If your favorite part of a Disney trip is visiting the thrilling coasters, odds are you’re a pro at using fast passes or hopping in the single rider lines. Both are great ways to avoid big wait times, and each opens up time in your day to visit more rides! Some attractions at the Disneyland Resort actually have both fast pass AND single rider. When that’s the case, which should you choose? The following is my breakdown of which trick is better to use on each ride, to help you make the most of your magical day in the parks.
Note: If you are not already familiar with fast pass and single rider lines, see my fast pass post here and my single rider line post here.
Better Option: Fast Pass
California Screamin’ – The Single rider line for Screamin’ is a little discombobulated. You have to start on the exit platform, take an elevator up, cross the platform, and take another elevator down to the loading platform. More often than not, hopping on with fast pass is actually much faster than waiting for the elevators in the single rider line.
Grizzly River Run – I prefer fast pass for this ride largely because I think it’s a lot more fun to stick with your group as you head down the falls. Both fast pass and single rider line are pretty efficient on this ride, but single riders do sometimes get put on the backburner if cast members can find smaller parties to put together in the standby line. So overall, I’d say fast pass is a better option for the River Run.
Indiana Jones Adventure – The single rider line for Indiana Jones is terrible. You go in and out of the standby line several times, which is confusing, and have to take two brutally slow elevators to the loading area. In my experience, fast pass is a way better option, especially if you’re traveling in a group.
Better Option: Single Rider
Goofy’s Sky School – Fast pass is much, much faster than single rider on Goofy’s Sky School; the single rider line isn’t much better than standby. But I think this attraction is a waste of a fast pass, since you rarely need it. The single rider line will get you into your airplane a little more quickly than standby will, so since I don’t recommend fast pass for this coaster, I’d say single rider is a better choice.
Radiator Springs Racers – If you’re lucky enough to snag some Radiator Springs Racers fast passes (they are usually gone within an hour of park opening), you will still have to wait at the end of the standby line, which weaves back and forth several times until it reaches the loading platform. Single rider is almost always a faster way onto the racetrack, and you don’t burn any time in the morning waiting in line for your fast pass.
Tie
Space Mountain – Space Mountain’s single rider can be a huge time saver, but I haven’t found it to be any faster than fast pass. Both are a great option, so it just depends whether or not you care about having your group together in a photo.
Splash Mountain – Fast pass and single rider are both reliable and very fast options to get you right on this ride. Fast pass lets you cut the entire line (many rides only let you cut certain sections), and single-rider is always moving since so many groups with odd numbers board the logs. Either trick will get you flying into the Briar Patch in no time.
I disagree about Indiana Jones. The fast pass entry point is like before you even go in. Such a waste of a fast pass.
You bring up a really good point, John. Indiana Jones’ fast pass turn-in point is definitely the weakest of all the fast pass rides. However, when the line is an hour or more, most of the waiting actually takes place outside. Cast members stagger entry into the temple, so the lines inside aren’t as bad as they’d seem.
I do still think this ride’s fast pass is better than its single rider. Weaving in and out of the main line is a little confusing, and sometimes it’s a huge pain to get from the first large room in the temple to the loading area.