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Kings Dominion
vs
Magic Kingdom

On a typical day Kings Dominion queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 12 minutes on every queue you join.

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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.

Kings Dominion and Magic Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKings DominionUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride 13 min (best of the two)25 min
Rides with recorded waits 25 (best of the two)23
Longest typical queue Tumbili25 minTRON Lightcycle / Run68 min
Shortest typical queue Carousel4 minPrince Charming Regal Carrousel7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running90%92% (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.

Kings Dominion and Magic Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right nowKings DominionUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited 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 Kings Dominion queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 12 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 Kings Dominion if…

  • You want shorter queues: Kings Dominion averages 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 25 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
  • Tumbili is on your list - it is Kings Dominion's longest typical queue at about 25 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kings Dominion's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Magic Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 25 minutes a ride here against 13 at Kings Dominion - for what Magic Kingdom has that Kings Dominion does not
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 68 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Magic Kingdom's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Kings Dominion

Kings Dominion sits in Doswell, Virginia, about 25 minutes north of Richmond. The park has one of the strongest regional coaster line-ups on the US East Coast: Intimidator 305 (a 305-foot giga coaster), Twisted Timbers (a Rocky Mountain Construction hybrid), Apple Zapple, Dominator (a 215-foot floorless coaster), and Racer 75. A Soak City water park is included with admission during summer.

Virginia summer school breaks, weekend visits from the DC / Richmond area, and the Halloween Haunt drive Kings Dominion's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, September and October are dramatically calmer. Check live queue times for Intimidator 305 and Twisted Timbers first thing on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek date for shorter waits.

Kings Dominion live queue times

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the original Florida Disney park, opened in 1971, and still the most-visited theme park in the world. The classic line-up is iconic: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Cinderella Castle anchors the central hub with nightly fireworks.

Magic Kingdom is busy almost every day of the year, with peak crowds during US school holidays, the December holidays, and special events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Mid-January through early February is the quietest period. Check live wait times across Disney's free Lightning Lane system, and use our crowd calendar to plan your visit around Disney's Extended Evening Hours and holiday patterns.

Magic Kingdom live queue times

05 · Questions

Kings Dominion or Magic Kingdom?

Which is better, Kings Dominion or Magic Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Kings Dominion: it averages about 13 minutes a ride on a typical day against 25 at Magic Kingdom, roughly 12 minutes back on every queue you join. Kings Dominion has 25 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 90%.

Which has shorter queues, Kings Dominion or Magic Kingdom?

Kings Dominion, by about 12 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kings Dominion averages 13 minutes against 25 at Magic Kingdom. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Kings Dominion best time to visit and Magic Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kings Dominion and Magic Kingdom 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 Kings Dominion and Magic Kingdom for the full ride lists.

Is Kings Dominion bigger than Magic Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Kings Dominion is the bigger day out: 25 rides against 23. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Kings Dominion 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.

Kings Dominion calendarMagic Kingdom calendarCompare other parks
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