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Park Queue TimesPQT

Six Flags Great Adventure
vs
Universal Epic Universe

On a typical day Six Flags Great Adventure queues less: about 33 minutes a ride against 40 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 7 minutes on every queue you join.

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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.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Universal Epic Universe compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallySix Flags Great AdventureUnited StatesUniversal Epic UniverseUnited States
Average wait per ride 33 min (best of the two)40 min
Rides with recorded waits 20 (best of the two)13
Longest typical queue SUPERMAN™: Ultimate Flight71 minHarry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™101 min
Shortest typical queue Buccaneer19 minBowser Jr. Challenge7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running76%92% (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.

Six Flags Great Adventure and Universal Epic Universe compared on live queue times
Right nowSix Flags Great AdventureUnited StatesUniversal Epic UniverseUnited 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 Great Adventure queues less: about 33 minutes a ride against 40 at Universal Epic Universe, a difference of roughly 7 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 Six Flags Great Adventure if…

  • You want shorter queues: Six Flags Great Adventure averages 33 minutes a ride against 40 at Universal Epic Universe
  • You want more to do: 20 rides here have recorded wait data against 13 at Universal Epic Universe
  • SUPERMAN™: Ultimate Flight is on your list - it is Six Flags Great Adventure's longest typical queue at about 71 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Six Flags Great Adventure's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Universal Epic Universe if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 40 minutes a ride here against 33 at Six Flags Great Adventure - for what Universal Epic Universe has that Six Flags Great Adventure does not
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Universal Epic Universe's rides run 92% of opening hours against 76% at Six Flags Great Adventure
  • Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry™ is on your list - it is Universal Epic Universe's longest typical queue at about 101 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Universal Epic Universe's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Six Flags Great Adventure

Six Flags Great Adventure sits in Jackson, New Jersey, and has long been one of Six Flags' flagship coaster parks. The line-up is exceptional: El Toro (one of the world's top-rated wooden coasters), Nitro, Jersey Devil Coaster, Superman: Ultimate Flight, Batman: The Ride, Skull Mountain, and Green Lantern stand-up. Kingda Ka was the park's signature ride until its closure; a Safari Off Road Adventure drive-through exhibit also operates on the property.

NJ and NYC school holidays, Fright Fest and US summer weekends drive huge crowds. Weekdays in May, September and October are dramatically calmer. Check live queue times for El Toro and Nitro on arrival - they build up fast - and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek visit for shorter waits across the whole coaster line-up.

Six Flags Great Adventure live queue times

Universal Epic Universe

Universal Epic Universe opened in May 2025 as the third major park at Universal Orlando - the first large US theme park opening in decades. It's split into five worlds: Celestial Park (the central hub), Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, and How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk. Major rides include Stardust Racers, Mine-Cart Madness, and Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry.

As a brand-new park, Epic Universe has been drawing heavy crowds since opening, with queue times on Stardust Racers and Mario Kart-style attractions often topping two hours on weekends. Check live wait times the moment you enter, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek, off-peak date - the crowds settle noticeably on Tuesdays and Wednesdays outside US school holidays.

Universal Epic Universe live queue times

05 · Questions

Six Flags Great Adventure or Universal Epic Universe?

Which is better, Six Flags Great Adventure or Universal Epic Universe?

If you are judging on queues, Six Flags Great Adventure: it averages about 33 minutes a ride on a typical day against 40 at Universal Epic Universe, roughly 7 minutes back on every queue you join. Six Flags Great Adventure has 20 rides with recorded waits against 13 at Universal Epic Universe. Universal Epic Universe also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 76%.

Which has shorter queues, Six Flags Great Adventure or Universal Epic Universe?

Six Flags Great Adventure, by about 7 minutes a ride. On a typical day Six Flags Great Adventure averages 33 minutes against 40 at Universal Epic Universe. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Six Flags Great Adventure best time to visit and Universal Epic Universe best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Six Flags Great Adventure and Universal Epic Universe 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 Six Flags Great Adventure and Universal Epic Universe for the full ride lists.

Is Six Flags Great Adventure bigger than Universal Epic Universe?

By rides we track waits for, Six Flags Great Adventure is the bigger day out: 20 rides against 13. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Six Flags Great Adventure 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.

Six Flags Great Adventure calendarUniversal Epic Universe calendarCompare other parks