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Park Queue TimesPQT

Disney California Adventure
vs
Six Flags Great America

On a typical day Disney California Adventure queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 27 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 6 minutes on every queue you join.

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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.

Disney California Adventure and Six Flags Great America compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyDisney California AdventureUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited States
Average wait per ride 21 min (best of the two)27 min
Rides with recorded waits 2223 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Radiator Springs Racers58 minMaxx Force46 min
Shortest typical queue Jessie's Critter Carousel5 minChubasco7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running85% (best of the two)79%

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.

Disney California Adventure and Six Flags Great America compared on live queue times
Right nowDisney California AdventureUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited 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 Disney California Adventure queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 27 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 6 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 Disney California Adventure if…

  • You want shorter queues: Disney California Adventure averages 21 minutes a ride against 27 at Six Flags Great America
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Disney California Adventure's rides run 85% of opening hours against 79% at Six Flags Great America
  • Radiator Springs Racers is on your list - it is Disney California Adventure's longest typical queue at about 58 minutes, so it is the one to do first

Pick Six Flags Great America if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 27 minutes a ride here against 21 at Disney California Adventure - for what Six Flags Great America has that Disney California Adventure does not
  • You want more to do: 23 rides here have recorded wait data against 22 at Disney California Adventure
  • Maxx Force is on your list - it is Six Flags Great America's longest typical queue at about 46 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Great America's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

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.

Six Flags Great America live queue times

05 · Questions

Disney California Adventure or Six Flags Great America?

Which is better, Disney California Adventure or Six Flags Great America?

If you are judging on queues, Disney California Adventure: it averages about 21 minutes a ride on a typical day against 27 at Six Flags Great America, roughly 6 minutes back on every queue you join. Disney California Adventure has 22 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Six Flags Great America. Disney California Adventure also runs its rides more reliably - 85% of opening hours against 79%.

Which has shorter queues, Disney California Adventure or Six Flags Great America?

Disney California Adventure, by about 6 minutes a ride. On a typical day Disney California Adventure averages 21 minutes against 27 at Six Flags Great America. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Disney California Adventure best time to visit and Six Flags Great America best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Disney California Adventure 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 tables above for ride counts - or jump to Disney California Adventure and Six Flags Great America for the full ride lists.

Is Disney California Adventure bigger than Six Flags Great America?

By rides we track waits for, Six Flags Great America is the bigger day out: 23 rides against 22. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Disney California Adventure 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.

Disney California Adventure calendarSix Flags Great America calendarCompare other parks