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Kings Dominion
vs
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

On a typical day Kings Dominion queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 21 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, a difference of roughly 8 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.

Kings Dominion and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKings DominionUnited StatesSix Flags Discovery KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride 13 min (best of the two)21 min
Rides with recorded waits 25 (best of the two)18
Longest typical queue Tumbili25 minWONDER WOMAN Lasso of Truth44 min
Shortest typical queue Carousel4 minThrilla Gorilla5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running90% (best of the two)84%

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 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right nowKings DominionUnited StatesSix Flags Discovery 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 21 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, a difference of roughly 8 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 21 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 25 rides here have recorded wait data against 18 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Kings Dominion's rides run 90% of opening hours against 84% at Six Flags Discovery 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 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 21 minutes a ride here against 13 at Kings Dominion - for what Six Flags Discovery Kingdom has that Kings Dominion does not
  • WONDER WOMAN Lasso of Truth is on your list - it is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 44 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Discovery 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

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom sits in Vallejo, California, on San Francisco Bay's northern edge. The park combines a theme park with a marine-animal section, running coasters like Medusa (the West Coast's first floorless), Kong (an inverted coaster), Superman: Ultimate Flight, Joker 4-D Free Fly Coaster, and the newer DC Stunt Coaster. Dolphin, sea lion and bird shows run throughout the day.

Bay Area weekend visits, California school holidays, and the Fright Fest event drive Discovery Kingdom's peak crowds. Weekdays in April, September and October are dramatically quieter, with queue times on most rides staying short. Check live wait times for Medusa and Superman on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek date for shorter waits. The bayside setting makes for pleasant walking even on quieter days.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom live queue times

05 · Questions

Kings Dominion or Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?

Which is better, Kings Dominion or Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Kings Dominion: it averages about 13 minutes a ride on a typical day against 21 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, roughly 8 minutes back on every queue you join. Kings Dominion has 25 rides with recorded waits against 18 at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. Kings Dominion also runs its rides more reliably - 90% of opening hours against 84%.

Which has shorter queues, Kings Dominion or Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?

Kings Dominion, by about 8 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kings Dominion averages 13 minutes against 21 at Six Flags Discovery 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 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kings Dominion and Six Flags Discovery 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 Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for the full ride lists.

Is Kings Dominion bigger than Six Flags Discovery Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Kings Dominion is the bigger day out: 25 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 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.

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