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Park Queue TimesPQT

Hersheypark
vs
Magic Kingdom

On a typical day Hersheypark queues less: about 14 minutes a ride against 21 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 7 minutes on every queue you join.

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.

Hersheypark and Magic Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyHersheyparkUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride 14 min (best of the two)21 min
Rides with recorded waits 50 (best of the two)23
Longest typical queue Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster48 minTRON Lightcycle / Run55 min
Shortest typical queue Jolly Rancher Remix - Featuring Halloween Overlay5 minPrince Charming Regal Carrousel7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running60%89% (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.

Hersheypark and Magic Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right nowHersheyparkUnited 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 Hersheypark queues less: about 14 minutes a ride against 21 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 7 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 Hersheypark if…

  • You want shorter queues: Hersheypark averages 14 minutes a ride against 21 at Magic Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 50 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
  • Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster is on your list - it is Hersheypark's longest typical queue at about 48 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Hersheypark's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Magic Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 21 minutes a ride here against 14 at Hersheypark - for what Magic Kingdom has that Hersheypark does not
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 89% of opening hours against 60% at Hersheypark
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 55 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.

Hersheypark

Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania was founded in 1906 as a leisure park for Milton Hershey's chocolate factory workers and has grown into one of the best coaster parks in the United States. It runs more than a dozen roller coasters: Skyrush and the racing wooden Lightning Racer, the launched Storm Runner and Fahrenheit, the classic Comet, the newer Candymonium and Wildcat's Revenge, and the Great Bear inverted coaster. The Boardwalk water park is included with admission.

The park is busiest on summer weekends and during Hersheypark in the Dark in October, and because it closes several rides early on some days, the schedule matters as much as the crowds. Check the live wait times before you go and use the crowd calendar to find a weekday when the big coasters run with short queues.

Hersheypark 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

Hersheypark or Magic Kingdom?

Which is better, Hersheypark or Magic Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Hersheypark: it averages about 14 minutes a ride on a typical day against 21 at Magic Kingdom, roughly 7 minutes back on every queue you join. Hersheypark has 50 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 89% of opening hours against 60%.

Which has shorter queues, Hersheypark or Magic Kingdom?

Hersheypark, by about 7 minutes a ride. On a typical day Hersheypark averages 14 minutes against 21 at Magic Kingdom. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Hersheypark best time to visit and Magic Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Hersheypark 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 Hersheypark and Magic Kingdom for the full ride lists.

Is Hersheypark bigger than Magic Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Hersheypark is the bigger day out: 50 rides against 23. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Hersheypark 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.