Rider swap changing in preparation for new FP program

[Lilsia]

I'm glad it worked for you. And yes, they should follow whatever rules *they* post.

Maybe it was a seasonal thing for me... but the last trip where we tried it (Christmas / NYE 2019-2020), we were consistently denied when a kid was tall enough but scared. And always OK'd when a kid was too short. And for what it's worth, I have only used RS in combination with FP+. Maybe that is also part of the difference? Either way, glad it worked for you as it should have!

I imagine it had become a problem with people using the FP/rider swap loophole to get in an extra FP. Disney has always been pretty lenient about those things, up until it gets to be an issue with too many doing it. I would hate to be the cast members that have to deny people the RS for kids that are too tall. I imagine they get a bunch of crap from people, especially those that don't realize the abuse of the process that has been going on. They should probably just go back to making the whole family go through the line and then switch at the loading area like they used to.

 

[fancymouse]

As I said, we were never questioned. We simply said he's too young to ride and that's all they needed. But this is an argument that is years old, so not going through it again. We were able to get switch for a kid that was tall enough to ride, every ride we did it on, every trip we took where it applied. That's it.

It is possible to have an issue that needs cleared up without yelling and screaming so your comment really doesn't apply to me.
I've seen people make fools of themselves in all sorts of ways at WDW and anytime you have a problem and you behave in such a way that people around you take notice, you're doing it wrong.

I think we’re talking about two different things. Yes, according to their Rider Switch page, anyone should be able to RS. The “a guest who wishes not to board the attraction” part states that. I can completely see the reason for this. Many queues are themed and can be scary aside from the actual ride. People also may not want a grandparent to have to wait alone either. I was referring to getting extra FPs. That process is definitely part of their policy and it’s stated, just not enforced well.

 

[elmwyn]

I'm glad it worked for you. And yes, they should follow whatever rules *they* post.

Maybe it was a seasonal thing for me... but the last trip where we tried it (Christmas / NYE 2019-2020), we were consistently denied when a kid was tall enough but scared. And always OK'd when a kid was too short. And for what it's worth, I have only used RS in combination with FP+. Maybe that is also part of the difference? Either way, glad it worked for you as it should have!

I don't know why they gave you such trouble. We were there last in Sept 2019, we used FP+ and had no problem with our tall enough but too scared child. She had to take the chicken exit on FOP so they let us use RS and there was no freaking way we were ever going to get her on Everest and they gave us RS no questions asked. Didn't try it at the other parks however.

 

[cakebaker]

They should probably just go back to making the whole family go through the line and then switch at the loading area like they used to.

That must've been before we had a little because we never did that, it's one thing that absolutely turned me off Universal. Having to take a child through a line, then sit in a waiting area, knowing they don't get to ride it was awful. Having a child who is tall enough physically but still not much more than a toddler (who thought he was old enough to do anything) was hard. We skipped rides because of it. I'm so glad we're past those days and he can ride anything he likes.

 

[Lilsia]

That must've been before we had a little because we never did that, it's one thing that absolutely turned me off Universal. Having to take a child through a line, then sit in a waiting area, knowing they don't get to ride it was awful. Having a child who is tall enough physically but still not much more than a toddler (who thought he was old enough to do anything) was hard. We skipped rides because of it. I'm so glad we're past those days and he can ride anything he likes.

I know that the current system is much more family friendly, but it is also leading to these FP abuse issues. Just because you have a small child, does not mean you should be able to finagle an extra FP. My kids are 19 and 20 so I really do not have a dog in this fight, other then to be someone who can't take advantage of the extra FP. Our kids were close in age so we just skipped the rides that they were not big enough to go on. We did not use the RS but what we did do was each parent had an afternoon to themselves to go ride(or watch football in my husband's case) whatever we wanted to do. I imagine if our kids were more spread out, we would have just separated and taken the older one on the rides while the other parent had the little on. That is what many families did "back in the day". The big difference between now and then is that people did not get so upset about minor things like everyone seems to do now. It was not a big deal, or ruin a family's vacation if you had to skip a ride or 2 or separate. The mentality was more along the lines of, "we are just grateful to be here". You definitely did not see nearly as many meltdowns(adult and child) as you see now though.

 

[Artax]

I love how these conversations never talk about what the kid sitting has to do during this process. Your splitting the family up and having the child sit a wait through 2 rides. Sometimes even with FP and rider swap that process is 30-60min. We have 3 kids. 2 older and 1 younger, normally we would schedule a fastpass for one adult and the 2 older kids for the "big" ride and schedule a different fastpass for the waiting child and the other adult. This gives the waiting child something to do during at least one of the rides. Then the second adult gets to enjoy the "big" ride with the 2 older kids after. I dont see that as "extra" fastpasses. I see the waiting child actually getting to use their FP with one of the adults. Yea the older kids get to ride twice and the second adult gets to ride without ever scheduling a fastpass but I always just saw it as something that made the disney parks more family friendly. I never really understood this unwritteen rule that all ppl in the group requesting the rider swap needed a fastpass as that makes it so the waiting child doesnt actually get that fastpass for that day. We have never had an issue using it this way, I believe I was questioned one time about all having fastpass when asking for rider swap and I explained mom and baby had a fastpass for kiddy ride somewhere else and there was no further questions and they provided the RS.

 

[shawthorne44]

I love how these conversations never talk about what the kid sitting has to do during this process. Your splitting the family up and having the child sit a wait through 2 rides. Sometimes even with FP and rider swap that process is 30-60min. We have 3 kids. 2 older and 1 younger, normally we would schedule a fastpass for one adult and the 2 older kids for the "big" ride and schedule a different fastpass for the waiting child and the other adult. This gives the waiting child something to do during at least one of the rides. Then the second adult gets to enjoy the "big" ride with the 2 older kids after. I dont see that as "extra" fastpasses. I see the waiting child actually getting to use their FP with one of the adults. Yea the older kids get to ride twice and the second adult gets to ride without ever scheduling a fastpass but I always just saw it as something that made the disney parks more family friendly. I never really understood this unwritteen rule that all ppl in the group requesting the rider swap needed a fastpass as that makes it so the waiting child doesnt actually get that fastpass for that day. We have never had an issue using it this way, I believe I was questioned one time about all having fastpass when asking for rider swap and I explained mom and baby had a fastpass for kiddy ride somewhere else and there was no further questions and they provided the RS.

Of course it is getting extra fast passes. In your example, 5 people each used one fast pass. With that they got
two rides on the kiddie ride.
six rides on the headliner. (three and then three)
Everyone riding the headliner the second time got an extra FPP.

Instead, the parents and small child could have rode/done something that didn't require FPP.

 

[Artax]

Of course it is getting extra fast passes. In your example, 5 people each used one fast pass. With that they got
two rides on the kiddie ride.
six rides on the headliner. (three and then three)
Everyone riding the headliner the second time got an extra FPP.

Instead, the parents and small child could have rode/done something that didn't require FPP.

Its not extra fastpasses, its called rider swap. thats the point of the system and how disney set it up and applies it. Just becuase you "feel" like its a extra fastpasses doesnt make it so.

 

[PalmettoPath]

I don’t see this as Major News. Also, what is the source. And even if rider swap is changing that doesn’t signal any FP news. For now it looks like click bait

Agreed. Exactly what I thought.

 

[shawthorne44]

Its not extra fastpasses, its called rider swap. thats the point of the system and how disney set it up and applies it. Just becuase you "feel" like its a extra fastpasses doesnt make it so.

As someone said upstream, the rules are that if you use FPP for the initial ride, you should have FPP for the second too. You even said that a CM said the same thing to you. Then they humored you so that you didn't cause a scene.

This is why I'm glad they're closing this loophole.

 

[onelove8187]

So has this been corroborated by any other sources or confirmed by disney? I still see the old language on disney website.

 

[sweetmama17]

I love how these conversations never talk about what the kid sitting has to do during this process. Your splitting the family up and having the child sit a wait through 2 rides. Sometimes even with FP and rider swap that process is 30-60min. We have 3 kids. 2 older and 1 younger, normally we would schedule a fastpass for one adult and the 2 older kids for the "big" ride and schedule a different fastpass for the waiting child and the other adult. This gives the waiting child something to do during at least one of the rides. Then the second adult gets to enjoy the "big" ride with the 2 older kids after. I dont see that as "extra" fastpasses. I see the waiting child actually getting to use their FP with one of the adults. Yea the older kids get to ride twice and the second adult gets to ride without ever scheduling a fastpass but I always just saw it as something that made the disney parks more family friendly. I never really understood this unwritteen rule that all ppl in the group requesting the rider swap needed a fastpass as that makes it so the waiting child doesnt actually get that fastpass for that day. We have never had an issue using it this way, I believe I was questioned one time about all having fastpass when asking for rider swap and I explained mom and baby had a fastpass for kiddy ride somewhere else and there was no further questions and they provided the RS.

THIS!!! Those "too short" kids are 3, 4, 5 years old for some rides and parents have paid for a ticket for them too! This is Disney being family friendly for a target audience not abuse. Rider swap only works at rides with height requirements anyway so it only goes so far. It has taken our family 1.5 hours to do (FP) rider swap for just 1 ride before (I'm looking at you Sorin'). So what if we want to rider swap Sorin and be able to take the 3 year old on Nemo while they wait?

 

[fancymouse]

THIS!!! Those "too short" kids are 3, 4, 5 years old for some rides and parents have paid for a ticket for them too! This is Disney being family friendly for a target audience not abuse. Rider swap only works at rides with height requirements anyway so it only goes so far. It has taken our family 1.5 hours to do (FP) rider swap for just 1 ride before (I'm looking at you Sorin'). So what if we want to rider swap Sorin and be able to take the 3 year old on Nemo while they wait?

Alternatively, people without kids or kids who are tall enough to ride attractions pay the same amount per ticket as families with kids and their experience shouldn’t be lessened by giving families with small children advantages that do indeed affect others. I have kids and so I see both sides, but I’ll reiterate that having lots of people in the FP lane (especially if they weren’t scheduled to be as part of the pre-scheduled FPs) isn’t good for FP or standby. It makes everyone’s wait longer. Rider Switch in itself is already an accommodation. Disney could do nothing and both parties would have to wait in the standby or use FPs or any combination of those like guests not using Rider Switch. The fact that Disney offers Rider Switch is awesome, but claiming that “now’s there nothing to do while we’re waiting to switch and that’s unfair” is taking what is already being accommodated a step further. Look at Universal: you wait in line to switch at the front. In that case there’s no alternative entertainment for the kids too small/scared to ride. You wait or you don’t.

 

[cantsayNolaf]

THIS!!! Those "too short" kids are 3, 4, 5 years old for some rides and parents have paid for a ticket for them too! This is Disney being family friendly for a target audience not abuse. Rider swap only works at rides with height requirements anyway so it only goes so far. It has taken our family 1.5 hours to do (FP) rider swap for just 1 ride before (I'm looking at you Sorin'). So what if we want to rider swap Sorin and be able to take the 3 year old on Nemo while they wait?

An earlier poster stated the absolute truth about this "Service" "Process" "Hack" "Feature", or whatever you want to call using Rider Swap. A Family of 4-5 with little ones, utilizing FP+, and taking advantage of spreading out Fast Passes, will never equal or even come close to the touring of an all Adult Group or a Family with tweens/teens/grown kids.

Rider Swap is controversial because some feel they are excluded and their experience is being 'lessened' because others possibly will get to ride twice, but in reality it does not negatively effect anyone else's experience in any way. A convenience for one group does not mean there HAS to be a negative effect for another group.

 

[fancymouse]

An earlier poster stated the absolute truth about this "Service" "Process" "Hack" "Feature", or whatever you want to call using Rider Swap. A Family of 4-5 with little ones, utilizing FP+, and taking advantage of spreading out Fast Passes, will never equal or even come close to the touring of an all Adult Group or a Family with tweens/teens/grown kids.

Rider Swap is controversial because some feel they are excluded and their experience is being 'lessened' because others possibly will get to ride twice, but in reality it does not negatively effect anyone else's experience in any way. A convenience for one group does not mean there HAS to be a negative effect for another group.

The point of this post though hinges of the fact that there may be a paid FP option coming and Disney is clearly looking for ways to cut out extra FP riders (I’m guessing to speed things up), so it’s within the topic to discuss how the program does affect ride waits and FP waits. I don’t think anyone is arguing that Rider Switch shouldn’t exist. More that lots of people recognize that they Rider Switch is allowing use of the FP lane and that is essentially cutting in front of others. I think most people agree that the way Rider Switch was intended to be used is a fair accommodation since, as people have pointed out, families move slower and may miss out on things due to different heights etc. The real issue is using the program to spread out FPs. This most certainly affects others as it’s more people using the FP lane. To what extent, only Disney knows, but they clearly saw it as an issue because they did in fact change their policy. Unfortunately, they just don’t enforce it because they don’t want upset people claiming “they didn’t know”.

 

[OhBother1984]

Bottom line is the point of rider swap is so every member of the family gets to ride a ride with a similar wait, the fact that they let 1 or 2 others ride with the one that didn't ride the first time is them being thoughtful that its more fun to ride with someone not so kids can ride every big ride twice. Yes I have young kids and still benefit from rider swap, so if it changes it changes if it doesn't it doesn't we will make it work either way.

 

[HopperFan]

For what it's worth: the text on the website has always been this way. However, in my efforts to exploit this (just being honest), it rarely works in practice. CMs have a large amount of discretion and 99.9% of the time if my kid was tall enough (but honestly scared), we couldn't get a rider swap. But using it to "double" FPs when a kid is too short worked consistently.

We have been refused many times with our adult disabled son. He can not be left alone and they refuse to offer switch pass. And, yes, it is obvious to CMs he can not be left alone.

NOTE: We just got back and my son utilizes DAS on some attractions. What we noticed for the first time over and over was Child Switch Passes being given out without the whole party or even a child in the vicinity. Guests were asking, CM scanned their band and said you will return here when your party returns. There honestly was no proof of child or that the party was entering the SB line. They could have walked away and just come back later and use as FP.

System needs reworking and perhaps this is step one.