Daily Park Report: January 10, 2026

Marathon Weekend Delivers Ghost-Town Touring Across All Four Parks

Saturday delivered something rare at Walt Disney World: every single park came in below its 30-day average, with EPCOT plunging a staggering 42% below normal. For guests who braved the 82-degree January heat, the reward was walk-on conditions at attractions that typically demand patience.

The culprit is obvious: Marathon Weekend. With 75,000+ runners and spectators focused on race logistics rather than park touring, Saturday became an accidental gift for everyone else. Clear skies and warm temperatures kept conditions pleasant, but the real story is in the numbers.

EPCOT: Festival Season Without Festival Crowds

EPCOT recorded a 3/10 crowd level with a 14.5-minute median wait—42% below its 30-day average. For context, this is a Saturday in early January, when post-holiday crowds typically linger. Instead, guests walked onto Frozen Ever After and Test Track with minimal friction.

The 11:00 AM peak at just 20 minutes median reflects Festival of the Holidays traffic patterns: guests arriving for booth openings, then dispersing for food rather than queuing for attractions. Living with the Land posted 10-minute averages, 33% below its typical 15 minutes—a reversal from the holiday overlay crowds we saw in December.

Late afternoon brought operational challenges. Test Track went down for 90 minutes starting at 5:09 PM, followed immediately by Cosmic Rewind's 39-minute closure at 5:51 PM. Guests attempting an evening World Showcase loop found two headliners simultaneously unavailable—a frustrating end to an otherwise smooth day.

Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain's Afternoon Disappearance

Magic Kingdom landed at 5/10 with a 15.8-minute median, 21% below its 30-day average. The park absorbed Marathon Weekend's reduced attendance gracefully, but one major incident reshaped afternoon touring.

Space Mountain went down at 1:45 PM and stayed closed until 4:39 PM—nearly three hours during peak demand. Tomorrowland guests hunting alternatives found an unexpected silver lining: TRON posted 55-minute averages, a full 31% below its typical 80 minutes. Whether this reflects Marathon Weekend's lower crowds or guests avoiding the construction-adjacent area, the result was accessible boarding for Disney's newest coaster.

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel doubled its typical wait to 10 minutes—a curiosity likely driven by runDisney families with young children seeking gentler attractions after early race-morning wake-ups. Tomorrowland Speedway, conversely, dropped 33% below normal, suggesting the teenage demographic skews toward race participants rather than spectators.

Animal Kingdom: Light Crowds, Late Peak

Animal Kingdom recorded the day's lowest crowd level at 3/10, with a 23.8-minute median sitting 21% below average. The 5:00 PM peak is telling: families with marathon runners likely arrived late after morning race obligations cleared.

Expedition Everest's 60-minute morning downtime (8:15-9:15 AM) hit during a low-traffic window, minimizing guest impact. DINOSAUR's 51-minute closure from 4:51-5:42 PM proved more disruptive, coinciding with the park's peak hour and forcing DinoLand guests toward TriceraTop Spin as their only immediate option.

Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Land's Domino Effect

Hollywood Studios posted the highest crowd level at 5/10, though its 37.9-minute median still came in 5% below the 30-day average. The park's compact footprint means moderate crowds feel heavier than equivalent numbers elsewhere.

The 12:00 PM peak at 55 minutes median reflects Hollywood Studios' typical lunch-hour surge, but Toy Story Land experienced cascading problems. Toy Story Mania went down for 57 minutes starting at 1:12 PM, followed immediately by Slinky Dog Dash's 27-minute closure at 1:42 PM. For 27 minutes, the land's only operating attraction was Alien Swirling Saucers—a situation that created visible queue overflow into the walkways.

Today's Forecast: Marathon Morning Creates Split-Day Dynamics

Sunday brings the Marathon itself, which means road closures affect Magic Kingdom and EPCOT access until mid-morning. Expect light crowds at those parks before 10:00 AM as guests without race connections sleep in or wait out traffic.

The FETC education technology conference adds weekday-style professional crowds, but Sunday impact is minimal. Weather shifts cooler (high of 78°F) with 36% precipitation chance—enough to keep outdoor queue-averse guests considering backup plans but unlikely to cause significant operational impacts.

The play: Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom offer the cleanest morning access while Marathon road closures persist. By afternoon, expect Magic Kingdom to surge as race spectators transition into park visitors. EPCOT remains the wildcard—Festival of the Holidays continues, but yesterday's 42% below-average suggests marathon families prioritize rest over World Showcase laps.

If yesterday's patterns hold, any park delivers comfortable touring today. The question is whether marathon fatigue keeps today's numbers suppressed or whether post-race celebration drives a Sunday rebound.

Track the Patterns That Matter

Marathon Weekend reshapes the entire resort, and yesterday's 42% EPCOT drop is exactly the kind of opportunity that disappears without real-time data. Lightning Brain's event-aware modeling shows you where to tour while race logistics dominate elsewhere. Now available at lightningbrain.app and on the App Store!