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Magic Kingdom
vs
Six Flags Magic Mountain

On a typical day Six Flags Magic Mountain queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 12 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.

Magic Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyMagic KingdomUnited StatesSix Flags Magic MountainUnited States
Average wait per ride 25 min13 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 2337 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue TRON Lightcycle / Run68 minRoaring Rapids41 min
Shortest typical queue Prince Charming Regal Carrousel7 minTaz’s Tazmanian Train Tours5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running92%94% (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.

Magic Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain compared on live queue times
Right nowMagic KingdomUnited StatesSix Flags Magic MountainUnited 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 Six Flags Magic Mountain queues less: about 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 12 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 Magic Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 25 minutes a ride here against 13 at Six Flags Magic Mountain - for what Magic Kingdom has that Six Flags Magic Mountain does not
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 68 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Magic Kingdom's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Six Flags Magic Mountain if…

  • You want shorter queues: Six Flags Magic Mountain averages 13 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 37 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
  • Roaring Rapids is on your list - it is Six Flags Magic Mountain's longest typical queue at about 41 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Magic Mountain's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the original Florida Disney park, opened in 1971, and still the most-visited theme park in the world. The classic line-up is iconic: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Cinderella Castle anchors the central hub with nightly fireworks.

Magic Kingdom is busy almost every day of the year, with peak crowds during US school holidays, the December holidays, and special events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Mid-January through early February is the quietest period. Check live wait times across Disney's free Lightning Lane system, and use our crowd calendar to plan your visit around Disney's Extended Evening Hours and holiday patterns.

Magic Kingdom live queue times

Six Flags Magic Mountain

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.

Six Flags Magic Mountain live queue times

05 · Questions

Magic Kingdom or Six Flags Magic Mountain?

Which is better, Magic Kingdom or Six Flags Magic Mountain?

If you are judging on queues, Six Flags Magic Mountain: it averages about 13 minutes a ride on a typical day against 25 at Magic Kingdom, roughly 12 minutes back on every queue you join. Magic Kingdom has 23 rides with recorded waits against 37 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Six Flags Magic Mountain also runs its rides more reliably - 94% of opening hours against 92%.

Which has shorter queues, Magic Kingdom or Six Flags Magic Mountain?

Six Flags Magic Mountain, by about 12 minutes a ride. On a typical day Six Flags Magic Mountain averages 13 minutes against 25 at Magic Kingdom. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Magic Kingdom best time to visit and Six Flags Magic Mountain best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Magic Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain 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 Magic Kingdom and Six Flags Magic Mountain for the full ride lists.

Is Magic Kingdom bigger than Six Flags Magic Mountain?

By rides we track waits for, Six Flags Magic Mountain is the bigger day out: 37 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 Six Flags Magic Mountain 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.

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