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Park Queue TimesPQT

Lake Compounce
vs
Universal Studios Florida Park

On a typical day Lake Compounce queues less: about 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Universal Studios Florida Park, a difference of roughly 18 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.

Lake Compounce and Universal Studios Florida Park compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyLake CompounceUnited StatesUniversal Studios Florida ParkUnited States
Average wait per ride 16 min (best of the two)34 min
Rides with recorded waits 2534 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Boulder Dash37 minMADLANDS: Caged Cannibals Accessibility Return Time109 min
Shortest typical queue Rainbow Riders5 minINVASION: Alien Abduction Accessibility Return Time5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running67% (best of the two)50%

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 Universal Studios Florida Park compared on live queue times
Right nowLake CompounceUnited 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 Lake Compounce queues less: about 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Universal Studios Florida Park, 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 Lake Compounce if…

  • You want shorter queues: Lake Compounce averages 16 minutes a ride against 34 at Universal Studios Florida Park
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Lake Compounce's rides run 67% of opening hours against 50% at Universal Studios Florida Park
  • 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 Universal Studios Florida Park if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 34 minutes a ride here against 16 at Lake Compounce - for what Universal Studios Florida Park has that Lake Compounce does not
  • You want more to do: 34 rides here have recorded wait data against 25 at Lake Compounce
  • MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals Accessibility Return Time is on your list - it is Universal Studios Florida Park's longest typical queue at about 109 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.

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

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

Lake Compounce or Universal Studios Florida Park?

Which is better, Lake Compounce or Universal Studios Florida Park?

If you are judging on queues, Lake Compounce: it averages about 16 minutes a ride on a typical day against 34 at Universal Studios Florida Park, roughly 18 minutes back on every queue you join. Lake Compounce has 25 rides with recorded waits against 34 at Universal Studios Florida Park. Lake Compounce also runs its rides more reliably - 67% of opening hours against 50%.

Which has shorter queues, Lake Compounce or Universal Studios Florida Park?

Lake Compounce, by about 18 minutes a ride. On a typical day Lake Compounce averages 16 minutes against 34 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 Lake Compounce best time to visit and Universal Studios Florida Park best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Lake Compounce 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 Lake Compounce and Universal Studios Florida Park for the full ride lists.

Is Lake Compounce bigger than Universal Studios Florida Park?

By rides we track waits for, Universal Studios Florida Park is the bigger day out: 34 rides against 25. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Lake Compounce 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.