Skip to main content

Legoland California
vs
Six Flags Great America

On a typical day Legoland California queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 3 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.

Legoland California and Six Flags Great America compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyLegoland CaliforniaUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited States
Average wait per ride 21 min (best of the two)24 min
Rides with recorded waits 24 (best of the two)23
Longest typical queue Coastersaurus43 minWrath of Rakshasa48 min
Shortest typical queue Beetle Bounce5 minRue Le Dodge6 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running91% (best of the two)74%

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.

Legoland California and Six Flags Great America compared on live queue times
Right nowLegoland CaliforniaUnited StatesSix Flags Great AmericaUnited 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 Legoland California queues less: about 21 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America, a difference of roughly 3 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 Legoland California if…

  • You want shorter queues: Legoland California averages 21 minutes a ride against 24 at Six Flags Great America
  • You want more to do: 24 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Six Flags Great America
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Legoland California's rides run 91% of opening hours against 74% at Six Flags Great America
  • Coastersaurus is on your list - it is Legoland California's longest typical queue at about 43 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Legoland California's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Six Flags Great America if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 24 minutes a ride here against 21 at Legoland California - for what Six Flags Great America has that Legoland California does not
  • Wrath of Rakshasa is on your list - it is Six Flags Great America's longest typical queue at about 48 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Great America's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Legoland California

LEGOLAND California sits in Carlsbad, 30 minutes north of San Diego, and was the second LEGOLAND park to open (1999). It includes the main theme park, a SEA LIFE aquarium and a separate water park, all aimed at families with children up to about 12. Highlights include The Dragon castle coaster, Driving School, Coastersaurus, and a MINILAND USA built from around 32 million LEGO bricks.

California's year-round mild weather keeps crowds steady, but Southern California school breaks and summer weekends drive queue times up significantly. Check live wait times before tackling The Dragon and the flying school, and use the crowd calendar to pick a midweek visit if you want a relaxed pace.

Legoland California live queue times

Six Flags Great America

Six Flags Great America sits in Gurnee, Illinois, between Chicago and Milwaukee. The coaster line-up includes Maxx Force (with one of the world's fastest inversions), X Flight wing coaster, Goliath (a Rocky Mountain Construction wooden coaster), Raging Bull, American Eagle duelling wooden coaster, and Batman: The Ride. A Hurricane Harbor water park is included during summer.

Illinois and Wisconsin school holidays, Chicago-area weekend visits, and the popular Fright Fest event drive Six Flags Great America's busiest periods. Weekdays in May, June, September and October are dramatically quieter. Check live wait times for Maxx Force and Goliath on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date for shorter queues.

Six Flags Great America live queue times

05 · Questions

Legoland California or Six Flags Great America?

Which is better, Legoland California or Six Flags Great America?

If you are judging on queues, Legoland California: it averages about 21 minutes a ride on a typical day against 24 at Six Flags Great America, roughly 3 minutes back on every queue you join. Legoland California has 24 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Six Flags Great America. Legoland California also runs its rides more reliably - 91% of opening hours against 74%.

Which has shorter queues, Legoland California or Six Flags Great America?

Legoland California, by about 3 minutes a ride. On a typical day Legoland California averages 21 minutes against 24 at Six Flags Great America. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Legoland California best time to visit and Six Flags Great America best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Legoland California and Six Flags Great America 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 Legoland California and Six Flags Great America for the full ride lists.

Is Legoland California bigger than Six Flags Great America?

By rides we track waits for, Legoland California is the bigger day out: 24 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 Legoland California 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.

v7.17.6