Hollywood Studios on New Year's Eve 2026: Crowd Outlook

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

Published November 5, 2026

Hollywood Studios on December 31 is forecast to be as packed as it gets. As of Nov 5, SupaPark’s crowd forecast has it at 10 out of 10, tied with EPCOT as the busiest park that day. The number that should shape your plan comes from SupaPark’s recent wait data: over the last 30 days, Slinky Dog Dash has had a median posted wait of 68 minutes at noon but 30 minutes at 9 PM. That’s the pattern on regular days, not a measurement of New Year’s Eve, but the takeaway is the same. If you’re set on the Studios on Dec 31, plan for the late part of the day, not the middle.

The Verdict for December 31

If Hollywood Studios is flexible in your trip, move it to another day. A 10/10 forecast means every headliner line runs long, walkways around Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge get crowded, and small mistakes cost you a lot of time. If Dec 31 is the only Studios day you’ve got, it can still work, but only with a plan built around the late hours. Arriving at noon and going ride to ride is the plan that falls apart.

One more thing: SupaPark’s calendar shows no separate-ticket party nights on Dec 31. Nothing is pulling some of the crowd off into a ticketed event, so everyone in the park is competing for the same standby lines.

Day by Day: The Dec 31 Forecast

SupaPark’s crowd forecast for December 31, 2026, by park (as of Nov 5):

• EPCOT: 10/10, the busiest park that day
• Hollywood Studios: 10/10
• Animal Kingdom: 9/10
• Magic Kingdom: 8/10, the lightest park that day

The whole resort is busy. Even the “light” option is an 8. On a day like this you can’t find an empty park, so you’re choosing which kind of crowded you can best work around.

Planning around this? See crowds for my dates.

Best and Worst Hours at Hollywood Studios

The numbers below are SupaPark’s recent pattern: the median posted wait across the park’s five busiest rides, measured Oct 7–Nov 4. They show how the day usually goes. They are not a reading of New Year’s Eve, which will run hotter across the board. Expect the shape to hold even if every number goes up.

Hollywood Studios across a typical recent day:

• 9 AM: 40 min
• 11 AM: 50 min, the daily high
• 2 PM: 50 min
• 5 PM: 45 min
• 8 PM: 33 min
• 9 PM: 20 min, the daily low

That’s 50 minutes at the peak versus 20 at the low. The middle of the day is the worst time to be in a standby line here, and the evening is the best. Two headliners make it clearest:

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: 10 min at 9 PM vs 50 min at 12 PM
• Slinky Dog Dash: 30 min at 9 PM vs 68 min at 12 PM

That gives you a simple plan. Ride a couple of attractions early, take a long midday break while the lines are at their worst, then come back for the evening and save Slinky and Runaway Railway for after dark. Holiday park hours can change, so check Disney’s posted closing time for Dec 31 before you count on a 9 PM window. If the park closes earlier, move that evening push earlier with it.

A few tactics that matter more on a 10/10 day:

• Use single rider at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run if your group can split up. That line takes pressure off the standby line, so it’s an easy way to fit in a big ride on a crowded day. Skip it if you have a nervous first-time kid who shouldn’t be separated from you.
• Treat Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as your most at-risk ride. It has a history of going down for technical problems, and some of those afternoon breakdowns last the rest of the day. Ride it early if you can. Don’t save it for the end of the night.
• Don’t try to see everything. On a 10/10 day, a realistic goal is your three or four must-dos, with everything else as a bonus.

SupaPark’s best-time forecaster shows these hourly patterns ride by ride, and a wait-drop watch can alert you when Slinky or Runaway Railway falls to a number you’re happy with. That way you can stay on your break instead of checking the app every 10 minutes. The free plan includes one live watch at a time.

Which Park to Pick Instead

If you can move your Studios day, here’s how the other parks look for Dec 31, using SupaPark’s forecast and the same recent hourly data.

Magic Kingdom (8/10): the lightest forecast of the day. Recently, its mornings have been very good. The park-wide low is 25 minutes at 8 AM. Jungle Cruise has been a 5-minute median wait at 8 AM versus 40 at noon, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been 9 minutes at 8 AM versus 35 at 1 PM. Get there early and you’ll finish the classics before the crowd builds. Keep in mind that 8/10 is still busy.

Animal Kingdom (9/10): best in the afternoon. It works the opposite way from most parks. In the recent pattern, its five busiest rides peak at 40 minutes at 11 AM and drop to 15 minutes by 5 PM, with a low of 10 minutes at 6 PM. Kilimanjaro Safaris has gone from 50 minutes at 10 AM to 10 minutes at 3 PM, and Na’vi River Journey from 45 minutes at 11 AM to 10 minutes at 7 PM. If your group isn’t a rope-drop group, Animal Kingdom in the afternoon is a good fit.

EPCOT (10/10): skip it on Dec 31 if you can. It’s tied for the busiest forecast, and its recent pattern gets worse as the day goes on, peaking at 60 minutes at 5 PM. Test Track has been 30 minutes at 8 AM versus 70 at 4 PM, and Frozen Ever After 20 minutes at 8 AM versus 63 at 1 PM. If EPCOT is your Dec 31 park, your best chance is early morning, with the rest of the day spent on things that don’t have lines.

My pick: if you can rearrange your trip, do Magic Kingdom early on Dec 31 and move Hollywood Studios to a day with a lower forecast. If you’re staying at the Studios, take your midday break and head back for the evening.

The Takeaway

Hollywood Studios on New Year’s Eve is forecast at 10/10, and the middle of the day is when it hurts most. In SupaPark’s recent data, the evening has had roughly half the headliner waits of noon. Ride a few things early, take a break at midday and save your biggest rides for late. Moving your Studios day is better still if your trip allows it. Forecasts can change as the date gets closer, so check supapark.com again in December.

Frequently Asked Questions

How crowded will Hollywood Studios be on December 31, 2026?

As of Nov 5, SupaPark forecasts Hollywood Studios at 10 out of 10 on Dec 31, tied with EPCOT as the busiest park at Walt Disney World that day.

Which Disney World park is least crowded on New Year’s Eve 2026?

Magic Kingdom has the lightest forecast at 8/10, followed by Animal Kingdom at 9/10. EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are both at 10/10.

What time of day are Hollywood Studios lines shortest?

In SupaPark’s recent 30-day data, the busiest rides hit their lowest median wait (20 minutes) around 9 PM and their highest (50 minutes) around 11 AM. Expect New Year’s Eve to follow that same shape with higher numbers overall.

When should I ride Slinky Dog Dash on New Year’s Eve?

Plan on late evening if the park is open. SupaPark’s recent data shows Slinky Dog Dash at a 30-minute median at 9 PM versus 68 minutes at noon, though Dec 31 waits will likely run higher.

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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.