Animal Kingdom vs EPCOT: Which Has Shorter Lines?
Over the last 90 days of logged waits (Jul 30–Oct 27, 2026), Animal Kingdom had the lower average posted standby wait — Animal Kingdom: 23 min, EPCOT: 27 min. That is 4 min (15%) less.
Animal Kingdom's quietest day of the week was Wednesday (17 min) and its busiest Saturday (27 min); at EPCOT, Wednesday (24 min) and Friday (29 min).
Between 10 AM and 6 PM over the last 30 days, lines were shortest at Animal Kingdom in the 5–6 PM hour (17 min) and at EPCOT in the 10–11 AM hour (27 min).
Side by side
| Animal Kingdom | EPCOT | |
|---|---|---|
| Average posted standby wait (last 90 days) | 23 min | 27 min |
| Weekday / weekend average | 21 / 26 min | 26 / 28 min |
| Quietest day of the week | Wednesday (17 min) | Wednesday (24 min) |
| Busiest day of the week | Saturday (27 min) | Friday (29 min) |
| Days with logged waits | 90 | 90 |
| Rides with posted waits (last 30 days) | 6 | 11 |
| First hour after opening (last 30 days) | 24 min | 24 min |
| Busiest hour (last 30 days) | 11 AM–12 PM (28 min) | 11 AM–12 PM (31 min) |
| Quietest hour, 10 AM–6 PM (last 30 days) | 5–6 PM (17 min) | 10–11 AM (27 min) |
| Shortest-wait hour overall (last 30 days) | 7–8 AM (17 min) | 10–11 PM (21 min) |
| Typical hours (published schedule) | 8:00 AM–6:00 PM (20 of 31 days; 10.4 h average) | 9:00 AM–9:00 PM (31 of 31 days; 12.0 h average) |
Averages are posted standby waits across every attraction with a logged wait, one figure per park day, from RopeDrop's wait-time logs (Jul 30–Oct 27, 2026). Hours are as published for Oct 28–Nov 27.
By day of the week
| Day | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 24 min | 27 min |
| Tuesday | 20 min | 26 min |
| Wednesday | 17 min | 24 min |
| Thursday | 19 min | 26 min |
| Friday | 26 min | 29 min |
| Saturday | 27 min | 29 min |
| Sunday | 26 min | 26 min |
Average posted standby wait for each weekday over the last 90 days. The lower figure on each row is highlighted. Animal Kingdom best days · EPCOT best days
By time of day
| Hour (park time) | Animal Kingdom | EPCOT |
|---|---|---|
| 7 AM | 17 min | – |
| 8 AM | 24 min | 23 min |
| 9 AM | 20 min | 23 min |
| 10 AM | 24 min | 27 min |
| 11 AM | 28 min | 31 min |
| 12 PM | 27 min | 30 min |
| 1 PM | 24 min | 29 min |
| 2 PM | 22 min | 28 min |
| 3 PM | 19 min | 29 min |
| 4 PM | 18 min | 29 min |
| 5 PM | 17 min | 28 min |
| 6 PM | 24 min | 28 min |
| 7 PM | 17 min | 27 min |
| 8 PM | – | 25 min |
| 9 PM | – | 25 min |
| 10 PM | – | 21 min |
Average posted standby wait by park-local hour over the last 30 complete park days. Animal Kingdom hours · EPCOT hours
Headliner waits
The longest average waits over the last 30 days were Avatar Flight of Passage: 50 min at Animal Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: 77 min at EPCOT.
Animal Kingdom
| Ride | Average |
|---|---|
| Avatar Flight of Passage | 50 min |
| Na'vi River Journey | 33 min |
| Kilimanjaro Safaris | 33 min |
| Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain | 23 min |
| Kali River Rapids | 17 min |
EPCOT
| Ride | Average |
|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind | 77 min |
| Test Track | 66 min |
| Frozen Ever After | 54 min |
| Remy's Ratatouille Adventure | 49 min |
| Soarin' Across America | 30 min |
The 5 longest average posted standby waits per park over the last 30 days (rides open in that window). Shortest-wait rides
Questions
- Which has shorter lines, Animal Kingdom or EPCOT?
- Over the last 90 days of logged waits (Jul 30–Oct 27, 2026), Animal Kingdom had the lower average posted standby wait — Animal Kingdom: 23 min, EPCOT: 27 min. That is 4 min (15%) less.
- What is the best day of the week to visit Animal Kingdom or EPCOT?
- Animal Kingdom's quietest day of the week was Wednesday (17 min) and its busiest Saturday (27 min); at EPCOT, Wednesday (24 min) and Friday (29 min).
- What time are lines shortest at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT?
- Between 10 AM and 6 PM over the last 30 days, lines were shortest at Animal Kingdom in the 5–6 PM hour (17 min) and at EPCOT in the 10–11 AM hour (27 min).
- Which rides have the longest waits at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT?
- The longest average waits over the last 30 days were Avatar Flight of Passage: 50 min at Animal Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: 77 min at EPCOT.
Other park comparisons
Animal Kingdom · EPCOT · Disney World crowd calendar · Live wait times