Rider swap changes

[SMD]

Oh, that's not what I meant... but I didn't even think of people abusing it in that way (I'm one of those boring stick in the mud kind of sticklers for rules...). We never had that problem with our kids... they knew exactly what they did & did not want to ride, while the little girl who'll be with us next week (my niece) is the more indecisive type. Guess you're right & I'll ask the cast members to see what they suggest (& will report back here what I found out when we're back).

Most likely if you've passed the chicken exit right before boarding when she changes her mind they'll let you wait on the platform and then swap. They can't offer it for everyone who wants to swap because there isn't enough space, but I've seen them do it on some rides when a child starts crying.

It seems silly that the kid would have to go all the way to the second checkpoint. As a mom of multiples, it would be ridiculous to drag all my too-young/too-small kids through the line, plus it would clog it up. I'm hoping they just have to show at the first checkpoint, which is how it's always been really. Can someone clarify?

It seems like allowing them past the first checkpoint would just lead to confusion with height requirements. There will be a lot more kids getting rejected at the FP merge and the loading area. This sounds like the kind of thing Disney usually tests with just one ride. I wonder if this is only GotG at this point.

 

[lmhall2000]

How can rider swap work with children with developmental issues? We will be there Wednesday, our niece is 16, but she has the mind of a much younger child. She is on multiple medications to prevent psychotic episodes, we just don't want to tax her too much, is rider swap something that could help her? I've never had to use it and not sure how it works.

 

[SMD]

How can rider swap work with children with developmental issues? We will be there Wednesday, our niece is 16, but she has the mind of a much younger child. She is on multiple medications to prevent psychotic episodes, we just don't want to tax her too much, is rider swap something that could help her? I've never had to use it and not sure how it works.

Do you want to use it because she won't be going on some rides with height limits but she can't be left alone while the rest of the party rides? It should work. I've read stories on this board of people saying they were denied the switch pass for a child that made the height limit, but if I recall those were all from WDW, not DLR. If you encounter any issues, you still have the option of having the person who waits with her use an FP or SR after everyone else rides, where available.

 

[onlyoneash]

So the questions it looks like we need answered are:

1) do the cms give you the rider swap at the first or second checkpoint. My personal opinion is requiring the second checkpoint would be incredibly stupid/inconsiderate since many child swappers have sleeping babies in strollers. That would really make a lot of parents and babies very angry.

2) does everyone in the party have to have a fastpass (if going through the FP line) or just the first rider(s). The second set of riders didn't used to have to get a fastpass because they just used their rider swap pass.

3)any advice on children with disabilities that meet the height req's physically, but not mentally

4)are the rider swaps still good for 3 people? More? Less?

5)If you take an older child with you the first ride (while the small child stays with the other parent), can that older child ride again on the rider swap with the other parent?

6) Is there a time limit to when the rider swap has to be used?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

So the questions it looks like we need answered are:

1) do the cms give you the rider swap at the first or second checkpoint. My personal opinion is requiring the second checkpoint would be incredibly stupid/inconsiderate since many child swappers have sleeping babies in strollers. That would really make a lot of parents and babies very angry.

2) does everyone in the party have to have a fastpass (if going through the FP line) or just the first rider(s). The second set of riders didn't used to have to get a fastpass because they just used their rider swap pass.

3)any advice on children with disabilities that meet the height req's physically, but not mentally

4)are the rider swaps still good for 3 people? More? Less?

5)If you take an older child with you the first ride (while the small child stays with the other parent), can that older child ride again on the rider swap with the other parent?

Good summary, thank you. I would also like to know if the Rider Swap pass may be still be used at any time for the rest of the day or if there is a time limit now.

 

[disneymum58]

In my experience, they will not let a child in line who does not meet the height requirements, no matter if they want to ride or not. There is a measuring point at the beginning of the the line.
They would not issue us a rider switch pass when my son who was tall enough was terrified to ride Space Mountain. He was still too young to wait by himself.

 

[onlyoneash]

Good summary, thank you. I would also like to know if the Rider Swap pass may be still be used at any time for the rest of the day or if there is a time limit now.

Oh good one! I added it to the original post.

 

[tnzzz]

So the questions it looks like we need answered are:

1) do the cms give you the rider swap at the first or second checkpoint. My personal opinion is requiring the second checkpoint would be incredibly stupid/inconsiderate since many child swappers have sleeping babies in strollers. That would really make a lot of parents and babies very angry.

2) does everyone in the party have to have a fastpass (if going through the FP line) or just the first rider(s). The second set of riders didn't used to have to get a fastpass because they just used their rider swap pass.

3)any advice on children with disabilities that meet the height req's physically, but not mentally

4)are the rider swaps still good for 3 people? More? Less?

5)If you take an older child with you the first ride (while the small child stays with the other parent), can that older child ride again on the rider swap with the other parent?

6) Is there a time limit to when the rider swap has to be used?

Wasn't it something like the other person +2 others could use the swap? My daughter always got to ride twice because of this. I appreciated not having to go on rides alone, but I wonder if that's changed.

 

[tammytam]

I am super curious about these questions as well. We're planning to use rider swap for the first time next month. It's my son's first trip, and while he's 5 years old, he has a genetic condition that results in short stature, and he's not yet 40" tall. In addition to my son, our party includes 2 adults and a 9 year old.. so I've been planning to use rider swap quite a bit! I hope to figure out how this works with MaxPass before our trip!

 

[blana]

So the questions it looks like we need answered are:

1) do the cms give you the rider swap at the first or second checkpoint. My personal opinion is requiring the second checkpoint would be incredibly stupid/inconsiderate since many child swappers have sleeping babies in strollers. That would really make a lot of parents and babies very angry.

2) does everyone in the party have to have a fastpass (if going through the FP line) or just the first rider(s). The second set of riders didn't used to have to get a fastpass because they just used their rider swap pass.

3)any advice on children with disabilities that meet the height req's physically, but not mentally

4)are the rider swaps still good for 3 people? More? Less?

5)If you take an older child with you the first ride (while the small child stays with the other parent), can that older child ride again on the rider swap with the other parent?

6) Is there a time limit to when the rider swap has to be used?

Sorry about any confusion. Swaps were given at the first check point, just like before. When asking for it, all the people riding the second time had to be there with their tickets. The rider swap was then added to each ticket, on top of the fast pass if you already had it.

I don't think you had to have a fast pass for the parent getting the swap pass, but I don't know, because I did have one.

Still 3 people, but each of the three has to present their ticket to get swap added to it.

Yes, our two older kids got to ride both times, once with fast pass, once with the swap. But they had to stay with me until the swap got added before they could ride with their fast pass. So, no reaching the first check point and the riders running on through while the pass was being given. All three people had to have the swap added to their pass.

No clue on the time limit or disabilities question. Even the CMs were confused as we were doing it.

 

[tnzzz]

Sorry about any confusion. Swaps were given at the first check point, just like before. When asking for it, all the people riding the second time had to be there with their tickets. The rider swap was then added to each ticket, on top of the fast pass if you already had it.

I don't think you had to have a fast pass for the parent getting the swap pass, but I don't know, because I did have one.

Still 3 people, but each of the three has to present their ticket to get swap added to it.

Yes, our two older kids got to ride both times, once with fast pass, once with the swap. But they had to stay with me until the swap got added before they could ride with their fast pass. So, no reaching the first check point and the riders running on through while the pass was being given. All three people had to have the swap added to their pass.

No clue on the time limit or disabilities question. Even the CMs were confused as we were doing it.

Thanks for the follow up, this covers what I wasn't clear on initially.

 

[agamble]

We experienced this and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I'll update later. We got rider swaps scanned on my ticket and two kids when DH took oldest on the guardians ride this morning. My phone showed ride for three. Later DH used the swap I got him for RSR with the two kids and after that my phone was only showing ride for one, my ticket only. Now mine has disappeared off my app too, but I have not used a ride swap at all today. Not sure what's going on. Going to ignore the phone and try the tickets and see what happens.

 

[agamble]

So they let us in, but the scanner turned blue not green. I told her we had swap passes from this morning. She made a comment about us having FP for Grizzly, but said we could come in and pushed a button on her hand held machine. If you cannot hold a new FP and a swap pass without canceling your swap then this isn't a change I like.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

So they let us in, but the scanner turned blue not green. I told her we had swap passes from this morning. She made a comment about us having FP for Grizzly, but said we could come in and pushed a button on her hand held machine. If you cannot hold a new FP and a swap pass without canceling your swap then this isn't a change I like.

That would really suck! I hope it's a glitch they going to fix!

 

[SMD]

So they let us in, but the scanner turned blue not green. I told her we had swap passes from this morning. She made a comment about us having FP for Grizzly, but said we could come in and pushed a button on her hand held machine. If you cannot hold a new FP and a swap pass without canceling your swap then this isn't a change I like.

Was the CM possibly just warning you that you might miss your GRR FP window if you waited through the FP queue again to use the swap?

When they first switched to electronic ReAds we weren't able to use FP on HSM and they said it wasn't going to be up before the park closed. They said they only needed 1 ticket from the group and they'd put a ReAd on it so we could all go on Star Tours. We walked right over to ST, and sure enough, the ticket scanned for 1 person, because the CM hit the wrong button on the scanner. They probably just need a few shifts to get used to it. They did let you ride, because they're probably seeing errors.

 

[agamble]

That would really suck! I hope it's a glitch they going to fix!

I purchased Max Pass for just my ticket for photos and I had some photos not show up. I will be going to get them added and may head over to the Chamber of Commerce at DCA and ask about rider swap and FP and let them know what my app showed. My kid's swap pass for Guardians disappeared after she used the other swap pass for RSR with her dad. It's possible it disappeared when we added the new swap pass. I did have FP for RSR before getting the swap for Guardians and that wasn't affected. But some time later when I pulled a new FP my swap disappeared.

 

[agamble]

Was the CM possibly just warning you that you might miss your GRR FP window if you waited through the FP queue again to use the swap?

When they first switched to electronic ReAds we weren't able to use FP on HSM and they said it wasn't going to be up before the park closed. They said they only needed 1 ticket from the group and they'd put a ReAd on it so we could all go on Star Tours. We walked right over to ST, and sure enough, the ticket scanned for 1 person, because the CM hit the wrong button on the scanner. They probably just need a few shifts to get used to it. They did let you ride, because they're probably seeing errors.

No. It was only 130. The pass originally showed for three and had our names. Later my kids' disappeared after getting a different swap. Then mine disappeared after getting a new FP. My husband thinks maybe they want you to swap immediately. That's fine. But then it needs to be communicated that that is the new expectation.

 

[SMD]

No. It was only 130. The pass originally showed for three and had our names. Later my kids' disappeared after getting a different swap. Then mine disappeared after getting a new FP. My husband thinks maybe they want you to swap immediately. That's fine. But then it needs to be communicated that that is the new expectation.

Disney published description of rider switch has always been that you wait by the ride and the switch immediately. You want them to tell you that they've closed the loophole that you've been abusing in contradiction to their published instructions? Just follow the rules as they laid them out if that's what's causing your issue using the system.

 

[cmwade77]

Disney published description of rider switch has always been that you wait by the ride and the switch immediately. You want them to tell you that they've closed the loophole that you've been abusing in contradiction to their published instructions? Just follow the rules as they laid them out if that's what's causing your issue using the system.

My thoughts exactly, although the rules did allow for the non rides to go to get some food, etc. Nearby.

 

[onlyoneash]

Disney published description of rider switch has always been that you wait by the ride and the switch immediately. You want them to tell you that they've closed the loophole that you've been abusing in contradiction to their published instructions? Just follow the rules as they laid them out if that's what's causing your issue using the system.

Some of us weren't "abusing" the system and couldn't sit and wait 45 minutes+ at Indiana Jones to "immediate swap" (haha) and had to leave to nurse a baby or put toddlers down for a nap while everyone else rode. That rider's pass was nice to come back later in the evening and have for the parent left behind to get to ride!

But yes, I'm know people abused the system also. But it is too bad for those in the above mentioned situations.