Most rides at Epic Universe will have Single Rider lines, which are one of the best ways to save time at Universal Orlando. This post covers everything you need to know about these queues for solo guests, which rides have them & which do not, pros & cons, plus commentary about how they could be a game-changer during Epic Universe’s opening summer, how much time you can expect to save over posted wait times & more!
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!
Now that Team Member previews are underway and soft openings will start soon for Epic Universe, Universal Orlando Resort has rolled out an update to its app that adds the new theme park to the map. Along with that, we have detailed information about each attraction, restaurant, show, shop, and so forth–including its Single Rider status. Hence the list below.
Note that just because an attraction will feature a Single Rider line, doesn’t mean that option will be available during previews, soft openings, or even starting May 22, 2025. It just means the attraction was built with a dedicated queue for Single Riders, and is operationally intended to support such a line. In the past, 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 updated 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
At this point, it’s impossible to estimate average wait times for Single Rider lines at Epic Universe. Normally, you would expect to wait roughly one-third of the normal wait time in the Single Rider line. 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.
Suffice to say, Single Rider utilization depends upon the day and time of your visit. If you manage to attend a soft opening or paid Annual Passholder preview, you’re likely to encounter frustrating Single Rider lines (if they’re even open) with waits nearly as long as standby lines due to the disproportionate number of locals and fans. This was our experience with Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
By contrast, tourists are far less likely to know about and use Single Rider lines than locals or frequent visitors.
This is why we anticipate Single Rider lines will be an absolute game-changer for touring Epic Universe in Summer 2025. The ‘sweet spot’ probably won’t come until sometime in June, after the initial rush of opening weekend and Annual Passholders who purchased single-day tickets to be there early on.
Given that Annual Passes are not valid at Epic Universe and locals are likely to have roughly 2 months of previews before Epic Universe officially opens, most will likely get their fill by mid-June 2025 (at the latest). The vast majority of existing UOAPs aren’t going to keep buying 1-day tickets throughout the summer–they’ll wait until an Epic Universe add-on is available for their APs.
Accordingly, our expectation is that Epic Universe will be disproportionately families of tourists from mid-June through mid-August 2025. During that window, Single Rider lines could be perfect for looping roller coasters and other popular attractions with minimal waits. So if it’s a weekday in July 2025 and Annual Passes still aren’t available at Epic Universe, waits for Single Rider lines will likely be shorter. Much shorter.
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, which could happen sooner rather than later if the opening summer ends up being slower than expected. Either way, it’s only a matter of time until APs start swarming Epic Universe–that’ll definitely happen during previews and opening weekend, and probably again by 2026.
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.
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.
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.
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 especially important on the existing versions of Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge, which not only skip the detailed queue, but also portions of the pre-show explainer videos. That interactive attraction can be confusing even with the proper context; those pre-show videos are valuable.
This is less the case on more straightforward roller coasters. I’ve never felt like I’m missing out on anything at VelociCoaster, Flying Dinosaur, Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Revenge of the Mummy, or other thrill rides that lack compelling queues or pre-shows. I assume the same will be true of the roller coasters at Epic Universe.
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. While I don’t expect the same degree of success at Epic Universe from the jump, I could see Summer 2025 offering great low-wait opportunities if Annual Passholders still don’t have ‘free’ access to Epic Universe.
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? Think Single Rider lines will be a game-changer for getting a ton done with minimal waits at Epic Universe from mid-June through mid-August 2025? 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!