Universal Studios Hollywood Single Rider – Tips, Available Rides, Beat the Lines

Universal Studios Hollywood has continued to increase in popularity as it continues to add popular franchises like The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and the most recent Super Nintendo World. As the popularity of this theme park continues to grow, so can the rides for popular attractions which makes Universal Studios Hollywood single rider so popular.

While Universal Studios Hollywood does offer quite as many single rider options as Disneyland does, knowing which rides offer single rider and how to use it is one of the best ways to maximize your time at Universal. This article has been checked in 2025 to ensure that all information is accurate. All the below information on Single Rider is correct.

We visit Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood weekly and personally use all our tips we share in our guides to the best experience at the theme parks. I have used single rider at Universal Studios Hollywood multiple times including for some of the most popular rides. I always have great experience using this hack to beat the lines and often this trick allows me to walk right on some of the most in demand rides in Universal Studios Hollywood.

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Universal Studios Hollywood is the perfect complement to your Disneyland visit as it brings to life the film making aspect of Southern California–which has been dubbed the movie making capital of the world!

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Guests are given the opportunity to enter the worlds of their favorite films as they experience themed attractions, spectacular live entertainment, and tours showcasing actual movie sets. A stop at Universal Studios Hollywood can make a great addition to your Disneyland or Southern California vacation.

What is Single Rider at Universal Studios Hollywood?

Single rider is an option that allows for shorter line access to the most popular rides at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Single rider works by splitting up your party to fill remaining seats that aren't occupied by guests in the regular stand-by or Express lines. So if a ride vehicle seats four and there is a family of three waiting, without single rider that would leave one empty seat. The guests in the single rider line are called to fill that empty space so each ride vehicle is being sent out with every seat possible filled.

You will be separated from your group and every person in your parter must be comfortable with this and meet the required height requirements.

Depending on the amount of seats that need to be filled, you may end up being seated next to your party but this is never a guarantee for single rider.

Universal Studios Hollywood Single Rider

Universal Studios Hollywood never guarantees a list of attractions that have single rider, unlike Disneyland, but there are a few attractions that we have seen consistently offer single rider at the theme park. Sometimes the single rider line will be closed, especially if the regular queue reaches high levels and it becomes too challenging to make space for single riders.

That being said, these are the most common attractions that offer single rider at Universal Studios Hollywood:

1. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey
2. Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
3. Transformers: The Ride 3D
4. Jurassic World – The Ride
5. Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge

The most popular of all these rides is Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge followed closely by Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. Considering the extreme popularity of Super Nintendo World and since Express Pass is NOT offered for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge this will also be the longest of the single rider lines. If you want to avoid purchasing Express Pass, read our 1-day itinerary without Express Pass.

Single Rider for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge

Using single rider for the popular Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge is a great way to cut that wait time in half. Many guests that use the single rider line for this popular Super Nintendo World ride have reported waiting at the maximum half of the posted wait time or even far less than that!

This is a perfect ride to use single rider because of the use of the VR headsets. You are really not looking or paying attention to others seated on the ride with you anyways.

There is one caveat to be aware of! You will miss out on all the unique theming of the standby queue and the introduction video that explains how the VR headsets work and how to get points. For some guests, this video may be essential to understand the process.

But if you don't mind missing that part of the regular queue and video, I highly recommend using single rider for Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge. Our last experience using single rider for this ride was a huge success. We hopped in line shortly after the park opened and at this point Mario Kart: Bowser's Challenge already had a 60 minute wait. There was only one group of two in front of us and we were able to literally walk right on the ride.

Is Single Rider at Universal Worth It?

Using single rider at Universal Studios Hollywood is absolutely worth it since it's offered at some of the most popular rides at the park. This is a great way to avoid purchasing Express Pass (which can be extremely costly for large groups) and maximize your time at Universal.

All of our experiences using single rider have been extremely positive on every attraction from walking straight onto the ride to only waiting about half of the posted standby time. Just make sure that everyone in your group is comfortable being seated alone on the ride because you will be split up.

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Check out our other top guides to planning your Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood trips! You'll find tips and tricks on how to save money and experience more.

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• Save Money on Discount Disney World Tickets