DIGITAL Rider Swap/Rider Switch/Child Swap: In Effect as of June 16th

[Runner225]

We were all asked to scan our FP, just FYI. If it is important to you to ride FoP I would consider making it the first FP of the morning, get one for everyone, and then have the waiters walk on NRJ. The line should still be pretty short.

Interesting...this is the first report I've heard of everyone needing the FP....

Ugh, this is what makes me nervous. We did our FP+s on Memorial Day for July-August and at that time it said you could reserve 1 FP+ and do the switch. It's myself, DH & DD who is 2 and obv not able to ride. We got FP+s for my husband and me for every FP+ ride, except FOP. I heard the FOP were so hard to come by, we figured it would be easier to get the 1 FP+ and do RS. I'm all for following rules (which at the time, I was, from the sites I read), but I wish they would put this into effect before people had made their FP+s.

We'll probably try and get a single FP+ for FOP since DH only has 2 registered for that day as of now.

 

[Nathan.tan]

We were all asked to scan our FP, just FYI. If it is important to you to ride FoP I would consider making it the first FP of the morning, get one for everyone, and then have the waiters walk on NRJ. The line should still be pretty short.

My question is if everyone needs a FP, then why even have a RS at FoP. I'm confused. So if I stay back with my 2 year old and already have a Fastpass, when my other party gets back, the fastpass and rider switch line is the same. What then becomes the purpose of the RS? This is not commentary, but a real question.

 

[HopperFan]

My question is if everyone needs a FP, then why even have a RS at FoP. I'm confused. So if I stay back with my 2 year old and already have a Fastpass, when my other party gets back, the fastpass and rider switch line is the same. What then becomes the purpose of the RS? This is not commentary, but a real question.

I think there would be two reasons ... (1) making sure if there is a glitch while you wait and your FP+ expires, the RS keeps it valid AND (2) if you are a party where someone would ride alone the second round ... they are allowing you to bring someone back with you.

We have to remember RS started when there was only Standby and they didn't want you to wait in the long line twice. They never adjusted it to work with FP/FP+ ... with FP+ being the bigger issue since you can pre-book. You are right technically it's not needed but it is good customer service for reasons I listed.

It is evolving and I think over next few months we will see it get adjusted to where they feel it's working best for them. Unfortunately everyone right now are guinea pigs.

Interesting...this is the first report I've heard of everyone needing the FP....

According to reports, they were testing this randomly the last few months or so. Also at a few other attractions. It was then part of the whole conversation if we would see this in play with new RS, especially after several emails from Disney that said we would all need them.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

According to reports, they were testing this randomly the last few months or so. Also at a few other attractions. It was then part of the whole conversation if we would see this in play with new RS, especially after several emails from Disney that said we would all need them.

Yep, sorry I wasn’t clear...I meant it was the first report I’ve heard of everyone needing RS with the new digital system.

 

[MomOTwins]

This is so topsy turvy. Well it is too late to change now. Guess I will have to be a guinea pig and find out. I had cancelled my FOP and got Navi because I decided I would feel worse not having a Navi fastpass to entertain my toddler/keep him cool in august than I would feel if I missed out on FOP. Ideally I would like both, since that is how rider switch has always worked out for us. But either way the suspense is killing me! Keep the first-hand reports coming please!

 

[kondjott]

Did you have to scan every ones band or just the one that will RS? My DH uses a wheelchair at Disney. There are rides he can't ride, but yet also can't be the one in charge of the shorties. Would he also be wheeled over for his MB to be scan?

I agree with the small kid getting right up to the FP point. My DGD 2 1/2 yrs old, didn't have a ticket, didn't need a MB , but wanted to tap in just like anyone else. He would not be happy getting right up there and not going on. Much easier to wave from a short distance on the way to checking out the fountain, getting ice cream, following a duck.....you get the idea.

You only have to scan the bands of whoever is riding the second time, i.e. the ones getting the RS passes added to their bands.
Honestly, after a couple more days of using the new system I don't hate it. There were a couple rides like FOP and EE that were kind of a pain only because the FP area was chaotic, but other than that once we understood how the system worked it went pretty smoothly. We used RS on headliners across every park and FOP was the only one where the return window was more than 10 minutes after the first riders went through. Every where else the second group was able to hop right on after the first group rode without any issues. It was clear in a couple places that the CMs still didn't really know how to use the new system too well yet, but I'm sure that will get better. Overall, the new system really shouldn't change your plans from how you used RS before (unless you were abusing it, which I guess this is partly intended to curtail).

 

[DizneyMommy]

This is so topsy turvy. Well it is too late to change now. Guess I will have to be a guinea pig and find out. I had cancelled my FOP and got Navi because I decided I would feel worse not having a Navi fastpass to entertain my toddler/keep him cool in august than I would feel if I missed out on FOP. Ideally I would like both, since that is how rider switch has always worked out for us. But either way the suspense is killing me! Keep the first-hand reports coming please!

We had no trouble getting a same day fastpass for NRJ, if that helps. It took refreshing the app maybe 3-5 times around lunchtime and a perfect evening spot popped up.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

We had no trouble getting a same day fastpass for NRJ, if that helps. It took refreshing the app maybe 3-5 times around lunchtime and a perfect evening spot popped up.

NRJ seems to be very hit or miss. Sometimes it seems to be fairly easy to get by refreshing, sometimes it's really hard. There are reports of people who normally have a lot of success not being able to get it at all. And reports like yours of getting it easily. We saw FOP come up twice during our day at AK and never once saw Navi. So counting on it day of may not be a good strategy of it's really important to you to ride. Always good to check though.

 

[randumb0]

You only have to scan the bands of whoever is riding the second time, i.e. the ones getting the RS passes added to their bands.
Honestly, after a couple more days of using the new system I don't hate it. There were a couple rides like FOP and EE that were kind of a pain only because the FP area was chaotic, but other than that once we understood how the system worked it went pretty smoothly. We used RS on headliners across every park and FOP was the only one where the return window was more than 10 minutes after the first riders went through. Every where else the second group was able to hop right on after the first group rode without any issues. It was clear in a couple places that the CMs still didn't really know how to use the new system too well yet, but I'm sure that will get better. Overall, the new system really shouldn't change your plans from how you used RS before (unless you were abusing it, which I guess this is partly intended to curtail).

Are you still there? The question that is still unanswered is if the same child can ride twice.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Are you still there? The question that is still unanswered is if the same child can ride twice.

Yes, same child can ride twice. Both Times at rides with digital RS the CM asked me which of the first group would go with me on the return trip, scanned their bands, and sent them on in.

One ride I took my kids, the other I took my mother in law. And one ride my husband waited back and did not get his band scanned, and then when the kids and I went back for the RS he came too and used his FP while the grandparents sat out and watched the toddler. (We were still within our FP window when we used the RS.)

 

[SueM in MN]

Did you have to scan every ones band or just the one that will RS? My DH uses a wheelchair at Disney. There are rides he can't ride, but yet also can't be the one in charge of the shorties. Would he also be wheeled over for his MB to be scan?

I agree with the small kid getting right up to the FP point. My DGD 2 1/2 yrs old, didn't have a ticket, didn't need a MB , but wanted to tap in just like anyone else. He would not be happy getting right up there and not going on. Much easier to wave from a short distance on the way to checking out the fountain, getting ice cream, following a duck.....you get the idea.

If your DH can’t ride, there would be no point in scanning his band.

 

[DizneyMommy]

If your DH can’t ride, there would be no point in scanning his band.

Well, unless the ride is one of your 3 FP+ And you got him the same ride so you all clear your 3 at the same time and can get more. Then you’d want to clear his FP so you can go on to modify or make new ones.

 

[SueM in MN]

Well, unless the ride is one of your 3 FP+ And you got him the same ride so you all clear your 3 at the same time and can get more. Then you’d want to clear his FP so you can go on to modify or make new ones.

You could just let his expire or you could cancel or modify it to the one the rest of your group gets as their 4th

 

[DizneyMommy]

You could just let his expire or you could cancel or modify it to the one the rest of your group gets as their 4th

In some cases yes. But if they are trying for another Tier 1, or another park then no. I tried. It does not work

 

[SueM in MN]

In some cases yes. But if they are trying for another Tier 1, or another park then no. I tried. It does not work

Then, I guess you probably need him to scan it, but not go on.

 

[Future_WorldPhonencian]

So just to clarify the new policy one parent with a FP shows evidence of a second adult with a child that doesn’t meet a height requirement. The second parent waiting with the child does not need a prebooked FP but gets one loaded on to his/her band or card? Supposing that adult already had booked 3fp will that cause any problems with getting a swap?

 

[mom2rtk]

My question is if everyone needs a FP, then why even have a RS at FoP. I'm confused. So if I stay back with my 2 year old and already have a Fastpass, when my other party gets back, the fastpass and rider switch line is the same. What then becomes the purpose of the RS? This is not commentary, but a real question.

I thought the whole purpose of RS was so that that the second adult could have someone to ride with. Even if everyone had to scan in with a FP, it's still a very nice benefit to allow a couple members of the party to ride twice.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I thought the whole purpose of RS was so that that the second adult could have someone to ride with. Even if everyone had to scan in with a FP, it's still a very nice benefit to allow a couple members of the party to ride twice.

That only works if you have at least 3 people who can ride it. If it's Mom, Dad, and too small kid(s), then both parents ride alone. I know that'll be true for us.

We're doing 95% of this trip based on what the kids will want (you should see my character dining list!) but I'm at least going to try to sneak in FoP for myself and hubby. We ride solo or not at all.

 

[Skicks35]

Sorry if this has been answered already, does this impact the relationship between existing FP on your account at all?

For example, say I and my imaginary 10 year old have Space Mtn FPs at 1pm (it's our third of the day). We scan in normally, and the CM gives my wife (staying behind with our imaginary 2 year old) and 10 year old RS on their accounts. Do the RS "count" as FPs in the system (meaning I can't begin booking 4th ones until they are used), or are they unrelated, and I can begin searching for 4th FPs as soon as we scan in normally?

 

[MomOTwins]

Just for anyone else in the same boat as me who was wrestling with whether to get FOP fastpasses for the whole party, a TON of FOP fastpasses just opened up for July and August at all times of the day on many days. We were able to switch to early morning FOP so we got it for all of us to be safe, will rope drop Navi with the little guy who is too short for FOP, and then the rest of us will rider switch FOP before it gets too hot for our little one to wait.

Miracles do happen I guess!