Daily Park Report: February 24, 2026

Animal Kingdom Hit a 2/10 on a Clear February Tuesday

Animal Kingdom recorded its lightest crowds in weeks yesterday, dropping to just 16.5 minutes median wait—a full 34% below its 30-day average. Meanwhile, Magic Kingdom dealt with a rough operational day, losing multiple headliners to extended downtimes while still managing to hit a 6/10 crowd level. The split tells you something about how guests are distributing across the resort right now.

Weather was crisp but cooperative: a 34°F morning warming to 59°F by afternoon under clear skies. Cold mornings tend to delay rope drop arrivals, and we saw that pattern clearly at Animal Kingdom, where waits didn't climb above 15 minutes until 11 AM.

Magic Kingdom: Busy Despite the Breakdowns

Magic Kingdom posted a 6/10 at 17.7 minutes median, roughly 11% below its recent average. But the number undersells how chaotic the day felt for guests. Pirates of the Caribbean went down twice—once for over two hours in the morning, then again for 95 minutes in the afternoon. Space Mountain was offline during the late-morning peak, taking out a key Tomorrowland anchor for nearly two hours. Haunted Mansion closed for 95 minutes during the afternoon.

With these closures stacking up, guests redistributed to whatever was running. Fantasyland absorbed much of the pressure: Dumbo, "it's a small world," and Under the Sea all averaged 25-minute waits, roughly 67% above their typical baselines. These aren't normally bottleneck attractions, but when three major rides are simultaneously unavailable, secondary options get hammered.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure bucked the trend at just 15 minutes—but that's expected behavior on a day that started at 34°F. Guests weren't lining up to get soaked.

Hollywood Studios: Steady at 6/10

Hollywood Studios held at a 6/10 with a 39-minute median, essentially flat against its 30-day average. The park peaked at noon with 55-minute medians before settling into the low 40s for the afternoon.

Rise of the Resistance had a rough evening, going down twice—first for 45 minutes starting at 4 PM, then again for 75 minutes from 5:45 PM onward. That second closure ate into prime touring time for guests planning to hit Galaxy's Edge before dinner. Slinky Dog Dash also went offline during the first hour of operation, though the 56-minute morning closure happened early enough that most guests probably didn't notice.

Tonight's Disney After Hours event at Hollywood Studios won't affect today's daytime crowds—After Hours starts after regular park close, so day guests can tour on a normal schedule.

EPCOT: Moderate at 5/10

EPCOT came in at a 5/10 with an 18-minute median, about 10% below average. The park showed an unusual traffic shape: waits spiked to 30 minutes at 11 AM, dropped to 15 minutes by 1 PM, then popped back up to 25 minutes at 2 PM before flattening out. This sawtooth pattern suggests waves of guests moving between World Showcase and Future World rather than a steady build-and-fade.

Frozen Ever After had a brief 20-minute closure late morning, but otherwise EPCOT ran clean operationally—a contrast to Magic Kingdom's struggles.

Animal Kingdom: The Quiet Park

Animal Kingdom's 2/10 was the standout of the day. At 16.5 minutes median, waits ran a third below the 30-day average. Kilimanjaro Safaris averaged just 20 minutes, nearly 43% under its typical 35-minute baseline. Expedition Everest posted 23-minute averages, also well below normal.

Part of this is simply Tuesday behavior—Animal Kingdom tends to run lighter midweek. The cold morning likely suppressed early arrivals further, and with no special events driving traffic, guests who might otherwise head to AK apparently chose other parks. The only hiccup was a 35-minute Kali River Rapids closure late afternoon, which barely registered given how few guests were waiting for a water ride in 50-degree weather.

Downtime Impact

Magic Kingdom took the operational hit yesterday. Between Pirates (down twice for a combined 225 minutes), Space Mountain (100 minutes), Haunted Mansion (95 minutes), and Country Bear Musical Jamboree (65 minutes), guests lost access to major attractions across multiple lands throughout the day. The Fantasyland wait spikes—three family rides running 67% above baseline—directly correlate with these closures pushing guests toward whatever was available.

Hollywood Studios saw Rise of the Resistance unavailable for two hours of evening touring, which likely pushed Galaxy's Edge guests toward Smugglers Run (itself down for 35 minutes earlier). When your headliner goes down at 5:45 PM, there's not much day left to recover.

Today's Outlook: Wednesday, February 25

Yesterday I predicted—well, the system shows 0/10 across multiple parks, which clearly isn't right. That's a data error on our end, not a real prediction. Setting that aside and looking at today's actual conditions:

Expect a warmer day with highs reaching 66°F under clear skies. Hollywood Studios hosts Disney After Hours tonight, but remember: this has no effect on daytime crowds since the event runs after regular park close.

With no special events, no holiday pressure, and midweek timing, predict another moderate day across the resort. Magic Kingdom should land in the 5-6/10 range, similar to yesterday but potentially lighter if operational issues don't repeat. Hollywood Studios will likely hold at 5-6/10. EPCOT should stay in the 4-5/10 range. Animal Kingdom could tick up slightly from yesterday's 2/10 as the warmer afternoon temperatures make the park more appealing—call it 3-4/10.

Best strategy: Hit Animal Kingdom in the morning while it's still running light, then shift to Magic Kingdom or EPCOT for the afternoon. If yesterday's downtime patterns repeat at MK, have a flexible backup plan.

Track Real-Time Conditions

Yesterday's Magic Kingdom closures reshuffled guest flow in ways that weren't obvious until you looked at the data. Lightning Brain tracks these operational changes live, so you can adjust your touring plan before you're stuck in a 25-minute line for Under the Sea. Now available at lightningbrain.app and on the App Store!