Skip to main content

Legoland New York
vs
Universal Studios Hollywood

On a typical day Legoland New York queues less: about 20 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, a difference of roughly 16 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 New York and Universal Studios Hollywood compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyLegoland New YorkUnited StatesUniversal Studios HollywoodUnited States
Average wait per ride 20 min (best of the two)36 min
Rides with recorded waits 21 (best of the two)15
Longest typical queue Smart Brick Virtual Queue Placeholder - DO NOT DELETE80 minMario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge88 min
Shortest typical queue DJ's Dizzy Disco Spin8 minBowser Jr. Challenge5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running88% (best of the two)80%

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 New York and Universal Studios Hollywood compared on live queue times
Right nowLegoland New YorkUnited StatesUniversal Studios HollywoodUnited 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 New York queues less: about 20 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, a difference of roughly 16 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 New York if…

  • You want shorter queues: Legoland New York averages 20 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood
  • You want more to do: 21 rides here have recorded wait data against 15 at Universal Studios Hollywood
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Legoland New York's rides run 88% of opening hours against 80% at Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Smart Brick Virtual Queue Placeholder - DO NOT DELETE is on your list - it is Legoland New York's longest typical queue at about 80 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Legoland New York's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Studios Hollywood if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 36 minutes a ride here against 20 at Legoland New York - for what Universal Studios Hollywood has that Legoland New York does not
  • Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge is on your list - it is Universal Studios Hollywood's longest typical queue at about 88 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Universal Studios Hollywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Legoland New York

LEGOLAND New York is the newest LEGOLAND resort, opening in Goshen, New York in 2021, about an hour north of New York City. The park covers 150 acres and groups rides into seven themed lands including LEGO Castle, LEGO City, and Pirates. Rides include The Dragon, LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, and a full MINILAND featuring New York landmarks.

As one of the newer parks, LEGOLAND New York hasn't built up the same year-round attendance as Florida or California, so weekday visits stay pleasantly quiet. The summer and fall weekends draw busier crowds from NYC and New Jersey day-trippers. Check live wait times on arrival and use the crowd calendar to avoid peak holiday weekends.

Legoland New York live queue times

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood sits in Universal City, California, combining a working film studio with a full theme park. The famous Studio Tour trams run through real backlots, while the park's themed rides include Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Jurassic World – The Ride, Revenge of the Mummy, Transformers, and the newer Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge in Super Nintendo World.

LA and Southern California visitor patterns keep Universal Hollywood busy much of the year, with US summer school holidays, Halloween Horror Nights and Christmas driving the peak. Mid-January and early September are the quietest periods. Check live queue times before committing to long waits, and use our crowd calendar to pick a weekday outside California school breaks for shorter lines.

Universal Studios Hollywood live queue times

05 · Questions

Legoland New York or Universal Studios Hollywood?

Which is better, Legoland New York or Universal Studios Hollywood?

If you are judging on queues, Legoland New York: it averages about 20 minutes a ride on a typical day against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, roughly 16 minutes back on every queue you join. Legoland New York has 21 rides with recorded waits against 15 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Legoland New York also runs its rides more reliably - 88% of opening hours against 80%.

Which has shorter queues, Legoland New York or Universal Studios Hollywood?

Legoland New York, by about 16 minutes a ride. On a typical day Legoland New York averages 20 minutes against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Legoland New York best time to visit and Universal Studios Hollywood best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Legoland New York and Universal Studios Hollywood 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 New York and Universal Studios Hollywood for the full ride lists.

Is Legoland New York bigger than Universal Studios Hollywood?

By rides we track waits for, Legoland New York is the bigger day out: 21 rides against 15. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Legoland New York 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.

v7.17.4