How Long Did We Wait? Trying the Single Rider Line at Expedition Everest

As we continue our series on single-rider lines at Disney World, I thought we’d take an in-depth look at Expedition Everest. We utilize the single rider line for Expedition Everest fairly often. However, depending on when you visit, it isn’t always needed. Often, our main objective for using this single rider line is to ride the attraction for a second or third time. So for this article, we’ll discuss how you can plan to use the single rider line for Expedition Everest, along with a few tips on determining the best time to use it.

Expedition Everest is a roller coaster attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a 44′ height requirement. Guests have the option to ride via the standby queue, Lightning Lane, or the single rider line. If you’re not familiar with single rider lines, you’ll want to know a few things about the process. For starters, you need to know that your party will be split up when it’s time to board the ride. Since Expedition Everest has a height requirement, you’ll want to make sure that everyone in your party meets it.

Secondly, all children under the age of 7 years must be accompanied by a person who is aged 14 years or older. Therefore, if you have someone in your party who is under 7 years old, they cannot ride alone. (This rule applies to every ride at Disney World.)

If you plan to ride Expedition Everest first thing in the morning or later in the day (usually 4:00 p.m. or after), you likely won’t encounter much of a wait. For example, during the busy Spring Break period, we rode Expedition Everest via the single rider line twice during the early afternoon. But later in the day, when we returned, we joined the standby line so we could ride together.

As you can see in the photo below, the posted wait time was 40 minutes when we walked by about lunchtime. While that wasn’t a terrible wait, the crowd pouring outside the queue looked daunting.

In this instance, we would head straight to the single rider line, which is a separate area to the far right of the main entrance. When you look to the right of the ride, you’ll see the attraction’s gift shop, Serka Zong Bazaar. When you exit the ride, you’ll end up in the gift shop. Anyway, the single ride entrance sign is posted on the left side of the gift shop’s exterior. It’s a little difficult to see if you’re not familiar with the area.

The sign often denotes whether the single rider line is open, or sometimes it might have a posted wait time.

It’s worth pointing out that you’ll find a test ride vehicle in this area. If you have someone interested in riding but might be a little fearful, you can give the test vehicle a spin.

When we joined the single rider line, there were approximately 30 people ahead of us.

How Long Did We Wait for Expedition Everest?

On this particular afternoon, we rode Expedition Everest a couple of times. The first time we rode it, my family used a Lightning Lane, and I did the single rider line to compare. They finished about a ride car or two ahead of me. Then, we returned about an hour later and did a couple of rounds in the single rider line.

Round One
Posted Wait Time: 40 minutes
Got in line at 1:07 p.m.
Assigned a Row to Board at 1:22 p.m.
Waited approximately: 15 minutes

Round Two
Posted Wait Time: 40 minutes
Got in line at 1:28 p.m.
Assigned a Row to Board at 1:44 p.m.
Waited approximately: 16 minutes

Later in the day, we returned to Expedition Everest at about 5:30 p.m. and found a posted standby wait of 15 minutes. Since the wait was so much shorter, we decided to do the standby line, which ended up being less than 10 minutes. For most, a 30-minute or less wait is no big deal when your family wants to ride together. So you’ll want to assess the wait when you arrive and decide whether or not you mind splitting up.

Another example is when someone in your group might want a few more rides while others prefer to wait. When my son was younger, we would often ride together first in the standby, and then I would sit outside and wait for him to ride it again. So this is a strategy if someone in your party doesn’t want to ride this attraction multiple times.

Before we wrap things up, I also want to note that Expedition Everest has an incredible queue. So if you opt to do single rider, you’ll miss the queue. Of course, this attraction has been around for some time, but we still think that many of the queues are worth seeing. It’s kind of like the single ride line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, where you’ll miss part of the interactive experience before you board the ride.

Final Thoughts

Overall, we think that the single rider line for Expedition Everest is worth using, but you’ll want to consider the wait. Remember that if the wait is less than 25-30 minutes, you might have more fun riding with your group. Of course, if you’re the only person who wants to ride, then by all means go for the single rider line. Check back with Resorts Gal for the latest Disney updates and reviews.

In the Comments

What do you think of the single rider line for Expedition Everest? Have you ever used it? Let us know your experiences or questions below in the comments.