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Credit: Inside the MagicAt Disney World, the single rider line is supposed to be a lesser-known secret weapon — a way to bypass the long wait in standby by hopping in as a party of one. But for some recent park guests, the “shortcut” has started to feel more like a slow crawl, and theories are flying about why.
A recent Reddit thread sparked widespread discussion when one user claimed they waited 90 minutes in the single rider line for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, even though the posted standby time was just 50 minutes. The reason? According to the guest, Cast Members were pulling solo riders from the standby line first — not the single rider queue.
“When an odd party approached, the cast members would walk through the entire standby line asking for a party of one,” the Redditor explained. “Only when no single parties were found in standby would a person be pulled from the single rider line. That, plus the fact that they were sending ride vehicles out with empty seats, made the process painfully slow.”
The story hit a nerve with many Disney fans who’ve had similar experiences — and some now believe that Cast Members are intentionally deprioritizing the single rider line as a quiet protest against guests misusing it.
What Is the Single Rider Line — and Who Actually Uses It?
For those new to the system: a single rider line allows individuals (or groups willing to split up) to fill empty seats on ride vehicles, helping attractions operate more efficiently. They’re available on a handful of rides across Walt Disney World, including:
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Test Track at EPCOT
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Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom
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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Hollywood Studios
The idea is that single riders fill the gaps — no need to keep seats empty on a ride just because a group has an odd number. But in practice, it’s often exploited by groups trying to “skip the line” without buying Genie+ or waiting through standby.
“They Do It on Purpose to Punish Groups”
In the Reddit comments, one user claimed a Cast Member flat-out admitted that the slowdown was intentional:
“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.”
It’s a controversial idea — that frontline Cast Members might be taking matters into their own hands. But plenty of people supported it, arguing that the abuse of the single rider system undermines the entire point.
“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,” one commenter said. “Otherwise, yeah, they have no right to say anything — it’s very common for groups to go through single rider together and meet up at the end.”
Not everyone agrees, though. Another user pushed back:
“If the group is willing to be split up as singles, then what does it matter? The only thing to be shut down are the people that do the single rider line and still try to ride together.”
That user argued that the single rider line should be a triple win: “Single riders get on faster, standby moves quicker, and vehicles are filled completely. Everyone wins.”
Is It a New Policy or Just Miscommunication?
Others suspect it’s not a grudge at all — just poor communication behind the scenes. One commenter theorized it may be the result of a short-lived management experiment:
“It was probably a brand new rule given to the CM that morning,” they wrote. “Sometimes Leaders will give us a new way to do something CM’s have done correctly for ages. It doesn’t work, and within a few days, the new rule disappears.”
They added that these surprise changes often come from someone in management who “pops in, says ‘let’s try this!’ and doesn’t stick around to see the aftermath.”
The Frustration Is Real
Whatever the reason, it’s clear that some guests are losing patience. One person described waiting as a single rider at Test Track and watching “hundreds of people go by” while Cast Members didn’t acknowledge the single rider queue at all.
“There were plenty of odd-numbered parties,” they noted. “The CM didn’t even glance at us for over 10 minutes.”
These small frustrations have added up, leading many Disney fans to reconsider whether single rider is still the pro move it used to be. At a park where every minute counts — especially during peak seasons — a gamble on the single rider line may not pay off.
Use Single Rider at Your Own Risk
If you’re headed to Disney World and thinking of hopping in the single rider line, keep your expectations realistic. It still can be faster — especially when crowds are high and rides are filling every seat. But as recent guest experiences show, it’s no longer a guaranteed shortcut.
Depending on the ride, the crowd, and even the day’s cast leadership, you could end up saving time — or wasting it. And if a Cast Member is playing traffic cop between your line and standby? Just know, you might be in for more of a wait than you bargained for.