Central Florida’s theme park landscape remains packed during the final stretch of the holiday season. Visitors are flooding into both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort, and the larger crowds are making one metric especially noticeable: wait times. Today, the biggest story in Orlando theme park tourism is that Universal Orlando Resort overtook Walt Disney World Resort for the longest attraction waits according to publicly posted wait times.
The current longest wait times at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando. This week is the busiest of the year. pic.twitter.com/R4rD96606M
— Attractions Magazine (@Attractions) December 28, 2025
Lines Get Longer at Universal
Universal edged ahead by a surprising margin. At Walt Disney World, the longest posted waits included Flight of Passage at 125 minutes, Slinky Dog Dash at 130 minutes, and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror reaching 180 minutes. Over at Universal, the top tier wait times soared even higher. Mine-Cart Madness hit 180 minutes, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure jumped to 195 minutes, and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry topped the resort with a staggering 210 minutes.
This shift is causing park watchers to take notice. Walt Disney World traditionally dominates crowd discussion. There are four theme parks, dozens of premium attractions, fireworks events, character meet and greets, and shows that pull heavy attendance every single day. For Universal to surpass those levels, even temporarily, represents a growing competitive trend. Universal has been steadily rising in popularity since 2019, especially as its newest coaster experiences and Wizarding World expansions continue to shape the itinerary for both local and international vacationers.
Holiday timing has clearly amplified the surge. With schools on break and travelers seeking festivities before the New Year, Central Florida has become one of the most crowded tourist destinations in the country this week. That means long queues no matter which gate guests walk through. Still, the leaderboard tells the story. Today belonged to Universal.
Disney’s peaks remain concentrated in specific hotspots. Hollywood Studios consistently sees backup in Toy Story Land and near Sunset Boulevard. Animal Kingdom delivers long waits at its flagship Flight of Passage. Magic Kingdom’s family friendly coaster Slinky Dog Dash draws early and sustained demand. Tower of Terror’s 180 minute wait confirms its status as a top thrill attraction during holiday crowds.
Holiday Season Brings Unlikely Results
Universal’s increases are notable because they push beyond Disney’s highest spikes rather than simply matching them. A 210 minute wait for Battle at the Ministry represents more than three hours in a single line. Guests standing in those queues must weigh trade offs about parades, dining reservations, and nighttime entertainment. The same is true at Hagrid’s, where even an average day can produce extended waits. Mine-Cart Madness reaching 180 minutes reflects the appeal of newer attractions built around fast pacing and immersive storytelling.
Park strategists point out that wait times are fluid. They shift based on arrival patterns, Lightning Lane and Express Pass usage, weather changes, and entertainment schedules. Even a fifteen minute adjustment in an attraction’s capacity can reshape the entire board. Another major day this week could flip the standings completely.
Still, today’s snapshot highlights a bigger reality. Orlando is no longer anchored by a single giant. Universal has reached a point where its top experiences consistently compete with Disney’s most famous attractions for attendance and guest attention.
Disney remains strong across the board. Universal is simply surging. Guests choosing between the two face a new kind of planning challenge. The question is no longer which resort is busiest. It is which one a family is willing to wait longer for.
As the holiday week continues, both destinations will remain at near peak levels. Tomorrow may crown a new champion in wait time supremacy. But for today, Universal Orlando Resort stood first in the queue.
Was just there at both for the holidays. Some of the issue causing that uptick in wait time was rides with poor queuing, ride capacity being lower at Universal Epic vs equivalent at Disney, smaller number of available rides overall (only 11 at Epic), ride space mismanagement witnessed where open spots weren’t filled at the Ministry with single riders, breakdowns for newer attractions at Universal (was stuck on Hagrids), prioritizing Express pass riders, and other issues consistently through the park.