Daily Park Report: December 6, 2025

Saturday December 6, 2025: A Tale of Two Crowd Patterns

Saturday brought near-perfect weather to Central Florida with mostly clear skies, a high of 83°F, and only trace precipitation. The humidity sat at 83%, typical for the region but manageable for most guests. With Disney Jollywood Nights drawing evening crowds to Hollywood Studios and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays in full swing, we expected moderate activity across the resort. What we actually saw was a surprising split: two parks running lighter than usual while Animal Kingdom posted significantly elevated waits.

Park-by-Park Analysis

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios posted a median wait of 34 minutes, coming in 2.9% below its 30-day average of 35 minutes. The park earned a moderate-light crowd level of 4/10, which is solid for a Saturday during the holiday season. Peak crowds hit at 12:00 PM with median waits of 45 minutes. The evening Jollywood Nights event likely shifted some guests to later arrival times, keeping midday more manageable than expected. Morning hours before 11:00 AM and late afternoon after 3:00 PM offered the best touring windows.

Animal Kingdom

Here is where Saturday got interesting. Animal Kingdom recorded a median wait of 31.3 minutes, a substantial 56.5% increase over its 30-day average of 20 minutes. Despite this jump, the park still registered only a 4/10 crowd level. Peak waits occurred early at 10:00 AM with a 45-minute median, suggesting guests arrived with rope-drop energy. The elevated numbers appear driven by specific attractions rather than overall crowding, as we will discuss in the outliers section below.

EPCOT

Despite hosting the Festival of the Holidays, which historically draws significant crowds, EPCOT posted a surprisingly light day. The median wait of 21.3 minutes was only 6.5% above the 30-day average. With a crowd level of just 2/10, this was one of the lighter Saturdays we have tracked during festival season. Peak hour came at 11:00 AM with a 30-minute median. Festival guests appeared to be prioritizing food and beverage booths over attractions, leaving ride queues shorter than the foot traffic might suggest.

Magic Kingdom

The flagship park also delivered a very light day at 2/10 crowd level. The median wait of 17.5 minutes was 16.7% above the 30-day average of 15 minutes, but those baseline numbers are already quite low. Peak hour hit at noon with a 30-minute median. Magic Kingdom contributed the most data points of any park at 5,767, giving us high confidence in these numbers. For a Saturday in December, these waits represent excellent touring conditions.

Outliers and Surprises

Several attractions posted wait times far above their typical averages. The most dramatic was Dumbo the Flying Elephant at 25 minutes, a 400% increase over its usual 5-minute wait. Other classic Fantasyland attractions showed similar patterns: Mad Tea Party, PeopleMover, and Pirates of the Caribbean all ran at 200% above typical. This constellation of elevated waits on lower-capacity classic attractions, combined with Magic Kingdom's overall light crowd level, suggests a demographic shift. Holiday weekends often bring more first-time visitors and families with young children who gravitate toward these iconic rides rather than the headliners.

At Animal Kingdom, DINOSAUR averaged 30 minutes (200% above typical) and Zootopia: Better Zoogether! hit 35 minutes (133% above typical). Zootopia continues to draw elevated interest as guests seek out the newer attraction, while DINOSAUR's spike correlates with the family-heavy crowd pattern we observed across the resort.

Downtime Report

Journey Into Imagination With Figment had a rough day at EPCOT, experiencing three separate downtimes totaling approximately 222 minutes across the afternoon. Guests hoping to catch this classic should plan for potential delays. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Magic Kingdom also struggled with multiple closures adding up to over two hours of downtime. Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Slinky Dog Dash each experienced single downtimes of 42 and 33 minutes respectively during morning hours. These morning closures are often related to routine checks but can impact early touring plans.

Today's Prediction: Sunday, December 7

Today brings a significant weather shift with 100% chance of thunderstorms, a high of only 78°F, and a low dropping to 62°F. This will fundamentally change park dynamics. Expect outdoor attractions to experience periodic closures during lightning protocols, and standby queues for indoor attractions to spike as guests seek shelter.

EPCOT is likely your best bet today. The Festival of the Holidays means abundant indoor activities and covered dining locations. The park already demonstrated it can absorb holiday crowds without significant wait increases. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom tonight will reduce regular park hours and compress daytime crowds.

Our prediction: crowd levels will drop slightly from Saturday due to weather deterring some visitors, but wait times for indoor attractions will run 20-30% higher than posted numbers might suggest. Arrive early, prioritize indoor experiences, and bring rain gear.