Explain Rider Swap & FP+ to me in Small Words Please

[kat_lh]

Let me see if I've got this correctly.

I made morning FP+ for Splash Mountain for myself and my two girls. Our whole party (including husband and baby) go to the line and ask for a rider swap. Rider swap paper goes to husband and baby, girls and I proceed on our FP+. We get off the ride, go to husband, I take baby, he takes girls and then the three of them go back and ride again with the rider swap paper.

Later in the afternoon, I have a FP+ for Splash Mountain for just my husband. We all approach the line, ask for rider swap, he goes through on his FP+ while the kids and I wait. Then, when he's done, he takes the baby and the girls and I go through on the rider swap.

Is that doable?

 

[MommyMK]

Yep. That's exactly right. You also don't have to use the rider swap pass at that moment, you can use it any time, it should have an expiration date on it, usually the end of the week. We tend to get the pass when we are passing by the ride even if we don't plan to ride at that moment. It makes splitting up easier.

 

[wallskm]

What you described is exactly how we did it on our last trip!

 

[DisDadNH]

Yup. We did that last year at Epcot for Test Track and will be doing it for more than a few rides this year most likely.

 

[Ava]

Yep. That's exactly right. You also don't have to use the rider swap pass at that moment, you can use it any time, it should have an expiration date on it, usually the end of the week. We tend to get the pass when we are passing by the ride even if we don't plan to ride at that moment. It makes splitting up easier.

I didn't think the CM would give you the Rider Swap pass if part of your party wasn't riding at that time. For a couple attractions, BTMRR I remember was one, we didn't even get the RS pass at the ride entrance. We were given a lanyard with a card attached to it and had to give that to the CM farther up the line to get the actual RS pass.

 

[scitti45]

Interesting. So your older girls don't need a FP the 2nd time? They just ride on the "rider switch pass". Only your husband needs one. I didn't know this!

 

[MommyMK]

I didn't think the CM would give you the Rider Swap pass if part of your party wasn't riding at that time. For a couple attractions, BTMRR I remember was one, we didn't even get the RS pass at the ride entrance. We were given a lanyard with a card attached to it and had to give that to the CM farther up the line to get the actual RS pass.

We've done it many, many, many times over the years with no issue. Often without the 2nd adult present too. Just me and the too short kid and they give a pass. No problems.

 

[agibe405]

Can your three be different from your husbands? Because on your fp he will ride with child swap, and on his you will ride with the swap pass. Then you will essentially get 6 fp reservations? Anyone know? Thanks

 

[kat_lh]

Interesting. So your older girls don't need a FP the 2nd time? They just ride on the "rider switch pass". Only your husband needs one. I didn't know this!

When it's just his FP+, he'll ride by himself. Then the girls and I will ride on the RS. So the girls will get to ride each ride three times.

 

[kat_lh]

Thanks all for helping me get a better understanding of it!

 

[DopeyDame]

Can your three be different from your husbands? Because on your fp he will ride with child swap, and on his you will ride with the swap pass. Then you will essentially get 6 fp reservations? Anyone know? Thanks

Yup! In OPs example, DH could get a FP+ for thunder mountain instead of splash. He'd then ride BTM alone on his FP, and then mom and the girls ride BTM with the rider swap.
Then everyone rides both splash and BTM while only using one FP+ each. Especially if the baby is truly a tiny baby (rather than a preschooler who is just too short) this is an awesome strategy to use.

 

[DopeyDame]

We've done it many, many, many times over the years with no issue. Often without the 2nd adult present too. Just me and the too short kid and they give a pass. No problems.

You've gotten very very lucky. I would say about 50% of the time they specifically ask us who will be riding, watch that person get in line, and hand the rider swap to the waiting person once the rider is in line. And as a PP said, on BTM they don't even give you the rider swap pass until you're at the loading area.
There's certainly no harm in trying it, but just don't plan your day around that working.

 

[Ava]

You've gotten very very lucky. I would say about 50% of the time they specifically ask us who will be riding, watch that person get in line, and hand the rider swap to the waiting person once the rider is in line. And as a PP said, on BTM they don't even give you the rider swap pass until you're at the loading area.
There's certainly no harm in trying it, but just don't plan your day around that working.

This was our experience as well. The CM would ask us who was riding, and if we were at the FP line have the first riders scan their FP, then at most rides they'd hand the RS pass to the non-riding adult. IIRC, Splash was the same as BTM; I got a lanyard that I had to give to the CM at the loading area in order to get the RS pass.

 

[Disneylover42]

We had no issue with getting a rider swap and not going in line right away. They did ask to see the child not riding and the other adult though most times.

 

[Raenstoirm]

Not to hijack this, but can you get 2 swap passes with the same child? What I mean is dh gets in line (either standby or with a FP+) and I get a rs because of my infant twins. When he is done, if the line is short (or I have my own FP+) can we show the same babies and get a rs pass for him when I enter the ride even though we haven't used the first pass we got for me? There by having 2 passes for the same ride to use later? Im trying to understand the logistics since two babies might make waiting for the other adult problematic if either or both is in a bad mood and we might miss many FP+s, but don't want to have to skip the non-baby friendly rides.

 

[HCinKC]

Let me see if I've got this correctly.

I made morning FP+ for Splash Mountain for myself and my two girls. Our whole party (including husband and baby) go to the line and ask for a rider swap. Rider swap paper goes to husband and baby, girls and I proceed on our FP+. We get off the ride, go to husband, I take baby, he takes girls and then the three of them go back and ride again with the rider swap paper.

Later in the afternoon, I have a FP+ for Splash Mountain for just my husband. We all approach the line, ask for rider swap, he goes through on his FP+ while the kids and I wait. Then, when he's done, he takes the baby and the girls and I go through on the rider swap.

Is that doable?

Yes, but the second time you swap, your girls can ride with you on the swap, just not with the your husband when he goes with his FP. Some CMs will want to see the baby and hand the swap to the person staying behind. Some will just give you one. Some you get a lanyard that you turn into a CM further down the line. Also, all of our swaps were good through May 31, so you may be able to spread them out if you want. We did that with some of ours.

@Raenstoirm yes you can get a swap as long as you are standing in stand by or using a regular FP. You just wouldn't be able to get a swap when using a swap.

 

[kmb584]

Not to hijack this, but can you get 2 swap passes with the same child? What I mean is dh gets in line (either standby or with a FP+) and I get a rs because of my infant twins. When he is done, if the line is short (or I have my own FP+) can we show the same babies and get a rs pass for him when I enter the ride even though we haven't used the first pass we got for me? There by having 2 passes for the same ride to use later? Im trying to understand the logistics since two babies might make waiting for the other adult problematic if either or both is in a bad mood and we might miss many FP+s, but don't want to have to skip the non-baby friendly rides.

I don't believe so. I've never heard of them giving a new RS pass when using a RS pass to enter the line.

 

[Raenstoirm]

I don't believe so. I've never heard of them giving a new RS pass when using a RS pass to enter the line.

I wasn't going to use the first RS until later. Essentially what I am asking is if I can enter the ride standby even though I have a rs pass in my pocket (but not showing it). And since I am entering the regular line can I then get a rs pass for my husband?
No one seems to know. I guess I will be the guinea pig next week.

 

[goofy4wdw2]

We just got back on Thursday. Our littlest guy is 40" now so we only had to swap for a few rides but at all of those rides the CM asked who was riding first and who was the child who was too short to ride. We did not get a rider swap until the first rider handed the lanyard to the next cast member. This only used to happen at Expedition Everest (in our experience) but this happened at EE, Space Mtn, and RnR this trip.

 

[kat_lh]

This worked perfectly today. Hubs didn't necessarily like riding by himself but the girls enjoyed their three rides on each of the big rides!

At 7DMT, the CM just handed my hubs the rider swap ticket. At Splash and BTMR, we got a lanyard we presented to the CM at the end that gave us the coupon.

All the CMs wanted to see the non-riding partner and child.