Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (2024)

byLindsay Brookshier Last updated: May 27, 2023

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (1)

The Disneyland single rider line is a great trick to keep up your sleeve when handling crowds at Disneyland. The singles line splits your group to fill in available single seats that remain open for popular attractions.

This guide to using the Single Rider line at Disneyland shares which rides have a single rider line, if single rider is “worth it” for key attractions, how the singles service works, the minimum single rider age, and more.

Keep reading to see why you should know this tip and how to use it.

Planning a Disneyland Vacation?

Get exclusive access to prices on hotel & tickets just for Mickey Visit subscribers. Don't miss our travel hacks newsletter!

In this planning guide:

What is a single rider line at Disneyland?

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (2)

Single rider is a separate line from the regular queue that is used to fill empty seats on attractions. This means when you choose to use the single rider line that you willnot be seated with your groupas the purpose of the single rider line is fill empty ride seats so that lines move more efficiently and not send ride vehicles with any empty seats.

For example, the ride vehicle for Radiator Springs Racer sits five people. If there is a family of four in line they will seat that family and then take one person from the single rider line to fill the empty seat. You will not be seated with your party except by chance- you cannot request to be seated with them or request a specific seat when using the single rider line. This is important to remember as some people misunderstand the purpose of single rider and get in line without realizing this which leads to panic when they get to the front of the line and realize they will be split up.

The perk of the single rider line is the short wait but you get that perk by knowing you won’t get to sit next to your group. Sometimes you may end up next to your group anyways but this is never guaranteed.

Discount Disneyland TicketsDisneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (3)

Our favorite Disney-approved re-seller,Get Away Today, offers the best Disneyland discount tickets around. In addition to great discount prices, their customer service and easy support is absolutely fantastic. They have an entire department dedicated to making sure every order has a wonderful experience and they are on-call to help you during your vacation if you need them.

Get your discount Disneyland tickets here through our exclusive link!

Buying tickets from Get Away Today is easy and convenient since all their tickets are sent electronically. You can take their vouchers and head straight to the gate without needing to wait in any ticket booth lines. They also offer layaway plans so you can pay off your vacation over time.

You can read my review on my personal experiences booking through Get Away Today and how much you can save here!

Which Disneyland rides have single rider?Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (4)

Here are the all rides that offer single rider options at Disneyland:

Does Indiana Jones Adventure have Single Rider? Does Space Mountain have single rider?

Indiana Jones Adventure and Space Mountain both used to offer a single rider option but this is no longer available at Disneyland for either attraction. You can use the option of Genie+ to beat the line or utilize our morning strategy to make sure you ride these popular attractions with a low wait time.

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (5)

Here are the rides that offer single rider options at California Adventure:

Disneyland Single Rider Age LimitDisneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (6)

The minimum age to use single rider is 7 years old. You want to make sure that your child is comfortable not being seated with their parent as your party will not be seated together so this is not always a good choice for some families. Your child needs to be mature enough to follow direction from the cast member and be secure enough to be left alone for a few moments when they exit the attraction since you will be departing at different times depending on which ride vehicle you’re put in. Plan on picking a place to meet after you exit so you don’t get separated. Usually my son and I would always meet right by the entrance of the attraction when he first started using single rider and it worked out fine.

For groups that have kids that are comfortable with this option or families with tween/teens this is a great way to beat the lines.

How to do single rider at Disneyland?Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (7)

Using Disneyland single rider is extremely easy, you just need to find the entrance to the single rider line and the cast members will direct you from there. Not sure where to find the single rider lines at Disneyland? Luckily, for nearly all the attractions they’re clearly labeled and easy to find! This is where they’re all located at Disneyland:

  • Incredicoaster- the entrance to the single rider line is located just along Pixar Pier right before you enter the area leading to Incredicoaster, you’ll see a sign pointing to it that says Single Rider Entrance.
  • Radiator Springs Racers-this ride has its own labeled single rider entrance, you’ll spot it as you approach the entrance to the attraction
  • Goofy’s Sky School-located to the left of the main entranced labeled with a yellow Single Riders sign.
  • Grizzly’s River Run-see the cast member outside the entrance and tell them you want to use single rider, they’ll direct you from there to head through the exit to ride
  • WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure- this ride has its own labeled single rider entrance, you’ll spot it as you approach the entrance to the attraction

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (8)

  • Splash Mountain- this ride has its own labeled single rider entrance, it is located at the exit of the attraction
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds-this ride has its own labeled single rider entrance, you’ll spot it as you approach the entrance to the attraction- make sure you go up to the entrance to find it and don’t join the queue that winds around the back of the Matterhorn mountain
  • Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run-this ride has its own labeled single rider entrance, you’ll spot it as you approach the entrance to the attraction
  • Space Mountain – Disney has tested operating the Space Mountain Single Rider line through the exit of the attraction and through the entrance. Most recently the line has run through the exit.
  • Soarin’ Over the World – walk up to the main entry point for the attraction where the Genie Plus return area is and ask to join the Single Rider line

Disneyland Single Rider Wait TimesDisneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (9)

This will vary depending on how crowded it is on the day of your visit. The more busy the day, the longer the single rider line can get but it will consistently be shorter than the standby line even on the most crowded days! Even on an extremely crowded day, you can expect the single rider line to be at most half of the wait time of the standby line.

Out of all the attractions that offer single rider, you can expect the longest wait for Radiator Springs Racers due to its popularity but you will still experience a drastically shorter wait than the standard queue. Even though this line will likely be longest in amount of people it will go quickly in wait times because the ride vehicles are three across so there are often open seats to fill.

Since Goofy’s Sky School is often overlooked as having single rider this ride will usually have the shortest single rider wait times. In our experience we’ve walked right on using single rider with this ride when the standby line was at 45 minutes even on crowded days.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will often have a pretty short wait for the single rider line as well despite the popularity of this newer Star Wars themed attraction. This is likely due to groups wanting to experience the attraction together since it is more of a group experience attraction.

Are Disneyland Single Rider Lines Worth It?Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (10)

The most obvious con of using single rider at Disneyland is not being able to sit with your group which is never guaranteed although sometimes it can happen! Most of the time this really doesn’t matter but for some rides like Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure it can be more fun to experience these with your group due to the design of these rides to be cooperative with those you’re riding with… or competitive depending on where you sit in the case of WEB. You will also miss most of the queue when using the single rider so for some attractions this could be a con for folks that are missing out on some of the theming each attraction offers.

This con more so applies to the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run because of the roles you are assigned when riding. You are assigned one of three roles: pilot, gunner and engineer. When using single rider on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run you will always be given the position of engineer since you are just filling empty seats and those are the usually the only empty ride roles left. Engineer sits in the back row of the ride and you’re tasked with pushing buttons to fix the damage to the ship, this position is a bit less interactive than pilot or gunner. If you want to experience the role of pilot or gunner, which are considerably much more fun, you will need to ride without using the single rider line. This reason is also likely why the single rider line for this ride moves rather quickly!

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (11)

The biggest pro for using single rider is the time it can save you on your trip! Rather than waiting in a 90 minute standby wait for Radiator Springs Racers, you can instead use single rider and end up waiting half of that time or much less!

Another pro is that now with the introduction of Genie+ at Disneyland, this trick can also save you money especially for the Disneyland Individual Lightning Lane attractions like Radiator Springs Racers and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. Instead of opting to purchase access via Genie+ to use the Lightning Lane to save time, you can instead use Single Rider and save time plus money. Radiator Springs Racers often costs around $15 per person to access this attraction. If you have five people in your group that cost would total $75 for your group to access the Lightning Lane. In that case, the single ride is going to be a great option here rather than choosing between paying for Lightning Lane access or using the standby line which is consistently around 90 minutes for this attraction.

So…. are Disneyland single rider lines worth it? Absolutely, yes! They will save you time and money- this is a great hack to use when the parks are busy. Just make sure to ride the Millennium Falcon using the regular line at once too and request pilot (the best role, in my opinion!) so you can get that full experience!

Start Planning Your Disneyland Vacation!

The best way to get started is by subscribing to our FREE deals newsletter here. Subscribers receive helpful planning tips, Disney deals exclusive to our readers, and access to the lowest-priced park tickets around. Check out our other helpful resources for planning your trip:

  • Disneyland Parades Guide- Get the Best Spot!
  • Best Times to Visit Disneyland
  • Fantasmic! Dining Packages and Virtual Queue Guide
  • Disneyland Grand Californian Review- Is It Worth the Price?

Planning a Disney Vacation? Get Exclusive Discounts + Free Bonuses

In addition to exclusive discounts for Mickey Visit subscribers, get our free planning printable and guide to make your life SO much easier.

As a seasoned Disneyland enthusiast with extensive firsthand experience navigating the parks, I can confidently affirm the value of understanding and utilizing the Disneyland single rider line. My in-depth knowledge of the park's attractions, wait times, and the intricacies of the single rider system positions me as an authority on this topic.

Now, delving into the concepts presented in the article:

1. Single Rider Line at Disneyland:

  • The single rider line is a strategic approach to managing crowds by filling available single seats on popular attractions.
  • It is a separate queue that prioritizes efficiency over group seating, ensuring that ride vehicles don't depart with empty seats.

2. Rides with Single Rider Option:

  • Splash Mountain
  • Matterhorn Bobsleds
  • Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run
  • Space Mountain
  • Radiator Springs Racers
  • Incredicoaster
  • Goofy’s Sky School
  • Grizzly River Run
  • WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure
  • Soarin’ Over the World (Disney California Adventure)

3. Exclusion of Single Rider for Specific Rides:

  • Indiana Jones Adventure and Space Mountain no longer offer a single rider option.

4. Disneyland Single Rider Age Limit:

  • The minimum age to use the single rider line is 7 years old.
  • Children must be mature enough to follow instructions and comfortable being temporarily separated from their party.

5. How to Utilize Single Rider:

  • Find the clearly labeled single rider entrance for each attraction.
  • Examples include locations near the main entrance or exits of the rides.

6. Factors Influencing Disneyland Single Rider Wait Times:

  • Wait times vary based on park attendance.
  • Single rider lines are generally shorter than standby lines, offering a time-saving advantage.

7. Considerations for Using Single Rider:

  • Pros include shorter wait times and potential cost savings, especially with the introduction of Genie+.
  • Cons involve the possibility of not sitting with your group and missing portions of the queue theming.

8. Conclusion: Are Disneyland Single Rider Lines Worth It?

  • Absolutely, yes! Single rider lines provide a valuable hack to save both time and money, particularly during busy park days.
  • It's recommended to ride certain attractions like Millennium Falcon through the regular line at least once to fully experience specific roles, such as the pilot.

In conclusion, understanding and effectively utilizing the Disneyland single rider line can significantly enhance the overall park experience, making it a worthwhile strategy for both seasoned visitors and those planning their first Disneyland vacation.

Disneyland Single Rider Lines- Save Time With This Trick! (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Last Updated:

Views: 5997

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Gov. Deandrea McKenzie

Birthday: 2001-01-17

Address: Suite 769 2454 Marsha Coves, Debbieton, MS 95002

Phone: +813077629322

Job: Real-Estate Executive

Hobby: Archery, Metal detecting, Kitesurfing, Genealogy, Kitesurfing, Calligraphy, Roller skating

Introduction: My name is Gov. Deandrea McKenzie, I am a spotless, clean, glamorous, sparkling, adventurous, nice, brainy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.