Cool Kids Summer | Walt Disney World | 2026 Experience

Imagination Skyway

Matthew Krul

Society & Culture, Places & Travel, Kids & Family, History

4.9 • 846 Ratings

🗓️ 27 May 2026

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Cool Kids Summer is back at Walt Disney World in 2026, and it's better than ever. On May 26, all four theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom) opened new attractions to kick off the summer season. These include Jessie's Roundup, Goofycore, Soarin' Across America, Bluey's Wild World, Magic of Disney Animation (including Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live), Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster: Starring the Muppets. This is in addition to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which recently reopened with major enhancements and upgrades. In this episode, I share my honest review of Cool Kids Summer thanks to a week-long preview hosted by Disney Parks. Get ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, in-depth news analysis, and premium content at patreon.com/imaginationskyway. To plan a trip, be sure to work with KMV Travel. Read Matt's Imagineering column in WDW Magazine. Imagination Skyway is a Disney Parks and Imagineering podcast. Episodes explore attraction design, recap Disney news, and dive into the stories behind the magic, including interviews with Disney Imagineers, Disney Legends, and other Disney creators. Not affiliated with or endorsed by The Walt Disney Company. Disney is a trademark of The Walt Disney Company. Tag me and join the conversation below. Instagram: www.instagram.com/imaginationskyway Facebook: www.facebook.com/imaginationskyway YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@imaginationskyway Email: matthew.krul@imaginationskyway.com How to Support the Show Share the podcast with your friends Rate and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Join our Patreon Group - https://www.patreon.com/imaginationskyway Enjoy the show!

Transcript

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0:00.0	What can you expect at Walt Disney World this summer? In this episode, we'll discuss the seven new
0:04.5	attractions that opened on May 26th. Welcome aboard Imagination Skyway, your guided tour through
0:17.7	the worlds of Disney and Imagineering. I'm your host, Matthew Kroll, and it's my job to explore the stories and places we love and the people who bring them to life.
0:26.6	In today's episode, I share my thoughts about the new experiences now open at Walt Disney World for Cool Kids Summer.
0:32.6	Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a week-long preview at the Walt Disney World Resort thanks to an invitation from Disney Parks.
0:39.3	This event gave me the chance to sample many of the attractions now open at all four theme parks and to stay at Disney's Puerto Orleans Resort Riverside,
0:47.3	which was a resort my family and I stayed at countless times as a kid, but I haven't stayed at in over 10 years.
0:53.3	I'll also share more about what this all means for the future of Walt Disney World.
0:57.9	As you fasten your seatbelt, I encourage you to take out your mobile devices
1:00.6	and search for Imagination Skyway on your favorite social media app.
1:04.1	And if you're looking for ad-free episodes and bonus content,
1:06.8	become an Imagination Skyway passholder at patreon.com slash imagination skyway. And remember, if this
1:13.1	episode leaves you yearning for a trip to Disney or any other destination, I'm already excited to go back.
1:18.6	Reach out to our partners and sponsors at KMV Travel, voted the top travel agency in Orlando in 2025.
1:25.1	To get started, visit kMVTravel.com slash skyway. As we begin our journey,
1:30.4	please remain seated. Keep your hands and arms inside the podcast at all times and enjoy your
1:34.4	journey aboard imagination Skyway. As I mentioned in the intro of this episode, last week I had this incredible opportunity, thanks to an invitation from Disney Parks to spend a week at Walt Disney World.
1:53.4	And this was a solo trip.
1:54.9	I really wish the girls could have been there with me, but because of Joanna's teaching, scheduled, schools in the Northeast, in
2:00.8	case you're not familiar, go until the end of June. We usually start the beginning of
2:04.6	September and then go through the end of June, unlike the majority of the country.
2:09.1	She was, of course, unable to take the week off from work, but this gave me a chance to
	...

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