Most people don’t go to theme parks by themselves, but if you do, a single rider line can be your best friend. Even if you do go with friends and family, not everybody likes to go on the same rides and end up splitting up at some point. A single rider line usually bypasses the long line and puts you next to a ride operator responsible for loading the ride. They use the single rider line to fill empty seats. Before you wait in a long ride line by yourself, find out if there is a single rider line. At Six Flags Magic Mountain, there are five rides with single rider lines.
Single rider lines are designed for single riders. However, friends do sometimes hit the single rider line together. Just be advised that you will most likely not get to ride next to your friend. In fact, you may not even be on the same ride as your friend. You may be placed on one ride and your friend may end up waiting awhile for another empty seat to present itself on another ride. This is the sign at Six Flags Magic Mountain you will want to look for:
Revolution
Like most rides, the single rider line on Revolution is located at the exit. As you approach Revolution, the main queue is off to the left. You’ll notice a small path that heads off to the right, which is the exit path. If you follow that, it will take you under the track and around the backside of the ride to where people get off and exit the roller coaster:
As people get off of the coaster, they exit through one of two turnstiles. There is a small single rider line setup next to them behind a chain. Once the next batch of passengers board the train, the ride operator will look for any open seats. If they see one, they will let you hop in it. The theory is to dispatch every train completely full:
Viper
The single rider line for Viper is exactly the same as Revolution. Just head up the exit path, go past the photo booth, and up the back stairs to where the passengers exit the train:
The Riddler’s Revenge
The single rider line for The Riddler’s Revenge is a little different, as you don’t actually go all the way up the exit path. The stairwell you see on the right in the next photo is the exit for this ride, but the single rider line is just around the corner to the left. However, you do take the exit path for the ride to get to this point, bypassing the crowds in the main queue:
You’ll see a doorway on the right as you round the corner. This is the single rider line entrance. Go up the stairs and you will end up right next to the ride operator at the front of the train. He’ll direct you to any available seats. If you keep following this path to the left, you’ll pass the lockers and end up where the Flash Pass entrance merges with the main queue:
Green Lantern: First Flight
When it comes to Green Lantern: First Flight, we’re back to using the exit path for the single rider line. Just follow the arrows on the single rider signs:
After you walk under the lift hill, you will see two sets of stairs on the backside of the ride. You want the first one, just past the elevator, with the sign. This will take you up and place you right next to the main ride operator. They will direct you to the next available seat. Be advised that if the empty seat is on the far side of the ride, you’ll be asked to head down the stairs and back up a flight of stairs on the other side of the lift hill:
Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom
The single rider line doesn’t always open when Lex Luthor: Drop of Doom opens, so be aware of that. I want to say they usually start using it around 12:00 pm. Again, just head up the exit and follow the posted signs:
You’ll queue up behind the chain seen in this next photo and wait for the ride operator to direct you to the next available seat. The nice thing about the single rider line on Lex Luthor is that you’ll almost always get an outside seat, since you’re the last to be added to the line:
Since I visit the park regularly to take pictures for this site, I’m usually there alone more often than I’m with other people. When I’m in the mood to ride something, and the lines are longer than I like, I’ll just hop in a single rider line. I don’t think I’ve ever waited for more than 10 minutes when using a single rider line. The next time you want to ride one of these roller coasters, and you’re flying solo, save yourself some time and use the single rider line.
Since I do go to the park by myself often, the single rider lines have been a gift from heaven. Of the five rides mentioned here, I have not used the single rider line at Revolution or Viper because the wait for either of those two is not usually very long anyway.
Ideally, single rider lines should be a part of any new attraction if practical—and most are.
Single rider lines are truly the best. I go to the park quite often by myself and they really do help. I just wish they had one for X2 as well. That would be awesome. But for now, we are lucky to have single rider lines for those five rides.
They need to have single rider lines in all of the roller coasters, attractions and water rides. Why is there no single rider line for Tatsu? If there are empty seats of 1, why can’t they fill them up with single riders?
The capacity on Tatsu is rather poor as it is. I imagine including a single rider line (which it doesn’t appear the ride queue was designed for it) would make the load times even slower. However, I agree that any ride which can accommodate a single rider line should most definitely have one.
What do you mean? If it was operated properly and to it’s full potential it would have the most capacity in the park. Even with how it is, it doesn’t have that bad of capacity. So many empty seats go by on it. In fact, last weekend I saw a man come up the exit and tell a ride op he was alone. He got right on the next Tatsu train.
Not quite. When Colossus is ran at max capacity, with all six trains, it can serve 2,600 people per hour. Tatsu can only handle a max of 1,600 PPH at max capacity. Huge difference!
Thanks for this up date. I go by myself a lot. Plus when I do go with a friend some are afraid of green lantern and Lex Luther. Riddles just plan makes sense to spit the party rather than waiting in the line for a slow to load ride.
I forgot to mention that Goliath had a single rider line at one point. To use it, you had to go up the exit all the way to the gate out of the boarding area, then take the stairs down to the right, cross under the track, then go up the stairs on the other side. When you got to the top, you were next to the ride op position at the rear of the train. That op then sent you over to where the standby line reaches the top of the stairs and splits into all of the separate boaring aisles, and you just chose which aisle to wait in. I don’t know if Goliath still offers this, but there’s no signage to that effect.
I love the single rider line. At animal kindom in disney world i was able to ride Exbidition Everest 8 times in a row with it in about 30 min
i wonder if full throttle will have a single riders line?
Honestly, I doubt it. But I hope I’m wrong.
Lex Luthor has one and it’s capacity is half of Full Throttle’s so.. Yeah.
I don’t mean to be pushy but where’s the full throttle update?
^
“Cough” “cough” update
Thanks again for this. Heading to the park solo on 05/19 and 05/20. Last time I was there I didn’t even see the single rider signs..I guess they kind of blended in since I wasn’t looking for them. Since I’m going on Sunday/Monday, ideally I hope I wont even need them.