Hollywood Studios Crowds Dec 31–Jan 3: Best Times to Ride

By David K. · Budget & value · Atlanta, GA

Published November 9, 2026 · Updated November 14, 2026

Here’s the number that should shape your Hollywood Studios plan for New Year’s week: SupaPark’s wait data shows Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at a median 48-minute posted wait at 11 AM, compared with 10 minutes at 9 PM. That’s the same ride with about a fifth of the wait. It comes from the last 30 days (Oct 12–Nov 9), not from Dec 31–Jan 3 itself. But holiday crowds usually raise the whole curve rather than change its shape, so the lesson carries over: ride hard at opening, take a long break through midday, and come back at night.

Forecast as of November 9, 2026. Live numbers here: Hollywood Studios crowd calendar for December 2026 and January 2027. Holiday week: New Year’s week crowd forecast.

The verdict for Dec 31–Jan 3

Plan for a holiday-level week and build your day around timing, not luck. The days around New Year’s are traditionally among the busiest of the year at Walt Disney World. Families are off school, out-of-town visitors pile in, and every park feels it.

Sunday, Jan 3 is a Disney Jollywood Nights event night. Hollywood Studios closes early to day guests that evening for the separately ticketed event (7:30 PM to 12:30 AM), so the late-evening dip below is not available that day. Dec 31, Jan 1 and Jan 2 have no ticketed event, and the evening is where this park pays off.

The smart plan for all four days is the same. Get there before opening, knock out the ride with the steepest morning-to-afternoon climb, leave or slow down from late morning through the afternoon, and save your second wave for after dark.

Day by day

SupaPark hasn’t published a day-level crowd forecast for these dates yet. Instead of guessing a number, here’s how this stretch usually plays out, and how to think about each day.

• Thursday, Dec 31 (New Year’s Eve): Expect it to be the busiest of the four. New Year’s Eve tends to be one of the most crowded days of the year across the resort. If Hollywood Studios is on your list today, rope drop isn’t optional. Also expect the evening to stay busier than the usual late-night drop-off suggests, because many people stay late to celebrate. So on Dec 31, don’t bank on the 9 PM Runaway Railway trick. Check that night’s park hours in My Disney Experience, and set a SupaPark wait-drop alert on Runaway Railway so you get a ping if it does dip.
• Friday, Jan 1 (New Year’s Day): Still holiday-heavy. Crowds are usually still very high. Late risers after the night before sometimes soften the first hour or so, but don’t count on it. Plan as if it’s a peak day.
• Saturday, Jan 2: High, with the first signs of easing. Some visitors head home this weekend, but it’s still a Saturday in a holiday week. Treat it as busy and use the same timing strategy.
• Sunday, Jan 3: Likely the most manageable of the four. As the holiday break winds down, this is often when crowds start to ease, especially later in the day. If you can pick only one day for Hollywood Studios in this window, this is the one I’d choose. Still expect a busy day, just not the New Year’s Eve crush.

Want a firmer read as the dates get closer? SupaPark’s crowd calendar at supapark.com updates as new data comes in. It’s worth checking again in mid-December, before you lock in your park order.

Planning around this? See crowds for my dates.

Best and worst hours at Hollywood Studios

This is the recent pattern, the median posted wait across the park’s five busiest rides from Oct 12–Nov 9:

• 9 AM: 40 min
• 11 AM: 50 min (the day’s peak)
• 2 PM: 50 min
• 5 PM: 45 min
• 8 PM: 33 min
• 9 PM: 23 min (the day’s low)

Two patterns matter more than the averages:

Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets gets worse fast. SupaPark measured a 15-minute median at 8 AM, compared with 53 minutes at 2 PM. If it’s on your must-ride list, go there first. Waiting until the afternoon more than triples your wait.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway gets much better at night. It’s 48 minutes at 11 AM and 10 minutes at 9 PM. Most families do it mid-morning, which is exactly the wrong time. Push it to your last hour.

That gives you a simple order: Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster at opening, a few more rides while waits are still climbing, then step back between roughly 11 AM and 5 PM. Do shows, take a resort break, or switch parks. Return for the evening dip (in recent data, 33 min at 8 PM and 23 min at 9 PM) and finish with Runaway Railway in your last hour. Holiday-week hours can differ, so confirm closing time for your date first.

One more trick for adults and older kids who don’t mind splitting up: Hollywood Studios has three single rider lines, at Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. On a holiday-week afternoon, when standby is at its worst, single rider is often the best way to ride a headliner without paying extra. Just know you won’t ride together.

If you’d rather not keep refreshing wait times, set a SupaPark alert on one ride. You’ll get a ping when its wait falls below your target, so you’re not stuck refreshing an app in the middle of a crowd.

Which park to pick instead (or pair with)

If you have flexibility, compare the patterns before giving Hollywood Studios one of these days. SupaPark’s recent 30-day data shows each park peaks at a different time:

• Animal Kingdom has the sharpest late-day drop. Its top-five median goes from 40 minutes at 11 AM to 20 minutes at 5 PM, with a low of 10 minutes at 7 PM. Kilimanjaro Safaris goes from 55 minutes at 10 AM to 10 minutes at 3 PM, and Na’vi River Journey from 45 minutes at noon to 10 minutes at 7 PM. This park rewards an afternoon arrival.
• Magic Kingdom is best first thing. It’s 23 minutes at 8 AM, rising to a 45-minute peak at 4 PM. Jungle Cruise (6 min at 8 AM vs 40 at 3 PM) and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (5 min at 8 AM vs 38 at 4 PM) are both nearly walk-on early.
• EPCOT stays busy late. It bottoms out at 30 minutes at 8 AM and peaks at 60 minutes at 5 PM. EPCOT is a poor choice for an afternoon park-hop.

My pick for the window: take your Hollywood Studios day on Sunday, Jan 3. Rope drop it, and if you have Park Hopper, spend the afternoon at Animal Kingdom, where waits drop just as Hollywood Studios hits its peak. If Hollywood Studios has to be on New Year’s Eve, do an early morning there, take a long break, and count on a wait-drop alert rather than the usual late-night Runaway Railway dip.

The one thing to remember

At Hollywood Studios, timing does more than luck. Ride Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster first, save Runaway Railway for last, and stay out of the 11 AM–2 PM peak, even in the busiest week of the year.

Is Lightning Lane worth it at Hollywood Studios over New Year’s?

For most families visiting Dec 31–Jan 3, yes. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is usually worth it on holiday-level days, but only if you use it for the hours your timing plan can’t cover. The best times to ride still handle a lot. What Lightning Lane does well is cover the 11 AM–5 PM stretch, when standby is at its worst.

Book early, because you book ahead

Multi Pass is bought for a specific day, and you choose your rides in advance in My Disney Experience. Disney resort guests can start booking 7 days before arrival. Off-site guests can start 3 days before. Booking opens at 7:00 AM Eastern on your first eligible day. In a holiday week, the most popular return times usually go fast. After you use a selection, or its window passes, book your next one and keep doing that all day.

Use your selections on the right rides

• Don’t spend one on Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster if you’re there at opening. The morning wait is already short.
• Skip Runaway Railway on Jan 1–3 if you’ll stay late. The night dip already takes care of it.
• On Dec 31, break that rule. Evening crowds tend to stay high on New Year’s Eve, so a midday Runaway Railway selection is a safer bet than counting on 9 PM.
• Plan your selections around the 11 AM–5 PM window. That’s when they save you the most time.

Rise of the Resistance is separate

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance isn’t part of Multi Pass. It’s sold on its own as Lightning Lane Single Pass. It also has a regular standby line and a single rider line. If your group doesn’t mind splitting up, single rider can save you the cost.

If the return time you want is already gone, set a SupaPark Lightning Lane watch. SupaPark alerts you when a better time opens up, and you book it yourself in My Disney Experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How crowded will Hollywood Studios be from Dec 31, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027?

Plan for holiday-level crowds all four days, with New Year’s Eve likely the busiest and Sunday, Jan 3 likely the most manageable as the break winds down. SupaPark hasn’t published a day-level forecast for these dates yet, so check its crowd calendar again in mid-December.

What time are Hollywood Studios waits shortest?

In SupaPark’s recent 30-day data (Oct 12–Nov 9), the median wait across the park’s five busiest rides was lowest at 9 PM (23 minutes) and highest at 11 AM (50 minutes). Early morning is also strong for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, which had a 15-minute median posted wait at 8 AM.

When should I ride Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to avoid a long wait?

Ride it at night. SupaPark measured a median posted wait of 10 minutes at 9 PM, compared with 48 minutes at 11 AM over the last 30 days.

Are there any party nights at Hollywood Studios over New Year’s 2027?

Yes, one. Sunday, Jan 3 is a Disney Jollywood Nights event night, so Hollywood Studios closes early to day guests that evening. Dec 31, Jan 1 and Jan 2 have no ticketed event.

Is Animal Kingdom a better choice than Hollywood Studios for an afternoon over New Year’s?

Based on recent patterns, yes. Animal Kingdom’s waits drop sharply after midday, with Kilimanjaro Safaris at 10 minutes at 3 PM, while Hollywood Studios is still near its peak of about 50 minutes at 2 PM.

When can I book Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Hollywood Studios over New Year’s?

Disney resort guests can start booking 7 days before arrival, and off-site guests 3 days before. Booking opens at 7:00 AM Eastern in My Disney Experience.

Is Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass?

No. Rise of the Resistance is sold separately as Lightning Lane Single Pass. It also has a regular standby line and a single rider line.

Keep planning: Walt Disney World Railroad - Fantasyland · live wait times · 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 · Magic Kingdom Crowds Nov 28–29, 2026: 3/10, Saturday Best

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 Hollywood Studios? Check Hollywood Studios wait times right now and how busy Hollywood Studios is today.