Dreams Resorts expands MasterChef Junior programming

Dreams Resorts & Spas announced an expanded culinary partnership with the MasterChef Junior franchise on Monday, rolling out enhanced programming that brings menus designed by the show's young competitors to select all-inclusive properties across Mexico and the Caribbean. The initiative, branded MasterChef Junior: Next Course, follows the brand's initial collaboration with the competition series produced under license from Banijay Rights.

The resort chain said the updated program adds menu offerings developed by Season 9 winner Bryson McGlynn and finalist Remy Powell, alongside new hands-on activities aimed at encouraging children to engage with cooking during family vacations. McGlynn's limited-edition menu showcases what Dreams described as elevated comfort food inspired by his Southern heritage, while Powell contributed a dessert collection drawing on Italian, French, Mexican, and Asian techniques.

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New cooking classes and poolside activations

MasterChef Junior: Next Course introduces a family cooking class centered on McGlynn's street corn dip recipe, allowing parents and children to prepare dishes together under instruction. The program retains signature elements from the original collaboration, including the Mystery Box Challenge—a kid-focused activity that tasks young guests with creating dishes from surprise ingredients—and unscheduled poolside pop-ups.

Both junior chefs also designed mocktails for the resort beverage program: Bryson's Berry Breeze and Remy's Resort Refresher are now available at participating locations. Dreams said the programming is designed to expose children to unfamiliar foods and global flavor profiles while creating what it called meaningful family experiences.

Expanding a culinary franchise partnership

The MasterChef Junior collaboration launched earlier as a first-of-its-kind tie-up between an all-inclusive resort brand and the globally distributed culinary competition series. Dreams Resorts & Spas operates under the Hyatt portfolio, which announced the expansion in a release issued from Chicago. The resort brand has positioned the program as a differentiator for families seeking activity-driven vacations that go beyond standard kids' club offerings.

Participating Dreams properties throughout Mexico and the Caribbean now offer the full suite of MasterChef Junior: Next Course programming, though the company did not specify which resorts host the activities or whether advance reservations are required for the cooking class. Families planning stays at Dreams locations should confirm availability of the culinary programming directly with individual resorts before arrival.