To lure kids and parents to Orlando this summer, Walt Disney World has been pulling out all the stops, in the form of a promotion called Cool Kid Summer.
My colleague Christina Jelski has already written about summertime promos, which consists of perks, discounts and special park opportunities. New shows opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and a cool -- literally and figuratively -- play space at Epcot themed to Goofy is just the ticket when your little ones need to burn off some steam and parents need some air conditioning. There is also the promise of more character interactions, in-park Easter eggs and perks at some of the on-property resorts.
And we were along for the ride. At Disney's invitation, we flew down over Memorial Day weekend (through Newark Airport, no less) with our teenage daughter and then stayed on for the kickoff of Cool Kid Summer with my 8-year-old, who officially qualifies as a cool kid -- the invitation was for families with kids ages 9 and younger, which is the Cool Kid sweet spot). With that came some firsthand looks at the new goodies Disney has on offer for families.
The Cool Kid Summer branding on a snack stand at Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
Now that Cool Kid Summer is live, parents checking in at Disney resorts will receive brochures for each of the four parks that pinpoint specific Cool Kid activities and provide tips for parents with young kids -- like where to buy diapers, sunscreen or formula -- and suggestions on how to live their best cool-kid life. For example, to complete a "scavenger hunt" at Magic Kingdom, kids must "sing with the Tiki birds," "ride a boat," and "strike a pose near Cinderella Castle."
We previewed the two new shows at Hollywood Studios. "The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure" is located at the theater in Animation Courtyard, which is an official Cool Kids site: The courtyard will host jump-rope performers, games and crafts, plus an indoor DJ party. When we were there, my daughter joined in enthusiastically at double-dutch, and Donald Duck was on the scene for impromptu photos and hugs.
At 20 minutes, "The Little Mermaid" is a super-condensed retelling of the Disney movie, in a blissfully air-conditioned theater. Grownups might miss some of the humor and quips of the movie, but kids will love it (plus, there's bubbles). The Ariel performer was excellent.
A pop-up jump-rope games at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios for Cool Kid Summer, just outside the new "Little Mermaid" show. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
Down the street, though not officially part of Cool Kids is a slightly more sophisticated show called "Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After." Disney has been playing up its "misunderstood" cast of villains lately, and this show features Cruella De Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent (with supporting villains like Scar, Hades, Ursula and Gaston) trying to win the audience's approval for most sympathetic. These poor, unfortunate souls (sorry!) provide dynamite singing and effects, even if the smallest kids might not totally follow the plot.
Over at Epcot is Goofycore. As Disney describes it, it's the "ultimate summer party" for youngsters at the CommuniCore Hall, with a DJ, interactive games and, yes, Goofy. During our Goofycore visit, the kids played limbo and Goofy Says with a group of high-energy cast members and Goofy, and then there was music while kids ran around and were lightly directed by the cast members and messed with soft building blocks.
The games are structured so that all young ages can participate to the best of their ability -- or wander in and out of the play. There is seating and air conditioning, which makes it a perfect break for parents and kids alike.
Outside CommuniCore Hall is the "Celebration Encanto" show, where families can relax on shaded Astroturf and partake in a song and dance party.
One thing about Cool Kid that most travelers and advisors know: Florida in the summer is hot. We've developed all sorts of coping mechanisms to keep the kids cool on the road, and we have a big arsenal of water bottles, hats and so on. But the nice thing about the events we attended was that most were coupled with a chance to get indoors for a bit and get a break from the heat. (It also rained every night during our stay -- drenching, thunderstorm-type rains -- so bring a poncho and stay flexible.)
At Magic Kingdom, the Big Top Bash at Fantasyland and Galactic Blast at Tomorrowland are other Cool Kid gathering spots, with DJ dance parties with Pluto and Stitch, respectively. And even though Animal Kingdom doesn't have a Cool Kid pop-up per se, my cool kid loved that park for its Wilderness Explorers program, and she went all around looking for cast members who would teach her about nature and animals and earn "badges" for her explorer book.
Now, with all these dance parties and games, do you think your young kid will head back to the resort exhausted? Maybe, but my bet is that the parents will be the exhausted ones while the kids rev back up at the pool.
In any case, we stayed at Art of Animation, one of Disney's Value resorts and a Cool Kid hot spot. The resort's daily program included additional Cool Kid activities such as a "Wake Up, Shake Up" dance party in the morning, character interactions in the lobby and movie night by the pool. It's good fun if you build in a resort day during your stay.