FP+ and Parent swap

[ljca79]

Can you reserve with FP+ for one parent and then do the child swap without a FP+ reservation for the other parent? It seems like this is happening.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Can you reserve with FP+ for one parent and then do the child swap without a FP+ reservation for the other parent? It seems like this is happening.

All reports I've read recently indicate that yes, only 1 FP+ reservation is needed = for the parent that rides first. The parent who rides with a RS pass does not need to also have a FP+ for the ride.

I know there were reports (I think this time last year), of CMs requiring the waiting parent to also have a FP+ for the ride, but from what I have read it was individual incidents and has not become park-wide policy.

 

[Roobear77]

This is correct. We just got home Saturday, and used child swap many times. We were never asked who had FPs and most times they didn't even watch to see which line we got in.

 

[volfan1978]

Ok so let me see how I could use this to my advantage...

My wife and I are taking our four kids (ages 8, 5, 4, and 1) in a few months. For this example, let's assume that we're at EPCOT and want to do both Soarin' and Test Track (both Tier 1 FP's, all the kids except the baby want to ride). If I get FP's for Soarin for myself and two of the kids, can the wife get the rider swap pass and come back with the other kid who wants to ride while I stay back with the baby and the children who already rode with me? And then similarly, can the wife get FP's for Test Track for herself and one of the kids (who didn't burn their Tier 1 FP for Soarin) and ride with them, and then I get the rider swap pass and come back later with the two who didn't ride with my wife?

If so, that's a pretty sweet hack around the tiering system for EPCOT and HS. The big disadvantage being that I have to haul four young children around Disney World for a week...

 

[mel373]

This is good to know. We were there last February and never had a problem with FP and Child Swap. We only had a FP for the original person going on the ride. They never made the other adult have a FP too. The other adult just used the child swap ticket.
I had read conflicting reports that some CM were making both adults have a FP but that doesn't really make sense. Thank you for the info that you had no problems recently.

 

[MrInfinity]

Ok so let me see how I could use this to my advantage...

My wife and I are taking our four kids (ages 8, 5, 4, and 1) in a few months. For this example, let's assume that we're at EPCOT and want to do both Soarin' and Test Track (both Tier 1 FP's, all the kids except the baby want to ride). If I get FP's for Soarin for myself and two of the kids, can the wife get the rider swap pass and come back with the other kid who wants to ride while I stay back with the baby and the children who already rode with me? And then similarly, can the wife get FP's for Test Track for herself and one of the kids (who didn't burn their Tier 1 FP for Soarin) and ride with them, and then I get the rider swap pass and come back later with the two who didn't ride with my wife?

If so, that's a pretty sweet hack around the tiering system for EPCOT and HS. The big disadvantage being that I have to haul four young children around Disney World for a week...

Yes, it will work as you describe. It's a "hack" if you want to call it that, but like you note, you're carrying 4 kids around.

Picture the alternative... a family without baby would just Fastpass one and ride the other by standby. 2 lines waited. You are having to wait thru 4 lines, albeit 4 of them fastpass, it will take you longer to do what a non-baby-laden family could do.

We've had a baby on our trips. Rider Switch is a big help to get us on close to what we could get on if we didn't have the baby.

PS. You don't have to stay back w the baby and children who already rode. The wife can take up to 2 (two) guests w her on the return trip. This would probly be your 8- and your 5- who will get to ride a second time "for free". You will have to do some jockeying to see which 2 kids get the extra riding on each attraction you use rider switch on.

 

[mel373]

Ok so let me see how I could use this to my advantage...

My wife and I are taking our four kids (ages 8, 5, 4, and 1) in a few months. For this example, let's assume that we're at EPCOT and want to do both Soarin' and Test Track (both Tier 1 FP's, all the kids except the baby want to ride). If I get FP's for Soarin for myself and two of the kids, can the wife get the rider swap pass and come back with the other kid who wants to ride while I stay back with the baby and the children who already rode with me? And then similarly, can the wife get FP's for Test Track for herself and one of the kids (who didn't burn their Tier 1 FP for Soarin) and ride with them, and then I get the rider swap pass and come back later with the two who didn't ride with my wife?

If so, that's a pretty sweet hack around the tiering system for EPCOT and HS. The big disadvantage being that I have to haul four young children around Disney World for a week...

This is exactly what we did last year with no problems. Hopefully it still works like this when we go in March. People may think it is "unfair" etc... but like you said the big disadvantage is having to wait around for double the amount of time. So each attraction takes my family 2x the amount of time at each ride because we have to split up to stay with the baby and you cant all ride together as a family.

 

[MegN529]

Has anyone done this recently?

 

[hiroMYhero]

Has anyone done this recently?

See Roobear's post ^.

 

[cakebaker]

We love rider switch! It's a really nice feature and I'm going to miss it when we can't do it anymore.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

hmm interesting concept...so let me see I am traveling with my DH, DS8, and my DS1. My DS8 wants to do both Splash mountain and Thunder Mountain but I can't seem to fit both into our must do FP schedule that I will be trying to get. If I get a FP for my DH for lets say Splash Mountain and we use a rider swap pass there me and my DS8 can get on it as well using that pass. And then lets say I get myself and my DS8 a FP for Thunder mountain, does that mean my husband can use the rider swap and go back on the ride with my DS8 again? This is very confusing...the amount of FPs you can have is 3 per day but is that 3 per person or 3 per family. And if its 3 per person wouldn't another "hack" of the system be that you could possibly get more than 3 intial FPs? This whole thing is just very confusing, lol

 

[hiroMYhero]

And then lets say I get myself and my DS8 a FP for Thunder mountain, does that mean my husband can use the rider swap and go back on the ride with my DS8 again?

Yes! Your son benefits from lots of rides this way. Book DS + 1 adult for 3 rides and then the second adult for 3 different rides. DS rides a total of 9 rides in this manner.

 

[cakebaker]

Another nice feature of the rider switch is you don't have to use it right away. It's good for at least several days after you get it, so you can get the swap, ride the ride whenever you want.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

Yes! Your son benefits from lots of rides this way. Book DS + 1 adult for 3 rides and then the second adult for 3 different rides. DS rides a total of 9 rides in this manner.

Ok I am still trying to figure this out, lol...So how does it work if lets say We are in MK for the day. My entire family has FPs for Little Mermaid ride and Anna & Elsa, then Me and my DS8 have a FP for Thunder Mountain and my DH has a fast pass for Splash mountain. Does that mean my DH will have to ride Splash mountain alone before we get to use the rider swap pass for me and my DS8?

 

[cakebaker]

Ok I am still trying to figure this out, lol...So how does it work if lets say We are in MK for the day. My entire family has FPs for Little Mermaid ride and Anna & Elsa, then Me and my DS8 have a FP for Thunder Mountain and my DH has a fast pass for Splash mountain. Does that mean my DH will have to ride Splash mountain alone before we get to use the rider swap pass for me and my DS8?

He doesn't have to ride it first. You go to the entrance of the ride- with the 1 yr old- they will want to see that you actually have the baby. Tell them you want a rider switch pass. They'll give you one and at that point, you're free to ride however you choose. Your husband can ride first, or you can use the pass first- doesn't matter. All they want to see is that at least 1 person has a fp+ and that you have a child who isn't riding.

 

[StirlingSilver83]

He doesn't have to ride it first. You go to the entrance of the ride- with the 1 yr old- they will want to see that you actually have the baby. Tell them you want a rider switch pass. They'll give you one and at that point, you're free to ride however you choose. Your husband can ride first, or you can use the pass first- doesn't matter. All they want to see is that at least 1 person has a fp+ and that you have a child who isn't riding.

Ok good to know thanks!

 

[cariann77]

We've never had to use rider switch before. Now, we're taking our 2 year old and I'm really happy they have it, but can someone fully explain how it works for me? All of us get in line for the ride, at what point to we need to ask for rider switch? When we get to the front? Then I can just pick one kid to ride again with me. Sorry, this sounds like it should be self-explanatory, but I just want to be prepared.

Also, I thought I read on the Disney site that rider swap is not available for SDMT. What are your best suggestions for how we could all ride this since FP+ are so hard to get for it. Should we just try to get a FP and then do stand-by so, I can ride or should I just suck it up and skip this one? I'm hoping to secure FP for both days that we are visiting MK, but we'll. Curious, what does the stand-by line look like for this one?

 

[StirlingSilver83]

We've never had to use rider switch before. Now, we're taking our 2 year old and I'm really happy they have it, but can someone fully explain how it works for me? All of us get in line for the ride, at what point to we need to ask for rider switch? When we get to the front? Then I can just pick one kid to ride again with me. Sorry, this sounds like it should be self-explanatory, but I just want to be prepared.

Also, I thought I read on the Disney site that rider swap is not available for SDMT. What are your best suggestions for how we could all ride this since FP+ are so hard to get for it. Should we just try to get a FP and then do stand-by so, I can ride or should I just suck it up and skip this one? I'm hoping to secure FP for both days that we are visiting MK, but we'll. Curious, what does the stand-by line look like for this one?

I may just be as confused as everyone else on the Rider Swap inconjuntion with FP but I do know that you will all show up at the ride and you will talk to the CM at the beginning of the ride. They will give you a rider swap card then the first group goes and rides the ride and they come out and then the 2nd group goes in and rides the ride on the rider swap ticket. I believe rider swap is good for 3 people and its also good for 7DMT. Basically any ride that has a height requirement which 7DMT does, you would be able to use the rider swap option.

 

[cakebaker]

We've never had to use rider switch before. Now, we're taking our 2 year old and I'm really happy they have it, but can someone fully explain how it works for me? All of us get in line for the ride, at what point to we need to ask for rider switch? When we get to the front? Then I can just pick one kid to ride again with me. Sorry, this sounds like it should be self-explanatory, but I just want to be prepared.

Also, I thought I read on the Disney site that rider swap is not available for SDMT. What are your best suggestions for how we could all ride this since FP+ are so hard to get for it. Should we just try to get a FP and then do stand-by so, I can ride or should I just suck it up and skip this one? I'm hoping to secure FP for both days that we are visiting MK, but we'll. Curious, what does the stand-by line look like for this one?

I don't know how many people you have that will ride sdmt, but remember up to 3 people can ride using the rider switch with only 1 person needing an actual fp+ to get the switch pass. If you're having trouble finding fp+'s for everyone, try looking for fewer and use the swap for the others. If you have to end up using standby, try to go at park opening. You can still get a rider switch using standby and only the first riders will have to stand in line- the switch pass is essentially a fp+.

 

[snayak]

When I was there in October, the majority of the rides we went up to the CM at the FP+ entrance, showed the baby and received a Rider Switch card (like old FP cards). It was good for a week or something.

For Splash & BTMRR (in particular, maybe other ones too) we got a lanyard, and were not presented with a Rider Switch card until we got to the FP+ merge point somewhere in the line. I would imagine this prevents people from exploiting Rider Switch (i.e, never waiting in the standby or FP+ line, just sending 3 people through once...not actually switching riders).

Overall it worked well, but we did spend a ton of time waiting for everbody to go twice, but out in the open not confined to the line.

Also, you can use Single Rider + Rider Switch if you want, thats what my friends did - as long as somebody goes through the Queue (standby, FP+, or Single Rider) once you can swap riders.