For many travelers, an Orlando summer vacation feels more financially feasible. Walt Disney World recently launched a series of deals for the summer season , including discounts on theme park admission, hotel accommodations, and dining. In addition to savings, the Most Magical Place on Earth aims to entice families for a visit this summer, with multiple new offerings debuting over the next few months.

These openings include upgrades to popular attractions, a new adult-exclusive dining location, and family-friendly entertainment that spans day and night. By concentrating the openings around the summer, Disney World argues that guests of all ages will find something to enjoy. This comes at a time when attendance dips. According to Thrill Data, a website that tracks theme park attendance through metrics like average wait times, summer sees fewer crowds than the holiday season and spring break.

As families plan their summer trips to Walt Disney World, experts urge travelers to prioritize the latest additions. While they argue that Disney World needed these additions, experts also agree that the latest offerings will enhance future visits for years.

New Nighttime Parade And More Entertainment

Disney World's headliner opening this summer takes place at night. "Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away" launches at Magic Kingdom as the park's first new nighttime parade in nearly a decade. This highly anticipated entertainment offering ranks high among many experts' must-see lists this summer, including Megan duBois, Senior Theme Park Editor at FamilyVacationist.

"To have a nighttime parade finally returning [to Magic Kingdom] is going to be a game-changer," says duBois. "From the concept art, it looks similar to Tokyo Disneyland's nighttime parade, a must-see if you're ever at Tokyo Disney Resort."

Magic Kingdom, Disney World's highest-priced theme park, benefits from a new parade in multiple ways. "For guests, this adds even more value to a day at Magic Kingdom, and it's just a great way to end a day at the park," duBois adds.

Two new shows also open at Disney's Hollywood Studios in time for summer. "Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After" and "The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure" debut on May 27. Both shows provide families with more entertainment options and much-needed air conditioning in the hot summer months. "Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After" features interactive elements, such as allowing the audience to decide each show's ending, as popular Disney villains vie for recognition as the most misunderstood.

Gavin Doyle, founder of Disney news site, Mickey Visit, points out that adding two shows to the mix at Hollywood Studios benefits every guest, even those not sitting in the audience. "Shows in large theaters are great ways to move large groups of guests in a particular direction," Doyle says. "With multiple shows happening throughout the day, the other attractions at Hollywood Studios should feel some relief in their wait times and the Disney World crowds felt."

Attractions Reimagined And Expanded Upon

Walt Disney World will reimagine and expand upon two popular EPCOT attractions this summer. On June 4, GEO-82 will open as a brand-new lounge space. Inspired by the park's iconic Spaceship Earth, GEO-82 carries the distinction of a rare adult-exclusive space at Disney World. The lounge will limit attendance strictly to guests above the age of 21. GEO-82 offers a new fireworks viewing spot, with special dining packages available for booking. GEO-82's menu includes an abundant list of cocktails, wine, beer, and small bites.

Not too far from GEO-82, guests eagerly await the reopening of the beloved EPCOT ride, Test Track, which will sport a brand-new look when it reopens in late summer of 2025. The ride closed in 2024 to implement a new storyline, scenes, and vehicle upgrades.

Doyle views the Test Track's updates as one of the most significant new offerings at Walt Disney World this year.

"Test Track is a popular thrill ride at EPCOT, and I'm glad to see it updated again to keep up with the latest transportation technology," Doyle explains. "The idea of transportation has come a long way since the ride first opened in 1999 and even since the most recent version debuted."

Much like EPCOT, Test Track's evolution reflects the latest technological advances. "The previous version of Test Track allowed riders to customize their vehicle in an interactive pre-show. Those customizations were tested on the actual ride, giving guests more influence over their experience. I'm curious to see what this new iteration of Test Track brings with it," Doyle says.

According to Disney, the new version of the ride harkens back to World of Motion, an opening day EPCOT attraction that closed permanently in 1996. Walt Disney World opened the first version of Test Track on the former site of World of Motion three years later.