How old for single rider lines?

[nfceagles]

How old do you think kids should be before riding single rider lines, assuming it's a ride they've ridden before and love? What if they are bookended by parents? For example, we send DH first so he's there when kids get off and I go last so I'm not leaving any children behind. I think my youngest 4.5 is too young, but I'm curious when people would start doing that.

 

[mesaboy2]

How old do you think kids should be before riding single rider lines, assuming it's a ride they've ridden before and love? What if they are bookended by parents? For example, we send DH first so he's there when kids get off and I go last so I'm not leaving any children behind. I think my youngest 4.5 is too young, but I'm curious when people would start doing that.

Disney says the minimum age to ride alone is 7 years. This applies to the three SR attractions at least--not sure about the scenario you present.

 

[Mike7468]

If your all in line why would you use the single rider line?

 

[DisneyGriz]

While the idea seems strait forward, we had a scare with our DD when she was 7 doing something like this on Rock n Roller coaster. My DS was 3 so I went on first, and DW and DS waited with DD until she left the end of the fast pass line. 15 min later still no DD. DW panicked and had cast members all looking for her. 5 min later DD finally comes out with the "why do you look so worried" look... Kids have a mind of their own, and DD decided she wanted to sit in the front car. So she circled back and asked if she could wait for a front seat...

Now it wasn't a big deal to me or DD, but let's just say it wasn't a Magic moment for DW.

Moral of the story is that your kids is alone for a period of time, and can make independent decisions...just make sure they know what you expect them to do.

 

[todd222222]

If your all in line why would you use the single rider line?

The single rider line can move faster than the stand by line.

 

[TruBlu]

We didn't know there was an age rule, so we did this sooner than we should have with Test Track. DH first, then DS 6 at the time, then DS8, then me. It was our last morning in the parks & we wanted one more ride before ME picked us up. Stand-by line was way too long...
Anyway, for some reason we didn't come out in the same order we went in???
Thankfully we had planned ahead of time to meet at the picture spot. DS6 was the last to get there. & I was freaking out on the inside!!!

Sent from Tracey's iPhone using DISBoards

 

[TruBlu]

We've also done this with RNRC. DS11 (now) is the only one who likes to ride. Since he's been tall enough I've waited with him in the single rider line until he got on, then I've taken the "chicken exit" and waited for him at the end.

Works great for us.

Sent from Tracey's iPhone using DISBoards

 

[nfceagles]

If your all in line why would you use the single rider line?

Because the lines are shorter and we don't feel like we have to sit next to each other to enjoy them. Ride multiple times or ride with your thighs touching one another? We'd choose multiple rides.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

We had a 9-yr old boy who had waited in the SR line ride with the 3 of us on RNR. I think as long as they are old/tall enough to ride & aren't intimidate by riding alone, go for it.

DD8 sometimes will & sometimes won't... depends on the ride, lol.

 

[got2sammies]

We've also done this with RNRC. DS11 (now) is the only one who likes to ride. Since he's been tall enough I've waited with him in the single rider line until he got on, then I've taken the "chicken exit" and waited for him at the end.

Works great for us.

Sent from Tracey's iPhone using DISBoards

I second this idea if you are just a little skeptical.There is always a chicken exit. There are not too many rides with single rider lines anyway... Everest and RNRC and Test Track are the only ones.. At least with Everest you can see the unload platform and If I remember correctly you can wait on the platform. Also Space Mountain has a chicken exit/waiting area. I do this alot. Me,mom and DS wait in line for space mountain together..Sometimes DS wants to ride and some not.. SO I get on the ride and they go to the waiting area..That way we dont get seperated.

 

[DebbieB]

They have to be seven. I witnessed a situation out in California for Soarin. A mom was in single rider with a 9 and 5 year old. They told her the 5 year old could not ride alone so he was not eligible for single rider. She kept playing dumb and finally they let all 3 of them go together "this time". Had a feeling she pulled this before.

 

[married2mm]

They have to be seven. I witnessed a situation out in California for Soarin. A mom was in single rider with a 9 and 5 year old. They told her the 5 year old could not ride alone so he was not eligible for single rider. She kept playing dumb and finally they let all 3 of them go together "this time". Had a feeling she pulled this before.

there's always someone.
just wondering though,did she share with cms the ages of her kids?

 

[TruBlu]

I second this idea if you are just a little skeptical.There is always a chicken exit. There are not too many rides with single rider lines anyway... Everest and RNRC and Test Track are the only ones.. At least with Everest you can see the unload platform and If I remember correctly you can wait on the platform. Also Space Mountain has a chicken exit/waiting area. I do this alot. Me,mom and DS wait in line for space mountain together..Sometimes DS wants to ride and some not.. SO I get on the ride and they go to the waiting area..That way we dont get seperated.

I make my own chicken exit on Big Thunder (or big Throw Up - as my kids now call it after it made me sick) Mountain. I wait in line with them, then I go first... I step in the car, walk thru, and step out. Then I wait at the exit until they get off.

 

[emacat]

My dd started doing single rider at 10. Of course, she'd ridden all the rides in the past first, and she's a responsible kid.
I think it depends on the child.

 

[cvjw]

Make sure that your kids know that they will be sitting with strangers. Last week, my family of 4 was waiting to ride TT. They sent in 2 single riders to ride in our car, a dad and young son. The son started freaking out when he realized that he wasn't going to be sitting beside his dad - that he had to ride with my family. After a few minutes, the dad and son left the que area - not all kids are comfortable riding without their parents.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We've also done this with RNRC. DS11 (now) is the only one who likes to ride. Since he's been tall enough I've waited with him in the single rider line until he got on, then I've taken the "chicken exit" and waited for him at the end.

Works great for us.

Sent from Tracey's iPhone using DISBoards

I did something similar with DS13 when he was 9 years old. Worked great! It was just him, DD5, my mom and myself and mom and I are unable to ride. He had already ridder RNRC the year before with DH and his older brother and knew that he loved the ride.

 

[TDC Nala]

A 4.5 year old won't be allowed to ride without a parent. Kids have to be at least 7 to ride "alone" so I can't see them letting kids younger than that do single rider since they could be in an entirely different ride vehicle from the parent or guardian.

 

[kt_mom]

We did this for RnRC on our last trip. This way DD got to ride several times and we didn't have to wait standby. I went and waited at the exit and DH and DD rode in the single rider line. Then DH and I switched and he waited with DS while DD and I went through the single rider line again. She had no problem sitting with a stranger, she just wanted to get to ride the ride a few times.

Then a few days later DD rode SM by herself twice. The posted wait was only 10 minutes and she really wanted to ride. DH had stayed in the room and I had DS so I couldn't go through the line with her. I was really proud of her though because she is normally quite shy and I wouldn't think she would do this alone, but she did and then she wanted to go again.

ETA: DD is 9 and will be 10 in March. I would have let her do this last year but I doubt she would have wanted to.

 

[DebbieB]

there's always someone.
just wondering though,did she share with cms the ages of her kids?

Yes, he asked. The little one was obviously not 7.

 

[delmar411]

The only place we've had an issue with the SR line and ages is EE. Even though YDD was over 7, she had to hit some arbitrary height mark on the wall for the CM to let her through. I think that was just the CM being a jerk though as YDD was well over the height requirements for the ride and over 7 and had ridden EE many many times before (it was over a 5ft height mark that my teen barely hit). She almost always rides with a stranger on EE since only 3 of my kids will ride over and over.

But you do need to be prepared to be split up. Esp at TT, they seem to be making an effort to split groups up.