Most rides at Epic Universe have Single Rider lines, which is one of the best ways to save time at Universal Orlando. This covers everything you need to know about these queues for solo guests, which rides have them & don’t, pros & cons, and more. Plus, why they’re a game-changer at EU right now, how much time you can save, and where to NOT use Single Rider! (Updated September 6, 2025.)
Let’s start with the basics: Single Rider lines are exactly what the name suggests, separate queues for parties of 1. Taking advantage of a Single Rider line does not require that you visit Epic Universe by yourself. Team Members aren’t going to check your marital status prior to using the line or verify the people entering around you are strangers. You are not prohibited from entering the Single Rider line if you’re part of a group.
Rather, these are queues for guests who are willing to separate from their groups in exchange for wait times that are usually significantly shorter than the standby line. Single Riders are best thought of as “seat fillers” who will join other parties to prevent attractions from being dispatched with empty spots, thereby improving ride efficiency and reducing wait times for everyone. Guests in the Single Rider line will be separated from those around them prior to boarding. You will not ride together with your friends or family, which can be a good or bad thing depending on whether you’re ready for a break from them!
Note that just because an attraction will feature a Single Rider line, doesn’t mean that option will be available at all times. It just means the attraction was built with a dedicated queue for Single Riders, and is operationally intended to support such a line. We’ve seen some attractions not offer Single Rider lines until certain attractions found their footing, or until operations became more comfortable and efficient at dispatching ride vehicles. More on this in the commentary, though.
In the Universal Orlando app is the following warning: “The single rider option is subject to availability and may open or close at any time.” Now let’s turn to the list of major ride at Universal Epic Universe with and without a Single Rider line:
Celestial Park
- Stardust Racers: Single Rider
- Constellation Carousel: No
How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk
- Hiccup’s Wing Gliders: Single Rider
- Dragon Racer’s Rally: No
- Fyre Drill: No
Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic
- Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry: Single Rider
Super Nintendo World
- Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge: Single Rider
- Mine Cart Madness: Single Rider
- Yoshi’s Adventure: No
Dark Universe
- Curse of the Werewolf: Single Rider
- Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment: Single Rider
How Long are Single Rider Line Wait Times?
Normally, you would expect to wait roughly one-third of the normal wait time in the Single Rider line at Universal Orlando. But those are very much ballpark numbers, and can vary widely.
We have extensive experience as Annual Passholders at Universal Orlando, as well as Universal Studios Hollywood and Japan. This includes attending soft openings of new lands, such as Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Super Nintendo World. One thing we learned during those experiences is that Single Rider lines are (unsurprisingly!) far more popular with Annual Passholders and locals.
Single Rider utilization depends upon the day and time of your visit. It also depends on posted wait times for the regular standby line. There are times at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure when Single Rider waits are nearly as long as standby lines due to the disproportionate number of locals and fans. This was also our experience at Epic Universe during previews. However, things have changed considerably since then.
Why Single Rider is a Game-Changer at Epic Universe
As contrasted with locals and Annual Passholders, regular tourists are far less likely to know about and use Single Rider lines. The big difference between Epic Universe and the other two parks at Universal Orlando is that it does not have APs or ticket deals for locals.
This is why Single Rider lines are an absolute game-changer for touring Epic Universe right now. We are currently in a ‘sweet spot’ for visiting the new park, as covered in My Excellent Epic Universe Experience. I got a ton done during that visit, most of which was without even needing Single Rider.
Given that Annual Passes are not valid at Epic Universe and locals had a few months of previews before Epic Universe officially opened, most have gotten their fill. The vast majority of existing UOAPs have stopped purchasing 1-day tickets–an expensive proposition–and they’re now waiting until an Epic Universe add-on is available for their APs. (They might be waiting a while!)
Accordingly, Epic Universe is disproportionately families of tourists right now and will probably remain this way through sometime in 2026. During that window, Single Rider lines are perfect for looping roller coasters and other popular attractions with minimal waits. So if it’s a weekday in late February 2026 and Annual Passes still aren’t available at Epic Universe, waits for Single Rider lines will be much shorter. However, if Universal does offer an AP add-on by then, all bets are off.
As a general rule, we’ve found Single Rider lines to be longer at Universal Orlando than they are at Walt Disney World. Universal is more akin to Disneyland in this sense, due largely to demographics (more locals and young adults, fewer families with children).
This is normally the case, and over time, we’d expect it to also be true at Epic Universe. Especially once Universal starts selling Annual Passes for the park. But for now, there are more families and other tourists visiting Epic Universe, and they’re less likely to want to go solo on attractions. They’re also less likely to have knowledge of Single Rider lines.
Right now, I would estimate that the Single Rider lines are often a walk-on or very close to it. I’ve experienced minimal waits on just about everything, with the very notable exception of Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness. With that said, Single Rider wait times do scale with standby times, so longer waits for the latter incentivizes more guests to try Single Rider.
When & Why Single Rider Lines Close
It is worth pointing out that Single Rider lines aren’t always open. During my most recent day at Epic Universe, Single Rider lines were frequently closed when lines were too long, but also too short. This was true with both Donkey Kong Mine-Cart Madness and Curse of the Werewolf (the former having a sign indicating the line was “at capacity”) on the high end.
It’s also notable that the Single Rider lines for both Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Stardust Racers closed due to a lack of demand. When both of those attractions had standby lines that dipped below 30 minutes, their Single Rider lines closed. This is a good thing, and we wouldn’t recommend using the Single Rider line with standby lines that short, anyway.
When it comes to not being open due to high demand, Mine-Cart Madness is definitely the biggest offender. This is followed closely by Curse of the Werewolf. Our strong recommendation would be to do Curse of the Werewolf earlier in the day when standby wait times are shorter, and Mine-Cart Madness in Donkey Kong Country towards the end of the evening. Single Rider should be open then, and back to a reasonable wait.
Single Rider Wait Time Inconsistency
Once Epic Universe settles into a groove, the one-third number will not be a hard and fast rule–it’s a very, very rough rule of thumb. There have been times when I’ve done a Single Rider line that’s backed up and I’m pretty sure the posted standby line for the regular queue was massively inflated. On at least a couple of occasions, I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t save any time whatsoever via Single Rider. (Mario Kart again comes to mind.)
In my experience–and I have a lot of it since Sarah doesn’t regularly ride most of the headliner attractions in the Universal parks–Single Rider lines are very hit or miss. There have been times when absolutely no one else is in the line and it’s essentially a walk-on, and other times when the line is long and incredibly slow-moving.
Generally speaking, the best times for Single Rider lines are first thing in the morning or late at night when standby lines are also short. But at least in those cases, Team Members will usually close the Single Rider line or give guests entering it a ‘heads up’ that it won’t save any or very much time.
Where to Skip Single Rider Lines
With that said, Single Rider lines aren’t all upside for guests using them. There are tradeoffs. Every Single Rider line skips a portion of the queue. If you’re into themed design and want the full experience, we always recommend doing the regular line once before switching to Single Rider. This is important on Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which skips the detailed queue, as well as portions of the pre-show explainer videos. That interactive attraction can be confusing even with the proper context; those pre-show videos are valuable.
Much more importantly, we would strongly recommend NOT using the Single Rider line for your first experience on Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry and Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment. Both of these attractions don’t just skip “cool queue,” but rather, they bypass portions of pre-shows that help tell the story of the attraction. This is especially true with Monsters Unchained, as one of the big wow-moments is in the pre-show. There’s also the reality that this is consistently among the shortest standby lines in Epic Universe, so you might be saving 5-10 minutes with Single Rider.
This is less the case on more straightforward roller coasters. I’ve never felt like I’m missing out on anything at Stardust Racers, Hiccup’s Wing Gliders, Mine-Cart Madness, or Curse of the Werewolf at Epic Universe. Same goes with VelociCoaster, Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy, or other thrill rides that lack compelling queues or pre-shows at the legacy Universal Orlando parks.
Single Rider Lines Split Parties
Another thing that really bears reiterating is that groups may enter the Single Rider line but they absolutely will not be seated together. At least, not on purpose. It does happen from time to time when there are two empty seats instead of one. (We often use the Single Rider line at Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland, and about half the time, we’re in separate rows of the same car.)
I’m emphasizing this because I’ve seen so many people play dumb (or perhaps they actually are dumb, to give them the benefit of the doubt) and try to argue with Team Members about being seated together. At Universal, it’s usually teenagers who feign ignorance (or are ignorant) and plead their case to be seated together.
Team Members hear sob stories multiple times per day; you’re not the first to try this “trick” and you’re not going to be the one who succeeds at the gambit. Your circumstances, irrespective of whatever they are, are not unique. Wanting to ride together is why standby lines exist.
Everyone Wins With Single Rider
We are huge advocates of the Single Rider line, as it can cut wait times dramatically for those who are willing to separate from their parties. This is great for thrill seekers who want to loop roller coasters, which are also usually the most efficient and effective Single Rider lines at Universal.
Single Rider is also beneficial for those who do not use it. Filling every seat increases attraction efficiency and that means shorter wait times for everyone. If ride vehicles are dispatched with unfilled seats, that increases standby wait times.
If Single Rider lines aren’t offered, those guests will instead be in the standby lines. They’re the rare “everyone wins” offering–and I’m glad to see that all major rides at Epic Universe at least offer Single Rider lines.
Ultimately, Single Rider lines are a great way to save time waiting at Universal Orlando. We’re really pleased to see the high number of these queues given the likelihood that Epic Universe’s low ride count will lead to epic standby wait times. Single Rider lines can mean not having to deal with long standby lines or having to spring for Express Pass. You can also get unlucky and end up not saving much time–it’s difficult to predict since wait times often are not posted on Single Rider lines. Even when they are, they’re usually inaccurate.
Single Rider lines can be great for thrill seekers who want to ‘loop’ popular thrill rides with minimal wait times. Over at Islands of Adventure, I’ve done that with both Hagrid’s and VelociCoaster, which often have incredibly efficient Single Rider lines. They’re even more valuable at Epic Universe on busy days, and should continue to be a complete game-changer until Epic Universe offers Annual Passes!
Need trip planning tips and comprehensive advice for your visit to Central Florida? Make sure to read our Universal Orlando Planning Guide for everything about Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida. Also check out our Walt Disney World Vacation Planning Guide for everything about those parks, resorts, restaurants, and so much more.
Your Thoughts
Have you used Single Rider lines at Universal Orlando? Have you had generally good or bad experiences with them? Agree that Single Rider lines are a game-changer for getting a ton done with minimal waits at Epic Universe until APs are sold? Any horror or success stories from specific attractions with Single Rider lines? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
