Riders who've relied on Expedition Everest's Single Rider line to skip ahead on Animal Kingdom's beloved Himalayan coaster will need a new strategy come late September. Disney has confirmed the queue will officially close on September 21, 2026.
The reason, according to Disney, is operational rather than capacity-related. A updated loading process introduced at the attraction has brought standby wait times down enough that maintaining a separate Single Rider lane no longer makes practical sense.
Single Rider lines work by filling individual empty seats left after ride vehicles are loaded with groups — a system that benefits solo guests and small parties willing to split up. When standby flow improves significantly, those gaps become rare enough that the lane loses its efficiency advantage.
For guests planning an Animal Kingdom visit after September 21, the standby queue and Lightning Lane options will remain the primary ways to experience the yeti-themed mountain. It's worth factoring this change into your day's game plan, especially if solo riding was part of your usual approach to keeping wait times short.
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This report comes from WDWMAGIC.
