Disney Closing Expedition Everest Single Rider Line Permanently

Disney Ends Expedition Everest Single Rider Line for Good

Walt Disney World has officially confirmed that the Single Rider line at Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is permanently closing.

Starting Monday, September 21, 2026, the dedicated queue will no longer be available. Disney will begin removing all Single Rider signage at the attraction entrance and will update both the official Disney World website and the My Disney Experience app to reflect the change.

This decision didn’t come completely out of nowhere. Earlier this year, Disney began testing a updated boarding process at Expedition Everest. Guests in the final section of the standby queue were pre-sorted into odd and even numbered groups before reaching the load platform—a loading style similar to what is used at attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Slinky Dog Dash.

This revised process gave Cast Members an immediate supply of paired riders, allowing them to fill empty seats much more efficiently directly from the main queue.

According to Disney, this new loading system was so successful in lowering average standby wait times that the Single Rider line lost its operational purpose. As standby wait times decreased and moved faster, the Single Rider queue actually started moving much slower, no longer offering the time-saving experience guests have come to expect.

If Expedition Everest is on your must-do list for your next Animal Kingdom day, you will now have two ways to ride:

1. Standby Line: Thanks to the improved loading efficiency, average standby wait times are lower than before.
2. Lightning Lane: Guests looking to bypass the main standby line can still purchase access through Disney’s Lightning Lane pass options.

Are Other Single Rider Lines Affected?

No! Disney has clarified that this operational change is specific only to Expedition Everest. Single Rider options will remain active at other select Walt Disney World attractions where they continue to help Cast Members fill empty seats efficiently, including:

• EPCOT: Test Track and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets

While solo parkgoers and families willing to split up will certainly miss the classic shortcut around Serka Zong Bazaar, overall lower wait times for the regular queue are a solid silver lining for every guest visiting the Forbidden Mountain.

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