Single Rider lines are one of the best ways to save time in line at Walt Disney World, but they’re not all upside. This post covers everything you need to know about these queues for solo guests, which rides have them, pros & cons, where and when we recommend (or don’t) Single Rider lines and how they differ from the regular standby line or Lightning Lane.
Let’s start with the basics: what exactly is a Single Rider line? It’s a line for riders who are single. Very helpful, I know. In actuality, Cast Members aren’t going to check your marital status prior to using the line. Walt Disney World isn’t the IRS, even if they might take a similar amount of your money. You also are not prohibited from entering the Single Rider line if you’re part of a group.
Rather, these are queues for guests who are willing to ride alone in exchange for wait times that are typically significantly shorter than the standby line. Single Riders are best thought of as “seat fillers” who will join other parties to prevent attractions from being dispatched with empty spots. All groups entering the Single Rider line will be separated prior to boarding. You will not ride together with your friends or family, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the circumstances–who doesn’t need a break from family time every once in a while?!
Walt Disney World has four attractions with permanent Single Rider lines that are almost always open:
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Test Track at EPCOT
- Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
There are four other attractions that have kinda, sorta or “sometimes” Single Rider lines:
- Avatar Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom
- Soarin’ Around the World at EPCOT
- Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
When it comes to the first three on the second list, there is no dedicated Single Rider line. Rather, you’ll sometimes see a sign up towards the end of the queue (or sometimes the beginning, as has been the case with Soarin’) indicating that Single Riders should inquire with Cast Members.
These signs aren’t always up and even when they are, it’s not always actually an option. You’ll still go through most of the regular standby line, and will let a Cast Member know you’re a party of one towards the load area, usually near where grouping occurs. Sometimes, this will shave 5-10 minutes off your wait (that’s about the best case scenario). Other times, it’ll accomplish absolutely nothing.
My ‘success rate’ with Single Rider at Soarin, Space Mountain, and Flight of Passage is incredibly low. I’ve saved just as much time when presenting myself as a Single Rider as I have by complete luck with Cast Members walking down the queue and asking for solo travelers or couples. The lack of a dedicated queue for Single Riders kills its usefulness on this trio.
Cast Members asking for Single Riders or parties of 2 also happens on a lot of other attractions, so pay attention. We distinguished the above list because we’ve spotted Single Rider signage at the above attractions. But it happens on many other attractions with atypical seating configurations. (Basically meaning ride vehicles of more than just 2 people.)
Then there’s Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. This E-Ticket attraction in Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios just started testing a Single Rider line. The entrance for Single Riders is actually near the exit of the attraction, which is off to the right from the attraction entrance and marquee. If available, you should spot a Cast Member holding a blue and white sign that says Single Rider End of Line.
Unlike the above trio, this is a dedicated line so there’s actually the potential to save a lot of time. However, it’s a makeshift line and is still in testing. (It reminds me a lot of the Single Rider line for Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, another improvised solution through the exit that was around for like a decade.)
However, the Single Rider line at Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance comes at a colossal cost: you skip the pre-shows. On other attractions with dull pre-shows, this wouldn’t be a big deal. After all, the ride is the important part and saving time waiting for is huge. Heck, skipping the pre-shows for repeat rides might even be a selling point. (I know many fans who would love to skip the Flight of Passage or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind pre-shows!)
That’s not the case, at all, with Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. One of the big reasons this ranks as our #1 ride in all of Walt Disney World is because of the multi-phased nature of the experience, and both of those pre-shows Single Riders skip are absolutely essential to the story. Two of the biggest ‘wow moments’ occur during these, and I cannot fathom missing those.
The Bottom line is if you’re a first-timer and could either wait 5 minutes in the Single Rider line or 100 minutes in the standby line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we’d recommend the triple-digit wait. Thankfully, there are other ways to reduce your time waiting in line, which we discuss in How to Ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. (Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if this Single Rider test is short-lived, as it cuts way too much from the substance of the attraction experience.)
One thing to note is that our example above with a 5 minute Single Rider wait time vs. 100 minute standby wait is completely arbitrary–we made it up. On average, you can expect to wait between one-third and one-quarter of the normal wait time in the Single Rider line. Meaning that if Expedition Everest is posting a 60 minute standby wait, your likely actual wait in the Single Rider line is 15 to 20 minutes.
When it comes to that specific example, there have been times when my wait for Expedition Everest (a ride I always do by myself since it’s too intense for Sarah) is <5 minutes and the standby wait is 45-60 minutes.
It can depend upon the day and time of your visit–tourists are far less likely to know about and use Single Rider lines than locals or frequent visitors, so if it’s a weekday or time when Annual Passes are blocked out, waits for Single Rider lines are typically shorter.
With that said, this is not a hard and fast rule. There have been times when I’ve done the Single Rider line at Test Track that it’s backed up and I’m pretty sure the posted standby line was massively inflated. On at least a couple of occasions, I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t save any time whatsoever.
In my experience–and I have a lot of it since Sarah doesn’t regularly ride any Single Rider attraction except Test Track–the Single Rider line that’s most hit or miss is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. There have been times when absolutely no one else is in the line and it’s essentially a walk-on, and other times when the line is long and incredibly slow-moving. That particular Single Rider line is a complete crapshoot.
It’s a similar story first thing in the morning or late at night when standby lines are short. But at least in those cases, Cast Members will usually close the Single Rider line or give guests entering it a ‘heads up’ that it won’t save any or very much time.
One thing that really bears reiterating is that groups may enter the Single Rider line but they absolutely will not be seated together. (At least, not on purpose. It does happen from time to time when there are two empty seats instead of one.)
I’m emphasizing this because I’ve seen so many people play dumb (or perhaps they actually are dumb, to give them the benefit of the doubt) and try to argue with Cast Members about being seated together. It’s usually either parents who claim their kids aren’t comfortable riding alone or teenagers who feign ignorance (or are ignorant) and plead their case to be seated together.
Cast Members hear sob stories multiple times per day; you’re not the first to try this “trick” and you’re not going to be the one who succeeds at the gambit. Your circumstances, irrespective of whatever they are, are not unique. Wanting to ride together is why standby lines exist.
We are huge advocates of the Single Rider line, as it can cut wait times dramatically for those who are willing to separate from their parties. This is great for thrill seekers who want to loop Expedition Everest or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which are by far my two favorite Single Rider lines at Walt Disney World.
Single Rider is also beneficial for those who do not use it. For example, after the initial novelty of having a cockpit to yourself on Smugglers Run wears off, you’ll likely discover that the ride experience is much better with a full crew, thanks to the collective energy of the experience.
Most importantly, Single Rider also increases attraction efficiency and that means shorter wait times for everyone. If seats go unfilled, that increases wait times. If Single Rider lines aren’t offered, those guests will instead be in the standby lines. I’d love if more attractions had Single Rider lines–they’re the rare “everyone wins” offering at Walt Disney World.
With that said, Single Rider lines aren’t all upside for guests using them. There are tradeoffs.
Every Single Rider line skips a portion of the queue. Expedition Everest has one of the very best lines at Walt Disney World, and we think that’s seeing at least once. Of course, we’re also theme park fans and not simply thrill seekers, so your mileage may vary on that. (The Single Rider line that skips the least worthwhile queue is Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.)
Then there’s the Single Rider line at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. In addition to skipping a major part of the queue and pre-show, you’re almost guaranteed to be the Engineer. While the attraction as a whole is interactive, that’s only nominally true of the Engineer. I usually just watch when I’m in that role, as it’s practically pointless. My perspective is that everyone should do Smugglers Run via the standby line or Lightning Lane at least once before trying Single Rider.
Another asterisk would’ve been attached to Test Track, which is currently closed for reimagining. It’s unclear how this attraction and its Single Rider line will change with Test Track 3.0, but just be aware that–in the past–the Single Rider line didn’t offer the complete experience.
Ultimately, Single Rider lines are a great way to save time waiting at Walt Disney World. They can mean not having to deal with long standby lines or ‘wasting’ a Lightning Lane Multi Pass selection on certain attractions. You can also get unlucky and end up not saving much time–it’s difficult to predict since wait times often are not posted on Single Rider lines. Even when they are, they’re usually inaccurate.
Single Rider lines can be great for thrill seekers who want to ‘loop’ popular thrill rides with minimal wait times. I’ve done that with both Expedition Everest and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, which often have incredibly efficient Single Rider lines. (I’ve done both 5-6 times in an hour, and I’d bet the “record” is higher than that.)
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Your Thoughts
Have you used Single Rider lines at Walt Disney World? Have you had generally good or bad experiences with them? Any horror or success stories from specific attractions with Single Rider lines? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
