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Animal Kingdom vs Six Flags Great America

Which is better? Side-by-side wait times, ride counts, opening hours and a clear recommendation based on what you're after.

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Animal Kingdom
United States
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Animal Kingdom vs Six Flags Great America: at a glance

Choose Animal Kingdom if...

  • You want the experience described above - Animal Kingdom's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at Animal Kingdom today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride Animal Kingdom's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at Six Flags Great America
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

Choose Six Flags Great America if...

  • You want the experience described above - Six Flags Great America's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at Six Flags Great America today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride Six Flags Great America's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at Animal Kingdom
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

About each park

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.

Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America sits in Gurnee, Illinois, between Chicago and Milwaukee. The coaster line-up includes Maxx Force (with one of the world's fastest inversions), X Flight wing coaster, Goliath (a Rocky Mountain Construction wooden coaster), Raging Bull, American Eagle duelling wooden coaster, and Batman: The Ride. A Hurricane Harbor water park is included during summer.

Illinois and Wisconsin school holidays, Chicago-area weekend visits, and the popular Fright Fest event drive Six Flags Great America's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, June, September and October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Maxx Force and Goliath on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date for shorter queues.

Common questions

Which is better, Animal Kingdom or Six Flags Great America?

It depends on what you're after. Animal Kingdom and Six Flags Great America both appeal to different crowds - this page shows live queue times, ride counts and opening hours side by side so you can judge against your own priorities. Generally: go for the park with shorter average waits today if you want to maximise rides, and pick on theme/nostalgia if you're splitting a longer trip across both.

Which has shorter queues, Animal Kingdom or Six Flags Great America?

Queues change hour by hour. Right now the live data above shows the average wait at both parks and the longest/shortest live queues. Mid-week visits outside school holidays give the shortest queues at either park. Use the Animal Kingdom best time to visit and Six Flags Great America best time to visit tools to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Animal Kingdom and Six Flags Great America 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 live data above for today's ride counts - or jump to Animal Kingdom and Six Flags Great America for the full ride lists.

Is Animal Kingdom bigger than Six Flags Great America?

Park size is less useful than how many rides you can actually get on in a day - that comes down to queue times and opening hours. The comparison above shows ride counts and live wait times for both.

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