Disney Dreamers Academy Drops Its National High School Class, and 200 Middle Schoolers From Four Cities Take Its Place in 2027
For nearly two decades, Disney Dreamers Academy meant one thing: 100 high school students from across the country, picked each year to visit Walt Disney World. That version is ending. The next class will be twice as big, younger, and drawn from just four cities.
Disney announced on Tuesday, September 29, that a new pilot with Boys & Girls Clubs will bring the program to middle schoolers who belong to Clubs in the Orlando, Miami, Atlanta and Houston areas. Blog Mickey reports that the pilot "replaces the national, annual class of 100 high school students."
The short version: The first class of the new chapter will include 200 middle school students chosen by participating Boys & Girls Clubs. Disney says the class will be named this October, and programming starts in January 2027.
Disney Dreamers Academy participants at Disney's Hollywood Studios, in a photo Disney marks as a historical photo. Photo: Disney
What is changing
Disney Dreamers Academy launched in 2008, and Disney says more than 1,800 students across the country have taken part since. Until now it has centered on high schoolers. The new model shifts to middle school and stretches the experience out over time.
Disney describes the new version as "a year-round, multi-year experience." Some of it will happen in students' home communities and some at Walt Disney World, blending virtual and in-person activities. According to the program's official page, students will get their Disney experiences inside their local Boys & Girls Clubs as well as on trips to Walt Disney World.
Disney says the year-round programming will include workshops and other hands-on sessions run by Cast Members and experts, on subjects and career paths "ranging from engineering to animal sciences." Students will also be connected with Disney Cast Members and fellow Dreamers as mentors.
Why middle school, and why these four cities
On the program's FAQ, Disney says the move to middle schoolers came "at the guidance of youth development experts," and that the pilot is designed to reach students earlier as they begin exploring their interests and future possibilities.
The four cities were "selected based on Disney's existing presence and relationships with families and organizations in these communities," the FAQ says. Disney has not said when, or whether, the pilot will grow beyond them. Blog Mickey notes that 200 students across four markets works out to 50 per city.
Dreamers in Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland, with Space Mountain behind them, in a photo Disney marks as a historical photo. Photo: Disney
What Disney's leaders said
"I've seen firsthand the confidence, connections and opportunities Disney Dreamers Academy has provided students over the past 19 years," Sivonne Davis, Vice President of Marketing Strategy at Walt Disney World, said, as quoted by Blog Mickey and WDWMagic.
Tajiana Ancora-Brown, Director of External Affairs at Walt Disney World, framed it around timing, as quoted by Blog Mickey and WDWMagic: "This next chapter is about meeting students where they are and helping them discover what's possible for their future at an earlier age."
Jamie Merrill, President & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, said, per Blog Mickey: "Programs like this create the exposure and opportunities that help our young people dream beyond their circumstances and see new possibilities for their future."
What happens next
Blog Mickey reports that Walt Disney World will invest across the participating Clubs over the program's first two years, which cover the current 2026-27 school year and 2027-28. It also reports an October kickoff event in Orlando, followed by visits to Miami, Atlanta and Houston, with dates not yet announced.
For families, one practical change is who does the choosing. In the pilot, the participating Boys & Girls Clubs pick the students (Disney's FAQ says the students for the first class "were selected" by the Clubs), and Disney's page tells families to connect with their local Club to learn more about future opportunities and eligibility. Disney says more details on the next chapter will come in the coming months.
An emotional moment at a past Disney Dreamers Academy event, in a photo Disney marks as a historical photo. Photo: Disney
Sources
- Disney Experiences, Disney Dreamers Academy
- Blog Mickey, Big Changes Announced as Disney Dreamers Academy Partners with Boys & Girls Clubs (September 29, 2026)
- WDWMagic, Disney Dreamers Academy Expands to a Year-Round, Multi-Year Program (September 29, 2026)
Image credits: All photos by Disney, from the Disney Dreamers Academy page on Disney Experiences.
