The “single rider” line at Disney World is supposed to be one of those rare theme park secrets that actually saves time. But according to a growing number of frustrated guests, that magic shortcut may be fading fast — and some believe Cast Members are doing it intentionally to punish groups trying to game the system.
Yep, what’s normally a fast-pass-without-a-price kind of perk is turning into an unexpected slow lane. And people are talking.
90 Minutes in Single Rider? Guests Say It’s Happening
One Reddit post that blew up in the Disney forums this week claimed the single rider line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster hit a 90-minute wait, while the posted standby time was just 50 minutes. The user said they figured out the holdup once they reached the front: Cast Members were walking through the standby line first to find solo riders to fill odd seats, only turning to the actual single rider line if they couldn’t.
And yes, they were leaving seats empty.
“Do the cast members just have a grudge against single riders?” the guest wrote.
Based on the hundreds of replies that followed, a lot of fans think they might.
“The CM Said They Do It on Purpose”
Another Redditor replied, “I had this happen to me the last time I went to Disney. The CM admitted they did it on purpose and said it was because groups got into the single rider line to ‘skip’ the line. I waited an hour and a half for a ride that only had a 40-minute wait time.”
Ouch.
The whole idea of the single rider line is that you’re willing to split from your party and hop into any available seat — but many guests say it’s increasingly common for full groups to jump in, hoping to bypass the long standby line and still ride together.
That tactic? Not popular with Cast Members.
“Begging to Ride Together” Isn’t the Point
One reply nailed the issue on the head: “It was probably one of those groups that gets up to the front of single rider and begs, pleads, and bargains to try to ride together.”
Another user wasn’t as sympathetic: “If the group is willing to be split up as singles, then what does it matter? Single rider should be a win-win-win. Single riders get on faster. Standby line moves faster. Ride vehicles go out full.”
In theory, yes. In practice? Not always happening. One guest described standing in the Test Track single rider line while “hundreds of people” streamed through standby and the Cast Member barely looked their way.
So much for efficiency.
Not All Cast Members Agree — But They’re Following Orders
A few current and former CMs weighed in too, suggesting the slowdown might not be spite — it could be confusion.
“Unfortunately, it was probably a brand new rule given to the CM that morning,” one user shared. “Sometimes Leaders will give us a brand new way to do something CM’s have done correctly for ages. It doesn’t work, and within the following few days, the new rule magically goes away.”
Translation? It may not be the Cast Members making the call. It’s possible leadership is testing new ops strategies — and guests are caught in the middle.
Where Does This Happen?
Single rider lines are at times available at just a handful of Disney World attractions:
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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
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Test Track (EPCOT)
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Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)
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Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (Hollywood Studios)
These lines can work beautifully when used as designed — to fill in one open seat at a time. But when groups pile in, or when operations prioritize standby, the system can quickly fall apart.
So Should You Still Use It?
That depends on your tolerance for unpredictability. If you’re solo or don’t mind being split from your group, single rider still can be faster. But if the line looks suspiciously long, or if Cast Members are asking around in standby before pulling from single rider, know this: You might be in for a longer wait than the sign suggests.
And while Disney hasn’t made any official statement about changing the way these lines are managed, the guest feedback is piling up — and it’s not exactly magical.
Until then, it might be time to treat the single rider line for what it’s becoming: a bit of a gamble.
For Rock n Rollercoaster I totally agree. I spent 2 days at the parks by myself and was accused by cast members of being in a group, because I was talking to a 20 something guy in line next to me. The 30 min wait time took close to 90 minutes. He and I were both alone and getting annoyed at the wait while watching cars go by that were not full. We both told the cast members that we didn’t actually know each other, just met in line (and I’m old enough to be his mother). I was accused of lying. That was the only ride where I found cast members to be nasty. Every other ride I went on in those 2 days, the cast members were wonderful.
Until you’ve actually worked as a cast member on any of the attractions that have the Single Rider line, you have no idea why that line moves slow or fast! It might be MANAGEMENT, trying something new or the regular standby queue being excessively long. And yes, groups are alway’s trying to get over on the system by jumping into the Single Rider line, then trying to ride together!
Most of these articles are based on WDW; do you even KNOW that there’s a park in California? As a solo traveler, I use single rider lines regularly. RSR is a great ride for single rider, as there are an odd number of seats per car. The Incredicoaster is hit or miss; there are 2 seats in each row and for some reason, odd-numbers groups seem less common. I have yet to see CMs “punishing” guests using single rider lines. They do, however, refuse to allow groups to game the system. Your group will be separated.
If the WDW CMs are less patient, blame it on living and working in a hot, humid climate, and dealing with tens of thousands of guests who seem to think that plunking down the cash for a WDW vaca means they can be rude and abusive. And blame the groups who GET rude and abusive when their attempts to game the system doesn’t work.
Good for the cast members. I for one am tired of lazy people always trying to find loopholes. They ruin everything for the people that actually are single riders because they are too lazy to wait in line.