No more single rider on EE?

[Love Tink]

Unfortunately it was closed pretty early on (within the first few months of operation) because people didn't like their special snowflakes sitting next to strangers. My DH got lots of dirty looks from people because he had the audacity to enter the single rider line (as a guy no less!) and sit next to their kids.

And you know this because...?

 

[iluveeyore]

Exactly how is that abuse?! If everyone is willing to ride alone, what's the big problem?!

Sorry, didn't mean to get everyone's dander up calling it abuse - I just thought it was more for people who had a significant other or friend that didn't want to ride, and the single rider was meant for those who didn't want to stand alone in line for a lot longer - after reading your posts I understand we are just 'fillers' and I guess if 12 people that know each other want to wait for everyone to ride it separately, that is their choice. I do appreciate that there are never empty seats on EE because of the single rider line. I guess next time my daughter and I go, we will use the single rider queue since we don't have to be together on the same train if we can get on the ride faster.

 

[LBIJim]

the FP line is NOT the same as the SR line.. with FP you still get asked how many in your party. with SR, you will be pulled one at a time to fill holes.

they shut down the SR line on occasion, not the FP line.

DH uses SR on all the roller coasters he can, as I..don't do RC. he also takes my FP to do things like ToT although in that case it's due me being unable to ride ToT for physical reasons.

I've seen them shut down the FP line for EE a few times. Usually when it's about a half hour or less before closing and the SB line is very short or non-existent. One chilly March evening was so empty they were actually holding the trains for about five minutes hoping to fill them up before they launched them.

I agree with a PP that EVERY ride should have a SR line, if it's logistically feasible.

Jim

 

[TDC Nala]

It wouldn't surprise me if single-rider lines get closed permanently because of abuse - I legitimately ride it alone because hubby can't handle it, and I don't want to stand in line for 30 minutes alone, and we use our FP for safari so we can ride together. It irritated me two weeks ago when we were there, and me along with three others who were actual single riders were behind about 11 students and a teacher (I know because they all had the same shirts on showing it was their class trip). And the main line wasn't that long, so I didn't understand why she wouldn't just take them all at once so they could ride together, instead of being separated for all of their turns. There was also another group of four people who were together, because they were planning on where they should eat lunch and laughing and talking together. Anyhow, I hope people abusing it doesn't spoil it for those of us who really need to use it. Off my soap box now

I don't call it abuse if they agree to be separated. Abuse is when they get to the front of the queue and demand to ride together.

 

[magicbob]

I don't call it abuse if they agree to be separated. Abuse is when they get to the front of the queue and demand to ride together.

Most times when I've seen this occur, it is only "attempted abuse" because the CMs stand their ground and redirect them to the standby line. But it still causes a problem, slowing down the loading process for everyone. On a few rare occassions, I've seen a group let on the ride (ostensibly because it was easier to just give in than continue to hold everything up).

 

[aubriee]

The SRL entrance is over by the gift shop that you exit through. There is a sign that will say whether it's open or closed. They seem to close it a few hours before the park closes and also when the crowds are light.

That's always been our experience too. I've tried more than once to use it early in the morning, but it won't be open yet. I go back a few hours later and it is open, but then closes a few hours before park closing again.

 

[aubriee]

Most times when I've seen this occur, it is only "attempted abuse" because the CMs stand their ground and redirect them to the standby line. But it still causes a problem, slowing down the loading process for everyone. On a few rare occassions, I've seen a group let on the ride (ostensibly because it was easier to just give in than continue to hold everything up).

I've seen this too, mainly at Test Track. I was there once when a large group, just pretended not to speak English and when the CM told the first one to go stand on a number, the others just followed. When she yelled no and tried to explain single rider line, they pretended not to understand her and the whole group pushed past her and got in line to fill up two cars (like 12 people). Instead of doing something about it, she just let them go.

 

[CandleontheWater]

And you know this because...?

I know this because my DH would go to get on the ride, and an overprotective mom would freak out, then ask if the child could ride alone. Sometimes the CM would offer me up, and since I was a girl, sometimes I would make the cut, other times the mom would throw a fit and the child would ride alone.

We lived locally then so we went down every weekend when TSMM first opened and this happened to us multiple times. When they closed down the single rider line we asked why, and the CMs told us it was because parents not wanting their kids to ride with strangers. It slowed the single rider line down too much, so it wasn't worth it.

 

[RobDIS]

I have never used a single rider line, so I have no vested interest, but those examples are not abusing the single rider line. As long as they are all willing to ride alone, it is totally fine. It's only people that want to argue with the CM about keeping their groups together in the single rider line that cause problems (like Fortforever mentioned). Single rider doesn't mean you have to be alone, just that you are willing to ride alone.

Exactly. We've done single rider and are perfectly willing to split up. For example, on Test Track we sometimes are in different rows of the same car and sometimes in separate cars. No big deal and we don't make any requests or fuss to the CM either way.

 

[dhdozier]

When my children were younger we would stand in line together and wait so that we could ride together as a family. Now that I have a young teen and preteen, we regularly get in single rider line to get on rides faster. We have no problem being split up and have been many occasions. However about 2 years ago I did have this experience - daughter and I got into single rider line. We were just chatting, taking in the scenery, and looking at how the rides were loading to see when we would get a turn on. A castmember came up to us with a scowl and said "Next 2" which happened to be me and my daughter. He then said"Don't expect to be able to ride together next time" and waved us on. I was aggravated at his statement as I didn't expect it (I was pleasantly surprised it worked out for us but he sure sucked all the happiness out of that moment) Anyway, we went over to the ride and had a fun CM who started joking around with us and it helped melt the tension away. I guess that first CM had a problem with other families who did argue to stay together but he sure didn't need to take it out on us when we were innocently standing in line with smiles even

 

[HelenParr]

I have seen EE SRL closed once in a while, but not much. In case you have not used or observed it much, you may not know that there's no sweet talking to do at EE SRL. The loader is usually pretty strict and they have a good physical layout with ropes (for both SRL and front of car), with an easy sight line for CM to tell next guest to line up. Often you see a party of 1 come through a 90 minute SB line and wonder if they did not know about SRL or just wanted the queue atmosphere.

Test Track is where the CMs seem most stressed about SRL. I have observed many people trying to switch places after being assigned to line up on the shapes, and that seems to really tick off the CMS, whch I can understand since sometimes the guests are gumming it up by not understanding the ride scheme of 3 by 3 seating, and then the loader's count is off.

The SRL I do not get is RnR. Always looks way longer than SB. I wonder if the tight spacing and darkness makes if hard to load singles? I see open car spots there even with guests in SRL.

 

[MichelleVW]

Honestly, I think the reason they do away with the single rider line is that it takes less CMs to load the ride. They can remove the CM handling the single rider line.

Do they have a designated SR line person? I've never noticed.

I LOVE the SR line at EE since my DH is a chicken and won't ride it.

 

[HelenParr]

EE does have a SR line person out near the "sandwich" board sign that points to where to enter the SRL. Mostly they just stand there and do little/nothing, hardly noticeable. Once in a while they say "single rider?" and point to the path.

I agree with PP, they probably drop SRL at EE to move the CM elsewhere.

 

[rlovew]

When TSMM first opened there was a single rider line, and it was awesome! Those first few months I got on the ride many, many times thanks to the single rider.

Unfortunately it was closed pretty early on (within the first few months of operation) because people didn't like their special snowflakes sitting next to strangers. My DH got lots of dirty looks from people because he had the audacity to enter the single rider line (as a guy no less!) and sit next to their kids.

I always thought it closed because so many families got in the line and then got upset that they had to ride separately. I actually witnessed a mom and daughter (who was about 7) get picked up and removed by security because the mom was insisting that she ride with her daughter and the cm wazs standing her ground and then the mom got upset when the cm refused to allow her to just jump in the standby line at the front to ride if they couldn't ride from the single line when the mom was told they would have to leave the ride and get in the line from the beginning she had a breakdown and security was called. I rode in the single rider line their regularly when it first opened and saw this kind of incident more often than not.

Occasionally when they are bringing the 2 line together if they ask how many people are in your group and you have 1-2 they will put you in the former single rider line and use it to fill in cars with the 2 people riding together. It move a little quicker than the regular line when they are doing this.

 

[BlovesC]

Honestly, SRLs seem to cause so many headaches I'm amazed they still have any.

 

[magicbob]

I know this because my DH would go to get on the ride, and an overprotective mom would freak out, then ask if the child could ride alone. Sometimes the CM would offer me up, and since I was a girl, sometimes I would make the cut, other times the mom would throw a fit and the child would ride alone.

We lived locally then so we went down every weekend when TSMM first opened and this happened to us multiple times. When they closed down the single rider line we asked why, and the CMs told us it was because parents not wanting their kids to ride with strangers. It slowed the single rider line down too much, so it wasn't worth it.

Obviously, this means they have an odd number in their family/party. So why didn't they just have Mom or Dad ride next to the stranger?

Also, it kind of works both ways... My wife doesn't ride coasters. When we are riding standby (or FP), I usually have my kids ride together and I'm the odd man out. If you're in the SRL, you can't assume your kids are going to be seated with another kid. Granted, people in the single rider line (should) know that they will be riding with a stranger, but when they realize that their princess is getting seated next to some strange man, they might have second thoughts.

 

[Crystal824]

I agree SRL is for anyone willing to ride with a stranger or alone. I have no problem with a family of 4 willing to split up getting in the SRL. However, we were at AK in May. DH and I have to ride EE alone because we have a 2 year old. I went through the SRL. It took about 5 min. as usual. When DH went to go through the SRL after me, an entire class of about 30 people got in the SRL just before him. I thought that was kind of crazy. It actually made the SRL time estimate change to longer than the Stand-by line. While I guess that is not abuse, per se, I think it was a waste of time for others who wanted to use the SRL and the kids who were with that teacher. I can't even imagine how long it took for all of them to go through the SRL and move on to the next attraction because it seemed as though they were all touring together. They had on matching shirts and were all standing in the SRL together one after another.

Needless to say, we grabbed a FP for DH to ride and came back later.

 

[Circus181920]

SRL was running at Everest yesterday...rode it 8 times

 

[jjbescher]

I agree with the PP who says that a family of 4 getting into the single rider line are not abusing the system,I'm a huge fan of the single rider lines and use them all the time.I also know that 90% of those getting into the singles line are not really single riders and that's fine with me.Most people understand the concept of the singles line so that's not the problem,someone used the example of the singles line getting bogged down by the BTG's which I can understand as they in general don't follow rules as well as the general Disney visitor.If it was up to me almost every ride would have a singles option.I've probably ridden rides like Test Track,Everest,Hulk,Spider Man,Revenge of the Mummy and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey over at Universal hundreds of times with waits of 5 minutes or less while the regular line is at 45-90 minutes.I also know there are days the waits in singles are worse than other days,Spring Break for example you have a lot of young people who's main objective is getting on the ride quickly and those days you notice singles having bigger waits.Overall the singles line gives you another option and usually works great,a perfect example is TSMM,I never get to ride that ride because I'm almost never at DHS in the morning so I can never get a FP for it, so it's either wait 60-90 minutes or not ride,a lot of times I don't have the time so it's a no go.I hear TSMM in California Adventure has a singles line so I always fell shortchanged,that FP+ might help out the situation for that ride.The singles line is there to keep seats from going unused,if a group of ten is OK with splitting up then they're fine using the singles line.

TSMM in Disneyland has a Single Rider line, but does not have FP.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I always thought it closed because so many families got in the line and then got upset that they had to ride separately. I actually witnessed a mom and daughter (who was about 7) get picked up and removed by security because the mom was insisting that she ride with her daughter and the cm wazs standing her ground and then the mom got upset when the cm refused to allow her to just jump in the standby line at the front to ride if they couldn't ride from the single line when the mom was told they would have to leave the ride and get in the line from the beginning she had a breakdown and security was called. I rode in the single rider line their regularly when it first opened and saw this kind of incident more often than not.

Occasionally when they are bringing the 2 line together if they ask how many people are in your group and you have 1-2 they will put you in the former single rider line and use it to fill in cars with the 2 people riding together. It move a little quicker than the regular line when they are doing this.

Believe me, we saw this too (and also have witnessed it at every other single rider line across Disney).

As I was told the problem with TSMM (as opposed to things like Everest, RnRC and TT) is that it is relatively slow moving, dark, and there are only two people per seating area (as opposed to TT which has three across). Because of these factors it was more prone to parents freaking out about their kids having to sit next to strangers. The advantage was not worth the risk I suppose.