Knoebels
vs
Universal Islands Of Adventure

On a typical day Knoebels queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 22 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, a difference of roughly 15 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 Universal Islands Of Adventure compared on their typical recorded queue times
Typically	KnoebelsUnited States	Universal Islands Of AdventureUnited States
Average wait per ride	7 min (best of the two)	22 min
Rides with recorded waits	56 (best of the two)	18
Longest typical queue	Flying Turns27 min	Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™64 min
Shortest typical queue	Umbrella Ride5 min	Storm Force Accelatron®5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running	36%	87% (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 Universal Islands Of Adventure compared on live queue times
Right now	KnoebelsUnited 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 Knoebels queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 22 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, a difference of roughly 15 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 22 at Universal Islands Of Adventure
You want more to do: 56 rides here have recorded wait data against 18 at Universal Islands Of Adventure
Flying Turns is on your list - it is Knoebels's longest typical queue at about 27 minutes, so it is the one to do first
You want Knoebels's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Islands Of Adventure if…

You will accept a longer queue - 22 minutes a ride here against 7 at Knoebels - for what Universal Islands Of Adventure has that Knoebels does not
You would rather not find rides shut: Universal Islands Of Adventure's rides run 87% of opening hours against 36% at Knoebels
Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™ is on your list - it is Universal Islands Of Adventure's longest typical queue at about 64 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.

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

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

Knoebels or Universal Islands Of Adventure?

Which is better, Knoebels or Universal Islands Of Adventure?

If you are judging on queues, Knoebels: it averages about 7 minutes a ride on a typical day against 22 at Universal Islands Of Adventure, roughly 15 minutes back on every queue you join. Knoebels has 56 rides with recorded waits against 18 at Universal Islands Of Adventure. Universal Islands Of Adventure also runs its rides more reliably - 87% of opening hours against 36%.

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

Knoebels, by about 15 minutes a ride. On a typical day Knoebels averages 7 minutes against 22 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 Knoebels best time to visit and Universal Islands Of Adventure best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

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

Is Knoebels bigger than Universal Islands Of Adventure?

By rides we track waits for, Knoebels is the bigger day out: 56 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 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 Universal Islands Of Adventure calendar Compare other parks