Single Rider Lines with children?

[teeredi2cruise]

Being our family's first Universal/WDW visit, I am trying to understand how the "single rider lines" work. My son is 8. If we all get in the single riders line, will they automatically split us up in different open seats, but on the same ride? My concern is that my son will get on before or after the parents and get separated from us.

Can someone with children share whether or not you have used this option and how did it work for you.

 

[Diegosmom]

Not sure on the age requirements (I am sure someone else will post that) but you said parents...so what not have 1 parent ahead and 1 behind...if you get split up on different cars parent 1 will be with him till he gets in his car and parent 2 will be at the end waiting for him when he gets off.

 

[RMulieri]

Can't speak for universal since we are only getting ready for our first trip.But for disney, SINGLE riders means just that.You may be in the same car, you may be in different cars.No way to know.Single rider lines can save time, but you get on that line with the understanding that you and your party can and will be separated.IF you are concerned about leaving your child without someone when he exits, then I would not use the single rider line.We won't use it with our 7 yr old.We have seen several rides at Disney where families of 3 got in single rider line for Test track and then pitched a fit that their child would have to ride in the next car, alone, with strangers.

 

[Gr8t Fan]

We've done the single rider lines before and "sandwich" our younger kids in between me and our oldest daughter. Oldest goes first, then the younger ones and then me. We also plan where we'll meet before the ride in case we get separated.

 

[Metro West]

Being our family's first Universal/WDW visit, I am trying to understand how the "single rider lines" work. My son is 8. If we all get in the single riders line, will they automatically split us up in different open seats, but on the same ride? My concern is that my son will get on before or after the parents and get separated from us.

Can someone with children share whether or not you have used this option and how did it work for you.

Riders are chosen to try and fill up the empty seats so more people can ride. Sometimes you can end up riding together but that's not to be expected. Maybe you can tell him to wait at a certain place so you can meet up again?

 

[carmiedog]

My 9yo and I were always split up. He went first and would wait for me in the child swap room. If the swap rooms wouldn't have been available, I would have had him wait in whatever store the ride dumps into.

 

[hpfan100]

I recommend if you use the single rider option then use sandwich method mentioned or you ride first. Then you can wait in the gift shop and be there waiting for your darling. Also, 8 should be old enough to do single rider if you are ok with it.

 

[Bluer101]

I just have my son go on before me and he waits at the end of the ride. We only have to do this on FJ and RRR since no express pass, we only stay onsite. He also goes by himself, but then again he's been there so much he knows his way around, just turned 9.

 

[torinsmom]

Not sure on the age requirements (I am sure someone else will post that) but you said parents...so what not have 1 parent ahead and 1 behind...if you get split up on different cars parent 1 will be with him till he gets in his car and parent 2 will be at the end waiting for him when he gets off.

This is what we did when I went with the whole family. When it was just me and DS(when he was younger), I would go first, which meant DS was standing right by a CM until he got on a ride. Now that he is older, one of us goes first and the other just waits at the exit to the ride.

 

[macraven]

looks like many have figured out the best way to keep the family meeting together, after the ride.



the single ride line is just that.

no requests allowed.

you fill a seat at the discretion of the TM.

 

[ZooKeeper13]

A couple of things to keep in mind:

Sometimes rides get stuck while you're on them so make sure your child won't be afraid to sit without a parent for a little while.

Some rides have handicap access cars that empty at a different place than the rest of the ride. (This happened to DH & I last year. He got on first and when I got off the ride, I had a few minutes' wait until he showed up at our meeting spot).

Sometimes one of you will get on and then no single riders are needed for a bit.

I'm not trying to scare you, just prepare you!

 

[momto2js]

I think it will be a while before I consider using the single ride line with kids in tow. DH and I have been seperated for as much as 10 minutes in the past.

 

[skylock]

Being our family's first Universal/WDW visit, I am trying to understand how the "single rider lines" work. My son is 8. If we all get in the single riders line, will they automatically split us up in different open seats, but on the same ride? My concern is that my son will get on before or after the parents and get separated from us.

Can someone with children share whether or not you have used this option and how did it work for you.

I think you need to understand what the single rider line is and then you can make your decision.

The ride fills from the regular line.

Lets say there are 12 seats per ride. The first car only has 11 seats filled because the next group in the regular line wants to ride together. They will pull the next person from the single rider line to fill the car up to 12.

If the next car fills to 12, no single rider will be used.

If the next car fills to 11, but the next group in the regular line will split up into separate cars, that person will fill the 12th seat. Again no single rider will be used.

I have never seen more than 1 person used from the single rider line per car. (It could happen, I have just never noticed it happening)

Sometimes several cars go by and the single rider line is not used because all the seats are filled.

The line is for SINGLE RIDERS. Not for people wanting or expecting to ride together.

It is usually faster to ride something from the single rider line, but there is no guarantee.

 

[torinsmom]

I rode in the same car with DS several times last year using single rider lines. Every other time, I was on within 3 minutes of him getting on. As far as saving time, when we rode MIB, the stand by line was 40 minutes and we rode single rider three times in 30 minutes! We rode FJ single rider on the second day it was open. Standby line was 120 minutes and single rider took 40 minutes. ROTM has a standby of 40 minutes, and single rider was 10-15. Love the single rider lines!

Sounds like the OP has two adults, so the sandwich method would work perfectly

 

[SmallWorld71]

As PP's have mentioned, chances are you will not be in the same car as your son. I think the big question to ask yourself, is how would your son handle things in case of an emergency? My DS12 used single rider lines just fine at age 9. He's not the panicking kind and I knew he would remain calm in the event the ride stopped or whatever. DD8, on the other hand, is an emotional girl and I know she would get upset. We would not use single rider with her yet. Whatever you decide, I would suggest you all ride the ride together first using the regular line to see if your son likes the ride. It would be awful for him to be on a ride scared and alone. It's been my experience that you never know what ride will upset a kid until they've tried it. For example, DD hated Revenge of the Mummy even though she'd been on rides that I considered more intense (Expedition Everest, Forbidden Journey etc...) But, it was the loudness of the ride that upset her, not the ride itself.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Basiclly, if your alone, you can go into Single Rider if its offered. You may get split up, as you try to fill every avalible seat.

 

[teeredi2cruise]

I think you need to understand what the single rider line is and then you can make your decision.

The ride fills from the regular line.

Lets say there are 12 seats per ride. The first car only has 11 seats filled because the next group in the regular line wants to ride together. They will pull the next person from the single rider line to fill the car up to 12.

If the next car fills to 12, no single rider will be used.

If the next car fills to 11, but the next group in the regular line will split up into separate cars, that person will fill the 12th seat. Again no single rider will be used.

I have never seen more than 1 person used from the single rider line per car. (It could happen, I have just never noticed it happening)

Sometimes several cars go by and the single rider line is not used because all the seats are filled.

The line is for SINGLE RIDERS. Not for people wanting or expecting to ride together.

It is usually faster to ride something from the single rider line, but there is no guarantee.

This is very helpful in understanding the concept of the SR line. All of the responses have been very helpful.

The sandwich method definitely sounds like the best option if we choose to do this. There will probably be some rides that I opt out of and will be able to be waiting. He likes riding other theme park rides alone and is not afraid, but I would definitely like to ride together for the first ride to get the lay of the land.

Thank you all!