Daily Park Report: January 4, 2026

Hollywood Studios Hit Extreme Crowds While Three Parks Stayed Comfortable

Hollywood Studios surged to a 10/10 crowd level yesterday—the only park in extreme territory—while Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom all remained manageable. The 30% spike above Hollywood Studios' 30-day average created a stark divide across the resort, with guests at one park waiting nearly twice as long as those who chose differently.

Sunday's weather played a supporting role in the crowd dynamics. Overcast skies and a comfortable 62°F average kept outdoor touring pleasant, though 90% humidity made enclosed queue environments feel stuffier than usual. The light drizzle (0.05 inches) wasn't enough to deter anyone but may have nudged guests toward covered attractions.

Hollywood Studios: A Perfect Storm of Demand and Downtime

The 51.8-minute median wait at Hollywood Studios tells only part of the story. What made Sunday brutal was the cascade of headliner downtimes during peak hours. Rise of the Resistance vanished for 96 minutes starting at 10:51 AM. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway followed almost immediately, down for 72 minutes starting at 11:03 AM. Toy Story Mania joined the outage party at 11:30 AM.

The result: guests who arrived for a normal Sunday found three major attractions simultaneously unavailable during the busiest window. Slinky Dog Dash absorbed the displaced demand, hitting 120-minute waits—84% above its typical 65 minutes. Even Star Tours, normally a reliable walk-on alternative, climbed to 13-minute waits, triple its baseline.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster added insult to injury with a 69-minute afternoon closure starting at 2:06 PM, and Runaway Railway went down again at 4:57 PM for another 51 minutes. For a park already running hot, these operational issues turned challenging into exhausting.

Magic Kingdom: Packed But Predictable

Magic Kingdom registered a 9/10 crowd level with a 22.8-minute median wait—14% above the 30-day average. The 11:00 AM peak hour pushed medians to 30 minutes, standard for a January Sunday with holiday crowds still lingering.

Fantasyland bore the brunt of the surge. Under the Sea held at 30 minutes (double its typical wait), The Barnstormer matched that number, and Prince Charming Regal Carrousel—usually a 5-minute commitment—stretched to 10. Tiana's Bayou Adventure continued drawing premium demand at 35 minutes, 75% above baseline.

Under the Sea's 189-minute morning downtime (8:30 AM to 11:39 AM) created an early bottleneck in Fantasyland. When the attraction finally reopened, pent-up demand kept waits elevated for the rest of the day. Small world's two separate downtimes—48 minutes in the morning and 96 minutes in late afternoon—added further pressure to the land's already strained capacity.

EPCOT: Festival Crowds Find Their Rhythm

EPCOT's 7/10 crowd level and 24.2-minute median actually came in 3% below the 30-day average. Festival of the Holidays continues to draw guests primarily interested in food booths rather than attractions, creating a predictable pattern where World Showcase stays packed while Future World attractions remain accessible.

Spaceship Earth's 141-minute morning closure (10:06 AM to 12:27 PM) plus an additional 30-minute afternoon outage pushed guests toward alternatives. Journey Into Imagination with Figment absorbed some of that demand, hitting 15-minute waits—triple its typical 5 minutes. The Seas with Nemo & Friends doubled to 20 minutes, and Gran Fiesta Tour climbed to 10.

The 11:00 AM peak hour saw medians hit 50 minutes, but this concentrated heavily on headliners rather than spreading across the park.

Animal Kingdom: The Comfortable Alternative

Animal Kingdom delivered exactly what its 30-day average promised: a 30-minute median wait and a 4/10 crowd level. For guests who chose this park over Hollywood Studios, the reward was dramatic—waits averaging 22 minutes shorter.

Wildlife Express Train showed unusual demand at 15 minutes (triple its typical 5-minute wait), suggesting families discovered the Rafiki's Planet Watch experience as a low-stress option. DINOSAUR's brief morning downtime (27 minutes starting at 7:30 AM) had minimal impact given the early timing.

The Downtime Cascade

Yesterday's operational issues concentrated heavily in the late-morning window:

Guests at Hollywood Studios during this window faced a choice: wait 120 minutes for Slinky Dog, pivot to Tower of Terror, or leave the park entirely. The data suggests many chose to stay and absorb the pain rather than park-hop.

Today's Outlook: Monday, January 5

The post-New Year exodus begins in earnest today. Holiday crowds typically clear rapidly once the calendar flips past January 4, and Monday historically sees significant drop-offs across all four parks.

Today's forecast favors outdoor touring: highs near 75°F, partly cloudy skies, and zero precipitation chance. This 13-degree warm-up from yesterday should spread crowds more evenly across outdoor attractions rather than concentrating demand on climate-controlled queues.

The strategy is straightforward: Hollywood Studios carries the highest risk given yesterday's extreme crowds and operational issues. If those technical problems persist, you're looking at another brutal day. EPCOT and Animal Kingdom offer safer bets—both ran below or at baseline yesterday despite being a peak holiday Sunday. Magic Kingdom should see meaningful improvement from yesterday's 9/10 as weekend warriors head home.

For those committed to Hollywood Studios, arrive at rope drop and prioritize Rise of the Resistance and Runaway Railway before 10:00 AM—yesterday's downtime window. If either shows operational issues early, pivot immediately rather than waiting.

Plan Smarter

Yesterday's Hollywood Studios situation—three headliners down simultaneously during peak hours—is exactly the scenario that catches guests off guard. Lightning Brain's real-time status monitoring shows you operational issues as they develop, so you can pivot before queues cascade. Available now at lightningbrain.app, and coming soon to the iOS App Store.