hour or extra…but it surely’s nonetheless positively slightly factor within the grand scheme of issues, and I doubt many younger households are dashing to guide Walt Disney World holidays this summer time consequently.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about inns on our Walt Disney World Inns Critiques web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Critiques. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets submit. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent objects to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for the whole lot it’s essential know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider this Children 50% Off Ticket Low cost for Spring & Summer season 2025? Will you be profiting from that ticket deal, or does Free Eating or one other low cost work out higher for you? Ideas on the brand new character experiences/encounters on the parks & resorts this summer time? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas or questions beneath within the feedback!
