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Animal Kingdom
vs
Kennywood

On a typical day Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 32 at Animal Kingdom, a difference of roughly 10 minutes on every queue you join.

01 · On a typical day

What you would normally queue.

Averages across recent weeks, so one broken ride or one wet Tuesday cannot decide it. This is the comparison to plan a trip on; the live figures below are the one to act on today.

Animal Kingdom and Kennywood compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyAnimal KingdomUnited StatesKennywoodUnited States
Average wait per ride 32 min22 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 611 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Avatar Flight of Passage58 minExterminator52 min
Shortest typical queue Wildlife Express Train7 minSwingShot5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running92%Not recorded

Averaged across every ride at each park with recorded waits. A ride that never opened is left out, so a park is not flattered by counting a shut ride as a queue of zero.

02 · Right now

Both parks, this minute.

Live queue times at both parks. These fill in as soon as the page loads, and keep updating while you are here.

Animal Kingdom and Kennywood compared on live queue times
Right nowAnimal KingdomUnited StatesKennywoodUnited States
Average wait right now --
Rides open --
Opening hours today --
Longest queue --
Shortest queue --

These keep refreshing while this page is open. A closed park posts no waits, so its rows read as dashes rather than zeroes.

Verdict, on a typical day On a typical day Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 32 at Animal Kingdom, a difference of roughly 10 minutes on every queue you join.

03 · Choosing

Which one is your day out.

Every line here is earned by one of the figures above - nothing is a generic sentence with a park name dropped into it.

Pick Animal Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 32 minutes a ride here against 22 at Kennywood - for what Animal Kingdom has that Kennywood does not
  • Avatar Flight of Passage is on your list - it is Animal Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 58 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Animal Kingdom's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Kennywood if…

  • You want shorter queues: Kennywood averages 22 minutes a ride against 32 at Animal Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 11 rides here have recorded wait data against 6 at Animal Kingdom
  • Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 52 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom blends a full theme park with a working zoo. The park sits at Walt Disney World and is the largest of the four by area. Signature attractions include Avatar Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, and the Festival of the Lion King show. Pandora – The World of Avatar regularly posts the longest wait times in the park.

Animal Kingdom is usually less crowded than Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, but Avatar Flight of Passage still routinely exceeds 60-minute queue times. Early mornings are best for the safaris when animals are most active. Check live wait times on arrival and head to Pandora first. Use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter date outside US school holidays for a more relaxed visit.

Animal Kingdom live queue times

Kennywood

Kennywood is a historic traditional amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. It has been running since 1898 and is a US National Historic Landmark - home to three classic wooden coasters (Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, Racer) alongside modern additions like Phantom's Revenge (a steel coaster known for a near-400 ft second drop) and Steel Curtain (part of a Steelers-themed area).

Kennywood's season runs roughly May to October, with peak crowds concentrated on summer weekends, July 4th, and during the Phantom Fright Nights event. Weekdays in June and September stay noticeably calmer. Check live queue times before committing to Phantom's Revenge or Steel Curtain, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter day if you want plenty of re-rides.

Kennywood live queue times

05 · Questions

Animal Kingdom or Kennywood?

Which is better, Animal Kingdom or Kennywood?

If you are judging on queues, Kennywood: it averages about 22 minutes a ride on a typical day against 32 at Animal Kingdom, roughly 10 minutes back on every queue you join. Animal Kingdom has 6 rides with recorded waits against 11 at Kennywood.

Which has shorter queues, Animal Kingdom or Kennywood?

Kennywood, by about 10 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kennywood averages 22 minutes against 32 at Animal Kingdom. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Animal Kingdom best time to visit and Kennywood best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Animal Kingdom and Kennywood in the same trip?

Yes - both parks are in United States, so a two-park trip is realistic over a long weekend. Split the days so you start at whichever opens earliest and drive to the other in the evening.

How many rides does each park have?

See the tables above for ride counts - or jump to Animal Kingdom and Kennywood for the full ride lists.

Is Animal Kingdom bigger than Kennywood?

By rides we track waits for, Kennywood is the bigger day out: 11 rides against 6. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Kennywood is the quicker park.

Then pick
the quiet day.

Both parks have a crowd calendar with six weeks of forecast and the best day left to go.

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