Magic Kingdom
vs
Universal Studios Hollywood

On a typical day Magic Kingdom queues less: about 25 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, a difference of roughly 11 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right now Compare other parks

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
Typically	Magic KingdomUnited States	Universal Studios HollywoodUnited States
Average wait per ride	25 min (best of the two)	36 min
Rides with recorded waits	23 (best of the two)	15
Longest typical queue	TRON Lightcycle / Run68 min	Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge88 min
Shortest typical queue	Prince Charming Regal Carrousel7 min	Bowser Jr. Challenge5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running	92% (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.

Magic Kingdom and Universal Studios Hollywood compared on live queue times
Right now	Magic KingdomUnited States	Universal 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 Magic Kingdom queues less: about 25 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, a difference of roughly 11 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 want shorter queues: Magic Kingdom averages 25 minutes a ride against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood
You want more to do: 23 rides here have recorded wait data against 15 at Universal Studios Hollywood
You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 92% of opening hours against 80% at Universal Studios Hollywood
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 Universal Studios Hollywood if…

You will accept a longer queue - 36 minutes a ride here against 25 at Magic Kingdom - for what Universal Studios Hollywood has that Magic Kingdom 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.

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?

If you are judging on queues, Magic Kingdom: it averages about 25 minutes a ride on a typical day against 36 at Universal Studios Hollywood, roughly 11 minutes back on every queue you join. Magic Kingdom has 23 rides with recorded waits against 15 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 80%.

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

Magic Kingdom, by about 11 minutes a ride. On a typical day Magic Kingdom averages 25 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 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, Magic Kingdom is the bigger day out: 23 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 Magic Kingdom 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.

Magic Kingdom calendar Universal Studios Hollywood calendar Compare other parks