Single Rider Line, Abuse or Hidden Mickey Trick?

[jahber]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

As you said, when you go to WDW, you are on vacation. When we go to WDW, we are on a day (or few hours) trip because we are locals. We have been on all the rides multiple times before and sometimes we aren't really interested in making memories while standing in line. I'm with my kids all day, every day. I see them plenty. I don't need to wait in line with them for an extra 20+ minutes just so we can sit together on a 90 second ride.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

When my oldest DD was little we traveled just the 2 of us. We would do the single rider line a lot. We fully expected to be split up and usually were. Sometimes not. Our plan was always the same. I'd go first and wait for her at the end of the ride. Figured safer for her to load right after me than for her to get off first and have to wait on me.
Now that she is a teen we still do single rider and bring my son too. He always takes his turn in between us so she or I am waiting at the ride exit for him.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

I think single rider works for some groups and not for others. As PP's have said, if a family is local or has been to WDW multiple times, riding together may not be as important. And, with the tiering at EP, you may be shaving off much more than 20 minutes if you are heading to TT late morning, early afternoon when that standby-line can get really, really long.

Last August, my DS (then 7 1/2) really wanted to ride TT, but we didn't have a FP+ and the standby line was incredibly long. I explained the single rider line to him and he said he wanted to try it. This was a BIG deal for him as he has a developmental disability and an anxiety disorder. I explained to him exactly how it would work and we picked out a meeting spot. I fully intended on going in a car first, but things happened so quickly at loading, he ended up in the car in front of me. I reminded him where to meet me and there was a dad in his car who realized he was riding as a single rider and gave my DS a big thumbs up (it was SO nice!). Well, I was a nervous wreck the entire ride and couldn't wait for it to be over. I was praying I would see DS at the end! The ride ended and, lo and behold, there was DS in the exact spot we agreed upon with a huge smile on his face. He had a great time, but we agreed, it was much more fun designing our car and riding the ride together! So, for us, single rider was a little experiment in independence and also a lesson, that we like to ride together!

 

[georgina]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

I've been on some of those rides dozens of times with my DH, I do not remember every time as a special memory. After the first couple, it doesn't matter at all. We go to enjoy the rides, don't have to sit together all the time for that. We usually have FP and don't do the single rider lines often, but the whole idea that we are 'making memories' is not one we subscribe to.

 

[bookgirl]

If I only did what 'everyone' else wanted to do on vacation for the sake of togetherness, I'd be better off staying at home and saving the money hahaha

Most of my family/friends are mobility challenged or just wimps. I want to ride rides. Some trips they come along and I tone down my fast pace, but I am not going to forgo all the rides just because it's a vacation and we're together.

I also have gone on vacations geared towards other's past times (gambling/skiing) neither of which I am fond of. I don't expect my brother to stay off the slopes because I'm a klutz and I don't expect my folks to not gamble because I find more than 30 minutes to be boring. We spend time together just not every minute.

So I am a big fan of single rider since I often prioritize FP+ to the 'groups' rides over the thrill rides I prefer. I do sometimes just skip my favorites if they have huge standby lines, but sometimes I just head off on my own.

 

[scrapquitler]

Sometimes we do Single Rider, sometimes not. If it's DD19 and one of us adults, we always choose single rider, but when we throw DS13 into the mix, we are less likely to do single rider because he has anxiety issues, and doesn't usually want to ride without us. When we were recently at DL, though, he did try single rider for the first time at Radiator Springs...FP return time was like 6 hours later, and the standby line was somewhere around 100 minutes. So he decided that he would try single rider (that was a big deal for him), and so DH, DS and I all got in the single rider line. We decided that I would ride first, then DS and then DH, so that DS would be waiting with one of us the whole time. In the end, we ended up in three consecutive cars and he had blast (and we only had to wait 20 minutes!), so much so that he wanted to do it again. We waited for about 20 minutes again, and DS and I ended up in different rows of the same car the second time. Now he says that he will not have any problem trying single rider in the future.

Honestly, I don't care if I'm sitting next to my family member on the ride. We can still have fund and experience it 'together' ever if we are in a different ride vehichle or a different row. And we've still waited in line together, so its not like we were isolated. But then again, we don't all stay together all day long, either.

 

[damskipi13]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

On a thrill ride, the only time I care about being seated next to my party is if I want the photo of us or if I'm with my niece or nephew, who are old enough to ride alone but I want to ride with them and experience their excitement. Thrill rides like RnR or EE are over so fast that I'm usually not thinking about anything but the adrenaline while I'm on the ride. Now if they offered SR lines at shows or the slower rides, I probably wouldn't use them because I'd want to experience it with my party. So yeah, if I'm just there with my brother or friends and I don't intend to look at the picture, getting on the ride in 10 minutes instead of 40-60 is a big deal to me. I've been able to ride 20+ rides in a day using this method, and everybody was thrilled because they got to experience so much.

 

[nluvwithdisney]

Question to those that have used the single rider line before. We only have used it once and it was last week. My son (13) was the only person going to ride RNR so he got in the single rider line. There were a bunch of kids tour groups while we were at Disney and one of those groups got in the single rider line. The WHOLE group. It took him a long time to get to ride because the line was sooo long. Does that happen a lot?

It happened to me last year on RNR. The single rider line probably only saved me 10 minutes off of standby. It just took a while that time because there weren't a lot of odd number groups at the time.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

RnR is very rarely the better SR line, maybe because of the 2X2 cars, but EE is the same and it moves very fast.

The only time I used single rider for RnR, the wait did end up being more than the stated standby time. I think there is (or was) a sign at the entrance to the singe rider queue warning of this possibility. Everest SR always seems to move very quickly. I figure EE has more trains with a higher capacity per train than RnR, but it's still puzzling why RnR SR takes so long.

I like that DL/CA in Anaheim have at least twice the number of SR attractions than all of WDW.

Two unusual single rider instances at Universal this past week. At the original Harry Potter (Forbidden Journey with the continuous sideways moving 4 seat vehicles) at IOA, DW and I used the SR line. When we got to perhaps positions 9 & 10 in the SR line, a group of 9 was in the regular line. The CM directed them to form groups of 4, 3, and 2. It took them forever. The CM kept repeating "first 4, step up quickly please." But nobody could decide who wanted to ride with who. Another CM finally came over and directed at least 3 carloads of single riders in front of the indecisive group. The people behind the group of 9 looked exasperated.

We stayed onsite and had Express Passes, but one evening another couple staying offsite (no XP) joined us, so we used the standby line at Revenge of the Mummy. For some reason, the single rider line was unusually long. And there seemed to be mostly groups of 2 or 4 in the standby line. We got on the ride in about 10 minutes, decided to ride again, and passed some of the same people in the SR line the second time around.

 

[Odelay]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

Sweet, one less family in the single rider line!

 

[soniam]

We often do this at Universal. DH and I sandwich DS, so that one of us is waiting for him. He is 10, but better to be safe than sorry. DS and I ended up on the same bench on Forbidden Journey, when we got stuck for 5-10 minutes. They even turned on the lights. This did make me aware of this potential bad side, especially if we weren't together and someones had to be evacuated out. He is old enough and familiar enough with the parks/rides to handle it though. But it hadn't crossed my mind before that.

 

[MrToadsWildRide]

What is a "FastPass+UberDuberExpress option?

See Toad Club Rule #1.

My sarcastic view of the FP+ system?

 

[MrToadsWildRide]

What the heck is fast pass plus uber duber express. . . .

The future of FP+?

 

[RedAngie]

What is a "FastPass+UberDuberExpress option?

The future of FP+?

For sale starting at $29.99 each in the off-season for Tiki Birds, tiered up to $99.99 each for 7DMT at holiday time.

 

[ChimCher-ee]

We were in single rider line at TT last year (DH, DD (12) and myself) and she and I got seated together. It just happened that way. DD was mad because she wanted to ride by herself

Too funny! I can totally see MY DD12 doing this! Now you've given me another mine to step around...

That said, DD and I use the single rider line for TT and EE and I never even gave it a second thought - - just expected to ride sitting next to whoever and that's it. We've done the rides enough times (and do them together at least once, per FP+) that I don't have to be right there every time, and have never been seated together, so I never knew it could happen, much less be a random situation that might annoy someone else or that I could demand and definitely annoy everyone else.

Now I'm sure I'll be noticing it all over the place!

 

[maxiesmom]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

Yes it is important sometimes to get on the ride quickly. My nephew goes with me to WDW at least once a year. We have loads of memories of the 2 of us together, and some of those memories are us waiting together in the single rider line. That way we can both ride Expedition Everest as many times as we like without having to spend the whole day doing so. And when I have had enough, he can continue on while I shop or have a snack break. We do hit hit most of the rides together too, but I do have a funny memory of both of us, alone and in separate cars, at Test Track. Via the single rider line at open. We were both placed in our own cars with no one else. That is how dedicated those CMs are to following the single rider rules.

 

[HelenParr]

Question to those that have used the single rider line before. We only have used it once and it was last week. My son (13) was the only person going to ride RNR so he got in the single rider line. There were a bunch of kids tour groups while we were at Disney and one of those groups got in the single rider line. The WHOLE group. It took him a long time to get to ride because the line was sooo long. Does that happen a lot?

In my experience, SRL at RnR is only useful/faster first thing in the day. After that, it's often longer than SB. Not sure if it's demographics of the riders, or how the loaders work. RnR also often runs with empty seats, which makes me think loading process is part of the issue. Everest SRL is great. Almost always quicker than SB. Part of that is likely due to the line enhance being hard to find. EE loaders are also extraordinarily good. And they have a clear line of sight. RnR is dark and crowded, maybe it's harder to load. It has fewer seats per car too.
TestTrack SRL is good. Although I often feel the loaders are making a point of being sure single riders are separated, they seem mega-stressed about it.

 

[RedAngie]

but I do have a funny memory of both of us, alone and in separate cars, at Test Track. Via the single rider line at open. We were both placed in our own cars with no one else. That is how dedicated those CMs are to following the single rider rules.

We once had the opposite experience at TT soon after opening. For whatever reason, there were very few people trickling into the loading platform via the regular/FP lines, so the CMs loaded waiting cars with 6 single riders.

I'd love to have my very own personal car at TT.

 

[mocame]

In my experience, SRL at RnR is only useful/faster first thing in the day. After that, it's often longer than SB. Not sure if it's demographics of the riders, or how the loaders work. RnR also often runs with empty seats, which makes me think loading process is part of the issue. Everest SRL is great. Almost always quicker than SB. Part of that is likely due to the line enhance being hard to find. EE loaders are also extraordinarily good. And they have a clear line of sight. RnR is dark and crowded, maybe it's harder to load. It has fewer seats per car too.
TestTrack SRL is good. Although I often feel the loaders are making a point of being sure single riders are separated, they seem mega-stressed about it.

Unfortunately he wanted to ride it at RD but it was down and was down for part of the morning. That may have enhanced the longer SRL later in the day too, I guess.

 

[tnd]

My 10 year old son and I do single rider lines all the time. We don't expect to be seated together, but it happens every now and then. We don't ask for it and we are fine riding separately, but if a cast member wants to put us together, I won't object. I don't think it is any sort of abuse of the process.