Expedition Everest looks a little different this week, as Walt Disney World Resort officially retires the Single Rider line that's served guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park for years, replacing it with a more efficient boarding system.
The End of an Era for Single Riders
Following months of speculation and behind-the-scenes testing, Walt Disney World Resort confirmed last Friday that the Single Rider line for Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain would permanently close. Sunday, September 20, marked the final day guests could use the alternate queue, meaning Monday, September 21, brought Central Florida Disney Park guests their first experience with the ride's new boarding process.
Why Disney Made the Change
For years, the Single Rider line gave solo guests or parties willing to split up a chance to fill empty train seats and often saved significant time compared to the standby line. That changed as Walt Disney World Resort began testing a new queue strategy over the past several months, one that sorts guests in the standard line into odd- and even-numbered groups. This approach allows Disney cast members to fully load each train without needing a separate Single Rider line, ultimately speeding up boarding and reducing wait times across the board.
As word spread that this new system was working well, rumors began circulating among Disney Parks fans that the Single Rider line's days were numbered. Those rumors were true.
X (formerly known as Twitter) user @laughingplace documented the change on Monday, September 21, sharing photos of the attraction entrance now missing its longtime Single Rider queue:
Single Rider line is gone from Expedition Everest. #waltdisneyworld
Single Rider line is gone from Expedition Everest. #waltdisneyworld pic.twitter.com/QZ5LpGQbl4
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughingplace) September 21, 2026
Guests looking for a Single Rider option elsewhere at Walt Disney World Resort can still find it at several other attractions, including Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney's Hollywood Studios, along with Test Track and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT.
The Yeti's Return Looms on the Horizon
This isn't the only major update coming to Expedition Everest. At D23 Expo 2026, Walt Disney Imagineering confirmed long-awaited plans to repair and reactivate the ride's iconic Yeti animatronic. The figure, once known for swiping at passing riders, has remained motionless in “B-Mode” since 2007, after its repetitive movements were found to be damaging the surrounding structure within the Forbidden Mountain.
Disney hasn't announced a specific timeline for closing Expedition Everest to complete that repair work, though many fans speculate Imagineers may wait until Pueblo Esperanza, the upcoming Tropical Americas land replacing the former DinoLand U.S.A., officially opens.
What do you think about the new Expedition Everest queue procedures? Share your opinion with Disney Fanatic in the comments!
