Help me understand ride swap

[Baklava]

Oh ok! I think I get it now, I like the idea of just doing it with some fastpasses so we get to ride some rides together to. but do you happen to know which rides actually do rider swap passes so we can plan accordingly?

Thanks so much

It will be any ride with a height requirement that your DS does not meet. My 5 year old is tallish, so she can ride everything except RNRC and Primeval Whirl (and some stuff at the waterparks). If your kid is shorter it works on more stuff. Remember that this is *only* for rides that he can't do, although some folks have been granted it for things the kid is too frightened to do. This doesn't work to get the kid on the ride, it's for when the kid can't ride.

 

[Dvcfan55]

It will be any ride with a height requirement that your DS does not meet. My 5 year old is tallish, so she can ride everything except RNRC and Primeval Whirl (and some stuff at the waterparks). If your kid is shorter it works on more stuff. Remember that this is *only* for rides that he can't do, although some folks have been granted it for things the kid is too frightened to do. This doesn't work to get the kid on the ride, it's for when the kid can't ride.

Ohhh i see. I misunderstood then! So it wouldn't work to take DS on the ride twice, it's only if he didn't want to ride or was too short. Glad this was clarified. Thanks again

 

[MommyPoppins]

Ok, I am thinking about this. How do you actually do this? One adult and the older kids get the fast pass but how do you do the rider swap without the other adult not having the original fast pass without having to go through the long line?

The adult and 2 riders who use the rider swap do not need a fast pass. The rider swap is essentially their fast pass.

 

[no one]

Is there a particular strategy to booking FP+ if you are not sure if your child is going to be afraid? There will be 4 of us, daughters will be 9 and 6.5. I have to measure the young one but she will probably be just over the height requirement. We have not been to WDW but from prior experience at much smaller kids amusement parks in NH that the young one is not crazy about roller coasters. But the older one used to be the same way and she just flipped a switch last year and loves those rides. So bottom line we are just not sure if the young one will go on them or not. Thanks

 

[hiroMYhero]

Is there a particular strategy to booking FP+ if you are not sure if your child is going to be afraid? There will be 4 of us, daughters will be 9 and 6.5. I have to measure the young one but she will probably be just over the height requirement. We have not been to WDW but from prior experience at much smaller kids amusement parks in NH that the young one is not crazy about roller coasters. But the older one used to be the same way and she just flipped a switch last year and loves those rides. So bottom line we are just not sure if the young one will go on them or not. Thanks

Book the coasters for your complete party. If she balks before you enter the FP line, ask for the Swap Pass and then immediately go into MDE and Modify your FPs for that specific ride.

 

[mistysue]

It's really meant for kids who can't ride not just anybody who doesn't want to. Being afraid sometimes works, but they can and do turn people down for a ride swap pass for a child who just doesn't want to go. I know there are cases with rides such as TOT where they have had the kids go through the line and the swap happens at the end so everybody had to go through the wait together. It invites too much abuse of the system to give swap passes any time a member of the party says they don't want to go- think about that for a minute. You could arrive as a party of 4 with different sets of FP+ set up and at every ride somebody is "too scared" so only 1 or 2 go on. It's an instant gateway to unlimited FP+. They aren't intending that everybody can use swap passes to squeeze out bonus FP+ options. The intent is to make all the separating and waiting suck less when your kids can't do some chunk of the park.

While rare, it also has happened that CM's have denied swap passes if you can't prove the non-riding adult didn't have a FP+ as well. One year we had two different rides where they made DH scan his band before giving a swap pass with two kids who were both too short in tow. I wouldn't plan for needing FP+ for the whole party, but I'm saying don't flip out if it happens. Take it as pixie dust when it works because you are getting something extra.

 

[no one]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the issues with the "cant or wont" and how many here on the Boards say it is only for "cant". Not anybody's fault just frustrating since the Disney website states the following:

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.

 

[DopeyDame]

Lots of good info, but I feel like some of it might be confusing, so here's an example of how you can maximize FP/Ride Swap.

Mom, Dad, Big Kid, Little Kid. (Assuming little kid is too short for any rides)
Mom and Big Kid get fast passes for Soarin
Dad gets fast pass for Test Track.

Whole family goes to Soarin entrance at FP time.
Show the CM Little Kid and get the Rider Swap pass**
Mom and Big Kid ride Soarin via their fastpasses
Meanwhile, Dad and Little Kid eat ice cream/ride Nemo/whatever.
Later in the trip (doesn't have to even be that day!), Dad and Big Kid ride Soarin via the rider swap pass

later, whole family goes to Test Track entrance at FP time.
Show the CM Little Kid and get the Rider Swap pass**
Dad rides Test Track alone.
Meanwhile, mom and both kids go do something else
Later in the trip (whenever), Mom and Big Kid ride Test track via the rider swap pass.

**At most rides, the CM will give the rider swap pass to the waiting adult once they see the riding adult get into line. At some rides, they'll give the rider swap to the riding adult. At a few, they'll actually give the riding adult a card and the CM at the actual ride loading area will give the riding adult the rider swap pass. Either way it doesn't matter.

Hope this helps a little!

 

[DopeyDame]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the issues with the "cant or wont" and how many here on the Boards say it is only for "cant". Not anybody's fault just frustrating since the Disney website states the following:

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.

I think it's the "board the attraction" wording that's important here. You can't (usually) just walk up to an outside CM and say "Joey's afraid of space mountain, can I get a rider swap pass?" Instead, if you all wait in line, and get to the front and Joey decides he doesn't wish to BOARD the attraction, there's a chicken exit and usually some way for the CM to make it work so that the parents can both ride - either with a rider swap pass or by letting the other parent and the not-riding-kid wait in a little area near the ride.

 

[leighmerz]

We used the rider swap when one of my girls was too little. It was wonderful for my oldest child bc she got to experience the ride twice. Now, we have a new little one so I am excited that both of my big girls get to use this feature. Of course, it is nice that mom and dad both get a chance to ride as well so nobody waits and gets left out!

 

[no one]

I think it's the "board the attraction" wording that's important here. You can't (usually) just walk up to an outside CM and say "Joey's afraid of space mountain, can I get a rider swap pass?" Instead, if you all wait in line, and get to the front and Joey decides he doesn't wish to BOARD the attraction, there's a chicken exit and usually some way for the CM to make it work so that the parents can both ride - either with a rider swap pass or by letting the other parent and the not-riding-kid wait in a little area near the ride.

Thanks that makes sense, I was not even aware of the CMs outside the line, last time I was there Epcot was not even in existence No problem for me if we all have fastpasses and that happens.