Peak crowds
Magic Kingdom in December
December at Magic Kingdom means peak holiday crowds by day and Christmas decor with a separately ticketed party crowding out standby lines many evenings.
Updated Reviewed by ParkSwiz research
- Crowd level
- Peak
- Avg high
- 73°F
- Avg low
- 54°F
- Rain days
- 5 days
Pros
Reasons to visit in December
- Cinderella Castle gets its full holiday lighting treatment, a look you won't see any other month.
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party nights offer a lower-capacity, festive alternative to daytime crowds, with its own parade and fireworks.
- Main Street, U.S.A.'s holiday decorations bring extra atmosphere that daytime guests enjoy without a party ticket.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run give you two genuine headliners to anchor a Lightning Lane Single Pass plan on a packed day.
- Peter Pan's Flight and it's a small world keep families moving even when Fantasyland is jammed, since both run high hourly capacity.
Cons
Things to watch out for
- Party nights push regular closing time as early as 6pm, cutting your standby window well short of a normal visit.
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run routinely post waits over 90 minutes on peak December days.
- Main Street U.S.A. and the Hub get gridlocked before evening parades and fireworks, making cross-park walking slow.
- Fantasyland's meet-and-greets like Princess Fairytale Hall and Pete's Silly Sideshow can run well past posted wait times during peak week.
Special events
Events in December
Resort-wideNew Year's Eve celebrations
Must-do rides
View all attractions
Day plan
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Attractions
Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Every ride at Magic Kingdom sees peak-level demand in December, so knowing which ones move fast and which ones stall out matters more than usual.
Lightning LaneSingle PassMulti Pass tier 1Multi Pass tier 244 shown
- A Pirate's Adventure ~ Treasures of the Seven SeasAdventureland
- Jungle CruiseAdventureland
- Pirates of the CaribbeanAdventureland
- Swiss Family TreehouseAdventureland
- The Magic Carpets of AladdinAdventureland
- Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki RoomAdventureland
- "it's a small world"Fantasyland
- Cinderella CastleFantasyland
- Mad Tea PartyFantasyland
- Mickey's PhilharMagicFantasyland
- Peter Pan's FlightFantasylandMust-do
- Prince Charming Regal CarrouselFantasyland
- Seven Dwarfs Mine TrainFantasyland38 in or tallerMust-do
- The Many Adventures of Winnie the PoohFantasyland
- Under the Sea - Journey of The Little MermaidFantasyland
- Big Thunder Mountain RailroadFrontierland38 in or taller
- Country Bear Musical JamboreeFrontierland
- Disney Adventure Friends CavalcadeFrontierland
- Tiana's Bayou AdventureFrontierland40 in or taller
- Haunted MansionLiberty Square
- The Hall of PresidentsLiberty Square
- Casey's Corner PianistMain Street USA
- Flag RetreatMain Street USA
- Frozen Holiday Surprise!Main Street USA
- Happily Ever AfterMain Street USA
- Main Street Philharmonic at Main Street, U.S.A.Main Street USA
- Main Street VehiclesMain Street USA
- Mickey's Magical Friendship FaireMain Street USA
- Silhouette Portrait CartMain Street USA
- The Dapper DansMain Street USA
- Walt Disney World RailroadMain Street USA
- Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak StationStorybook Circus
- Dumbo the Flying ElephantStorybook Circus
- The BarnstormerStorybook Circus35 in or taller
- Astro OrbiterTomorrowland
- Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger SpinTomorrowland
- Monsters Inc. Laugh FloorTomorrowland
- Space MountainTomorrowland44 in or taller
- Tomorrowland SpeedwayTomorrowland32 in or taller
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMoverTomorrowland
- TRON Lightcycle / RunTomorrowland48 in or tallerMust-do
- Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away
- Jessie’s Roundup: A Rip-Roarin’ Revue!
Ask Swiz
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Straight verdicts on what is worth your time in December.
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