Single Rider Line, Abuse or Hidden Mickey Trick?

[mummabear]

Some CMs, perhaps many, don't want to confront guests. So they let guests do whatever they want.

It puts them in a spot though by trying to make these people happy they are potenially upsetting the people in the standby line who could have taken those two spots.

I think it's fine for people to get in line together with full intentions of riding single. I don't personally like to do it much, but I can semi accept it.

Why don't you like it? I can't see any problem with two people joining the line together expecting not to ride together.

 

[mummabear]

I'll confess, I don't understand the draw of the single rider line if you are in the park with someone else, either child or adult. My whole purpose of a Disney vacation is to create and experience special memories with those I care about. Am I really doing that if I ride in a different vehicle than my 10 year old daughter on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster? Is it the same experience if I can't hear her scream in that strange middle ground between fear and delight? Or, instead of it being me and my 12 year old son in the same car at Test Track, he gets to ride with the Johnson family of 5 from North Dakota instead? Same thoughts if it were just me and my wife. Those should be memories of us together.

Is getting to ride the attraction 20 minutes sooner actually so important that you would risk giving up those memories? I don't get it.

We havent done it as a family (our kids have been too young) while I somewhat agree with you I can easily see my oldest DD special memory being the excitment of indepedence and pride that she rode alone.

The Racer's CMs are strict.

They have to be, that ride is crazy in demand. It drives me nuts though how early the fastpass line joins the standby. It takes the longest to ride out of any FP ride.

 

[DisneyLover1217]

I have to say the single rider line at RnR can sometimes be actually longer than the regular line. In fact there is a sign right outside the single rider line warning people of that. I know for us we have actually waited longer in the single rider line.

We usually do the single rider line at TT and at times have either sat together, sat in the same car just right behind the other or in completely different cars, you just never know and always have to be prepared to sit separately, but sometimes you do luck out.

 

[sturner324]

Why don't you like it? I can't see any problem with two people joining the line together expecting not to ride together.

It just feels a bit like cheating to me... like finding a loophole or getting paid cash under the table. If every couple (not even counting occasional groups) decided to do this, the single rider line would no longer exist. Luckily, enough people either feel the same way I do or don't realize they can do it.

I don't get overly upset over others doing it, but it's my personal choice not to make it a habit. Of course as a true single rider on most thrill rides, I'm not given the opportunity to "cheat" often, Haha.

 

[andyman8]

Honestly, CMs have different approaches to when they draw from the single rider and standby lines. It's not as simple as one SR for every open spot, oddly enough.

That said, it really is probably quicker just to let the two ride together than have a confrontation and hold up everyone wanting to ride. Realistically, two people are not going to drastically increase your wait time. I'd recommend just focusing on something else so you don't get annoyed. You've paid lots of money for this trip; don't let others ruin it for you!

 

[jahber]

It just feels a bit like cheating to me... like finding a loophole or getting paid cash under the table. If every couple (not even counting occasional groups) decided to do this, the single rider line would no longer exist. Luckily, enough people either feel the same way I do or don't realize they can do it.

I don't get overly upset over others doing it, but it's my personal choice not to make it a habit. Of course as a true single rider on most thrill rides, I'm not given the opportunity to "cheat" often, Haha.

Maybe the reason you feel like it's cheating is because you are reading it as a line for single riders--ie, people who are alone. It's not. It's a line for people who are willing to ride singly to fill in empty seats. It's a way to maximize capacity, not a consolation prize for people who have to ride a ride without friends or family. There is absolutely, 100% nothing wrong with using the single rider line if you are willing to ride singly. It's not even a loophole. It's the purpose of the line. So, use it and don't feel bad. And don't worry about other people "cheating" anymore. Because they aren't

 

[jormom1030]

It just feels a bit like cheating to me... like finding a loophole or getting paid cash under the table. If every couple (not even counting occasional groups) decided to do this, the single rider line would no longer exist. Luckily, enough people either feel the same way I do or don't realize they can do it.

I don't get overly upset over others doing it, but it's my personal choice not to make it a habit. Of course as a true single rider on most thrill rides, I'm not given the opportunity to "cheat" often, Haha.

So your view is that only people who come to Disney by themselves or are the only person in their family that want to ride a ride should be the only people who go in the single rider line or they are cheating?
The whole purpose of the single rider line is to fill in those empty spots so that the ride is run more efficiently. Even if a party of 20 wanted to enter the single rider line they aren't "cheating" as long as they know they will most likely be in 20 different ride vehicles. There are no stipulations that you can't know anyone else that you are standing in line with. Now the people who insist that they be together in the same vehicle are "cheating" and should consistently be turned away from rides.

 

[sturner324]

So your view is that only people who come to Disney by themselves or are the only person in their family that want to ride a ride should be the only people who go in the single rider line or they are cheating?
The whole purpose of the single rider line is to fill in those empty spots so that the ride is run more efficiently. Even if a party of 20 wanted to enter the single rider line they aren't "cheating" as long as they know they will most likely be in 20 different ride vehicles. There are no stipulations that you can't know anyone else that you are standing in line with. Now the people who insist that they be together in the same vehicle are "cheating" and should consistently be turned away from rides.

Honestly, I'm not that bothered by other people doing it. I said that in my original post, but alluded to reasons why I don't personally like to do it... which prompted someone else to ask why I don't like to do it.

My reasons are completely personal. I've stood in the single rider line alone surrounded by groups. They weren't doing anything wrong; they have the right to ride single just like you said. But I don't want to make a single rider have to stand there alone even longer by bringing a group into the line. So, to me, it feels like I'd be cheating somehow... which is why I originally said I don't do it often.

Completely personal. Everyone else can do as they choose.

 

[RedAngie]

There was a post about five years ago where the poster was adamant that groups or families going into the single rider line were absolutely scamming, cheating the system, etc. "Why should they be able to get on a ride quicker when my family has to wait?" No amount of opposing opinions would sway her.

Not surprisingly, the same poster also complained that people using the old paper FPs later than the stated time (perfectly acceptable back then) were scammers who made the standby line longer for all the rule followers.

 

[tjmw2727]

The single rider line is not designed for people who are traveling (or riding) solo! The single rider line is simply to fill in otherwise empty seats with people who don't mind riding alone.

We are a party of 3 so like a few pp's up thread one of us has to sit alone anyway - usually with someone from the single rider line
Sometimes we FP a ride first so my kids can sit together once and then if we want to re-ride we use the single rider line.

I see nothing wrong with our party of 3 choosing to ride single in a line of 15 minutes vs waiting standby for over an hour.

 

[Dreamport]

The first time I rode SR was on Rockin' Roller Coaster back in '09. I remember my friend being grumpy about how slow the line was moving and telling me, after observing how we were loaded, that the CM was "doing it wrong". Supposedly, they "should have" let in one pair of single riders per coaster so the SR line would not remain stagnant if there was an abundance of even-numbered groups in the FP/Standby line. Maybe they were together, maybe they weren't, but it would keep the line moving. It sounded plausible to me, but I have no idea where she heard this from; supposedly a CM on a previous trip? I remember being sat next to a friendly Scotsman that ride (my first ride, and yes I was young and giddy about it) and when we went through the next day we did end up together despite being in the SR line again. Two different days, two different CMs, two different ways of handling the same ride and we fully expected to be separated both times. We did so to save time since both of us had been on multiple coasters for first rides together and didn't mind shaving off time by missing out on the experience this once.

I've noticed a parent/child or trio with a kid being walked off Test Track before but figured they just had to take the 'chicken exit' since there was never a fight with the CM, at least not by what I saw.