Daily Park Report: December 9, 2025

Tuesday Recap: A Ghost Town at the Magic Kingdom

Tuesday, December 9th delivered one of those rare December days that seasoned Disney visitors dream about. Under cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper 50s to high 60s, the parks saw remarkably light crowds across the board. The combination of a mid-week date, no school calendar pressures, and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in the evening created an unusual opportunity for guests willing to brave the overcast conditions. While EPCOT's Festival of the Holidays continued drawing visitors, even that park remained well below typical December levels.

Park-by-Park Analysis

Magic Kingdom

The headline of the day belongs to Magic Kingdom, which registered a crowd level of just 1 out of 10 — what we classify as "Ghost Town" territory. The median wait time of 10.6 minutes came in a striking 29.3% below the 30-day average of 15 minutes. Even during the peak hour at 1:00 PM, the median wait reached only 15 minutes. The evening Christmas party clearly suppressed daytime attendance, as guests either saved their visits for the ticketed event or avoided the park entirely due to the early closure. For those who did show up during regular hours, it was an exceptional day to knock out attractions without Lightning Lane.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom followed a similar pattern with a crowd level of 2 out of 10 (Very Light). The median wait of 17.5 minutes ran 12.5% below the 30-day average. Peak crowds arrived at 11:00 AM with a median wait of just 30 minutes — numbers that would make a summer visitor weep. The cooler morning temperatures (low of 50.5°F) likely made for excellent safari conditions, though Kilimanjaro Safaris still posted waits 33% below its typical 30 minutes.

EPCOT

Despite the Festival of the Holidays drawing additional visitors with its food booths and entertainment, EPCOT maintained a crowd level of 2 out of 10. The median wait of 20.4 minutes actually ran 2% above the 30-day average — the only park to exceed its baseline. Peak hour hit at 11:00 AM with 40-minute median waits. The festival likely accounts for this relative busyness, as guests gravitate toward the seasonal food and beverage offerings. Still, by any objective measure, this remained a very manageable day.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios posted the highest crowd level at 4 out of 10 (Moderate-Light), though this still represented easy touring conditions. The median wait of 34.2 minutes came in 2.3% below the 30-day average. Peak hour occurred at 1:00 PM with 45-minute median waits. The park's compact footprint and concentration of headliner attractions means it tends to feel busier than the raw numbers suggest, but Tuesday was no exception to the overall light crowds.

Outliers and Surprises

Magic Kingdom produced the most interesting anomalies. Pirates of the Caribbean averaged 20 minutes — double its typical 10-minute wait. Combined with the 24-minute afternoon downtime, this suggests either operational issues running fewer boats or perhaps spillover from guests avoiding temporarily closed attractions. Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover similarly ran at 10 minutes versus its usual 5.

On the flip side, Tiana's Bayou Adventure posted an average of just 5 minutes — 75% below its typical 20. Given the 18-minute morning downtime and the overall ghost town conditions, this headliner was essentially a walk-on for much of the day. Space Mountain at 10 minutes (66.7% below typical) and DINOSAUR at 5 minutes (50% below typical) further illustrate just how empty these parks were.

Downtime Report

Remy's Ratatouille Adventure had a rough day, going down four separate times totaling over 214 minutes of cumulative downtime. Expedition Everest experienced two significant outages totaling 162 minutes, including a 90-minute closure during the early afternoon. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train went down for 84 minutes during the 1:00-3:00 PM window. Living with the Land opened late after a 105-minute morning outage. These disruptions, while notable, had limited guest impact given the low attendance levels.

Today's Prediction: Wednesday, December 10

Expect a modest uptick in crowds today. The weather forecast shows similar conditions — high near 69°F, partly cloudy, with 0% precipitation chance. The slightly improved weather combined with it being one day closer to the weekend should bring more visitors out.

The key variable tonight is Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios, which may suppress that park's daytime attendance similar to how the Christmas Party affected Magic Kingdom yesterday. If you are looking for lower crowds, Hollywood Studios during the day could be your best bet.

EPCOT will likely remain the busiest option as the Festival of the Holidays continues. Animal Kingdom should remain a solid choice for guests seeking lighter crowds, particularly in the morning hours when the animals are most active. Magic Kingdom without a party tonight will see higher crowds than yesterday's exceptional lows — expect a return to more typical December levels in the 3-4 out of 10 range.

Overall forecast: Light to moderate crowds with Hollywood Studios offering the best value for daytime guests.