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Park Queue TimesPQT

Hersheypark
vs
Universal Volcano Bay

On a typical day Universal Volcano Bay queues less: about 10 minutes a ride against 14 at Hersheypark, a difference of roughly 4 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right nowCompare other parks

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 Volcano Bay compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyHersheyparkUnited StatesUniversal Volcano BayUnited States
Average wait per ride 14 min10 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 50 (best of the two)18
Longest typical queue Laff Trakk - Dark Coaster48 minKrakatau Aqua Coaster29 min
Shortest typical queue Jolly Rancher Remix - Featuring Halloween Overlay5 minWaturi Beach5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running60%71% (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 Volcano Bay compared on live queue times
Right nowHersheyparkUnited StatesUniversal Volcano BayUnited 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 Universal Volcano Bay queues less: about 10 minutes a ride against 14 at Hersheypark, a difference of roughly 4 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 - 14 minutes a ride here against 10 at Universal Volcano Bay - for what Hersheypark has that Universal Volcano Bay does not
  • You want more to do: 50 rides here have recorded wait data against 18 at Universal Volcano Bay
  • 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 Volcano Bay if…

  • You want shorter queues: Universal Volcano Bay averages 10 minutes a ride against 14 at Hersheypark
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Universal Volcano Bay's rides run 71% of opening hours against 60% at Hersheypark
  • Krakatau Aqua Coaster is on your list - it is Universal Volcano Bay's longest typical queue at about 29 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Universal Volcano Bay'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 Volcano Bay

Universal Volcano Bay is the water park at Universal Orlando, themed around a fictional Polynesian island with a 200-foot Krakatau volcano as its centrepiece. Highlights include Krakatau Aqua Coaster, Ko'okiri Body Plunge (a 70-degree drop slide), the Tot Tiki Reef kids' area, and the TapuTapu wearable virtual queue system. The park is a separate admission from Universal's Studios and Islands of Adventure parks.

Volcano Bay is busiest during Florida summer (June-August), US school holidays, and peak spring break weeks. The TapuTapu system manages queues through virtual reservations rather than physical lines, but check live wait times to see where virtual waits are shortest. Use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter midweek day for the best slide access.

Universal Volcano Bay live queue times

05 · Questions

Hersheypark or Universal Volcano Bay?

Which is better, Hersheypark or Universal Volcano Bay?

If you are judging on queues, Universal Volcano Bay: it averages about 10 minutes a ride on a typical day against 14 at Hersheypark, roughly 4 minutes back on every queue you join. Hersheypark has 50 rides with recorded waits against 18 at Universal Volcano Bay. Universal Volcano Bay also runs its rides more reliably - 71% of opening hours against 60%.

Which has shorter queues, Hersheypark or Universal Volcano Bay?

Universal Volcano Bay, by about 4 minutes a ride. On a typical day Universal Volcano Bay averages 10 minutes against 14 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 Universal Volcano Bay best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Hersheypark and Universal Volcano Bay 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 Volcano Bay for the full ride lists.

Is Hersheypark bigger than Universal Volcano Bay?

By rides we track waits for, Hersheypark is the bigger day out: 50 rides against 18. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Universal Volcano Bay 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 calendarUniversal Volcano Bay calendarCompare other parks