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Mapped: Theme Parks With the Longest (and Shortest) Lines

Bad news, Six Flags fans—the amusement chain occupies four spots on the list of longest lines.
ByMichele Debczak|
This looks much better than waiting in line.
This looks much better than waiting in line. | Thomas Barwick/GettyImages

You planned the trip, packed the sunscreen, and showed up early only to find yourself waiting hours in line for what amounts to a 90-second ride. Sound familiar? When it comes to one popular summer pastime—theme parks—waiting for thrills can be a test of patience. While some parks are masters in time management, others seem to enjoy toying with the sanity of guests, forcing them to endure heat, crowds, and monotony before they’re allowed to experience the adrenaline rush they came for. 

Luckily, the internet takes some of the guesswork out of picking parks that hum instead of lag. Sudoku Bliss conducted an analysis of 345,000 Google reviews for more than 100 U.S. amusement parks and ranked where the lines are epic—in both the best and worst ways. From water playgrounds in Georgia to Muppet-themed rides in Pennsylvania, these lists might have you rethinking your summer plans (or at least help you to mentally prepare for the inevitable foot traffic jams). Read on for the theme parks with the longest (and shortest) lines. 

  1. Theme Parks Where Guests Are Made to Wait, Mapped
  2. 10 Theme Parks With the Longest Lines
  3. Theme Parks Where Lines Move Fast, Mapped
  4. 10 Theme Parks With the Shortest Lines

We’ve got some bad news for thrill-seekers with a Six Flags membership: The coaster-packed amusement chain occupies several spots on this list. While the parks have an unbelievable amount of rides, they come with wait times that are just as mind-boggling, according to guest reviews. They certainly pop up enough times to make fans rethink spending too much money for an entry ticket.

Theme Parks Where Guests Are Made to Wait, Mapped

Map of longest theme park wait times.
These places make guests wait. | Sudoku Bliss

Here’s a round-up of other amusement parks across the U.S. with not-so-easy-breezy wait times, ordered based on the percentage of reviews that mentioned long lines. 

10 Theme Parks With the Longest Lines

  1. Hurricane Harbor in Phoenix, Arizona // 33.39 Percent 
  2. Six Flags White Water in Marietta, Georgia // 16.04 Percent
  3. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor in Jackson Township, New Jersey // 15.68 Percent
  4. Sesame Place Philadelphia in Langhorne, Pennsylvania // 15.11 Percent
  5. Wild Waves Theme & Water Park in Federal Way, Washington // 14.56 Percent
  6. Schlitterbahn Waterpark New Braunfels in New Braunfels, Texas // 13.22 Percent
  7. Elitch Gardens in Denver, Colorado // 12.52 Percent
  8. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California // 11.84 Percent
  9. Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell, Georgia // 11.41 Percent
  10. Mt. Olympus - Water & Theme Park Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin // 9.96 Percent

It’s not all bad news for high-speed fanatics who like to spend their vacations living on the edge. Plenty of parks across the U.S. have found a way to speed up the process of strapping in and holding on for dear life. Lines are part of every rollercoaster experience, but these parks prove they don’t have to be the one you dread (and not in a fun way).

Theme Parks Where Lines Move Fast, Mapped

Map of shortest park lines.
Lines fly by at these parks. | Sudoku Bliss

Most of the attractions on this list are owned by smaller companies or are located in unexpected places. Surprisingly, a Disney location also manages to squeak in. Here’s a round-up of parks with fast-moving lines, ordered by the percentage of reviews that mention long lines. (Note: For these entries, the smaller the number, the better.)

10 Theme Parks With the Shortest Lines

  1. Super Slide Amusement Park in Bismarck, North Dakota // 0.28 Percent
  2. Belmont Park in San Diego, California // 0.32 Percent
  3. Big Sky Waterpark in Columbia Falls, Montana // 0.50 Percent
  4. Enchanted Forest in Turner, Oregon // 0.54 Percent
  5. Funland in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware // 0.55 Percent
  6. Luna Park in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York // 0.59 Percent
  7. Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, Texas // 0.62 Percent
  8. Atlantic Beach Park in Westerly, Rhode Island // 0.63 Percent
  9. Morey’s Piers & Beachfront Water Parks in Wildwood, New Jersey // 0.65 Percent
  10. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park in Lake Buena Vista, Florida // 0.69 Percent

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