Kids Need ticket at every ride?

[only hope]

SDMT is unlikely any time of day, along with SDD, FoP, and to a slightly lesser extent, Navi and Frozen. RRRC we don't ride but I see it come up every day I go to HS, just not as often as the other tier 1's, SDD excluded. We've rarely had trouble getting anything else we want with a return time within the next 20mn within five minutes of starting to refresh at MK, regardless of time of day, crowd level, or attraction popularity, except for 7DMT. We don't usually do anything at MK more than once though as there's so much to do there. Maybe it is a lot easier for a group of two? AK, HS and Epcot can take a few more minutes, which is likely due to fewer fp's being offered to begin with.

 

[Aytons4him]

Thanks All!! Finally getting to read through this tonight and sO MUCH help here!!
Guess I’ve got some reading to do! We leave in the morning lol!!

 

[10CJ]

Watch for park hours changing. HS just made some adjustments to park hours and additional FP opened up.

 

[Aytons4him]

Things have changed, they no longer do paper rider swap, it's all on your MDE account digitally. And there is now a return window, so I think you have to wait a certain amount of time before you can use it and then you have to use it within a certain amount of time (1 hour I think).

There is an explanation of how rider swap works now here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...p-digital-system-begins-in-late-june.3686256/

I’m a little concerned! I just read through a chunk of this thread and it sounds like a one hour window in enforced. Maybe no big deal for anyone whom has FP for the ride but our family is standing in the standby queue. We couldn’t get FP for many of the headliners. So I can’t possibly see how we could use RS as once my big kids stand in line for close to an hour or more plus ride and then I try to switch with the littles our time will be up.

 

[10CJ]

I’m a little concerned! I just read through a chunk of this thread and it sounds like a one hour window in enforced. Maybe no big deal for anyone whom has FP for the ride but our family is standing in the standby queue. We couldn’t get FP for many of the headliners. So I can’t possibly see how we could use RS as once my big kids stand in line for close to an hour or more plus ride and then I try to switch with the littles our time will be up. ☹

they factor in the standby wait time when they give you the return time/window.

 

[Aytons4him]

they factor in the standby wait time when they give you the return time/window.

Phew!! That’s good to know!! Thanks so much!!

 

[disneygirlsng]

This doesn't work if you are trying to ride headliners multiple times though. It is highly unlikely to get a SDMT, Soarin, RRRC, ect using this method after about noon. Things like BTMRR, Splash, and Jungle cruise will be limited, most of the time we have found that by noon anything worth fastpassing has a return time well into the evening. It is useful for some of the lower priority things, but for those looking to do headliners multiple times in a day, it just doesn't work well at any but the slowest times. We have had a lot of experience trying.

For larger groups I would agree. For groups of about 4 or less, I 100% disagree. I've gotten all the rides mentioned, plus more, fairly easily any time of the day, at all times of the year. I've actually found the busier times of the year to be easier since there are more people changing their plans. DHS is especially much easier now with the newer tiers. Got all 5 tier 1 rides there within about 2 hours one afternoon in November.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

For larger groups I would agree. For groups of about 4 or less, I 100% disagree. I've gotten all the rides mentioned, plus more, fairly easily any time of the day, at all times of the year. I've actually found the busier times of the year to be easier since there are more people changing their plans. DHS is especially much easier now with the newer tiers. Got all 5 tier 1 rides there within about 2 hours one afternoon in November.

I am pretty sure that this family is bigger than 4, based on the fact that she is splitting kids into 2 groups to ride,ect. That is what I was basing my comments on. I think you are right that it would work for smaller groups. 2 or 3 people would definitely be much easier.

 

[tink fan]

Ok great! Just wasn’t sure if they had to scan their ticket again once in line.
My eldest daughter (19) will be in line with them. Hubby can’t do the bigger rides anymore. I was thinking of keeping the youngest two with him ( I’ll have baby) and then with rider swap I could ride with them?
Wondering how long I have until I can come back and use rider swap.
We have a special needs baby T21 with feeding issues etc so there’s some unpredictability there when it comes to timing for me.

You mentioned you have a special needs child. I don’t know the specifics of his/her needs, but Disney provides a disabilities pass you can use if waiting in a traditional line would be a problem. For instance (again I don’t know your specifics), if you might need to leave a standby line immediately to take care of feeding needs for your special needs child. Instead of physically waiting in the line you are given a return time based on the standby time for the ride. You just go back to the ride anytime after the return time and get in the fastpass line. Go to the disabilities forum for more info on the pass (its acronym is DAS). Or stop by guest relations after you enter the park and explain your situation to see if the DAS is applicable for you.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

You mentioned you have a special needs child. I don’t know the specifics of his/her needs, but Disney provides a disabilities pass you can use if waiting in a traditional line would be a problem. For instance (again I don’t know your specifics), if you might need to leave a standby line immediately to take care of feeding needs for your special needs child. Instead of physically waiting in the line you are given a return time based on the standby time for the ride. You just go back to the ride anytime after the return time and get in the fastpass line. Go to the disabilities forum for more info on the pass (its acronym is DAS). Or stop by guest relations after you enter the park and explain your situation to see if the DAS is applicable for you.

I am not 100% sure, but I THINK that wouldn't work for everything. From what I have read, the actual person needing the DAS must be riding and scan in with their magic band to get the return time.

 

[finedice]

This doesn't work if you are trying to ride headliners multiple times though. It is highly unlikely to get a SDMT, Soarin, RRRC, ect using this method after about noon. Things like BTMRR, Splash, and Jungle cruise will be limited, most of the time we have found that by noon anything worth fastpassing has a return time well into the evening. It is useful for some of the lower priority things, but for those looking to do headliners multiple times in a day, it just doesn't work well at any but the slowest times. We have had a lot of experience trying.

The later in the day you go, the less FP return times are available, but people are always changing plans last minute. You are right that the feasibility is less, and the problem is exacerbated with a larger group - but it can be fruitful if you "just keep swimming"... oops, I mean refreshing....