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Park Queue TimesPQT

Epcot
vs
Kings Island

On a typical day Epcot queues less: about 33 minutes a ride against 35 at Kings Island, a difference of roughly 2 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.

Epcot and Kings Island compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyEpcotUnited StatesKings IslandUnited States
Average wait per ride 33 min (best of the two)35 min
Rides with recorded waits 1124 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind79 minFlight of Fear57 min
Shortest typical queue Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros8 minThe Racer (Red)14 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running94% (best of the two)60%

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.

Epcot and Kings Island compared on live queue times
Right nowEpcotUnited StatesKings IslandUnited 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 Epcot queues less: about 33 minutes a ride against 35 at Kings Island, 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 Epcot if…

  • You want shorter queues: Epcot averages 33 minutes a ride against 35 at Kings Island
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Epcot's rides run 94% of opening hours against 60% at Kings Island
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is on your list - it is Epcot's longest typical queue at about 79 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Epcot's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Kings Island if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 35 minutes a ride here against 33 at Epcot - for what Kings Island has that Epcot does not
  • You want more to do: 24 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Epcot
  • Flight of Fear is on your list - it is Kings Island's longest typical queue at about 57 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kings Island's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Epcot

EPCOT sits at the centre of Walt Disney World, split between Future World (with Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Soarin', and Frozen Ever After) and the World Showcase - eleven pavilions themed around countries including Japan, Germany, France, and the UK. Flower & Garden, Food & Wine and Festival of the Holidays events run through much of the year.

EPCOT's biggest crowd drivers are its festivals rather than just ride popularity. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind consistently posts the longest wait times in the park. Check live queue times on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd date outside the peak festival weekends - the World Showcase pavilions can take a full afternoon to properly explore.

Epcot live queue times

Kings Island

Kings Island is a huge theme park in Mason, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati. It's one of the Cedar Fair (now Six Flags) parks and runs a strong coaster line-up: The Beast (the world's longest wooden coaster, opened 1979), Diamondback, Mystic Timbers, Orion (a giga coaster), Banshee (the world's longest inverted coaster), and Racer. A full water park operates on the same site during summer.

The Ohio summer school break and Halloween Haunt event drive Kings Island's busiest periods, with weekend queue times on Orion and The Beast often exceeding 90 minutes. Weekdays in May, September and October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek visit if you want to ride everything in a day.

Kings Island live queue times

05 · Questions

Epcot or Kings Island?

Which is better, Epcot or Kings Island?

If you are judging on queues, Epcot: it averages about 33 minutes a ride on a typical day against 35 at Kings Island, roughly 2 minutes back on every queue you join. Epcot has 11 rides with recorded waits against 24 at Kings Island. Epcot also runs its rides more reliably - 94% of opening hours against 60%.

Which has shorter queues, Epcot or Kings Island?

Epcot, by about 2 minutes a ride. On a typical day Epcot averages 33 minutes against 35 at Kings Island. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Epcot best time to visit and Kings Island best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Epcot and Kings Island 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 Epcot and Kings Island for the full ride lists.

Is Epcot bigger than Kings Island?

By rides we track waits for, Kings Island is the bigger day out: 24 rides against 11. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Epcot 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.

Epcot calendarKings Island calendarCompare other parks