Legoland Orlando vs Six Flags Magic Mountain

LEGOLAND Florida sits in Winter Haven, about 45 minutes south-west of Orlando, on the site of the old Cypress Gardens. It's pitched at families with kids 2-12 and has a full LEGO-themed line-up: The Dragon castle coaster, Coastersaurus, the LEGO Movie World area, and a separate water park during warmer months. A smaller Peppa Pig Theme Park operates next door as a separate admission.

Because LEGOLAND Florida is less crowded than the big Orlando parks, queue times stay manageable most of the year - but holiday weeks and LEGO convention weekends can push waits up sharply. Check the crowd calendar for your visit date, and use live wait times to pick up rides with light queues during slower afternoon hours.

Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, holds the world record for most roller coasters at a single park - currently 20 distinct coasters. Highlights include X2 (a 4-D prototype), Twisted Colossus, Tatsu (a flying coaster), Full Throttle, Superman: Escape from Krypton, Goliath, and Wonder Woman Flight of Courage. The park's hilly footprint gives many rides dramatic terrain-following drops.

Magic Mountain's LA-area weekend visits, US school holidays, Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park events drive peak crowds. Weekdays outside school breaks can be dramatically quieter. Check live queue times for X2 and Twisted Colossus on arrival - they build up fastest - and use our crowd calendar to pick a lower-crowd midweek date if you want to ride all 20 coasters in a single day.