Most of the time when you go to theme parks, you do so with friends and family. When not solo, you always have somebody to eat with, to talk to while in line for attractions, and to otherwise share the experience. However, there are many of us, myself included, who end up at Disneyland alone and who still want to experience the rides. Yes, this makes waiting in long lines quite dull a lot of the time, but luckily a few attractions at a few parks have the option for single riders to skip much of the line.
Single-Rider lines are great for anybody doing the theme park thing solo, or for anyone who wants to experience something everyone else in the group wants to pass on. Still, they do often change up the experience significantly.
As a frequent single rider, I can now state I have done all of the attractions that currently offer the option at Disneyland Resort, and I’ve ranked the experience based on what the wait is like and how being a single rider potentially impacts the attraction experience, for better or worse. I've also added a few notes for anybody considering doing the solo theme park thing. Jump in, the water's warm.
9. Matterhorn
The Matterhorn was Disneyland’s first thrill ride, and the attraction honestly is showing its age. It’s never a must-ride for me at the best of times, and Single-Rider doesn’t change that. It’s a slow ride to load, and that includes the single riders. It’s also one of the more popular Single-Rider experiences, which means it nearly always has a long line. Ergo, even if going solo is much faster than the regular line, it's almost more frustrating because it feels like things should move faster.
8. Goofy’s Sky School
Goofy’s Sky School is a wild mouse-style coaster where each ride vehicle seats up to four guests. This frequently leads to one or even two empty seats in a vehicle to prevent parties from breaking up. This means the single rider line tends to move through pretty quickly, so if you want to jump on this one, it’s usually pretty easy. You don’t miss anything in the queue taking the single rider, though that’s because there isn’t much here to begin with. The whole experience is... fine.
7. Soarin’ Around The World
Soarin' Around The World is one of the best attractions at Disney California Adventure, so any way to skip the line is going to be welcome. However, Soarin' isn’t necessarily the best Single-Rider experience for a couple of reasons. First, getting into the single rider line requires getting Cast Member assistance, as there is no dedicated line or sign instructing you on how to do it. That individual will need to walk you to the line... yes really. Second, there’s a better-than-decent chance being a single rider here will get you on the end of a row, which is 100% the worst seating position. The Eiffel Tower curvature looks even worse from there.
6. Space Mountain
Space Mountain is one of the best rides at Disneyland, and it usually has one of the longest lines at Disneyland for that reason. While the ride itself is not impacted by being a Single-Rider, the wait, while shorter, is far less interesting. First, you have to walk to the exit of Space Mountain to find the sign directing you to the Single-Rider line, and if you walk all the way over, sometimes you may discover that Single-Rider isn’t running that day. This sucks. If it is running, you have a two-stage wait in different areas of the show building, with the first being especially dull. This one will save you time, but it feels less satisfying.
5. Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is the attraction that lets Star Wars fans live their dream of flying in the Millennium Falcon, and with the Single-Rider line, your chance to get in the cockpit is likely only a few minutes away. There’s an easy-to-see Single-Rider sign at the entrance that tells you where to go. There is also rarely much of a wait, as it’s as close to a walk-on for a major attraction as you’ll get. However, there are a couple of downsides. You will miss the cool pre-show with Hondo Onaka, and more importantly, unless you are lucky enough to find yourself paired with a group where somebody really wants to be the engineer, the least exciting position, you are all but guaranteed that job rather than being pilot or manning the guns.
4. Incredicoaster
The Incredicoaster is the marquee thrill ride at Disneyland Resort. This attraction has a Single-Rider line that is easy to miss because it’s also the disabled entrance to the ride. You go in through a gate around the side from the main entrance and then have to take a pair of elevators to get over to the loading platform. It’s a lot more work than most Single-Rider experiences require, but the line moves fairly quickly once you get to it, and the experience is equally satisfying.
3. WEB-Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure
Web-Slingers is the newest major attraction at Disneyland Resort, so it’s not that surprising that it can take a single rider into account in a way that many other rides have not. There’s a clear sign outside the attraction telling you where to go (it's even visible in the image above), and unlike something like Smuggler’s Run, the Single-Rider line runs through the pre-show, so you don’t miss that part of the experience by choosing to go solo. The next part of the line isn't as well-themed as the main line, but there isn't much more to go before you get on the ride.
2. Grizzly River Run
Grizzly River Run is a fantastic Single-Rider experience if you’re flying solo on a hot day in Southern California. It’s an easy-to-find line, you still get to walk through the full queue experience, and the large ride vehicles with significant capacity mean groups are almost always put together, and almost never in exact numbers. This means there’s almost always an open seat or two, so the Single-Rider line moves quickly and easily.
1. Radiator Springs Racers
The best combination of an E-ticket attraction — a Single-Rider experience that is easy to use and moves quickly, and that doesn’t lose anything by using it — is Radiator Springs Racers. Cars Land is a really fun area to just check out, and if there’s an upside to the ride’s long line, it’s that the area around it is beautiful. You still get to see it all here, but the line is a lot shorter. The ride vehicle seats six, which is an odd number for groups, so single riders are needed often.
As a side note, Splash Mountain used to offer a Single-Rider line, so there's a good chance that when Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens, it will too. Keep an eye on everything coming soon to Disneyland, as what attractions offer Single-Rider lines do change now and then.
In the end, if saving time is your goal there's never a reason not to go the Single-Rider route, but it's always worth knowing what you're getting into. Be aware that not every attraction that offers Single-Rider lines does so every day. So when you're in the park, check the Disneyland app or ask a Cast Member to be sure the ride you're looking for is available.
