EPCOT Thanksgiving Weekend 2026 Crowds: Go Sunday, Nov 29

By Chris M. · Park news & crowds · Lake Buena Vista, FL

Published November 9, 2026

If you can only shift one thing this Thanksgiving weekend, move your EPCOT day to Sunday, Nov 29. As of Nov 10, SupaPark’s crowd forecast has EPCOT at 8/10 on both Thursday, Nov 26 and Saturday, Nov 28, and at 6/10 on Sunday. That makes Sunday the lightest EPCOT day of the four. Across the window, EPCOT averages 7.3/10, which makes it the busiest park at Walt Disney World. Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom both average 3.8/10.

Forecast as of November 9, 2026. Live numbers here: EPCOT crowd calendar for November 2026. Holiday week: Thanksgiving week crowd forecast.

The hour you ride matters even more than the day. Over the last 30 days (Oct 12–Nov 9), SupaPark’s wait data shows Test Track at a median posted wait of 30 minutes at 8 AM and 70 minutes at 5 PM. Frozen Ever After shows 20 minutes at 8 AM and 65 minutes at 2 PM. That’s the recent daily pattern, not a measurement of Thanksgiving weekend. The 8 AM readings usually fall in Early Theme Park Entry, which is for Disney resort guests. If you’re staying off-site, treat the first official hour as your rope-drop window, and check park hours for your date. Holiday crowds will probably push every number up, but the shape is what you plan around.

The Verdict for Nov 26–29

Here’s the read:

• EPCOT averages 7.3/10, peaking at 8/10 on Nov 26 and again on Nov 28.
• Hollywood Studios averages 5.5/10, peaking at 6/10 on Nov 26.
• Animal Kingdom averages 3.8/10, peaking at only 4/10 on Nov 27.
• Magic Kingdom averages 3.8/10, peaking at 4/10 on Nov 26.

A 3.8 average at Magic Kingdom on a holiday weekend sounds too good, so here’s the catch. Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on Nov 27 and Nov 29, and the park closes early to day guests on those nights. A lower crowd level on a shorter day isn’t the same as a full day of short lines. If Magic Kingdom is on your list, Thursday, Nov 26 and Saturday, Nov 28 are the full-day options.

Day by Day: Every Park, Every Date

These are SupaPark’s forecast crowd levels out of 10, as of Nov 10.

Thursday, Nov 26 (Thanksgiving)

• EPCOT: 8, tied for its busiest day of the window
• Hollywood Studios: 6, its peak
• Magic Kingdom: 4, with no party, so a full day
• Animal Kingdom: 3, the lightest reading of any park all weekend

The move: Go to Animal Kingdom. You get the lowest crowd level in the window, on the day EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are both at their busiest.

Friday, Nov 27

• EPCOT: 7
• Hollywood Studios: 5
• Animal Kingdom: 4
• Magic Kingdom: 4, but it’s a party night with an early close to day guests

The move: Go to Hollywood Studios. It drops from 6 to 5, and it’s the park where the evening pattern (below) rewards staying late.

Saturday, Nov 28

• EPCOT: 8, its second peak
• Hollywood Studios: 5
• Animal Kingdom: 4
• Magic Kingdom: 4, with no party, so a full day

The move: Go to Magic Kingdom. It’s the last full-length Magic Kingdom day of the window at a 4/10.

Sunday, Nov 29

• EPCOT: 6, its lightest day of the window
• Hollywood Studios: 6
• Animal Kingdom: 4
• Magic Kingdom: 3, but it’s a party night with an early close to day guests

The move: Go to EPCOT. It’s still not quiet, but 6 is two full levels below Thursday and Saturday.

Put together, that’s a clean four-park weekend: Animal Kingdom Thursday, Hollywood Studios Friday, Magic Kingdom Saturday, EPCOT Sunday.

Planning around this? See crowds for my dates.

Best and Worst Hours (the Recent Pattern)

The hourly numbers below are median posted waits across each park’s five busiest rides. SupaPark measured them over Oct 12–Nov 9. They show how a typical recent day plays out. They’re not a forecast of Thanksgiving weekend itself.

EPCOT: The First Hour Is Everything

The median goes 30 minutes at 8 AM, 45 at 9 AM, 50 at 11 AM, 55 at 2 PM and a peak of 60 at 5 PM. It’s still 45 at 8 PM. EPCOT doesn’t reset at night the way Hollywood Studios (33 min at 8 PM, 24 at 9 PM) and Animal Kingdom (10 min at 7 PM) do. Its 8 PM median of 45 matches its 9 AM median. If you’re counting on a quiet evening to catch up on Test Track or Frozen Ever After, you’ll probably be disappointed. Ride both early. If you miss the morning on an 8/10 day, use the single rider lines at Test Track and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and save the afternoon for things that don’t have a posted wait.

Hollywood Studios: Bookend the Day

The median is 40 minutes at 9 AM and plateaus at 50 from 11 AM through 2 PM. It eases to 45 at 5 PM, 33 at 8 PM and a low of 24 at 9 PM. Two headliners show the split clearly:

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: 15 minutes at 8 AM vs. 53 at 2 PM. Do it first.
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: 10 minutes at 9 PM vs. 48 at 11 AM. Save it for last.

Animal Kingdom: Flip the Usual Advice

The median is 25 minutes at 9 AM and peaks at 40 at 11 AM. It falls back to 25 at 2 PM, 20 at 5 PM and a low of 10 at 7 PM. The surprise is Kilimanjaro Safaris: 10 minutes at 3 PM vs. 55 at 10 AM. The old habit of running to the safari first thing lines you up with everyone else. Na’vi River Journey follows the same idea: 10 minutes at 7 PM vs. 45 at 12 PM. The late low only helps on nights the park is open that late, so check hours for your date.

Magic Kingdom: Early Is the Steal

The median hits its low of 23 minutes at 8 AM, then 29 at 9 AM, 40 at 11 AM and 2 PM, and a high of 45 at 4 PM. It’s 30 at 8 PM. Two classics show the morning advantage:

• Jungle Cruise: 6 minutes at 8 AM vs. 40 at 3 PM.
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: 5 minutes at 8 AM vs. 38 at 4 PM.

On the party nights (Nov 27 and 29), the evening part of that curve isn’t open to day guests anyway. That’s one more reason to put your Magic Kingdom day on the 26th or 28th.

Which Park to Pick Instead

If EPCOT is fixed for a certain day because of your group’s plans, aim for Sunday, Nov 29 and ride the big ones in the first hour. If your dates are flexible, here’s how the alternatives rank:

1. Animal Kingdom is the safest pick on any day. It never goes above 4/10 and drops to 3/10 on Thanksgiving. Its afternoon dip is the most forgiving schedule in the resort.
2. Magic Kingdom on Nov 26 or 28 gets you a 4/10 day with no party cutting it short.
3. Hollywood Studios on Nov 27 or 28 gets you a 5/10 day with a strong late-evening drop.

Forecasts can move as the weekend gets closer, and holiday crowds can beat the recent averages. SupaPark’s best-time forecaster and crowd calendar are free at supapark.com. Your one free live watch can alert you when a ride like Test Track drops to a wait you’re willing to stand in, so you don’t have to keep refreshing.

The one thing to remember: Do EPCOT on Sunday, and do it early. Put the lighter parks on the 8/10 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best day to visit EPCOT over Thanksgiving weekend 2026?

Sunday, Nov 29. As of Nov 10, SupaPark forecasts EPCOT at 6/10 that day, compared with 8/10 on Nov 26 and Nov 28 and 7/10 on Nov 27.

Which Disney World park is least crowded Nov 26–29, 2026?

Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom tie for the lowest average at 3.8/10. Animal Kingdom’s 3/10 on Thanksgiving, Nov 26, is the lightest full day. Magic Kingdom also hits 3/10 on Nov 29, but that’s a party night with an early close to day guests. Magic Kingdom closes early to day guests on Nov 27 and Nov 29 for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

What time are EPCOT lines shortest?

In SupaPark’s data from Oct 12–Nov 9, 8 AM was EPCOT’s lowest hour, with a 30-minute median across its busiest rides. Test Track was 30 minutes at 8 AM vs. 70 at 5 PM, and Frozen Ever After was 20 minutes at 8 AM vs. 65 at 2 PM.

Is Magic Kingdom a good choice on Thanksgiving weekend 2026?

Yes, on Nov 26 or Nov 28. Both are forecast at 4/10, and neither has a party that cuts the day short. Recent data shows Jungle Cruise at a 6-minute median wait at 8 AM.

Keep planning: today’s crowd forecast · is Lightning Lane worth it

Go deeper — the full guides: Disney World Crowds Nov 9–14, 2026: Forecast · Magic Kingdom Dec 21–23, 2026: Crowd Levels and Best Hours · Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026: The Complete Planner (Is It Worth the Ticket?)

SupaPark tracks live wait times and crowd forecasts, and pings you the second a hard-to-get reservation opens or a ride goes walk-on — free to start at supapark.com.

Heading to EPCOT? Check EPCOT wait times right now and how busy EPCOT is today.