Knoebels
vs
Magic Kingdom

On a typical day Knoebels queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 18 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.

Knoebels and Magic Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
Typically	KnoebelsUnited States	Magic KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride	7 min (best of the two)	25 min
Rides with recorded waits	56 (best of the two)	23
Longest typical queue	Flying Turns25 min	TRON Lightcycle / Run68 min
Shortest typical queue	Umbrella Ride5 min	Prince Charming Regal Carrousel7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running	43%	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.

Knoebels and Magic Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right now	KnoebelsUnited States	Magic 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 Knoebels queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 18 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 Knoebels if…

You want shorter queues: Knoebels averages 7 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom
You want more to do: 56 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
Flying Turns is on your list - it is Knoebels's longest typical queue at about 25 minutes, so it is the one to do first
You want Knoebels'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 7 at Knoebels - for what Magic Kingdom has that Knoebels does not
You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 92% of opening hours against 43% at Knoebels
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.

Knoebels

Knoebels is a free-admission, pay-per-ride park in Elysburg, Pennsylvania - one of the last major "trolley parks" in America, family-owned since 1926. The park is famous among coaster enthusiasts for two wooden coasters: Phoenix (rebuilt from a 1948 design and widely considered one of the best woodies in the world) and Flying Turns, a rare modern bobsled-style coaster.

Because it's free to enter, Knoebels stays genuinely busy on summer weekends and holidays, with queues building on the signature wooden coasters well before dinnertime. Weekdays are usually very relaxed. Check live wait times before queueing for Phoenix or Flying Turns, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter day if you want to re-ride freely.

Knoebels 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

Knoebels or Magic Kingdom?

Which is better, Knoebels or Magic Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Knoebels: it averages about 7 minutes a ride on a typical day against 25 at Magic Kingdom, roughly 18 minutes back on every queue you join. Knoebels has 56 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 43%.

Which has shorter queues, Knoebels or Magic Kingdom?

Knoebels, by about 18 minutes a ride. On a typical day Knoebels averages 7 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 Knoebels best time to visit and Magic Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

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

Is Knoebels bigger than Magic Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Knoebels is the bigger day out: 56 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 Knoebels 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.

Knoebels calendar Magic Kingdom calendar Compare other parks