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Park Queue TimesPQT

Lake Compounce
vs
Seaworld San Diego

On a typical day Seaworld San Diego queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 16 at Lake Compounce, a difference of roughly 9 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right now

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.

Lake Compounce and Seaworld San Diego compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyLake CompounceUnited StatesSeaworld San DiegoUnited States
Average wait per ride 16 min7 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 25 (best of the two)14
Longest typical queue Boulder Dash37 minShipwreck Rapids14 min
Shortest typical queue Rainbow Riders5 minRescue Rafter5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running67%70% (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.

Lake Compounce and Seaworld San Diego compared on live queue times
Right nowLake CompounceUnited StatesSeaworld San DiegoUnited 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 Seaworld San Diego queues less: about 7 minutes a ride against 16 at Lake Compounce, a difference of roughly 9 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 Lake Compounce if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 16 minutes a ride here against 7 at Seaworld San Diego - for what Lake Compounce has that Seaworld San Diego does not
  • You want more to do: 25 rides here have recorded wait data against 14 at Seaworld San Diego
  • Boulder Dash is on your list - it is Lake Compounce's longest typical queue at about 37 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Lake Compounce's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Seaworld San Diego if…

  • You want shorter queues: Seaworld San Diego averages 7 minutes a ride against 16 at Lake Compounce
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Seaworld San Diego's rides run 70% of opening hours against 67% at Lake Compounce
  • Shipwreck Rapids is on your list - it is Seaworld San Diego's longest typical queue at about 14 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Seaworld San Diego's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Lake Compounce

Lake Compounce in Bristol, Connecticut, opened in 1846 and is the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America. Boulder Dash is the standout, a wooden coaster that runs along the side of the mountain, alongside the 1927 Wildcat, the triple-launch Phobia Phear and Thunder N Lightning. The park also has the Crocodile Cove water park, and in the autumn it adds Halloween haunts on select dates.

Summer weekends and the July holiday week are the busiest. Weekdays in June and the autumn weekends before the haunts open are quieter. Check the live queue times before you go and use the crowd calendar to choose a day.

Lake Compounce live queue times

Seaworld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego sits on the shore of Mission Bay in San Diego, California. It's the original SeaWorld park, opened in 1964, and blends marine-animal exhibits with modern coasters: Emperor (a floorless dive coaster), Electric Eel (a triple-launch coaster), Manta (a launched family coaster), and the newer Arctic Rescue straddle coaster.

Southern California weather keeps SeaWorld San Diego open year-round, with peak crowds during US school holidays, Halloween Spooktacular and Christmas. Weekdays in January, September and October are dramatically calmer. Check live queue times for Emperor and Electric Eel on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek day for shorter waits. The park pairs well with a full-day visit to nearby San Diego attractions.

Seaworld San Diego live queue times

05 · Questions

Lake Compounce or Seaworld San Diego?

Which is better, Lake Compounce or Seaworld San Diego?

If you are judging on queues, Seaworld San Diego: it averages about 7 minutes a ride on a typical day against 16 at Lake Compounce, roughly 9 minutes back on every queue you join. Lake Compounce has 25 rides with recorded waits against 14 at Seaworld San Diego. Seaworld San Diego also runs its rides more reliably - 70% of opening hours against 67%.

Which has shorter queues, Lake Compounce or Seaworld San Diego?

Seaworld San Diego, by about 9 minutes a ride. On a typical day Seaworld San Diego averages 7 minutes against 16 at Lake Compounce. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Lake Compounce best time to visit and Seaworld San Diego best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Lake Compounce and Seaworld San Diego 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 Lake Compounce and Seaworld San Diego for the full ride lists.

Is Lake Compounce bigger than Seaworld San Diego?

By rides we track waits for, Lake Compounce is the bigger day out: 25 rides against 14. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Seaworld San Diego 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.

Seaworld San Diego calendar