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Park Queue TimesPQT

Hersheypark
vs
Seaworld San Diego

On a typical day Seaworld San Diego queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 22 at Hersheypark, a difference of roughly 15 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.

Hersheypark and Seaworld San Diego compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyHersheyparkUnited StatesSeaworld San DiegoUnited States
Average wait per ride 22 min7 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 51 (best of the two)14
Longest typical queue Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster72 minShipwreck Rapids12 min
Shortest typical queue Minty Bees5 minRescue Rafter5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running61%73% (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 Seaworld San Diego compared on live queue times
Right nowHersheyparkUnited StatesSeaworld San DiegoUnited 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 Seaworld San Diego queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 22 at Hersheypark, a difference of roughly 15 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 will accept a longer queue - 22 minutes a ride here against 7 at Seaworld San Diego - for what Hersheypark has that Seaworld San Diego does not
  • You want more to do: 51 rides here have recorded wait data against 14 at Seaworld San Diego
  • Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster is on your list - it is Hersheypark's longest typical queue at about 72 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Hersheypark's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Seaworld San Diego if…

  • You want shorter queues: Seaworld San Diego averages 7 minutes a ride against 22 at Hersheypark
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Seaworld San Diego's rides run 73% of opening hours against 61% at Hersheypark
  • Shipwreck Rapids is on your list - it is Seaworld San Diego's longest typical queue at about 12 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Seaworld San Diego'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

Seaworld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego sits on the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego, California. It's the original SeaWorld park, opened in 1964, and blends marine-animal exhibits with modern coasters: Emperor (a floorless dive coaster), Electric Eel (a triple-launch coaster), Manta (a launched family coaster), and the newer Arctic Rescue straddle coaster.

Southern California weather keeps SeaWorld San Diego open year-round, with peak crowds during US school holidays, Halloween Spooktacular and Christmas. Weekdays in January, September and October are dramatically calmer. Check live queue times for Emperor and Electric Eel on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek day for shorter waits. The park pairs well with a full-day visit to nearby San Diego attractions.

Seaworld San Diego live queue times

05 · Questions

Hersheypark or Seaworld San Diego?

Which is better, Hersheypark or Seaworld San Diego?

If you are judging on queues, Seaworld San Diego: it averages about 7 minutes a ride on a typical day against 22 at Hersheypark, roughly 15 minutes back on every queue you join. Hersheypark has 51 rides with recorded waits against 14 at Seaworld San Diego. Seaworld San Diego also runs its rides more reliably - 73% of opening hours against 61%.

Which has shorter queues, Hersheypark or Seaworld San Diego?

Seaworld San Diego, by about 15 minutes a ride. On a typical day Seaworld San Diego averages 7 minutes against 22 at Hersheypark. 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 Seaworld San Diego best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Hersheypark and Seaworld San Diego 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 Seaworld San Diego for the full ride lists.

Is Hersheypark bigger than Seaworld San Diego?

By rides we track waits for, Hersheypark is the bigger day out: 51 rides against 14. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Seaworld San Diego 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.

Hersheypark calendarSeaworld San Diego calendar