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Soarin' Stays Grounded, Smugglers Run Saw a Grogu-Sized Bump
EPCOT got a small Soarin' bump, while Star Wars created the more obvious wait-time movement.
At a Glance
- Soarin' Across America averaged 24 minutes at EPCOT from May 22-24, 2 minutes above its 22-minute 90-day average.
- Soarin's hourly average peaked at 40 minutes late Sunday morning, 18 minutes above that 90-day average. Despite the excitement around Soarin', EPCOT's biggest weekend waits were still Guardians, Test Track, Frozen, and Remy.
- Hollywood Studios Smugglers Run averaged 36 minutes for the weekend, 11 minutes above its 25-minute 90-day average.
- Disneyland Park Smugglers Run averaged 30 minutes, 10 minutes above its 20-minute 90-day average. It peaked later in the weekend, not on its Friday launch day.
- Tokyo Disneyland Star Tours saw a huge relative upswing, averaging 13 minutes for the weekend, 7 minutes above its 6-minute 90-day average, with the clearest spike on Friday.
May 22-24 new-experience waits
Smugglers Run moved more than Soarin'
Average posted waits for the weekend's new or updated experiences, compared with each ride's own 90-day average.
| Park | Experience | Weekend average | 90-day average | Difference | Peak hour vs. 90-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hollywood Studios | Smugglers Run | 36 min | 25 min | +11 min | 51 min, +26 |
| Disneyland Park | Smugglers Run | 30 min | 20 min | +10 min | 58 min, +38 |
| EPCOT | Soarin' Across America | 24 min | 22 min | +2 min | 40 min, +18 |
| Tokyo Disneyland | Star Tours | 13 min | 6 min | +7 min | 33 min, +27 |
Soarin': Soft Reception On A Soft Open
Soarin' Across America soft launched to all Walt Disney World guests on Friday, May 22, four days earlier than the originally planned May 26 date. That made EPCOT the first park to show measurable wait-time impact for the new ride film.
Soarin's busiest hourly average came around 11 a.m. Sunday at roughly 40 minutes, 18 minutes above its 22-minute 90-day average. That shows moderate interest, but it's not a runaway opening weekend.
The real EPCOT pressure sat with the familiar heavyweights. From May 22-24, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind averaged 77 minutes, 33 above its 44-minute 90-day average. Test Track averaged 67 minutes, 30 above its 37-minute baseline. Frozen Ever After averaged 51 minutes, 23 above its 28-minute baseline. Remy's Ratatouille Adventure averaged 49 minutes, 22 above its 27-minute baseline.
EPCOT launch weekend
Soarin' was the new story, but not the longest wait
Soarin' sat well below EPCOT's smaller-capacity headliners, and it was much closer to its own 90-day average.
| Ride | May 22-24 average | 90-day average | Difference | Weekend busy hour vs. 90-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind | 77 min | 44 min | +33 min | 115 min, +71 |
| Test Track | 67 min | 37 min | +30 min | 100 min, +63 |
| Frozen Ever After | 51 min | 28 min | +23 min | 65 min, +37 |
| Remy's Ratatouille Adventure | 49 min | 27 min | +22 min | 70 min, +43 |
| Soarin' Across America | 24 min | 22 min | +2 min | 40 min, +18 |
Reading the raw data, Soarin' stirred some interest, but it wasn't a meaningful crowd-driver. That being said, it's possible word of the soft opening didn't travel as far as the official launch date did. We'll have to see how wait times look on Tuesday.
Star Wars: Smugglers Run Got A Bump, But It Wasn't The Same On Both Coasts
Hollywood Studios had the clearer Smugglers Run interest.
The new Mandalorian and Grogu mission launched May 22, and Smugglers Run averaged 40 minutes that day, 15 above its 25-minute 90-day average. It then settled to 32 minutes on Saturday, 7 above that baseline, and 35 minutes on Sunday, 10 above. The full-weekend average was 36 minutes, 11 above normal.
Like Soarin', those numbers aren't setting the park on fire, but they do represent a meaningful reset for a ride with a 25-minute 90-day average.
Hollywood Studios Star Wars weekend
The Falcon rose, Rise stayed heavier
Each day is shown against that ride's own 90-day average, so a low-wait ride like Star Tours does not get judged by the same yardstick as Rise.
| Ride | 90-day avg | May 22 vs. 90-day | May 23 vs. 90-day | May 24 vs. 90-day | Weekend avg vs. 90-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smugglers Run | 25 min | 40 min, +15 | 32 min, +7 | 35 min, +10 | 36 min, +11 |
| Rise of the Resistance | 30 min | 48 min, +18 | 43 min, +13 | 49 min, +19 | 47 min, +17 |
| Star Tours | 5 min | 6 min, +1 | 6 min, +1 | 7 min, +2 | 6 min, +1 |
So yes, the new mission mattered. But the bump was concentrated on the Falcon and in Galaxy's Edge. It did not turn every Star Wars-branded ride into a headliner.
Disneyland Park told an ever-so-slightly softer story.
Smugglers Run averaged 29 minutes on Friday, 9 above its 20-minute 90-day average. It climbed to 35 on Saturday, 15 above baseline, then eased to 26 on Sunday, at 6 above. The biggest hourly average came Saturday afternoon, around 58 minutes, which was 38 above baseline. That suggests the update had weekend pull, but not a single launch-day crush.
Rise of the Resistance remained the heavier Galaxy's Edge ride at Disneyland, averaging 51 minutes across the weekend, 21 above its 30-minute 90-day average. Hyperspace Mountain averaged 53 minutes, 19 above its 34-minute baseline, and had more downtime on Saturday as well.
Disneyland Park Star Wars weekend
The update spread into a bigger summer kickoff
Disneyland had the Smugglers Run update, but it also had BDX droids, Kids' Summer Ticket validity, and several limited-time summer additions starting the same weekend. The comparison column keeps each ride anchored to its own recent normal.
| Ride | 90-day avg | May 22 vs. 90-day | May 23 vs. 90-day | May 24 vs. 90-day | Weekend avg vs. 90-day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smugglers Run | 20 min | 29 min, +9 | 35 min, +15 | 26 min, +6 | 30 min, +10 |
| Rise of the Resistance | 30 min | 47 min, +17 | 52 min, +22 | 53 min, +23 | 51 min, +21 |
| Star Tours | 15 min | 11 min, -4 | 16 min, +1 | 11 min, -4 | 13 min, -2 |
| Hyperspace Mountain | 34 min | 50 min, +16 | 59 min, +25 | 51 min, +17 | 53 min, +19 |
Tokyo Disneyland: Star Tours Was The Small Ride With The Big Relative Move
Tokyo Disneyland belongs in the Star Wars section because its Star Tours update is already active. The park is running guaranteed Mandalorian and Grogu scenes through June 30.
Star Tours averaged 18 minutes on Friday, 12 above its 6-minute 90-day average. Saturday averaged 13 minutes, 7 above baseline. Sunday averaged 6 minutes, basically normal. Across the weekend, Star Tours averaged 13 minutes, 7 above its 90-day average.
Friday was the clearest pop. The busiest hourly average hit about 33 minutes late in the morning, 27 above the 90-day average.
Star Tours was not the hardest ride in the park. Beauty and the Beast was 94 minutes against a 43-minute baseline, Baymax was 77 against 40, and Monsters, Inc. was 70 against 35. Star Tours mattered because it changed relative to its usual role.
The Bottom Line
Soarin' Across America opened smoothly. EPCOT got a fresh attraction story, but Soarin' stayed manageable at 24 minutes, just 2 above its 22-minute 90-day average.
The Star Wars update had more movement. Hollywood Studios showed the cleanest Smugglers Run bump at 36 minutes, 11 above its 25-minute 90-day average. Disneyland's Smugglers Run landed at 30 minutes, 10 above its 20-minute baseline, while Tokyo Disneyland's Star Tours reached 13 minutes, 7 above its 6-minute baseline.