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Park Queue TimesPQT

Busch Gardens Williamsburg
vs
Magic Kingdom

On a typical day Magic Kingdom queues less: about 23 minutes a ride against 25 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a difference of roughly 2 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right now

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.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Magic Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyBusch Gardens WilliamsburgUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride 25 min23 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 1224 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue DarKoaster®48 minTRON Lightcycle / Run58 min
Shortest typical queue Der Autobahn9 minPrince Charming Regal Carrousel8 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running83%90% (best of the two)

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.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Magic Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right nowBusch Gardens WilliamsburgUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited 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 Magic Kingdom queues less: about 23 minutes a ride against 25 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a difference of roughly 2 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 Busch Gardens Williamsburg if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 25 minutes a ride here against 23 at Magic Kingdom - for what Busch Gardens Williamsburg has that Magic Kingdom does not
  • DarKoaster® is on your list - it is Busch Gardens Williamsburg's longest typical queue at about 48 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Busch Gardens Williamsburg's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Magic Kingdom if…

  • You want shorter queues: Magic Kingdom averages 23 minutes a ride against 25 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  • You want more to do: 24 rides here have recorded wait data against 12 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 90% of opening hours against 83% at Busch Gardens Williamsburg
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 58 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Magic Kingdom's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is consistently rated one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world, winning "Most Beautiful Park" industry awards year after year. Set across European-themed villages in Virginia, it runs a top-tier coaster line-up: Alpengeist, Apollo's Chariot, Griffon (a dive coaster), Verbolten, InvadR, and the newer Pantheon - one of the world's fastest multi-launch coasters.

Virginia school holidays, the Howl-O-Scream Halloween event and the famous Christmas Town event drive Busch Gardens Williamsburg's biggest crowds. Weekdays in May, September and early October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Pantheon and Alpengeist first thing on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd date - the park's wooded setting keeps temperatures pleasant.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg live queue times

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the original Florida Disney park, opened in 1971, and still the most-visited theme park in the world. The classic line-up is iconic: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Cinderella Castle anchors the central hub with nightly fireworks.

Magic Kingdom is busy almost every day of the year, with peak crowds during US school holidays, the December holidays, and special events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Mid-January through early February is the quietest period. Check live wait times across Disney's free Lightning Lane system, and use our crowd calendar to plan your visit around Disney's Extended Evening Hours and holiday patterns.

Magic Kingdom live queue times

05 · Questions

Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Magic Kingdom?

Which is better, Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Magic Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Magic Kingdom: it averages about 23 minutes a ride on a typical day against 25 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg, roughly 2 minutes back on every queue you join. Busch Gardens Williamsburg has 12 rides with recorded waits against 24 at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 90% of opening hours against 83%.

Which has shorter queues, Busch Gardens Williamsburg or Magic Kingdom?

Magic Kingdom, by about 2 minutes a ride. On a typical day Magic Kingdom averages 23 minutes against 25 at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Busch Gardens Williamsburg best time to visit and Magic Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Magic Kingdom 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 Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Magic Kingdom for the full ride lists.

Is Busch Gardens Williamsburg bigger than Magic Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Magic Kingdom is the bigger day out: 24 rides against 12. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Magic Kingdom 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.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg calendarMagic Kingdom calendar