Greetings Walt Disney World aficionados and theme park enthusiasts! Have you ever found yourself eager to zip through your favorite rides solo, but daunted by the lengthy queues?
I visit Disney World solo on the regular and sometimes get to skip the line without having to pay for Genie+ or individual lightning lanes – even at the most popular rides and attractions!
Today I’m unraveling the magic behind single rider lines at Disney World, one of my favorite solo trip secrets. Here are five pivotal things you need to know about this feature.
What are single rider lines?
For those new to the solo rider phenomenon, single rider lines are made for individual theme park goers who wish to hop on attractions without a long wait time alone.
These special queues allow solo guests to fill in an empty seat that would otherwise remain vacant, ensuring a swift and efficient boarding process.
While you may be thinking – but that’s not fair to other guests!
Ah, but it is! By filling in empty seats with solo riders as they become available, Disney ensures that the standby line moves along swiftly and efficiently.
Benefits of single rider lines
The benefits of single rider queues don’t just stop with shorter wait times for solo visitors.
It also offers an opportunity to ride popular rides more than once without a significant wait. I am 100% guilty of taking advantage of the single rider line for this reason!!
In addition, you can often meet new people both in the single rider line, as well as whomever you’re seated next to. I’ve met some really great people this way!
Single rider lines at Disney World
Alright, let’s get to the big part: which attractions have single rider lines at Disney World?
At the moment there are 3 rides that have single rider queues:
- Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Test Track at EPCOT
Expedition Everest
The single rider entrance for Expedition Everest is a bit hard to find as it is located off to the side, near the exit/entrance for the gift shop.
You’ll see a sign to the left of the gift shop door and it will tell you if the single rider line is open or not.
Sometimes the single rider line doesn’t open until late morning when folks are done rope dropping the rides at Pandora!
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
The single rider entrance is located to the left of the standby and lightning lane entrance.
This entrance will take you down a long hallway and then up some steps, dropping you off to the point where the cast member is putting groups of 6 people together for each pod.
The day I started writing this article, I walked right up and into a group. There was no wait at all, as no one else was in the single rider line and I happened to step up just as a family of 4 was next in the standby line.
Test Track
The single rider entrance for Test Track is pretty easy to find. It’s located to the left of the standby and lightning lane entrances.
It’s pretty clearly marked, so it’s not hard to miss!
As with other single rider lines, you’ll be placed with another group in their car, so this experience it just for the thrill of going through the various tests and a run around the track.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios had a single rider queue for years, but in my visits toward the tail end of 2023, it was not available to guests.
This ride closed for refurbishment in January 2024, so perhaps it was a temporary measure as it prepared to close.
Let’s just hope the single rider queue will return when it opens back up later in the year. I’ll be sure to let you know either way as soon as it reopens!
Temporary single rider lines at Disney World
During extra busy seasons, like Christmas time, popular rides will open a single rider line to help better manage their queues.
So far I’ve only seen this happen for Soarin’ at Epcot, which used to have a permanent single rider queue.
I wonder if this will be the fate of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s single rider queue. Only time will tell!
Temporary single rider lines are not announced, nor is it a regular thing. But it’s worth checking for if you want to go on a popular ride and don’t want to wait in line.
Lastly, cast members might pull single riders from standby lines to fill empty seats, as well.
I’ve had this happen pretty frequently at top attractions like Flight of Passage at Animal Kingdom, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios, Soarin’ at Epcot, and Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom.
It’s not guaranteed and you still will have to wait in the standby line, but it’s always nice to have a few extra minutes shaved off of your wait when it happens!
Tips for using single rider lines
It’s important to note that single rider lines are not a hack for groups to skip the line without Genie+ or individual lightning lane passes.
Don’t get in the single rider queue and expect to sit with your friends or family. You will get split up and sat with strangers.
Which also means that you might not even make it on the ride at the same time! So make a game plan on where you’ll meet up if that happens.
On a recent solo trip, I encountered a couple ahead of me in the single rider queue for Expedition Everest who demanded to sit together.
Bless the cast member who had to deal with their argumentative behavior. But she handled it like a pro and promptly pointed them to the back of the standby line. The funny part is, it was only like a 25 minute wait!
Lastly, it’s important to go with the flow and remain flexible. You won’t be able to request a preferred seat, but you will have a shorter wait in line, so think of it as a trade off.
I always have to remind myself that if I get in the single rider line for Smugglers Run, that I’ll likely end up in the boring engineer seat, rather than one of the coveted pilot seats.
But in the end, it’s better than waiting in a long line for small chance that I’ll get the pilot seat!
Which rides do you wish had a single rider line?
Whether you’re racing against time or just looking to maximize your day at Disney World, single rider lines are an excellent strategy to enjoy more attractions with fewer waits.
While they’re not ideal for groups wanting to experience rides together, they’re a boon for solo visitors on the lookout for quick thrills and possibly a new friend along the way.
So the next time you’re at Disney World, don’t forget about the single rider lines for Expedition Everest, Millennium Falcon: Smuggers Run, and Test Track.
And if it’s busy, keep an eye out for temporary single rider queues, and an ear out for the opportunity to skip ahead when cast members call out for single riders.
And before you go, be sure to leave a comment below about which rides you wish had single rider lines.
My top pick goes to Cosmic Rewind once it opens up a standby line, but Slinky Dog Dash, Space Mountain, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train would be great options, too!
Be sure to share this guide with your fellow solo travelers and pin this post to refer back to later.
See you in the parks!
About the author
Meg Frost is the creator of The Park Pixie, where she covers Disney World, Disney+, and Disney fandom.
She holds an M.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University and B.S. in Communication & American Studies from University of Miami in Florida.
