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Kennywood
vs
Seaworld San Diego

On a typical day Seaworld San Diego queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 9 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.

Kennywood and Seaworld San Diego compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKennywoodUnited StatesSeaworld San DiegoUnited States
Average wait per ride 22 min13 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 1114 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Exterminator52 minArctic Rescue24 min
Shortest typical queue SwingShot5 minSea Dragon Drop5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is runningNot recorded77%

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.

Kennywood and Seaworld San Diego compared on live queue times
Right nowKennywoodUnited 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 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood, a difference of roughly 9 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 Kennywood if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 22 minutes a ride here against 13 at Seaworld San Diego - for what Kennywood has that Seaworld San Diego does not
  • Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 52 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Seaworld San Diego if…

  • You want shorter queues: Seaworld San Diego averages 13 minutes a ride against 22 at Kennywood
  • You want more to do: 14 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Kennywood
  • Arctic Rescue is on your list - it is Seaworld San Diego's longest typical queue at about 24 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.

Kennywood

Kennywood is a historic traditional amusement park in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh. It has been running since 1898 and is a US National Historic Landmark - home to three classic wooden coasters (Thunderbolt, Jack Rabbit, Racer) alongside modern additions like Phantom's Revenge (a steel coaster known for a near-400 ft second drop) and Steel Curtain (part of a Steelers-themed area).

Kennywood's season runs roughly May to October, with peak crowds concentrated on summer weekends, July 4th, and during the Phantom Fright Nights event. Weekdays in June and September stay noticeably calmer. Check live queue times before committing to Phantom's Revenge or Steel Curtain, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter day if you want plenty of re-rides.

Kennywood 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

Kennywood or Seaworld San Diego?

Which is better, Kennywood or Seaworld San Diego?

If you are judging on queues, Seaworld San Diego: it averages about 13 minutes a ride on a typical day against 22 at Kennywood, roughly 9 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 11 rides with recorded waits against 14 at Seaworld San Diego.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Seaworld San Diego?

Seaworld San Diego, by about 9 minutes a ride. On a typical day Seaworld San Diego averages 13 minutes against 22 at Kennywood. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Kennywood best time to visit and Seaworld San Diego best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

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

Is Kennywood bigger than Seaworld San Diego?

By rides we track waits for, Seaworld San Diego is the bigger day out: 14 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 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.

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