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

[KrazeeK120]

Are they doing anything to prevent the old "leave the line" trick? That is why they started using the lanyard system, but if they are now giving the RSes out at the host station, couldn't you just get the entitlement then leave the line and come back later with the RS?

I’m not sure why you’d do that. The first party wouldn’t get to ride if the left the line.

 

[OSUZorba]

I’m not sure why you’d do that. The first party wouldn’t get to ride if the left the line.

I personally wouldn't ever do it, but I think with some family structures it would make sense. But it use to be common enough that they started the lanyard system.

 

[TheOneWithTheTriplets]

I’m not sure why you’d do that. The first party wouldn’t get to ride if the left the line.

You'd do it if you didn't get a FP and the first party doesn't actually want to ride. Put your rollercoaster scaredy cat spouse as the first rider, load the RS on your up to three coaster lovers, then all go do something else while you wait for your RS return time. Blatant misuse of the system, but that would be why.

 

[KrazeeK120]

You'd do it if you didn't get a FP and the first party doesn't actually want to ride. Put your rollercoaster scaredy cat spouse as the first rider, load the RS on your up to three coaster lovers, then all go do something else while you wait for your RS return time. Blatant misuse of the system, but that would be why.

I see. I don’t suppose there’s ever a way to actually stop that, but I would think that the number of people using RS in this manner is minuscule and not enough to actually make an impact. Certainly not something that’s of concern to me.

 

[OSUZorba]

I see. I don’t suppose there’s ever a way to actually stop that, but I would think that the number of people using RS in this manner is minuscule and not enough to actually make an impact. Certainly not something that’s of concern to me.

I think it was pretty rampant prior to the lanyards, which is why I was wondering if they were doing anything to prevent it now. Seems weird they "fixed" the flexibility "issue" but then reopened a known scam.

I really don't care, it would never help me, but I saw people recommending doing it elsewhere and thought it was odd Disney wasn't doing anything to stop it.

 

[OSUZorba]

Another question: how long does it take to get the RSes at RD? I want to rope drop FOP, but am worried that messing with getting the RS will let an hour or more of people get past me. No point in RD a RS ride if you lose the entire advantage of getting there early.

 

[jwolfpack]

I am curious about the above scenario too as we plan to rope drop FOP and use rider swap.

 

[4Hawks]

After several contradicting responses and one very angry email from me, I received a call from someone at Disney today. She said she had talked to someone in park operations before she called me. These were her answers:

1. Group 1 can use FP or standby line. Group 2 does not need FP, since the RS works as a FP.
2. 3 people can receive RS entitlements, at least one must be from group 2.
3. The return window starts when group 1 is done riding the attraction and lasts 1 hour.
4. I asked how they knew when group 1 would be done, and she said it is calculated by the system -- I took this to mean that it will depend on whether group 1 uses FP or standby.
5. RS entitlements do not affect the ability to get 4th, 5th, etc FP

 

[OSUZorba]

After several contradicting responses and one very angry email from me, I received a call from someone at Disney today. She said she had talked to someone in park operations before she called me. These were her answers:

1. Group 1 can use FP or standby line. Group 2 does not need FP, since the RS works as a FP.
2. 3 people can receive RS entitlements, at least one must be from group 2.
3. The return window starts when group 1 is done riding the attraction and lasts 1 hour.
4. I asked how they knew when group 1 would be done, and she said it is calculated by the system -- I took this to mean that it will depend on whether group 1 uses FP or standby.
5. RS entitlements do not affect the ability to get 4th, 5th, etc FP

Thanks for the info. I did see on WDWMagic that people are reporting the 7DMT and FOP are sometimes making everyone have FPs before they will give out a RS. They did say those were the only rides they had an issue with.

 

[AEA1127]

Has anyone had any experience with what happens if you aren't able to complete the Rider Swap and get the second group to go through right after?

My husband and I have two little ones (under 2 and an infant) who are not tall enough for any headliners. We've used the old system many times and sometimes we would immediately swap after the first finished the ride, but many times our son couldn't wait and whoever didn't ride just went back on at a later time.

My fear is that this new system makes it really hard for those of us with really small kids to swap. Meltdowns, diaper issues, hunger etc all come into play and obviously those things trump us riding a ride. I definitely don't need a window as open ended as it was originally but even until the end of the day would be really helpful for us. Obviously, I know it is what it is but wasn't sure if anyone has experienced any leniency on their return times. Just hoping we can make it work so that we still get to experience a few of the thrill rides we enjoy.

 

[dad128]

Thank you so much 4Hawks for all of the work you have done to get answers about the new policy! I have been following this discussion for the last couple weeks and also found contradictory information everywhere I turned. We get to schedule our Fastpasses for our fall trip later this week and it is a relief to finally have some answers about whether a FastPass is required for all persons participating and about how the new return time system works. Thanks again for all your hard work. Hopefully we continue to hear reports about experiences with the new policy.

 

[manicmonkey]

We will be using this a ton on our Sep trip, since it will just be me, DH and the baby. It looks like I shouldn't attempt this for FOP/Navi, but what if in HS I got a SDD for DH and AS2 for me, assuming we could then use the RS for both?

 

[lovewdwfun]

After several contradicting responses and one very angry email from me, I received a call from someone at Disney today. She said she had talked to someone in park operations before she called me. These were her answers:

1. Group 1 can use FP or standby line. Group 2 does not need FP, since the RS works as a FP.
2. 3 people can receive RS entitlements, at least one must be from group 2.
3. The return window starts when group 1 is done riding the attraction and lasts 1 hour.
4. I asked how they knew when group 1 would be done, and she said it is calculated by the system -- I took this to mean that it will depend on whether group 1 uses FP or standby.
5. RS entitlements do not affect the ability to get 4th, 5th, etc FP

We just got back from a week in Disney. I can confirm this is how it worked. We also used Rider Swap with a DAS. With FP or DAS, they shortened the wait so Group 2 would enter once Group 1 was done (so 20ish minutes depending on the ride). Group 2 definitely did not need FPs. We rode on SDMT, FoP, and Slinky Dog. I loved the old system more, because we would often use our swap pass on a different day, rather than make the little kids wait to two rides in a row. I ended up skipping FoP this trip and one of the Soarin rides because there wasn’t much else for the little kids to do and it takes a long time to ride those back-to-back. No complaints though - this system worked fine, even if it isn’t as great for me as the previous one.

 

[Rand0mTh0ughts]

Update on my experience:

1) in our party of 5, I booked 3 FP for space mountain and 2 to Ride Buzz. We went to space mountain together and got a child swap added to my band and the two older kids band.

2) i rode buzz with my younger daughter while they rode space, and then i rode space with child swap. My husband and daughter rode people mover.

We did something similar on expedition Everest- only booking fast passes for 3 people.

Also as a reminder, my daughter is not too short to ride, she just doesn’t care for those rides.

ALSO: there is a window of time to use the child swap - basically within an hour and a half or so, depending on the line group one is waiting in. But you DO need to use it pretty much back to back - you can’t save it like before.

Here’s my previous post:

We used it several times.

Our whole group had fast pass (even my non-rider)

Group #1 was my husband, my sister, my son and nephew. All with their fast passes. (I waited with my daughter)

Group #2 was me with my son and nephew riding again (using the rider swap entitlement that’s had been added to their band).

We are going again on Saturday. This time, I booked a different fast pass for my daughter and myself while everyone else rides space mountain with fast pass.

I’m still going to try to get rider swap so I can ride space mountain - but not sure what will happen since I won’t have a space mountain FP. I’ll report back.

Edited to add: my daughter is tall enough for the rides we used digital rider swap on - she’s just too scared to ride (Big Thunder, splash, expedition Everest...)

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Update on my experience:

1) in our party of 5, I booked 3 FP for space mountain and 2 to Ride Buzz. We went to space mountain together and got a child swap added to my band and the two older kids band.

2) i rode buzz with my younger daughter while they rode space, and then i rode space with child swap. My husband and daughter rode people mover.

We did something similar on expedition Everest- only booking fast passes for 3 people.

Also as a reminder, my daughter is not too short to ride, she just doesn’t care for those rides.

ALSO: there is a window of time to use the child swap - basically within an hour and a half or so, depending on the line group one is waiting in. But you DO need to use it pretty much back to back - you can’t save it like before.

Here’s my previous post:

We used it several times.

Our whole group had fast pass (even my non-rider)

Group #1 was my husband, my sister, my son and nephew. All with their fast passes. (I waited with my daughter)

Group #2 was me with my son and nephew riding again (using the rider swap entitlement that’s had been added to their band).

We are going again on Saturday. This time, I booked a different fast pass for my daughter and myself while everyone else rides space mountain with fast pass.

I’m still going to try to get rider swap so I can ride space mountain - but not sure what will happen since I won’t have a space mountain FP. I’ll report back.

Edited to add: my daughter is tall enough for the rides we used digital rider swap on - she’s just too scared to ride (Big Thunder, splash, expedition Everest...)

If you don't mind me asking, how old is your daughter? Did they ever measure her? Just trying to get more info on the tall enough but doesn't want to ride aspect and how they are handling it now.

 

[Rand0mTh0ughts]

If you don't mind me asking, how old is your daughter? Did they ever measure her? Just trying to get more info on the tall enough but doesn't want to ride aspect and how they are handling it now.

My daughter is 6 (and a half, as she’ll proudly tell you) and at least 44 inches tall.

She is well Above the height limit for some of the rides we used rider switch on. (Splash, big thunder, etc)

In our experience, They never once measured her or asked why she didn’t want to ride. Just asked who was riding in the first party and who was riding in the second.

(Also for height reference, she did ride test track, mission space (green AND orange) flights of passage, dinosaur, and waited in line for tower of terror (just because she wanted to see the queue...), and she was never stopped to see if she was tall Enough for those - so I *think* most cast members recognize on sight that she’s tall enough to ride the 40-42 inch rides.

I think they’re pretty much using it as “here is a child who is too young to wait alone, and doesn’t want to ride, so child swap is an option. “

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

My daughter is 6 (and a half, as she’ll proudly tell you) and 44 inches tall.

She is well Above the height limit for some of the rides we used rider switch on. (Space, big thunder, etc)

In our experience, They never once measured her or asked why she didn’t want to ride. Just asked who was riding in the first party and who was riding in the second.

(Also for height reference, she did ride test track, mission space (green AND orange) flights of passage, dinosaur, and waited in line for tower of terror (just because she wanted to see the queue...), and she was never stopped to see if she was tall Enough for those - so I *think* most cast members recognize on sight that she’s tall enough to ride the 40-42 inch rides.

I think they’re pretty much using it as “here is a child who is too young to wait alone, and doesn’t want to ride, so child swap is an option. “

It sounds like CMs just weren't really checking heights for some reason. SM, Mission Space Orange, and FOP are all 44". I know she didn't ride SM, but you mentioned she did the other two so I'm surprised with her being at the minimum height that they didn't measure her to get on those rides. I've had the same CM insist on measuring my son on each of 3 back-to-back rides on Barnstormer, letting him on the first two times, then telling me he was too short the third time. Granted, he was right at the minimum, but still thought it was funny the same CM wanted to measure him again 5 mins later, and then a third time and say he was too short after he had allowed him through the line twice.

Anyway, thanks for the info and glad everything worked out for your trip.

 

[Rand0mTh0ughts]

To be honest, my daughter might be taller. I didn’t really pay attention to height limits because I knew she wouldn’t go on anything - and she hasn’t been to the doctor since last September.

But, she did ride flights of passage last summer so maybe she’s more like 46? In any case, she is well above the height for big thunder and splash.

In my experience, if you’re little one is too young to wait alone and doesn’t want to ride, rider swap should work.

I’ve definitely had those experiences where they’ve triple checked height... (and have been told no when we’ve already been given a yes!) So perhaps she’s taller than i realize! Yikes!

I hope you’re trip goes well!

Oh! I also found on the website that it says if riders CANT or DONT WISH to ride... so hopefully everything will work out!

Rider Switch


This handy feature allows adult Guests to take turns waiting with youngsters or Guests unable to ride.


What Is Rider Switch and How Does It Work?
If Guests in your party can’t or don’t want to board an attraction, you don’t have to miss out!

If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem! With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

Rider Switch is available at select attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

To be honest, my daughter might be taller. I didn’t really pay attention to height limits because I knew she wouldn’t go on anything - and she hasn’t been to the doctor since last September.

But, she did ride flights of passage last summer so maybe she’s more like 46? In any case, she is well above the height for big thunder and splash.

In my experience, if you’re little one is too young to wait alone and doesn’t want to ride, rider swap should work.

I’ve definitely had those experiences where they’ve triple checked height... (and have been told no when we’ve already been given a yes!) So perhaps she’s taller than i realize! Yikes!

I hope you’re trip goes well!

Oh! I also found on the website that it says if riders CANT or DONT WISH to ride... so hopefully everything will work out!

Rider Switch


This handy feature allows adult Guests to take turns waiting with youngsters or Guests unable to ride.


What Is Rider Switch and How Does It Work?
If Guests in your party can’t or don’t want to board an attraction, you don’t have to miss out!

If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem! With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

Rider Switch is available at select attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World Resort theme parks.

That's what the website has always said, but in the past they would often do the swap for the tall enough child at the boarding area for the ride. Since they're tall enough to enter the queue, everyone would wait in line together, then one person would wait with the tall enough kid at the boarding area while everyone else rides. When they are back, they stay with the kid while the other person rides. Everyone who wants to still gets to ride, but no actual pass was typically granted as the swap could be done at boarding since everyone is tall enough to enter the line. There's pros and cons to each method, but it's something a lot of people ask about, so I was just trying to figure out how they do it now. Thanks for the info.

 

[OSUZorba]

My daughter is 6 (and a half, as she’ll proudly tell you) and at least 44 inches tall.

She is well Above the height limit for some of the rides we used rider switch on. (Splash, big thunder, etc)

In our experience, They never once measured her or asked why she didn’t want to ride. Just asked who was riding in the first party and who was riding in the second.

(Also for height reference, she did ride test track, mission space (green AND orange) flights of passage, dinosaur, and waited in line for tower of terror (just because she wanted to see the queue...), and she was never stopped to see if she was tall Enough for those - so I *think* most cast members recognize on sight that she’s tall enough to ride the 40-42 inch rides.

I think they’re pretty much using it as “here is a child who is too young to wait alone, and doesn’t want to ride, so child swap is an option. “

This might be a pro of the digital system. Since they put the RS on the band it helps assure people aren't using "afraid to ride" to get a RS and then let the afraid to ride kid use it.