The single solution to shorter waits at Walt Disney World

June 12, 2026, 4:57 PM · If you are visiting Walt Disney World by yourself, you will not need to pay for Lightning Lane to skip some of the longest lines in the parks.

Disney offers a single rider queue on six of its rides in Florida. If you have not used a single rider queue at a theme or amusement park before, that’s the queue that load operators use to fill in empty seats so that they can keep ride vehicles running at full capacity.

For example, on rides such as Test Track that use three-person rows, a loader will call for a person from the single rider queue to fill the third seat next to a party of two. That way, cars go out fully loaded without having to slow down load while loaders ask for single riders in the main queue. Full loads and quick dispatch times mean shorter waits for everyone.

If you are visiting by yourself, it almost always makes sense to use the single rider queue when waiting for a Walt Disney World attraction. Single rider queues often have wait times similar to the Lightning Lane for their rides, which means you can save money and still get a quicker wait time by using them.

Some families and large groups try to game the system by using their single rider queue instead of paying for Lightning Lane access. That won’t work for people in the group who do not meet the boarding restrictions to ride alone. It also will force the group to split up as everyone will be assigned seats alone when they get to load.

I have seen too many guests complain about this when they get to the end of the single rider line. If you can’t accept the rules for the single rider queue, don’t use it. Get in the regular standby queue or buy Lightning Lanes for your group or family.

The more people who use the single rider queue, the less of a time advantage it offers. So I cannot recommend this option to anyone who is not visiting alone or who is not cool with splitting from their group for a bit.

Oh, and I can imagine a few readers caught me saying earlier that “it almost always makes sense” to use single rider queues. What’s that “almost?” I’ll get to the exceptions in a bit.

First, here are the four single rider queues at the Walt Disney World Resort that I always recommend that individual visitors try:

• Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Test Track at EPCOT

Look for the “Single Rider” sign next to the Standby and Lightning Lane signs at the queue’s entrance. If you do not see it, as a cast member for help.

Note that the single rider queue might not be open at certain times of the day, such as early in the morning, or on less crowded days. You cannot request a special seat when using the single rider queue, either so if you really need to be front or back row on a coaster, it’s the standby or Lightning Lane queue for you.

Each of these queues can save you substantial time over the standby queue and on Test Track sometimes ever over the Lightning Lane queue. Definitely check them every time you visit as a single rider.

So what are the other two attractions where I don’t always recommend using single rider?

• Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The problem with single rider on the Falcon is that it inevitably results in you being assigned the Engineer position in the cabin, which is not nearly as cool as being the pilot. That said, it’s tough to get the pilot assignment as a single rider in the standby or Lightning Lane queues, as load ops typically send single riders from there to the Engineer slot anyway. But at least in the standby or Lightning Lane you can request a pilot slot and hope for the best. There’s no asking for specific seats in single rider.

Some people have had success negotiating a change in roles with the other people in your Falcon cabin. That’s not limited to single riders, of course. Experienced Disney visitors often try to dissuade families with little kids or apathetic adults from taking the pilot spots. The pilots really do influence the motion of the cabin on the ride, and bad pilots can make the Falcon experience literally uncomfortable for everyone.

• Star Wars Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Using single rider on Rise of the Resistance means skipping several show scenes that help set up the ride’s narrative. You also miss an absolutely jaw-dropping visual experience during those scenes. I cannot in good conscience recommend that any first-time visitor to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge use the single rider queue for Rise of the Resistance.

Now, if you have been on the ride before and are happy with a quick return visit to the trackless dark ride portion of the adventure, go ahead. Use the single rider queue and enjoy. Ask a cast member at the ride’s entrance for directions to the single rider queue.

Planning a Disney visit?

For more assistance in planning a Walt Disney World vacation, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.

To see what is available at the Walt Disney World theme parks, please check out our one-page visitors guides, which include our reader rankings as well as on-ride videos and links to reviews:

• Magic Kingdom
• EPCOT
• Disney's Hollywood Studios
• Disney's Animal Kingdom

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