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Park Queue TimesPQT

Hersheypark
vs
Universal Epic Universe

On a typical day Hersheypark queues less: about 14 minutes a ride against 40 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 26 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 Universal Epic Universe compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyHersheyparkUnited StatesUniversal Epic UniverseUnited States
Average wait per ride 14 min (best of the two)40 min
Rides with recorded waits 50 (best of the two)13
Longest typical queue Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster48 minMine-Cart Madness™100 min
Shortest typical queue Jolly Rancher Remix - Featuring Halloween Overlay5 minBowser Jr. Challenge6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running60%93% (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 Universal Epic Universe compared on live queue times
Right nowHersheyparkUnited StatesUniversal Epic UniverseUnited 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 40 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 26 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 40 at Universal Epic Universe
  • You want more to do: 50 rides here have recorded wait data against 13 at Universal Epic Universe
  • 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 Universal Epic Universe if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 40 minutes a ride here against 14 at Hersheypark - for what Universal Epic Universe has that Hersheypark does not
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Universal Epic Universe's rides run 93% of opening hours against 60% at Hersheypark
  • Mine-Cart Madness™ is on your list - it is Universal Epic Universe's longest typical queue at about 100 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Universal Epic Universe'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

Universal Epic Universe

Universal Epic Universe opened in May 2025 as the third major park at Universal Orlando - the first large US theme park opening in decades. It's split into five worlds: Celestial Park (the central hub), Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Major rides include Stardust Racers, Mine-Cart Madness, and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.

As a brand-new park, Epic Universe has been drawing heavy crowds since opening, with queue times on Stardust Racers and Mario Kart-style attractions often topping two hours on weekends. Check live wait times the moment you enter, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek, off-peak date - the crowds settle noticeably on Tuesdays and Wednesdays outside US school holidays.

Universal Epic Universe live queue times

05 · Questions

Hersheypark or Universal Epic Universe?

Which is better, Hersheypark or Universal Epic Universe?

If you are judging on queues, Hersheypark: it averages about 14 minutes a ride on a typical day against 40 at Universal Epic Universe, roughly 26 minutes back on every queue you join. Hersheypark has 50 rides with recorded waits against 13 at Universal Epic Universe. Universal Epic Universe also runs its rides more reliably - 93% of opening hours against 60%.

Which has shorter queues, Hersheypark or Universal Epic Universe?

Hersheypark, by about 26 minutes a ride. On a typical day Hersheypark averages 14 minutes against 40 at Universal Epic Universe. 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 Universal Epic Universe best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Hersheypark and Universal Epic Universe 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 Universal Epic Universe for the full ride lists.

Is Hersheypark bigger than Universal Epic Universe?

By rides we track waits for, Hersheypark is the bigger day out: 50 rides against 13. 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.