Daily Park Report: January 5, 2026
A 52-minute median wait at Hollywood Studios. On a Monday. In January. That's not a typo—it's a 30% surge above the 30-day average and the highest crowd level possible on our scale. While the rest o...
Hollywood Studios Hit 10/10 Crowds on a Monday—Here's What Happened
A 52-minute median wait at Hollywood Studios. On a Monday. In January. That's not a typo—it's a 30% surge above the 30-day average and the highest crowd level possible on our scale. While the rest of Walt Disney World saw elevated but manageable crowds, Hollywood Studios absorbed something unusual: post-holiday guests who apparently all had the same idea.
Cloudy skies and 74-degree highs created ideal touring weather yesterday, and the lack of any special events meant all four parks operated at full capacity with no crowd-splitting dynamics. The result was a revealing snapshot of where guests gravitate when given equal access to everything.
Hollywood Studios: A Capacity Crisis
The numbers are stark. A 52-minute median wait translates to extreme conditions where even secondary attractions demand significant time investments. Peak hour hit at 2:00 PM with a 65-minute median—meaning half of all attractions exceeded that threshold during the afternoon crush.
What drove this? January's first full week back from the holidays tends to concentrate guests at Hollywood Studios, where Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land create must-do pressure. Without a party night or After Hours event pulling guests toward Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios became the default destination for thrill-seekers.
Star Tours posted waits 100% above its typical 5 minutes—a normally reliable walk-on attraction turned into a 10-minute queue. When Star Tours backs up, it signals system-wide saturation. Toy Story Mania's 30-minute afternoon closure (2:25-2:55 PM) during peak hours created additional pressure, pushing guests toward already-strained attractions.
Magic Kingdom: Packed but Predictable
Magic Kingdom registered a 9/10 crowd level with a 23.5-minute median wait—17.5% above its 30-day average. The noon peak hour saw 35-minute medians across the park, concentrated heavily in Fantasyland.
The outlier story here centers on family attractions. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel tripled its typical wait to 15 minutes. Dumbo and Barnstormer both doubled to 30 minutes. Under the Sea hit 30 minutes against a 15-minute baseline. This pattern points to families with young children flooding Fantasyland—exactly the demographic that returns in early January before school resumes.
Tiana's Bayou Adventure commanded 45-minute waits, 125% above its 20-minute typical. The attraction's continued novelty combined with yesterday's crowds created persistent queues throughout the day.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train's 75-minute closure (1:43-2:58 PM) during peak afternoon hours forced Fantasyland guests to redistribute. With the headliner offline, families pivoted to secondary options—explaining some of the elevated waits at Dumbo and Barnstormer during that window.
EPCOT: Festival Crowds Hold Steady
EPCOT matched its 30-day average exactly at 25 minutes median, registering a 7/10 crowd level. The stability is notable given elevated crowds elsewhere—Festival of the Holidays guests continue to prioritize food booths over attraction queues.
But EPCOT's morning was chaotic. Soarin' went down twice before noon: 8:31-9:37 AM and again 10:31-11:22 AM, totaling nearly two hours of downtime during rope drop and late morning. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure added another 57-minute closure (9:25-10:22 AM). Guests arriving for World Showcase touring found two major attractions unavailable during prime hours.
Journey Into Imagination with Figment's evening closure (5:22-6:25 PM) had less impact, occurring as crowds naturally thinned toward park close.
Gran Fiesta Tour and Seas with Nemo both doubled their typical waits—guests treating these air-conditioned boat rides as rest stops between festival booths, a pattern we see consistently during food festivals.
Animal Kingdom: The Moderate Middle
Animal Kingdom posted the day's most manageable conditions at 5/10 with a 33.7-minute median. The noon peak reached 50 minutes—busy but not overwhelming for guests prioritizing Pandora.
DINOSAUR's numbers tell two stories. The 40-minute average wait (double typical) reflects genuine demand, but two closures totaling nearly two hours (10:28-11:19 AM and 6:06-7:01 PM) constrained capacity. Wildlife Express Train's doubled waits to 10 minutes suggest Rafiki's Planet Watch drew more traffic than usual—possibly families seeking lower-intensity experiences away from packed parks.
Today's Forecast: Pressure Shifts
Today brings near-perfect conditions: 78 degrees, mostly clear skies, and zero precipitation chance. No special events are scheduled, meaning yesterday's crowd distribution patterns will likely repeat—with one key difference.
Monday crowds historically exceed Tuesday crowds in early January as weekend visitors extend trips by one day. Today should see modest relief across all parks, with Hollywood Studios remaining the pressure point. If yesterday's 10/10 rating deterred any guests from returning, expect slight improvement to 8-9/10 range.
The strategic play: Rope drop Animal Kingdom for Pandora, then park hop to EPCOT for afternoon World Showcase touring. Hollywood Studios demands either early arrival (before 9 AM) or late entry (after 5 PM). Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland will remain congested with families—adults without children should prioritize Tomorrowland and Adventureland in early morning hours.
Track the Patterns
Yesterday's Hollywood Studios surge wasn't random—it's a predictable post-holiday compression pattern. Lightning Brain identifies these dynamics before you arrive, showing you where capacity pressure builds and where relief exists. Available now at lightningbrain.app, and coming soon to the iOS App Store.