Kennywood
vs
Universal Islands Of Adventure

On a typical day Kennywood queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 23 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, a difference of roughly 2 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.

Kennywood and Universal Islands Of Adventure compared on their typical recorded queue times
Typically	KennywoodUnited States	Universal Islands Of AdventureUnited States
Average wait per ride	21 min (best of the two)	23 min
Rides with recorded waits	11	18 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue	Exterminator47 min	Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™73 min
Shortest typical queue	Aero 3609 min	Storm Force Accelatron®6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running	92%	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.

Kennywood and Universal Islands Of Adventure compared on live queue times
Right now	KennywoodUnited States	Universal Islands Of AdventureUnited 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 21 minutes a ride against 23 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, a difference of roughly 2 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 21 minutes a ride against 23 at Universal Islands Of Adventure
Exterminator is on your list - it is Kennywood's longest typical queue at about 47 minutes, so it is the one to do first
You want Kennywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Islands Of Adventure if…

You will accept a longer queue - 23 minutes a ride here against 21 at Kennywood - for what Universal Islands Of Adventure has that Kennywood does not
You want more to do: 18 rides here have recorded wait data against 11 at Kennywood
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ is on your list - it is Universal Islands Of Adventure's longest typical queue at about 73 minutes, so it is the one to do first
You want Universal Islands Of Adventure'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 Islands Of Adventure

Universal's Islands of Adventure is widely regarded as one of the best theme parks in the world. Its line-up blends record-breaking coasters with detailed themed lands: Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, VelociCoaster, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Pteranodon Flyers, and the classic Jurassic Park River Adventure. The Wizarding World's Hogsmeade is the park's most iconic area.

Like its sister Studios park, Islands of Adventure stays busy year-round, with Hagrid's and VelociCoaster consistently posting the longest queues. Peak periods are US school holidays, Halloween Horror Nights and Christmas. Check live wait times immediately on arrival and head to Hagrid's first. Use our crowd calendar to pick the quietest possible date for your trip.

Universal Islands Of Adventure live queue times

05 · Questions

Kennywood or Universal Islands Of Adventure?

Which is better, Kennywood or Universal Islands Of Adventure?

If you are judging on queues, Kennywood: it averages about 21 minutes a ride on a typical day against 23 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, roughly 2 minutes back on every queue you join. Kennywood has 11 rides with recorded waits against 18 at Universal Islands Of Adventure.

Which has shorter queues, Kennywood or Universal Islands Of Adventure?

Kennywood, by about 2 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kennywood averages 21 minutes against 23 at Universal Islands Of Adventure. 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 Islands Of Adventure best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kennywood and Universal Islands Of Adventure 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 Islands Of Adventure for the full ride lists.

Is Kennywood bigger than Universal Islands Of Adventure?

By rides we track waits for, Universal Islands Of Adventure is the bigger day out: 18 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 Islands Of Adventure calendar