Single Rider Strategy

Jhaberlein

Mouseketeer
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
133
Hi All,
We are a family of 5 (boys are 10.5, 10.5, and 8.5) going in mid June. To save time we're planning on using single rider as much as possible. Boys have no problem if we are separated when riding. They'd rather get more rides in than sit next to us. My questions are:
1. Do you miss anything in the HP single rider queues?
2. What's the best strategy to meet up afterwards? We figure we'll sandwich the boys between us in line so one adult exits first and the other last. And we'll have a designated meet up point at each ride if we still get separated.
 
Definitely do the regular standby line at Forbidden Journey and Gringott's at least once. The queues are incredibly awesome. Try hitting them early in the morning or late at night to reduce the wait. Sometimes they allow castle tours at Forbidden Journey that let you in a different line that goes through the whole queue. At the end, they may give you the option to leave or join the single rider line. Ask at the entrance about the castle tour; they don't always do it. We tell DS to wait just before the gift shop on Forbidden Journey. The photo place before the gift shop or lockers is a good place for Gringott's. To save time, have one person, if possible, put everything in the lockers, while the rest of the party continues on. If you are getting too far ahead in the line before the locker person has returned, just move off to the side to wait and let others pass.
 
My 13 year old and I have been doing single rider at Universal since she was 8. She goes on 1st, then she waits for me at the ride exit. Almost all of the rides have a long hallway, and she just waits right past the ride exit. We only had a problem once, and it was on Forbidden Journey - my ride vehicle malfunctioned, and they sent it through a second time. She was nervously waiting for me at the end, but she was a trooper and stayed at our meeting spot. Let me add that by our calculations, this incident represents less than 1% of our FJ single rider experiences....we're a bit obsessed with this ride.

Definitely do the full queue in both HP rides once. It adds to the experience.
 

My father and I at least enjoy a ride once together for the very first time we go on a ride, that way we experience everything together and rave about what we like as we go through the experience.

However, it is not exactly needed, especially if you go during a time in which it's incredibly busy. More recently, I would imagine we wouldn't have done Transformers for example if it was incredibly long wait, we would have just went through single rider, however, it was a short wait since we hit it first thing in the morning when we went. Besides, you can still rant and rave what you like about the ride after you go on it, even if you do not stick together the first time.

As everyone said, the queue has a lot to offer for a lot of rides, but honestly, you do get to enjoy a little more of the theme of the queue at FJ than most single rider lines at other attractions. As you do get to see just a little bit of the castle, with it's incredible paintings, and see the sorting hat. Also, some queues I do not necessarily need to see and enjoy, although they're greatly themed. However, FJ is quite impressive, as someone as a huge HP fan, so it's a sight to see. However, they do (or at least used to) have a line where people could go to tour just the castle. However, that was when it first opened and I never have asked about it since, so I do not know if they still do that.

As for tips on on where to wait, essentially my father and I wait right when we get right off the ride, however make sure to stay out of the way. The employees should leave you alone, as long as you're not bothering anyone, or in the way. However, if they do encourage you to move on, rides typically have a hallway you enter into (which you can meet at the end), or a gift shop (you can meet at the beginning), or a photo area where they show all the photos (which you can stand in front of to meet at). Picking a meeting spot is also another reason to enjoy the ride as a family first, that way you all know what to expect and how things end. However, it honestly is a piece of cake and you should be able to just simply wait once you get off the ride, like I said, just stay out of the way, and you should not be encouraged, or pushed to move on. And do wait a little while, as sometimes you may not know when your other family members might get onto ride and technical difficulties can happen as well.

Another thing I suggest and I suggest this to anyone, whether doing single rider, or not, but to establish one meeting place in each park, as a place to go in case anyone is separated and for any reason cannot contact each other. That is another thing we do. The more you move, the more it will be likely to not find someone. So, it's best to stay in one place that way you can be found, but it's even better if you actually have a meeting place. That way immediately you know where to go and be reunited quicker.

Never needed it and doubt anyone really would, especially with cellphones nowadays, but you never know and it's good to establish it just in case.
 
You miss a lot of detail if you don't use the regular line for the Mummy

Is the EP line different too? I think I was concentrating so much on not being nervous, that I forgot most of the queue:rolleyes: It was my first time to ride it.
 
You do miss some sites when using the ep line for that ride

Since I have a long stay, I always do the regular line once in the morning to see some of the rides in regular lines
Mummy is one I really enjoy that way

Later in my stay I use the ep lines as its all about the ride then
 















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