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Park Queue TimesPQT

Kings Dominion
vs
Universal Studios Florida Park

On a typical day Kings Dominion queues less: about 17 minutes a ride against 37 at Universal Studios Florida Park, a difference of roughly 20 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 Universal Studios Florida Park compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyKings DominionUnited StatesUniversal Studios Florida ParkUnited States
Average wait per ride 17 min (best of the two)37 min
Rides with recorded waits 2435 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Rapterra35 minMADLANDS: Caged Cannibals Accessibility Return Time114 min
Shortest typical queue Carousel4 minOllivanders™ Experience in Diagon Alley™6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running76% (best of the two)60%

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 Universal Studios Florida Park compared on live queue times
Right nowKings DominionUnited StatesUniversal Studios Florida ParkUnited 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 17 minutes a ride against 37 at Universal Studios Florida Park, a difference of roughly 20 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 17 minutes a ride against 37 at Universal Studios Florida Park
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Kings Dominion's rides run 76% of opening hours against 60% at Universal Studios Florida Park
  • Rapterra is on your list - it is Kings Dominion's longest typical queue at about 35 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Kings Dominion's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Studios Florida Park if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 37 minutes a ride here against 17 at Kings Dominion - for what Universal Studios Florida Park has that Kings Dominion does not
  • You want more to do: 35 rides here have recorded wait data against 24 at Kings Dominion
  • MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals Accessibility Return Time is on your list - it is Universal Studios Florida Park's longest typical queue at about 114 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Universal Studios Florida Park'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

Universal Studios Florida Park

Universal Studios Florida is one of two major parks at the Universal Orlando Resort, themed around film and TV. Highlights include Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, Fast and Furious, and Transformers: The Ride. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley connects to Universal's Islands of Adventure via the Hogwarts Express.

Universal Studios Florida is busy year-round, with peak crowds during US school holidays, Halloween Horror Nights, and the Christmas season. Mid-January and early September are the quietest periods. Check live wait times across both parks on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd date - the extensive Wizarding World areas regularly top 60-minute queues.

Universal Studios Florida Park live queue times

05 · Questions

Kings Dominion or Universal Studios Florida Park?

Which is better, Kings Dominion or Universal Studios Florida Park?

If you are judging on queues, Kings Dominion: it averages about 17 minutes a ride on a typical day against 37 at Universal Studios Florida Park, roughly 20 minutes back on every queue you join. Kings Dominion has 24 rides with recorded waits against 35 at Universal Studios Florida Park. Kings Dominion also runs its rides more reliably - 76% of opening hours against 60%.

Which has shorter queues, Kings Dominion or Universal Studios Florida Park?

Kings Dominion, by about 20 minutes a ride. On a typical day Kings Dominion averages 17 minutes against 37 at Universal Studios Florida Park. 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 Universal Studios Florida Park best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Kings Dominion and Universal Studios Florida Park 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 Universal Studios Florida Park for the full ride lists.

Is Kings Dominion bigger than Universal Studios Florida Park?

By rides we track waits for, Universal Studios Florida Park is the bigger day out: 35 rides against 24. 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 calendarUniversal Studios Florida Park calendarCompare other parks