You may be wondering, does Universal Orlando have Single Rider Lines?
Universal Orlando is undoubtedly one of the most popular theme park resorts in the U.S.A.
While this makes for an exceptional experience, it also means you can encounter lengthy lines for rides and attractions.
There are a handful of ways that can save you time waiting around to ride but one of the best – because it’s FREE- is to make use of Single Rider Lines.
To those in the know, Single Rider Lines are a great time-saver.
But to many who may not visit theme parks quite as regularly, the Single Rider Line remains one of the BEST-KEPT secrets of theme parks.
If you’re a theme park regular, you may have used the Single Rider Lines in the past and be wondering if it is an option at Universal Orlando.
Or maybe you haven’t taken advantage of this attraction perk but have heard about it and are curious how it works.
It’s also possible that you may not have even heard about it before!
Well, rest assured that I have the complete low down on Single Rider Lines at Universal Orlando to help you get the most out of your experience.
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Does Universal Have Single Rider Lines?
The great news is that Universal Orlando offers several Single Rider Lines across its two parks – Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Across the two parks, you will find Single Rider Lines at a total of fifteen attractions.
This includes some of the best at Universal Orlando which often has some of the most extensive standby wait times.
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What is a Single Rider Line at Universal Orlando?
At Universal Orlando, a Single Rider Line works very simply being a separate queue to the regular standby line.
A Single Rider Line allows park guests who are riding the attraction solo to skip the regular standby line and save time on queueing for the attraction by volunteering to fill up empty seats.
Standby Queue vs Single Rider Queue at Universal
As the regular standby line features parties of guests wanting to ride together, there can often be spare seats. These seats are then given to solo riders in the Single Rider Line.
For guests in the standby line, this benefits them as their party does not need to be separated.
With a Single Rider Line, wait times are shorter meaning that you will get on the attraction faster.
You also do not need to be visiting the parks solo to take advantage of this.
Just know that if you are traveling with a party, you will be split up if you choose this line.
If you are more concerned with packing the most into your park experience and enjoying the shorter wait times over riding together, this is a great perk that you can take advantage of at Universal Orlando.
Better yet, using the Single Rider Line comes at NO extra cost!
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Who Can Use the Single Rider Line at Universal?
Universal Single Rider Lines can theoretically be used by anyone who meets the height requirement of the attraction.
However, there are some times when you shouldn’t or may not want to use it.
Firstly, if you want to ride together with someone else or with a party, you will not want to use the Single Rider Line.
Whilst it may be possible for you to get seated on an attraction together, it is extremely unlikely. If you take advantage of the Single Rider Line, expect your party to be split up.
This also applies to adults with children. The same rules for the Single Rider Line apply regardless of age and whether you are riding with children.
So if you do not want to be separated, you will need to use the regular standby line.
This is again the same for any park guests who require special assistance or modified seating.
However, guests who do require this assistance can get an Attractions Assistance Pass which also allows you to skip the line.
The final thing to note is that many of the queues at Universal Orlando attractions are all part of the ride experience.
They take you on a journey, tell a story, and get you pumped up for the ride itself.
Single Rider Lines typically bypass the backstory of the attraction so the ride experience may not be quite the same.
This is especially true of Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
While the standby line takes you through the heart of Gringotts and features two impressive pre-shows, the Single Rider Line simply skims the edge of the room and takes you straight into a corridor.
If you do not want to miss the pre-show of Universal Orlando’s attractions, you may want to skip the Single Rider Line.
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When is the Best Time to Use the Single Rider Line?
The best time to use the Single Rider Line is on busy park days.
If you find the wait times for attractions are particularly long while you are exploring the parks, this is the best time to take advantage of the Single Rider Line.
It is the only way that you can enjoy a shorter queuing experience on those dates without forking out for an Express Pass.
If you have regularly experienced the ride or want to ride it more than once, this is also a great time to use Universal’s Single Rider Lines.
When is the Worst Time to Use the Single Rider Line?
If the park is not particularly busy and wait times are relatively short, there is no need to use the Single Rider Line.
During these times, you may miss the pre-show of the attraction and get separated from your party when there is no need.
It is also not a good time to use the Single Rider Line if it’s your first time riding the attraction and you want to enjoy the full experience.
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Which Universal Orlando Attractions Have a Single Rider Line?
Not all rides and attractions at Universal Orlando have a Single Rider Line. However, both parks at Universal Orlando offer a number of attractions with Single Rider Lines.
You can make use of Single Rider Lines at a total of 15 attractions at Universal Orlando.
2024 Universal Studios Florida Single Rider Lines:
- Fast and Furious – Supercharged
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Transformers: The Ride – 3D
2024 Universal’s Islands of Adventure Single Rider Lines:
- The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
- Dr. Doom’s Fearfall
- Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls
- Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
- Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
- The Incredible Hulk Coaster
- Jurassic Park River Adventure
- VelociCoaster
- Skull Island: Reign of Kong
5 Tips for Using the Single Rider Line at Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure
Now it’s time for me to give you some of my best tips for using the Single Rider Line at Universal Orlando Resort.
1. Skip the Express Pass
If you have been considering the Express Pass but your budget is tight and your party has no issue getting split up to ride attractions, then skip it.
With the Single Rider Line, you can often enjoy a similar wait time to Express Pass without spending the money.
Hipster Power Tip: It is worth noting though that while it is typical to experience much shorter wait times, you are not guaranteed it with the Single Rider Line.
2. Use the Single Rider Line on the Busiest Attractions
The most popular attractions at Universal Orlando can often have wait times of over an hour on busy park days!
These include the likes of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Escape from Gringotts, and VelociCoaster.
Your best plan of action is to utilize the Single Rider Line on these attractions.
However, I highly recommend avoiding the Single Rider Line on attractions that only have two seats per row as they take longer to fill with Solo Riders and can sometimes have you wait longer than the regular queue.
Our top tip here is to avoid the Single Rider Line on VelociCoaster, Hagrid’s and Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit if the regular queue wait time is over 45 minutes to 1 hour.
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3. Be flexible
While you may have a preferred place to sit on an attraction, you need to be flexible with the Single Rider Line.
Of course, you could wait it out until your preferred seat becomes available but the purpose of the Single Rider Line is to fill in the gaps.
Take whichever seat you are given and enjoy the ride!
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4. Check the App
Although Single Rider Lines are available at 15 Universal Orlando attractions, they are not always used.
You can check the Universal app for the wait time of each attraction and whether the Single Rider Line is operating before heading over to the attraction.
5. Set Up a Wait Time Alert
Using the Universal app, you can also set up a wait time alert for attractions.
This alert sends a notification to your phone when wait times are low so you can efficiently plan which attractions to queue on standby and which to choose Single Rider.
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My Final Thoughts on Using the Single Rider Line
Single Rider Lines at Universal Orlando are a great perk that you can take advantage of on 15 attractions.
If you are visiting the parks solo, are happy to be split up or your park companion wants to skip a ride, this is a great way to experience the attractions without long wait times.
Make the most of your Universal Orlando experience and skip the queue with the Single Rider Line!
Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Steph is a UK-based freelance travel writer and theme park enthusiast.
She currently lives in England with her partner and son but is passionate about exploring the world.
(Original Article Date: October 30, 2023/Updated by Editor on January 29, 2024)