How is rider swap working with FP+?

[delmar411]

Anyone go with more than one toddler? We have 7 adults and 2 toddlers. If we split the FP+ between Soarin' and TT, it would need to be 4 & 3, which would leave 4 people needing a rider swap for one of the rides. That won't work out with the 3 person limit/rider swap card.

The only way to make this work is to present half the party and 1 toddler at a time. Splitting the party into 2 groups. I always had success with being given 2 rider swaps or making 1 rider swap work for 4 people but that was only because I had 3 children who could ride and wanted to ride with me as well. Not multiple adults. Splitting your party is your best bet for making this plan of your work.

 

[DiggityDog]

First time poster, long time reader

Is there a limit on how many rider swap passes you can get in a day for a specific ride?

An example:
Our FP+ reservations for Space Mountain are in the afternoon, where we plan on getting a rider swap pass so that we can both ride at that time. We decide that we want to ride Space Mountain in the morning through a reasonable standby line. Will we be able to utilize rider swap both times (once through standby, then later through FP+ reservations)?

BTW, the amount of info that I've learned through everyone's posts is amazing. Thank you!!!!

 

[doconeill]

First time poster, long time reader

Is there a limit on how many rider swap passes you can get in a day for a specific ride?

An example:
Our FP+ reservations for Space Mountain are in the afternoon, where we plan on getting a rider swap pass so that we can both ride at that time. We decide that we want to ride Space Mountain in the morning through a reasonable standby line. Will we be able to utilize rider swap both times (once through standby, then later through FP+ reservations)?

BTW, the amount of info that I've learned through everyone's posts is amazing. Thank you!!!!

There is no limit on Rider Switch use at this time. It is not tracked in any way.

 

[thebs19]

One of the "keys" in any of these plans to work, though, is getting "faux" FP+ for young children who'll never use them (i.e., the ones requiring the ride swap in the first place).

Is this really allowed? That would be an easy way to stop the "beating the system", no?

I.e., my group is myself, my wife, my son (7) and our daughter (1). If we don't get FP+ on our 1 year old's magic band (does she even get one??!!), all this would do is allow me or my wife to get 3 additional FP+ to ride alone on, right?

Take MK as an example.

My wife gets Peter Pan, Belle, Splash Mountain.
I get Pirates, Dumbo, Buzz

My son still has to pick his 3 favorite, no? He picks Pan, Belle and Buzz - my wife now rides Splash Mountain by herself as no one else has a FP+ dedicated to it. Granted both my wife and I can ride Ban, Belle and Buzz with my son (he gets 2 rides on each), but it doesn't really allow you to do EXTRA rides - which I think was how this was intended anyway - which i guess it means the system works!!

...unless I'm missing something...

 

[delmar411]

One of the "keys" in any of these plans to work, though, is getting "faux" FP+ for young children who'll never use them (i.e., the ones requiring the ride swap in the first place).

Is this really allowed? That would be an easy way to stop the "beating the system", no?

I.e., my group is myself, my wife, my son (7) and our daughter (1). If we don't get FP+ on our 1 year old's magic band (does she even get one??!!), all this would do is allow me or my wife to get 3 additional FP+ to ride alone on, right?

Take MK as an example.

My wife gets Peter Pan, Belle, Splash Mountain.
I get Pirates, Dumbo, Buzz

My son still has to pick his 3 favorite, no? He picks Pan, Belle and Buzz - my wife now rides Splash Mountain by herself as no one else has a FP+ dedicated to it. Granted both my wife and I can ride Ban, Belle and Buzz with my son (he gets 2 rides on each), but it doesn't really allow you to do EXTRA rides - which I think was how this was intended anyway - which i guess it means the system works!!

...unless I'm missing something...

You are missing the fact that children under 3 have no tickets. No tickets = no FP. They are just admitted into the FP line with their parents.

 

[thebs19]

You are missing the fact that children under 3 have no tickets. No tickets = no FP. They are just admitted into the FP line with their parents.

Well, right, that was kind of my point. So how exactly does the FP+/Rider Swap thing enable a "gaming" of the system, unless we're talking about an adult/parent getting to ride 3 extra rides by themselves?

 

[delmar411]

Well, right, that was kind of my point. So how exactly does the FP+/Rider Swap thing enable a "gaming" of the system, unless we're talking about an adult/parent getting to ride 3 extra rides by themselves?

I don't see any discussion of gaming the system? It's a bit of gaming the system I guess since it is sort of like having an added benefit but all that sitting around entertaining kids while other people ride can really suck and there is no guarantee the kids won't be done with waiting around so the waiting parent never does get to ride,

 

[thebs19]

Hmm. I guess I'm confused then.

I see people taking about splitting their FP+ between things like Soarin and Test Track in a group. That doesn't really work, does it?

Again, take my basic family example. I get the Soarin, my wife gets the Test Track. My son decides he wants Soarin, he reserves that. Yes, my wife can now ride Soarin with him again after we're done, but on Test Track, she's the only one with the FP+ - so she either rides alone, which seems silly, or there was really no benefit to this in the first place. Right?

 

[doconeill]

Hmm. I guess I'm confused then.

I see people taking about splitting their FP+ between things like Soarin and Test Track in a group. That doesn't really work, does it?

Again, take my basic family example. I get the Soarin, my wife gets the Test Track. My son decides he wants Soarin, he reserves that. Yes, my wife can now ride Soarin with him again after we're done, but on Test Track, she's the only one with the FP+ - so she either rides alone, which seems silly, or there was really no benefit to this in the first place. Right?

It doesn't require using a small child's FP+, although it is possible for a child to be 3+ and still too small to ride, and they could get a FP+ then.

Simple example, as I need to go do something:

2 adults, one baby

Adult #1 gets FP+ for Test Track. Adult #2 gets FP+ for Soarin'.

Both adults and baby go to Test Track at FP+ return time. They ask for and receive a Rider Switch pass. Adult #1 enters through the FP+ return queue, while Adult #2 and baby wait or do something else. After Adult #1 returns, Adult #2 uses Rider Switch pass and enters FP+ return queue.

Repeat in opposite order at Soarin'.

Family essentially got 4 Fastpasses for the price of two.

Larger groups may require more creative handling, depending on number of riders vs. available FP+ choices.

 

[thebs19]

It doesn't require using a small child's FP+, although it is possible for a child to be 3+ and still too small to ride, and they could get a FP+ then.

Simple example, as I need to go do something:

2 adults, one baby

Adult #1 gets FP+ for Test Track. Adult #2 gets FP+ for Soarin'.

Both adults and baby go to Test Track at FP+ return time. They ask for and receive a Rider Switch pass. Adult #1 enters through the FP+ return queue, while Adult #2 and baby wait or do something else. After Adult #1 returns, Adult #2 uses Rider Switch pass and enters FP+ return queue.

Repeat in opposite order at Soarin'.

Family essentially got 4 Fastpasses for the price of two.

Larger groups may require more creative handling, depending on number of riders vs. available FP+ choices.

I got ya. Its essentially an "adults" way to game it a bit if you have children who aren't interested in the rides in question anyway.

The issue I was specifically referencing is the multi-child family. One or some want to ride/can ride, one (or more) cannot. Short of getting the "cannot" a dummy FP+, and then swapping their band with the kid or kids who want to ride, this is really just a way for adults to ride some of the more popular attractions by themselves.

The counter to your simple example is that one I've used. If you added an able 7 year old and a 1 year old to that equation, the 7 year old can only get 1 or the other FP+, and therefore only ride 1 or the other. The adult who got the "2nd" FP+ (who rode the 1st ride on the heels of the rider swap) can ride both rides, but that would be silly if you have kids who want to go on too.

 

[delmar411]

I got ya. Its essentially an "adults" way to game it a bit if you have children who aren't interested in the rides in question anyway.

The issue I was specifically referencing is the multi-child family. One or some want to ride/can ride, one (or more) cannot. Short of getting the "cannot" a dummy FP+, and then swapping their band with the kid or kids who want to ride, this is really just a way for adults to ride some of the more popular attractions by themselves.

The counter to your simple example is that one I've used. If you added an able 7 year old and a 1 year old to that equation, the 7 year old can only get 1 or the other FP+, and therefore only ride 1 or the other. The adult who got the "2nd" FP+ (who rode the 1st ride on the heels of the rider swap) can ride both rides, but that would be silly if you have kids who want to go on too.

A rider swap card is good for 3 people not 1. So the 7yr old could ride both rides.

 

[doconeill]

A rider swap card is good for 3 people not 1. So the 7yr old could ride both rides.

This.

Your example doesn't break it. In fact, it means the 7yo can ride twice for at least one of the attractions (the one that the 7yo gets a FP+ for as well)

 

[Minnie404]

So I'm trying to figure out if I can make this work. Currently at EP my son and Dh have fp for tt and daughter and i have fp for soarin. Dh does not want to ride soarin but I know my son will want to. Is there a way to do rider swap and take son on it or not cause daughter is tall enough for the ride. She isn't tall enough for tt. Any ideas-other then waiting in standby line?

 

[mel373]

I believe the rider swap is for parents that have children that are too small to ride. I don't think it is Intended for adults to be able to ride more than once. In my situation we have two older kids and a baby. I would love for my whole family to be able to ride some of the bigger rides together. Unfortunately the baby can't ride. My older girls will want to ride with my husband and myself and we both want to experience their faces on these attractions.
I don't feel like it is cheating the system by doing this. When you have a child too little to ride it takes 2x the amount of time to ride since the family members have to ride 2x in groups. It prob equals the amount of time for one ride in the standby line. If you have a big group of adults only one or two need to stay with the baby and the rest can ride first. I don't want this ruined for the families with small children who just want to ride with their older children.

 

[delmar411]

So I'm trying to figure out if I can make this work. Currently at EP my son and Dh have fp for tt and daughter and i have fp for soarin. Dh does not want to ride soarin but I know my son will want to. Is there a way to do rider swap and take son on it or not cause daughter is tall enough for the ride. She isn't tall enough for tt. Any ideas-other then waiting in standby line?

Is she tall enough or not? You said she is and then she isn't. If she is too short then just have your son use her band. If she is tall enough then you are likely out of luck because they are really strict about rider swap at Soarin.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Is she tall enough or not? You said she is and then she isn't. If she is too short then just have your son use her band. If she is tall enough then you are likely out of luck because they are really strict about rider swap at Soarin.

I think she is saying her daughter is tall enough for soarin, where she wants the rider swap so her son can ride also, but the daughter is not tl enough for test track.

To that poster: the only thing I think you could do is change your son's fp to soarin. You won't get a RS pass if your Dd is tall enough. Bring your Dd to test track, where she is too short, and get a rider swap pass there. Your dh can ride alone for the first ride, either fp+ or single rider. When he comes out, he and your son use the RS pass to ride together.

 

[delmar411]

I think she is saying her daughter is tall enough for soarin, where she wants the rider swap so her son can ride also, but the daughter is not tl enough for test track.

To that poster: the only thing I think you could do is change your son's fp to soarin. You won't get a RS pass if your Dd is tall enough. Bring your Dd to test track, where she is too short, and get a rider swap pass there. Your dh can ride alone for the first ride, either fp+ or single rider. When he comes out, he and your son use the RS pass to ride together.

TT and Soarin have the same height min. LOL the girl is either tall enough for both or too short for both.

 

[Angel Ariel]

TT and Soarin have the same height min. LOL the girl is either tall enough for both or too short for both.

Ah, that's what I was missing sorry about that!

 

[Minnie404]

Sorry all, I thought Test Track height requirement was 44 inches but Soarin was only 40. I see now they are both 40. I don't think my daughter will want to ride Test Track but you never know. I think I am going to have just get a fast pass for Soarin and have the boys go through standby for Test Track. Hopefully the line won't be too long or we get there earlier enough in the day that they can do it first thing. Sorry for the confusion. She is over 40 inches but not 44 inches yet.

 

[thebs19]

I believe the rider swap is for parents that have children that are too small to ride. I don't think it is Intended for adults to be able to ride more than once. In my situation we have two older kids and a baby. I would love for my whole family to be able to ride some of the bigger rides together. Unfortunately the baby can't ride. My older girls will want to ride with my husband and myself and we both want to experience their faces on these attractions.
I don't feel like it is cheating the system by doing this. When you have a child too little to ride it takes 2x the amount of time to ride since the family members have to ride 2x in groups. It prob equals the amount of time for one ride in the standby line. If you have a big group of adults only one or two need to stay with the baby and the rest can ride first. I don't want this ruined for the families with small children who just want to ride with their older children.

Right. The whole idea above that my example actually would work I think includes a piece that would see one parent ride by themselves (using their FP+), getting a rider swap card (presumably saying that the older child, who is eligible to ride, doesn't want to), and then the other parent + kid using that rider swap card in lieu of having a FP+. That seems kind of...I dunno, against the spirit of the whole thing.