Rider Swap - Graphically explained

[china mom]

Well it depends. The written policy is that if the child is under 7 and do not want to ride they should be able to get a rider swap because they can't be in the park by themselves. However most CMs are trained that they are for too short riders only. I don't know why management has gone that route because it even contradicts what is in the manuals but it is how it is happening. If the CM says no then you'll have to ask for an at the load swap. Some times this is possible where they will let one of you wait at the exit with the child and then when your party exits the ride you swap. This has to happen at the load though but you should basically ask every CM on your way to load. Some will do it and some won't. It is frustrating that the policy doesn't work as it should because I know when people travel with their older children with disabilities (usually adult children on the spectrum) or travel with their elderly relatives they really need the swap so that person who looks capable but really isn't, is not left alone but CMs always fight it. I do think if you come up against too many nos poping into guest relations and writing an email is worth it. They won't know the system is broken and it is affecting vacations unless people tell them.

I was able to get a rider swap pass for my elderly mother. She is tall enough to ride (just over 44 inches ) but wheelchair bound and can't be left alone due to dementia. They didn't ask me to explain all that. They just saw that she was in a wheelchair and gave us the lanyard.

 

[wilkeliza]

I was able to get a rider swap pass for my elderly mother. She is tall enough to ride (just over 44 inches ) but wheelchair bound and can't be left alone due to dementia. They didn't ask me to explain all that. They just saw that she was in a wheelchair and gave us the lanyard.

that's good to know! I haven't had to ask but I know there is someone on the boards that says they are always given a very hard time trying to get a rider swap when asking for someone to stay behind with an adult non-rider who needs a guardian with them.

 

[disneyholic family]

so if we have two toddlers, we still just get one rider swap right?
we're a group of 8
6 adults and 2 toddlers (but only one of the toddlers actually has a ticket and so is entitled to a fastpass)

what we're thinking is:
4 adults ride using FP
2 adults stay back with the 2 kidlets..

at some point later in the day (probably when the two kidlets are napping), the two adults will ride using the baby swap and taking one of the 4 who have already ridden....
so i guess another of the four could ride again using another FP (given that two of the adults will be with the napping toddlers)..

so how many FPs have we used? hmmm..
that's 4 FPs for the first ride and 1 FP for the second ride....so that's 5 FPs overall...
so that would leave us with 2 extra FPs...that's if two people ride a second time..

 

[wilkeliza]

so if we have two toddlers, we still just get one rider swap right?
we're a group of 8
6 adults and 2 toddlers (but only one of the toddlers actually has a ticket and so is entitled to a fastpass)

what we're thinking is:
4 adults ride using FP
2 adults stay back with the 2 kidlets..

at some point later in the day (probably when the two kidlets are napping), the two adults will ride using the baby swap and taking one of the 4 who have already ridden....
so i guess another of the four could ride again using another FP (given that two of the adults will be with the napping toddlers)..

so how many FPs have we used? hmmm..
that's 4 FPs for the first ride and 1 FP for the second ride....so that's 5 FPs overall...
so that would leave us with 2 extra FPs...that's if two people ride a second time..

You'll just treat everyone as a group of 4 when. So when you approch CMs for your return first group of 3 adults and 1 toddler goes up and then 2nd set is right behind. So 2 people should ask for rider swap.

The toddler that doesn't have a ticket will be allowed into a FP ride with their adult as long as their is no height requirement and the adult has a FP for it.

 

[disneyholic family]

You'll just treat everyone as a group of 4 when. So when you approch CMs for your return first group of 3 adults and 1 toddler goes up and then 2nd set is right behind. So 2 people should ask for rider swap.

The toddler that doesn't have a ticket will be allowed into a FP ride with their adult as long as their is no height requirement and the adult has a FP for it.

this was what i suggested, but DD was really really annoyed with me.....she said this was cheating the system and we should just go up as a group of 8 and not try to abuse rider swap..
not sure i agree this is abuse, but i don't want to create conflict within our group..

 

[wilkeliza]

this was what i suggested, but DD was really really annoyed with me.....she said this was cheating the system and we should just go up as a group of 8 and not try to abuse rider swap..
not sure i agree this is abuse, but i don't want to create conflict within our group..

I don't see it as abuse. I wouldn't want to be the only adult in charge of two toddlers while everyone else is having fun on a ride. If she doesn't want to split up then she can be the one to stay behind. FP NRJ and take both kids on it. Then she'll be able to take 2 other adults back with her through FOP.

 

[tlmadden73]

Nice.

Rider Swap is good in concept, but I found it a struggle to use with an infant and a 4-year old. We never used it.

Most times it was more of a hassle to get the infant to the touch point to prove you needed a rider swap than it was just to have one of us skip the ride. The baby was maybe napping somewhere, being changed, etc and we didn't want to move her or take the time to get her to the ride queue.

Also we encountered confusion how it worked FROM cast members. At Seven Dwarves the cast member outside seemed unaware of how to handle it and set us into the line to get the lanyard. Inside the cast member said I should have gotten a lanyard from the CM outside!?! My wife ended just riding solo (luckily had a Fast Pass).

The other issue was simply that on some rides we planned on rider swapping, my son didn't want to ride it a second time. Star Tours made his tummy "feel funny" and he didn't like the attention of being made the spy. SDMT was "too rough" (even though he enjoyed it thoroughly a year previously) (I think this was due to the first time he went on in the dark and he couldn't see all the hills and turns). My poor wife went on a few rides herself or just skipped them altogether.

Maybe it will work better if we go back when infant is 2-3 years old and my son will be 6-7.

 

[bumbershoot]

That was incredibly helpful! One question...does the small child have to be unable to ride (due to height) or can they just not want to ride? I have been told it doesn't matter, but want to be sure. My 5yo is 44" so can ride many rides, but doesn't like the coasters (even the small ones). Thanks!

Policy in the parks has always been (and the website used to state it too) that swap is for too-small people. A couple years ago the info on the website changed when everything else changed.

Wilkeliza says the "scared to ride" info had been in manuals but I can't speak to that. I can only speak to what the site used to say and what it now says, and what is verbally done in the parks (too-small), while knowing that there are many disconnects in info and practice with Disney.

That said, I've seen more reports recently of families with "don't want to ride) people being allowed to swap. But imo it seems to still be pixie dust when it happens.

Would it be acceptable/allowed/safe to let a 10 year child wait on the platform alone while you ride? I'm thinking of Thunder Mountain as an example.

They cannot wait on the platform.

Just have the 10 year old go through the line with your group then use the chicken exit before you're seated. Just tell the seating cast member what s/he wants to do and they'll direct her/him. Then they go further on down the path and wait for you at a predetermined spot.

 

[KaitMM]

This is awesome!! While we've been to Disney many times, we do not have kids yet, and wondered how this works when we do have them. Thank you so much!

 

[heather913]

Heads up - the Rider Swap ticket I was given at Kali River Rapids last week was only good for 1 person to ride. All of the other tickets we got said 3 people, but this one said 1.

 

[wilkeliza]

Policy in the parks has always been (and the website used to state it too) that swap is for too-small people. A couple years ago the info on the website changed when everything else changed.

Eilkeliza says the "scared to ride" info had been in manuals but I can't speak to that. I can only speak to what the site uses to say and what it now says, and what is verbally done in the parks (too-small), while knowing that there are many disconnects in info and practice with Disney.

The site actually says for those who don't want to ride and makes it sound like don't want to ride and need someone to wait with them.

This is straight form the website and is linked to from the Guests with Cognitive Disabilities FAQ as well
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/

 

[TISHLOVESDISNEY]

Heads up - the Rider Swap ticket I was given at Kali River Rapids last week was only good for 1 person to ride. All of the other tickets we got said 3 people, but this one said 1.

That's weird. Just 1 single person, or 1 rider plus 1 guest?

 

[Drdani226]

Well it depends. The written policy is that if the child is under 7 and do not want to ride they should be able to get a rider swap because they can't be in the park by themselves. However most CMs are trained that they are for too short riders only. I don't know why management has gone that route because it even contradicts what is in the manuals but it is how it is happening. If the CM says no then you'll have to ask for an at the load swap. Some times this is possible where they will let one of you wait at the exit with the child and then when your party exits the ride you swap. This has to happen at the load though but you should basically ask every CM on your way to load. Some will do it and some won't. It is frustrating that the policy doesn't work as it should because I know when people travel with their older children with disabilities (usually adult children on the spectrum) or travel with their elderly relatives they really need the swap so that person who looks capable but really isn't, is not left alone but CMs always fight it. I do think if you come up against too many nos poping into guest relations and writing an email is worth it. They won't know the system is broken and it is affecting vacations unless people tell them.

Thank you! Very good to know. She's pretty tiny too, she's just at 44", so maybe that will work in our favor

 

[heather913]

That's weird. Just 1 single person, or 1 rider plus 1 guest?

Just 1 rider. The other tickets all said 3, but that ticket said 1. They let all 3 on but they weren't happy about it.

 

[disneyholic family]

I don't see it as abuse. I wouldn't want to be the only adult in charge of two toddlers while everyone else is having fun on a ride. If she doesn't want to split up then she can be the one to stay behind. FP NRJ and take both kids on it. Then she'll be able to take 2 other adults back with her through FOP.

i've already made it clear i think 2 adults have to stay behind...they're really little toddlers (ages 2 and 3.5)...
no way for one person to handle both and make sure both are having fun (plus they'll be in separate strollers and there's always the possibility of a bathroom run for the older one)..
i don't think we'll go on simultaneous rides as all of the adults want to see how the toddlers enjoy the stuff they can do...

DD says that trying to split our group into two groups of 4 will be obvious to the CMs, since we're going to be wearing group tshirts..

 

[wilkeliza]

i've already made it clear i think 2 adults have to stay behind...they're really little toddlers (ages 2 and 3.5)...
no way for one person to handle both and make sure both are having fun (plus they'll be in separate strollers and there's always the possibility of a bathroom run for the older one)..
i don't think we'll go on simultaneous rides as all of the adults want to see how the toddlers enjoy the stuff they can do...

DD says that trying to split our group into two groups of 4 will be obvious to the CMs, since we're going to be wearing group tshirts..

Ah. I wouldn't sweat it. If you only get 1 pass it should be good for 2 adults to reride. If they give you one of the passes that says it is only good for 1 adult then ask for a second. Hope your DD is okay with that so no one has to ride alone.

 

[disneyholic family]

Heads up - the Rider Swap ticket I was given at Kali River Rapids last week was only good for 1 person to ride. All of the other tickets we got said 3 people, but this one said 1.

well that's terrible - who wants to ride anything by themselves????
that takes all the fun out of it..

years ago, when it was just DH and me and the two (now married) kids were 6 weeks old and 2.5 years old, DH and i didn't ride any rides that the 2.5 year old couldn't....it was a very different sort of trip and still a very enjoyable one...just without any big rides as neither DH nor i wanted to ride anything on our own....nothing interests me enough to get me on it on my own...

i can't imagine them thinking anyone would want to ride kali by themselves...half the fun is laughing at each other getting soaked...

 

[bumbershoot]

The site actually says for those who don't want to ride and makes it sound like don't want to ride and need someone to wait with them.

That's what I was saying. It used to say "too small", it then changed randomly one day to say what it says, but people in the parks were trained for too small NOT too scared.

Sorry for the typo with your name. I knew I forgot to correct that earlier when I was on my cell.

 

[JPKnapp]

I'm glad the graphics worked out for explaining how it all comes together. Rider Swap has been a Disney staple for my family for years and I always tried to explain it to new visitors, but they never got the concept until I drew it out. We've never gotten even a glimpse of flak from a CM about asking for RS passes. At worst was a Splash Mtn CM who (before we knew better and my wife and toddler were standing over by BTMM) said "I really should see the other adult" But let us have the pass when I pointed her out from 50 yards away. They just want to see the other adult so they know you arent gaming the system. Send the link along to anyone who needs it.

 

[wilkeliza]

That's what I was saying. It used to say "too small", it then changed randomly one day to say what it says, but people in the parks were trained for too small NOT too scared.

Sorry for the typo with your name. I knew I forgot to correct that earlier when I was on my cell.

ah I read it incorrectly then. I thought you were saying online still says too short. I was with the company with in recent history and it seems even if the books change the training doesn't. Same goes for how some managers will make decisions on their own like how I watched 7DMT try to tell people everyone had to have a FP to get a swap pass.