Skip to main content
Park Queue TimesPQT

Magic Kingdom
vs
Universal Studios Hollywood

Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Hollywood queue about the same on a typical day - 24 minutes against 25 minutes across 23 and 31 tracked rides. Pick on travel time or on which rides you actually want.

See both right now

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 Universal Studios Hollywood compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyMagic KingdomUnited StatesUniversal Studios HollywoodUnited States
Average wait per ride 24 min (best of the two)25 min
Rides with recorded waits 2331 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue TRON Lightcycle / Run62 minFast & Furious: Hollywood Drift91 min
Shortest typical queue Prince Charming Regal Carrousel8 minStudio Tour Last Tram5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running94% (best of the two)45%

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 Universal Studios Hollywood compared on live queue times
Right nowMagic KingdomUnited 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 Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Hollywood queue about the same on a typical day - 24 minutes against 25 minutes across 23 and 31 tracked rides. Pick on travel time or on which rides you actually want.

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…

  • Queue length will not decide it: both parks average around 24 minutes a ride
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 94% of opening hours against 45% at Universal Studios Hollywood
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 62 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Magic Kingdom's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Studios Hollywood if…

  • Queue length will not decide it: both parks average around 25 minutes a ride
  • You want more to do: 31 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
  • Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift is on your list - it is Universal Studios Hollywood's longest typical queue at about 91 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.

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

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

Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios Hollywood?

Which is better, Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios Hollywood?

On queues there is nothing in it: both average about 24 minutes a ride on a typical day. Magic Kingdom has 23 rides with recorded waits against 31 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 94% of opening hours against 45%. So pick on travel time, or on which park has the rides you actually want.

Which has shorter queues, Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios Hollywood?

They are level. Magic Kingdom averages 24 minutes a ride on a typical day and Universal Studios Hollywood averages 25 - close enough that the day you pick matters more than the park. See Magic Kingdom best time to visit and Universal Studios Hollywood best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Magic Kingdom 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 Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Hollywood for the full ride lists.

Is Magic Kingdom bigger than Universal Studios Hollywood?

By rides we track waits for, Universal Studios Hollywood is the bigger day out: 31 rides against 23. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours.

Then pick
the quiet day.

Both parks have a crowd calendar with six weeks of forecast and the best day left to go.

Magic Kingdom calendarUniversal Studios Hollywood calendar