Daily Park Report: December 12, 2025

Friday, December 12, 2025: A Tale of Two Strategies

Friday brought near-perfect conditions to Walt Disney World: clear skies, a comfortable high of 71.5°F, and low humidity by Florida standards. The bigger story, however, was what happened after dark. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party took over Magic Kingdom for the evening, creating an unusual dynamic across the resort. While party-ticket holders prepared for their exclusive event, day guests scattered to other parks, and Magic Kingdom became something rarely seen in December: a ghost town. Meanwhile, EPCOT's International Festival of the Holidays continued drawing steady crowds to the World Showcase.

Park-by-Park Analysis

Magic Kingdom

The numbers here are striking. Magic Kingdom recorded a crowd level of just 1 out of 10, with a median wait time of only 11.8 minutes, a full 21.3% below its 30-day average. Even during the peak hour at noon, the median wait reached just 15 minutes. This is the Christmas Party effect in action: many guests skip the park entirely on party days, either because they don't have party tickets or because they're saving their energy for the evening event. For those who did visit during the day, the reward was remarkable. Tiana's Bayou Adventure, which typically sees 20-minute waits, dropped to just 10 minutes. Space Mountain clocked in at 15 minutes, 40% below its usual 25-minute average.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios absorbed much of the displaced Magic Kingdom crowd, registering the highest relative crowd level at 5 out of 10. The median wait of 39.4 minutes ran 12.6% above the 30-day average. Crowds peaked early at 11:00 AM with a median of 50 minutes, suggesting guests arrived with a rope-drop strategy. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster experienced two separate downtimes totaling nearly 2.5 hours, which likely contributed to elevated waits at other headliners throughout the day.

EPCOT

Despite carrying a "very high crowd impact" designation for the Festival of the Holidays, EPCOT maintained a crowd level of 3 out of 10. However, the median wait of 25.4 minutes was 27% above the 30-day average, the largest percentage increase of any park. This suggests that while overall attendance remained manageable, the guests who were there concentrated heavily on ride attractions between food booth visits. Peak crowds hit at 2:00 PM, later than the other parks, likely reflecting the festival's afternoon and evening appeal.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom posted a crowd level of 3 out of 10 with a median wait of 23.8 minutes, running 19% above average. The 11:00 AM peak with 35-minute median waits aligns with typical guest behavior at this park, where many aim to experience Pandora before afternoon heat sets in. Multiple morning downtimes on key attractions, including Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, and Kali River Rapids, compressed demand into a shorter operating window.

Outliers and Surprises

The outlier data reveals an interesting pattern at EPCOT. Several slower-paced attractions saw wait times spike well above normal:

• Living with the Land: 35 minutes (133% above typical)
• Spaceship Earth: 25 minutes (150% above typical)
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends: 20 minutes (100% above typical)

This is classic Festival of the Holidays behavior. Guests use these attractions as climate-controlled breaks between eating and drinking around World Showcase. The boats and omnimover vehicles become de facto rest stops.

At Animal Kingdom, DINOSAUR posted a 30-minute average, triple its typical 10 minutes. With a 48-minute morning downtime, pent-up demand combined with lighter overall staffing on a moderate day likely caused the spike.

Downtime Report

Friday saw an unusually high number of significant downtimes. Peter Pan's Flight at Magic Kingdom was offline for over four hours, from 7:32 AM to 11:47 AM, missing the entire morning rush. Living with the Land at EPCOT experienced a similar 3.5-hour morning outage. Spaceship Earth went down for over two hours in the afternoon. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios had two separate downtimes totaling 2.5 hours. These extended closures, particularly at Hollywood Studios, contributed to elevated wait times at competing attractions.

Today's Prediction: Saturday, December 13, 2025

Expect a different dynamic today. Without a party blocking Magic Kingdom, day guests will return in force. The forecast calls for slightly warmer conditions with a high of 75°F and mostly cloudy skies, comfortable weather that typically encourages longer park stays.

Two evening events will shape strategy: Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios and the continuing Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT. The hard-ticket event at Hollywood Studios should suppress afternoon crowds there, potentially creating the inverse of yesterday's Magic Kingdom situation.

Best bet today: Hollywood Studios in the afternoon. Arrive after 2:00 PM as event-only guests begin to dominate the crowd mix. Day guests tend to clear out early on Jollywood Nights evenings, and you may find manageable waits on headliners before your park time expires. Alternatively, Animal Kingdom remains a solid choice for those seeking lighter crowds without navigating event logistics.