Universal Studios Hollywood Is Crowded; Six Flags Parks Are Empty

Universal Studios Hollywood is running 28-minute average waits this week, well above the network average of 17 minutes, while Six Flags Magic Mountain has posted zero-minute lines across its open rides.

By Level Up Adventurestheme-parks · family-travel · weekly · week-2026-42Filed under Theme Parks
Photo: Eric Tompkins · Unsplash

Universal Studios Hollywood is running 28-minute average waits this week, well above the network average of 17 minutes, while Six Flags Magic Mountain has posted zero-minute lines across its open rides. What does that split tell you about where to spend your park day this week?

When to visit which park

Most major parks are sitting at or just above the network average, making this a neutral week for the Disney and Universal flagships. Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, and Islands of Adventure are all posting 18-22 minute waits, which means standard opening-day strategy pays off: arrive at park opening, hit the headliners in your first 90 minutes, and take a midday break while the crowds peak.

Universal Studios Hollywood is the outlier worth avoiding unless your schedule forces a midweek visit. At 28 minutes across 13 open rides, it's running 11 minutes above average, with Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift hitting 80 minutes. If you're set on the park, shift to a Tuesday or Wednesday in the coming weeks.

The real opportunity this week sits with the regional parks. Knott's Berry Farm is averaging 4 minutes across 36 open rides, Busch Gardens Tampa is at 10 minutes, and Six Flags Magic Mountain is posting zero-minute waits with only 3 rides open (the park is in a seasonal transition). Families with younger kids who are flexible on timing should book Six Flags Magic Mountain or Knott's this week; you'll walk onto nearly everything.

Three Eastern parks, Cedar Point, Hersheypark, and Six Flags Great Adventure, appear closed in this snapshot, so verify their seasonal calendar before planning a trip.

Maintenance impact this week

A wide swath of parks are running heavy refurbishment schedules as the season shifts toward winter events. Magic Kingdom has seven rides down, including the Monorail and TRON Lightcycle / Run. Disneyland is managing eight closures spanning Indiana Jones Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure has six Jurassic Park attractions offline.

Universal Studios Hollywood carries the heaviest load: 12 rides are currently closed, including the Studio Tour and Jurassic World. If you're visiting this week, cross-check the live status for your must-do attractions before you arrive.

Hersheypark and Cedar Point are showing 54 and 80 closures respectively, consistent with their seasonal wind-down. SeaWorld Orlando has 14 rides down, but that park is still operating and posting manageable 11-minute waits.

Live status and discounted tickets by park

Want to plan around the lines or lock in tickets before you go? Live wait times and discounted-ticket links for every park we track:

This digest is editorial, not a booking platform. Verify ride availability, park hours, ticket prices, and travel-advisory status with the official park or operator before traveling.

This digest is editorial, not a booking platform. Verify ride availability, park hours, ticket prices, and travel-advisory status with the official park / operator before traveling.

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