Skip to main content
Park Queue TimesPQT
Join

Carowinds vs Hollywood Studios

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

Live data refreshed every 20 seconds while you're on this page.
Carowinds
United States
Rides Open / Total
-
Average Wait Right Now
-
Opening Hours Today
-
Longest Queue
-
Shortest Live Queue
-
See live queue times
Hollywood Studios
United States
Rides Open / Total
-
Average Wait Right Now
-
Opening Hours Today
-
Longest Queue
-
Shortest Live Queue
-
See live queue times

Carowinds vs Hollywood Studios: at a glance

Choose Carowinds if...

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

Choose Hollywood Studios if...

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

About each park

Carowinds

Carowinds sits directly on the North Carolina / South Carolina state line in Charlotte and is best known for Fury 325 - one of the world's tallest and fastest full-circuit roller coasters at 325 feet. The rest of the line-up is strong too: Copperhead Strike, Intimidator, Afterburn inverted coaster, and the newer Top Gun: The Jet Coaster. A separate Carolina Harbor water park operates in the summer.

Carowinds' peak crowds come during US summer school holidays, Scarowinds (Halloween), and Charlotte-area weekend visits. Weekdays in May, September and October are much quieter. Check live queue times for Fury 325 and Copperhead Strike first thing on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date for shorter waits across the coaster line-up.

Hollywood Studios

Disney's Hollywood Studios is the movie-themed park at Walt Disney World, opened in 1989. Its major attractions are some of Disney's most technically ambitious rides: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Slinky Dog Dash, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Tower of Terror, and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land are the two most popular themed lands.

Hollywood Studios often posts the longest queue times of any Disney park, with Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash routinely over 90 minutes. US school holidays and special events drive the biggest crowds. Check live wait times immediately on arrival and head for Rise of the Resistance first. Use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd date for your visit.

Common questions

Which is better, Carowinds or Hollywood Studios?

It depends on what you're after. Carowinds and Hollywood Studios 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, Carowinds or Hollywood Studios?

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 Carowinds best time to visit and Hollywood Studios best time to visit tools to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Carowinds and Hollywood Studios 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 Carowinds and Hollywood Studios for the full ride lists.

Is Carowinds bigger than Hollywood Studios?

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.

Want a different comparison?

Our custom comparison tool lets you pick any two or three parks from 88+ and see them side by side.

Compare other parks