Single rider experience

[beckyboo1986]

Hi all

I'm curious of your single rider experiences please. Travelling with our 3 year old so lots of the bigger rides he won't be able to ride so we'd like to take advantage of any rides we can do.

Are standby times a lot shorter for single riders?

Thanks
Becky

 

[fan1080]

Single rider is a good option for most attractions that offer it, although not many attractions do offer it.

Another option is Rider Switch!

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/guest-services/rider-switch/

 

[thanxfornoticin]

There are only a limited number of WDW attractions with single rider, but we've seen shorter waits in that line for Expedition Everest and Test Track. I believe only RnRC (which is currently closed) and Smuggler's are the only other single rider options, and we've not used the option on those rides.

 

[The Foolish Mortal]

There are only a limited number of WDW attractions with single rider, but we've seen shorter waits in that line for Expedition Everest and Test Track. I believe only RnRC (which is currently closed) and Smuggler's are the only other single rider options, and we've not used the option on those rides.

Agreed. A couple other notes. The Smuggler's Run single rider line is also typically short. Finally, Space Mountain does have a single rider line, but you start in the general line with everyone else. Then, once you are in the boarding area, you can tell one of the cast members that sorts you onto one side of the boarding area or the other and they will direct you to the single rider line. Its almost always virtually empty, but it only saves you a couple minutes since you have already waited in the main line for the bulk of the wait

 

[thanxfornoticin]

The way they now board Tron and GOTG makes so much sense to me, but takes away the single-rider line! They have the odd-number and even-number lines for groups, and it works great filling in the coasters! It seems like a really smart way to do it.

 

[HopperFan]

Everest Single Rider line is VERY short. I "chuckled" at the couple doing child swap there a couple weeks ago that were getting so upset that the CM at the entrance was trying to send them to an umbrella to get it done. The first one would literally have already been riding if they used the single rider line in the time they took to argue. So they went off to do Child Swap that was going to take a lot more time ....

The way they now board Tron and GOTG makes so much sense to me, but takes away the single-rider line! They have the odd-number and even-number lines for groups, and it works great filling in the coasters! It seems like a really smart way to do it.

The only reason for a single rider line is to fill the cars. It's not a perk for guests although that is how it came to be. You are right with the new riding system (which they used at 7DMT for a long time ... and randomly now) ... works great for maximizing the seating. At FoP the CMs are very efficient at pulling groups to fill all the seats each time. It makes more sense and you don't have the issues they have at Test Track.

 

[beckyboo1986]

Thanks for the replies. I completely forgot abut the rider switch option.

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

There are only a few single rider lines.
Yes the single rider lines tend to be shorter.
The regular stand by lines are not shorter for single riders.
You'll want to look into the child swap program where one of you wait in the regular standby line while the other waits with the child and then the other parent can enter through the lightning lane line to minimize the overall time spent waiting when a child is not tall enough or does not want to ride.
You could also look into Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane at extra costs.

 

[beckyboo1986]

Can I ask if the parent waiting with child has to wait exactly at the ride or can they go ride a smaller ride with the little one after they've presented themselves initially at the ride?

 

[Kooks and Bay Bay]

Can I ask if the parent waiting with child has to wait exactly at the ride or can they go ride a smaller ride with the little one after they've presented themselves initially at the ride?

The parent and child that will not be riding can go where ever they want.
Just be sure to be together as a group as you walk up to a cast member to request the child swap.

 

[kylenne]

Agreed. A couple other notes. The Smuggler's Run single rider line is also typically short. Finally, Space Mountain does have a single rider line, but you start in the general line with everyone else. Then, once you are in the boarding area, you can tell one of the cast members that sorts you onto one side of the boarding area or the other and they will direct you to the single rider line. Its almost always virtually empty, but it only saves you a couple minutes since you have already waited in the main line for the bulk of the wait

I do it every trip (even with my partner, as she can’t ride it for medical reasons) and it saves way more than a couple of minutes. You skip the entire back portion of the queue, which is much more considerable than this suggests. It can turn a 45 posted/30 minute actual wait to 10. (I know, because I’ve timed it before.)

 

[1lilspark]

Everest & smugglers are good though the latter more then likely you will be engineer
Test track is hit or miss
Rock and Roller Coaster can sometimes be just as long or longer then standby

 

[kwdw]

Four…. Smugglers Run, Expedition Everest, Test Track, RnRC. The one for RnRC is awful, oftern longer than standby. The other three tend to be great.

For TT, if the single rider line is longer than the chain break where the folks come out of the design room, then it’s kind of long and I turn around a leave unless I’m okay with a wait.

 

[gatorlisa]

Others have covered the official single rider lines and child swap. In addition to all of that, when waiting in the line, as you get within sight of the boarding area, keep an ear out for a call for single riders. On some rides, Tower of Terror, Flight of Passage, and Rise of the Resistance come to mind, they'll look for single riders near the front of the line to fill in random open seats. You can end up getting on a couple minutes faster by keeping an ear out and responding when they say they are looking for single riders.