There’s reportedly a change coming to Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and it got me thinking about one of those little Walt Disney World conveniences I probably don’t appreciate enough until it’s gone.
Beginning September 21, Expedition Everest is expected to stop offering its dedicated Single Rider line. Disney has reportedly been testing a different way of grouping guests in the standby queue that allows cast members to fill the coaster’s rows more efficiently. With fewer empty seats available to fill, the Single Rider queue hasn’t been providing the time savings guests normally expect from it.
As of this writing, Disney’s own website still lists Expedition Everest among its Single Rider attractions, so we’re watching to see when that page is updated. Disney describes Single Rider as an option that allows parties to split up and fill seats that would otherwise be left empty by guests coming through the standby or Lightning Lane queues. There’s no guarantee you’ll sit with anyone in your party, and that’s the whole point. You’re essentially telling Disney, put me wherever you’ve got an empty seat.
And for the right attraction, that can be a pretty fantastic trade.
How Much Do You Actually Use Single Rider?
Single Rider has always been a bit of a Disney World planning trick hiding in plain sight. If you don’t care where you sit or whether you ride next to your travel companions, you can sometimes save a substantial amount of time without paying for Lightning Lane.
It’s especially useful for solo travelers, but you certainly don’t have to be visiting Disney World alone to use it. I’ve seen plenty of couples, families with older kids, and groups decide they’d rather split up for one ride and potentially save some time. Everybody gets on the attraction, nobody particularly cares who sits next to whom, and you meet back up at the exit.
But here’s what I’m wondering: Would you actually miss it if Disney started phasing Single Rider out?
The Expedition Everest change appears to be about the way that particular attraction is now loading guests, and there is currently no indication that Disney plans to eliminate Single Rider across Walt Disney World. That’s an important distinction. Still, once one attraction loses the option, it’s fair to wonder how much guests value it elsewhere.
Is a Faster Standby Line a Fair Trade?
This is where the Expedition Everest situation gets interesting.
If Disney really can load trains more efficiently using its new grouping process, resulting in shorter standby waits for everyone, maybe losing Single Rider isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A dedicated Single Rider queue is most useful when there are empty seats to fill and the line actually moves considerably faster than standby. If those empty seats largely disappear, so does the advantage.
On the other hand, Single Rider gives guests something increasingly rare at Walt Disney World: another option that doesn’t cost anything.
You accept the tradeoffs and potentially get a shorter wait. There’s no Lightning Lane purchase involved, no reservation to make, and no need to plan it days before your vacation. You simply get in line and take whatever seat becomes available.
And THAT is the part I’d hate to see disappear.
So I’m curious where everyone else lands on this one. Do you regularly use Single Rider lines at Walt Disney World? Would you miss them if they gradually disappeared, or would you happily trade them for a more efficient standby queue with shorter waits for everyone?
Come tell us what you think in the comments or over on the DISboards.
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