Theme Park Insider

The single solution to shorter waits at Walt Disney World

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 20:57:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: If you are visiting Walt Disney World by yourself, you will not need to pay for Lightning Lane to skip some of the longest lines in the parks.

Disney offers a single rider queue on six of its rides in Florida. If you have not used a single rider queue at a theme or amusement park before, that�s the queue that load operators use to fill in empty seats so that they can keep ride vehicles running at full capacity.

For example, on rides such as Test Track that use three-person rows, a loader will call for a person from the single rider queue to fill the third seat next to a party of two. That way, cars go out fully loaded without having to slow down load while loaders ask for single riders in the main queue. Full loads and quick dispatch times mean shorter waits for everyone.

If you are visiting by yourself, it almost always makes sense to use the single rider queue when waiting for a Walt Disney World attraction. Single rider queues often have wait times similar to the Lightning Lane for their rides, which means you can save money and still get a quicker wait time by using them.

Some families and large groups try to game the system by using their single rider queue instead of paying for Lightning Lane access. That won�t work for people in the group who do not meet the boarding restrictions to ride alone. It also will force the group to split up as everyone will be assigned seats alone when they get to load.

I have seen too many guests complain about this when they get to the end of the single rider line. If you can�t accept the rules for the single rider queue, don�t use it. Get in the regular standby queue or buy Lightning Lanes for your group or family.

The more people who use the single rider queue, the less of a time advantage it offers. So I cannot recommend this option to anyone who is not visiting alone or who is not cool with splitting from their group for a bit.

Oh, and I can imagine a few readers caught me saying earlier that �it almost always makes sense� to use single rider queues. What�s that �almost?� I�ll get to the exceptions in a bit.

First, here are the four single rider queues at the Walt Disney World Resort that I always recommend that individual visitors try:

Expedition Everest at Disney�s Animal Kingdom
Remy�s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT
Rock �n� Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets at Disney�s Hollywood Studios
Test Track at EPCOT

Look for the �Single Rider� sign next to the Standby and Lightning Lane signs at the queue�s entrance. If you do not see it, as a cast member for help.

Note that the single rider queue might not be open at certain times of the day, such as early in the morning, or on less crowded days. You cannot request a special seat when using the single rider queue, either so if you really need to be front or back row on a coaster, it�s the standby or Lightning Lane queue for you.

Each of these queues can save you substantial time over the standby queue and on Test Track sometimes ever over the Lightning Lane queue. Definitely check them every time you visit as a single rider.

So what are the other two attractions where I don�t always recommend using single rider?

Millennium Falcon Smuggler�s Run at Disney�s Hollywood Studios

The problem with single rider on the Falcon is that it inevitably results in you being assigned the Engineer position in the cabin, which is not nearly as cool as being the pilot. That said, it�s tough to get the pilot assignment as a single rider in the standby or Lightning Lane queues, as load ops typically send single riders from there to the Engineer slot anyway. But at least in the standby or Lightning Lane you can request a pilot slot and hope for the best. There�s no asking for specific seats in single rider.

Some people have had success negotiating a change in roles with the other people in your Falcon cabin. That�s not limited to single riders, of course. Experienced Disney visitors often try to dissuade families with little kids or apathetic adults from taking the pilot spots. The pilots really do influence the motion of the cabin on the ride, and bad pilots can make the Falcon experience literally uncomfortable for everyone.

Star Wars Rise of the Resistance at Disney�s Hollywood Studios

Using single rider on Rise of the Resistance means skipping several show scenes that help set up the ride�s narrative. You also miss an absolutely jaw-dropping visual experience during those scenes. I cannot in good conscience recommend that any first-time visitor to Star Wars Galaxy�s Edge use the single rider queue for Rise of the Resistance.

Now, if you have been on the ride before and are happy with a quick return visit to the trackless dark ride portion of the adventure, go ahead. Use the single rider queue and enjoy. Ask a cast member at the ride�s entrance for directions to the single rider queue.

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What is Holiday World's new ride for 2027?

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 00:45:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Holiday World & Splashin' Safari is promising its "largest single-attraction investment in park history" for next year. But what will its new ride for 2027 be?

We know that the new attraction will replace the former Raging Rapids attraction that closed in 2023. A construction fence has surrounded that site for some time now, with painted images of flip-flop sandals decorating it recently.

That's the first of many clues that Holiday World has been dropping about its plans, which it has code named "Project Flip Flop." The park officially detailed its recent stealth hype campaign today with a post on its website, Fencewatch 2027: What the Flip Flop?!

Remember that the old Raging Rapids stood in the park's Fourth of July section. And that the ride flowed through the fictional town of Boulder Canyon. The town returns for whatever this new attraction will be, and Holiday World has created a website and social media accounts for it.

Reading the clues, and it sure feels like there is a Fourth of July cookout theme in play here. The cynic in me wants "Project Flip Flop" to be a spinning coaster where you are the meat flipping on the grill. But that seems a bit too dark for the very family friendly Holiday World.

Admission to the Splashin' Safari water park is included with Holiday World admission, so it's not like Holiday World visitors are suffering from a lack of access to water rides. But Raging Rapids was a popular attraction on the Holiday World side of the park. I suspect that a new water ride likely would be welcomed by the fine folks of Boulder Canyon next year. If the "Flip Flop" reference really is just to those plastic sandals, perhaps another water ride is in the works.

Whatever the new ride is, Holiday World clearly is working to develop a backstory for it. I am partial to theories that there's some connection to the Good Gravy family here. There are duck and swan clues, too, so throw those into the mix.

At some point soon, construction will go vertical to the point where the type of new attraction that this ride will be will become obvious. Until there, Holiday World welcomes your best guesses.

Miral sets two new Superman rides for Warner Bros World

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:51:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Warner Bros. World will open two new Superman themed attractions in the next two years, including a next-generation flying coaster.

Miral CEO Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi announced the additions this morning. These were two of the new attraction announcements that I had anticipated earlier this year, when Miral had planned a big press event around the inaugural IAAPA Expo Middle East in Abu Dhabi in March.

The war in the Middle East thwarted those announcement plans, but at least we are getting some of that news now.

First up, next month Warner Bros. World will open a new Nebulaz ride called Kryptonite Collider. That attraction will open on July 26.

In 2028, the big expansion of the park begins with the debut of Superman Up and Away. Al Zaabi called it "a next-generation flying roller coaster."

I have not yet heard confirmation of a manufacturer for that coaster. Both Bolliger & Mabillard and Vekoma have fan-favorite flying coaster models out there, but Miral has contracted with Intamin for all the major coasters at the Yas Island resort.

Intamin does not currently list a flying coaster among its models. Could a new model of that type be the "next generation" flyer promised for WBW? Miral certainly has the budget to commission a first-of-its-kind coaster model.

Not mentioned today was Warner Bros. World's Harry Potter land, which is expected to open sometime after the Superman coaster. For a good source of continuing updates on the park expansion project, I am following Desert Thrills on YouTube.

Busch Gardens makes the right turn with new Verbolten

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:08:00 GMT

By Russell Meyer: �Don�t turn right! Don�t turn right!�

That�s what guests hear and see on warning signs just as the car-inspired train they�ve just boarded veers to the right and launches into the Black Forest on Verbolten Forbidden Turn. Busch Gardens Williamsburg has punched up the theming on one of its most popular roller coasters for 2026 and has revitalized the 14-year-old ride. Last week, I was invited by the park to a media day and VIP event to experience the renovated attraction, but unfortunately the coaster was having technical issues. However, invited guests were given a rare opportunity to see what the park had done to the attraction�s queue, station, and show building.

I had a chance to see some of the new set pieces along the indoor section of the track and even got to see the train cycle from inside the building. I returned to the park today to finally ride the rethemed attraction and experience all the new elements firsthand.

Busch Gardens has completely revamped the backstory of Verbolten, and that�s clearly evident in the queue. The park has added two new animatronic figures in the queue. Frau Hexel, a foreboding which-like character has taken over the old tour office and reminds guests about the dangers of visiting the Black Forest.

Br�m is appropriately positioned in the janitor�s office (converted from the former greenhouse room just before the ramp up to the station),

and clearly proud of his achievements, having earned Employee of the Month.

Additional signs and props have been added throughout the queue area and station to enhance the theming, and new video monitors can be seen on the far side of the load platform that act like windows, reminiscent of similar monitors in the queue of Voltron at Europa Park.

Once on board, the trains and track are unchanged, and despite being 14 years old, the coaster still feels modern with brisk LSM launches and the signature drop track element. Along the course, new signs and props can be seen as the train leaves the station and makes that dreaded right turn (the park even utilized an extra piece of left-curved track to represent the path that should have been taken). Inside the show building, enhancements were made to the lighting and props as the train enters the building, and a giant tree has been added that the train plunges through before reaching the drop track. In speaking with some of the people responsible in retheming the coaster, this tree element was incredibly complicated to erect because it was built in three separate piece that had to be assembled inside a building, around the already bolted-to-the-floor track, and with just a few inches clearance between the top of the tree and the building�s ceiling. Guests who have ridden Verbolten before this retheme will instantly spot the orange VW Beetle on the left at the base of the giant tree the used to be staged near the station.

The drop track element is where the biggest on-ride changes have been made. What was a rotating sequence that gave guests three different shows (wolves, spirits, and storm) has been replaced by a single show program. However, that show now features an animatronic of Frau Hexel and Br�m who provide a distraction before the train drops into a room filled with creepy glowing eyes. The remainer of the ride is unchanged as the train is launched up a hill overlooking the Rhine River and then plunging towards the water and back to the station.

Much like what the park did two years ago with Loch Ness Monster, Busch Gardens Williamsburg has breathed new life onto an already well-themed coaster. Unfortunately, this renovation doesn�t include on-ride audio, which could probably have been used to enhance the store even further, and the new drop track sequence is difficult to see or hear near the back of the train. However, for a coaster that was perhaps showing some age and declining in popularity, Verbolten Forbidden Turn is poised to be incredibly popular this summer and for years to come, as long as trains keep making that right turn.

How to use Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 23:54:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Want to skip the lines at Disney World? The old, free Fastpass system is gone, but Disney has replaced it with a system called Lightning Lane. Here is my updated advice on how to use this system.

There is no free option for Lightning Lane. Disney sells three types of Lightning Lane access that guests can buy when they visit a Walt Disney World theme park. Based on my experience, and the experience of other Theme Park Insider readers, here are the best ways to get the most from Disney�s Lightning Lane system.

What is a Lightning Lane?

A Lightning Lane is just the old Fastpass queue, with a new name. It�s a way to bypass the regular standby queue on popular Walt Disney World attractions. There will be some wait, given the large number of people who buy Lightning Lane access each day. But attractions operators are trained to prefer the Lightning Lane queue to keep its wait time much shorter than the standby queue.

Sometimes people visiting Disney get confused because �Lightning Lane� can mean two things.
1) It�s the name of the physical queue that people use to access an attraction as well as
2) It�s the name of the upcharge pass that people have to buy to use that queue.

So which Lightning Lane package should you buy, if any? Let�s look at the options.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass

The most expensive version of Lightning Lane is Lightning Lane Premier Pass. But if you can afford it, this is the pass to buy. A Premier Pass gets you one-time access to the Lightning Lane at each of attractions that offer it, in one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks. You can use the Premier Pass whenever you want, so there�s no need to plan anything in advance.

A Premier Pass is good for one theme park on one day, and the price varies by date and park. Prices range from over $400 a day at the Magic Kingdom to as low as about $130 a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

You can use Premier Pass to access the attractions listed in the Single Pass and Multi Pass sections below.

If you have a Park Hopper ticket and want to use Premier Pass in multiple parks, you must buy a separate Premier Pass for each park. You can book all versions of Lightning Lane through Walt Disney World�s official My Disney Experience mobile app.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

The most popular attractions at each park offer Lightning Lane Single Pass. This is a one-time access to the Lightning Lane at a specific attraction. When you buy the pass, you will select an arrival window to use the pass and ride the ride. Prices will vary by date and by attraction.

Single Passes often sell out, so if you want one, book as early as you can. Guests at Walt Disney World Resort hotels can book starting at 7am Eastern Time seven days before their check-in day. Everyone else can book starting at 7am three days before the ticket date.

Here are the attractions that offer Lightning Lane Single Pass and their recent price ranges:

Star Wars Rise of the Resistance: $20-24
TRON Lightcycle Run: $19-21
Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind: $18-20
Avatar Flight of Passage: $15-17
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $11-15

You can buy up to two Lighting Lane Single Passes per day of your visit, but only one for each eligible attraction.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

A Multi Pass allows you one-time access to Disney�s other Lightning Lane attractions. Again, the price varies by park and by date.

Magic Kingdom: $29-40
EPCOT: $18-35
Disney�s Hollywood Studios: $24-37
Disney�s Animal Kingdom: $16-22

Using a Multi Pass well requires planning. Like with Single Pass, on-site hotel guests can book up to seven days in advance of check-in, while everyone else can book up to three days in advance of their ticket date. When you book, you can select arrival times for three attractions at the park for which you bought the Multi Pass.

Here the eligible attractions at each park. I�ll get to the difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 in a minute.

Magic Kingdom

Tier 1
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan�s Flight
Space Mountain
Tiana�s Bayou Adventure

Tier 2
The Barnstormer
Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Haunted Mansion
It�s a Small World
Mad Tea Party
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mickey�s PhilharMagic
Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor
Pirates of the Caribbean
Tomorrowland Speedway
Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid

EPCOT

Tier 1
Frozen Ever After
Remy�s Ratatouille Adventure
Test Track

Tier 2
Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Living with the Land
Mission: Space
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Soarin' Across America
Spaceship Earth
Turtle Talk With Crush

Disney�s Hollywood Studios

Tier 1
Mickey & Minnie�s Runaway Railway
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
Slinky Dog Dash

Tier 2
Alien Swirling Saucers
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
The Little Mermaid � A Musical Adventure
Star Tours � The Adventures Continue
Toy Story Mania
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Disney�s Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest � Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Feathered Friends in Flight
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Na?vi River Journey
Zootopia: Better Zoogether

When making your first three Lightning Lane reservations, you can select one option from Tier 1 and the other two must be from Tier 2. The only exception is for Disney�s Animal Kingdom, which has no tiers, so all listed attractions are fair game.

On the date of your visit, once you get to your first Lightning Lane arrival time, you can book any other available Lightning Lane arrival time for later in the day, regardless of Tier. To get the most value from a Multi Pass, you want to try to stack as many arrival times as possible during the day.

Stacking Lightning Lanes

That�s why picking your first three arrival times is so important. You want to book your first time as soon as possible after your planned arrival in the park. Even if you book your first three Lightning Lane times days in advance, you can modify them starting at 7am on the day of your park visit. Again, try to get at least one return time as early as possible in the day.

As soon as that first Lightning Lane arrival time hits, whether you have tapped into the ride or not, you want to get on the app and make another Lightning Lane reservation. If you have a Park Hopper ticket, you can make that reservation for a Lightning Lane attraction at another WDW theme park.

You can make another Lightning Lane reservation after that as soon as your next Lightning Lane arrival time hits, or two hours later, whichever comes first. That two-hour rule can be your trick to stacking more than three Lightning Lane reservations at a time. Whenever you make a Lightning Lane reservation in the park, set your phone�s time to 120 minutes if your next Lightning Lane arrival time is not within two hours. When the timer goes off, make another reservation.

Remember that you change Lightning Lane reservations after you make them, too. Keep checking throughout the day for rides that might not have been available before. New time slots can open us as people cancel reservations.

Lightning Lane Strategy

For Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain and Tiana�s are the toughest gets first thing in the morning. Go for one of those, then make Jungle Cruise your next selection once you enter the park. Beyond that, the Fantasyland attractions offer the biggest time savings using Lightning Lanes, so prioritize those if they are rides that interest your family.

For EPCOT, Remy and Frozen are the toughest gets in Tier 1, so go for one of those. Make the other two Tier 1 attractions that you do not get your top priorities when making additional reservations in the park.

At Hollywood Studios, go for Slinky Dog Dash and Toy Story Mania as soon as reservations open. In the park, prioritize whatever Tier 1 attractions you did not get on first drop.

At Animal Kingdom, book Na?vi River Journey, Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris. You can save a few minutes on River Rapids, too, but beyond that, there�s not much value to Multi Pass here as the remaining attractions are show where you will get into the next showing pretty much whenever you arrive.

If all none of these options sounds appealing to you, remember that using the standby queues are free with park admission. Visit our �What to do� visitors� guides for my advice on what to visit when to minimize your wait times without having to pay for Lightning Lane.

For assistance in planning a Walt Disney World vacation, please contact our travel agent for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.

Finally, for my weekly update of Disney and theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekend newsletter.

The world's best roller coaster celebrates its birthday

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 16:44:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Happy fifth birthday today to the best roller coaster in the world.

Jurassic World VelociCoaster officially opened on June 10, 2021 at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure. Universal delayed its announcement of the Intamin launch coaster until well into its construction, joking with fans that the park simply was building a new churro stand.

Universal Orlando executives then paid off that joke on opening day by handing out churros to guests as they exited the ride.

VelociCoaster jumped to the front of our annual roller coaster survey in its first year and has remained our readers' top pick ever since. The 4,700-foot coaster reaches a top speed of 70 mph after its second LSM launch, a boost that pushes the 24-rider trains up and over the ride's 155-foot Top Hat.

From there, riders fly through multiple inversions on their way to VelociCoaster's final element, a barrel roll skimming the surface of the park's lagoon. Fans quickly nicknamed the element the "Mosasaurus roll," alluding to the aquatic dinosaur from "Jurassic World" that fans imagine is lurking in the IOA lagoon under the coaster's track.

Come ride along with my front-row POV:

Disneyland's new Park Hopper rules take effect

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 23:50:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: The Disneyland Resort's new Park Hopper rule went into effect this morning.

Starting today, guests with Park Hopper tickets, including all Magic Key annual passholders, no longer must wait until 11am before switching parks. Guests with park reservations, such as Magic Key holders, must start in the park where they have a reservation for the day. But once they have scanned in, they can turn around and leave for the other park whenever they like.

Magic Key holders dominate attendance at the Disneyland Resort. And with most them showing up later in the day, it no longer made sense for Disneyland Resort to try to balance park attendance with an 11am Park Hopping rule.

Do not infer that today's change represents a step toward Disneyland eliminating its pandemic-era reservation policy for Magic Keys and undated tickets. The reservation policy helps Disneyland greatly with staffing and stocking the parks and resort leaders have said on multiple occasions that they have no plans to get rid of the requirement.

Today's change should have little impact upon crowd flow in the morning hours, which remain the best time of the day to hit the most attractions in the parks. For our advice on planning a visit to the Disneyland Resort theme parks, please see our What to do at Disneyland and What to do at Disney California Adventure pages.

For my weekly update of Disney and theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekend newsletter.

Last call for Tidal Force at Hersheypark

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 17:45:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Another Shoot the Chute ride is closing.

Hersheypark announced today that September 7 will be the final day of operation for Tidal Force, its Hopkins Shoot the Chute ride that opened in 1994.

The water ride's closure comes one day after Six Flags' Carowinds theme park announced that it would open a new WhiteWater log flume ride, Rip Roarin' Falls. So it's "you win some, you lose some" for theme park water ride fans this week.

Tidal Force offers a drop with specs identical to what the new Carowinds ride will feature - a 100-foot drop at 50 mph. But the Carowinds attraction will feature a long, story-driven log flume ride before the big drop, where it's pretty much just up and down for Tidal Force.

No word yet on a potential replacement, as Hersheypark focuses on celebrating Tidal Force's final season.

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