Kennywood
vs
Universal Epic Universe

On a typical day Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 43 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 21 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right now Compare 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.

Kennywood and Universal Epic Universe compared on their typical recorded queue times
Typically	KennywoodUnited States	Universal Epic UniverseUnited States
Average wait per ride	22 min (best of the two)	43 min
Rides with recorded waits	11	13 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue	Exterminator52 min	Mine-Cart Madness™100 min
Shortest typical queue	SwingShot5 min	Bowser Jr. Challenge9 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running	Not recorded	90%

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 Universal Epic Universe compared on live queue times
Right now	KennywoodUnited States	Universal 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 Kennywood queues less: about 22 minutes a ride against 43 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 21 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 want shorter queues: Kennywood averages 22 minutes a ride against 43 at Universal Epic Universe
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 Universal Epic Universe if…

You will accept a longer queue - 43 minutes a ride here against 22 at Kennywood - for what Universal Epic Universe has that Kennywood does not
You want more to do: 13 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Kennywood
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.

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

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

Kennywood or Universal Epic Universe?

Which is better, Kennywood or Universal Epic Universe?

If you are judging on queues, Kennywood: it averages about 22 minutes a ride on a typical day against 43 at Universal Epic Universe, roughly 21 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 11 rides with recorded waits against 13 at Universal Epic Universe.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Universal Epic Universe?

Kennywood, by about 21 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kennywood averages 22 minutes against 43 at Universal Epic Universe. 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 Universal Epic Universe best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

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

Is Kennywood bigger than Universal Epic Universe?

By rides we track waits for, Universal Epic Universe is the bigger day out: 13 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 Kennywood 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.

Kennywood calendar Universal Epic Universe calendar Compare other parks