Rider Swap Update Anyone?

[DnA2010]

We are currently on the fence about throwing together a trip at the beginning of next month and have never experienced Rider Swap and DD13 was big enough for everything at her first trip when she was 6..now we have DD#2 who will be 15 months so we would be using rider swap- I thought that with rider swap the second parent waited at the exit and then rode, but from my readings it seems that now you get an assigned time an hour later? Anyone used recently that can explain? Thank you!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Everything is different now and there isn't much consistency, which is annoying. You and the other riding party go up to the fastpass line together and scan the FP then the cm manually attaches a rider switch ticket to the other person's ticket. They decide when you can return, usually an hour later, good for an hour. But this is very annoying because it means they might not be able to ride when you're done, and then you have to wait around until your window opens.

I truly hate this new process. It makes life much harder. One time on Monday when we tried to get a rider switch the one CM with the scanner had walked away so we couldn't get it. She said to come back after and try, which we did and she put it on and asked me what time I wanted to return so I think there is some leeway here and I wonder if you could request an immediate return? Anyway, my son had a total meltdown right after this and we had to leave so my husband didn't get to ride because his switch ticket expired before we came back. Also earlier that day we had gone to ride Soarin and asked for a rider swap. They said they didn't do it that early (at that time it was just a 15 minute wait) but by the time he came out the wait was now 30 minutes. I talked to the CM and he let me go even though he said he was not supposed to but I wish it wasn't so hard.

 

[tnzzz]

We were there in September and typically our return time was around 20-30 minutes after we scanned in. Once was closer to an hour. I agree that it wasn’t very consistent, and I didn’t care for being constrained to a certain window of time, but we adapted and overall didn’t have any problems using it.
I did ask once if we could get an immediate return time and the CM said they schedule them based on when they think the first party will be done by, approx 20 minutes. But again, not always consistent.
Also we were told by one CM not to schedule a FP for the rider who will be using the rider swap. This did help to speed up the process a bit.
I will admit it was kind of confusing at first, even for the CMs, but I would think they have a better grasp on the new process by now. By our second day we had it down and didn’t have any issues.

 

[lcp9]

We just went last week, and since we had grandparents with us we didn't need to use it as much as much as we normally do, but we did a couple of times and it worked ok. For the rides I can remember (RSR/BTMRR), they will want to see the nonrider with the baby/stroller/whatever. Then, they will add 3 new fast passes to (in my experience) ANY 3 tickets in your party. So, she might scan new FP onto tickets for person A, B and C, but person D, E, and F can use them. It didn't matter, just be sure to keep track of which tickets have the extra fastpass.

They did come with return times, and ours for RSR was an hour out from when party #1 got off the ride. I went to the CM and said "my RS says we can't reride until an hour from now. Is that really the case?" and he waved us right on. It seems to me they don't particularly care and the return times are super arbitrary anyway. I wouldn't try to come PAST your return time, but earlier than return time they have tended to honor it and not care.

I do think there should be a better way to handle this because it seems to be wasting a lot of time (i.e. I was less inclined to take my toddler on a ride while the big kids were riding because we had a specific return time for the FP) but it wasn't the enormous dumpster fire I expected - especially considering the maxpass thing in general has many CM's befuddled as it is.

 

[steelyfun]

DH and I are headed to the parks next week with a toddler and I'm wondering how this is working these days so thanks for the post! Also wondered if we should get max pass for both of us or not... If we're both supposed to have it, I'm totally fine with buying for both of us, but I've heard that the second parent doesn't need to have a FP if you have a rider swap. Can anyone confirm or let me know your experience?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

DH and I are headed to the parks next week with a toddler and I'm wondering how this is working these days so thanks for the post! Also wondered if we should get max pass for both of us or not... If we're both supposed to have it, I'm totally fine with buying for both of us, but I've heard that the second parent doesn't need to have a FP if you have a rider swap. Can anyone confirm or let me know your experience?

It is true that you don't both need a FP for the same ride... one per ride and then you use rider swap for the other person on that ride. You don't both NEED to have MaxPass, but I think if you are getting it for one person to avoid walking all over the park, I would get it for both of you so you can each grab FPs to different rides at the same time without having to walk all over to collect them at the machines. Alternatively, just one of you could get FPs electronically and the other person would have to scan their ticket at the machines.

 

[steelyfun]

It is true that you don't both need a FP for the same ride... one per ride and then you use rider swap for the other person on that ride. You don't both NEED to have MaxPass, but I think if you are getting it for one person to avoid walking all over the park, I would get it for both of you so you can each grab FPs to different rides at the same time without having to walk all over to collect them at the machines. Alternatively, just one of you could get FPs electronically and the other person would have to scan their ticket at the machines.

Right! That's a good point. We could use them more effectively if we got them for different rides. Thanks!!

 

[lcp9]

DH and I are headed to the parks next week with a toddler and I'm wondering how this is working these days so thanks for the post! Also wondered if we should get max pass for both of us or not... If we're both supposed to have it, I'm totally fine with buying for both of us, but I've heard that the second parent doesn't need to have a FP if you have a rider swap. Can anyone confirm or let me know your experience?

That is true, but yes for the $10 you can leverage it almost to the point of exhaustion where you on constantly jumping on rides. Also something to consider, you would not then be able to use it for non-height restricted rides the toddler can go on (like toy story, haunted mansion.) you’d have to pull actual fast passes at that point.

 

[katyringo]

If we have 3 riders and a baby what's the best way to use it? Should we all get the fast passes for the same ride?

 

[smartlabelprint]

DH and I are headed to the parks next week with a toddler and I'm wondering how this is working these days so thanks for the post! Also wondered if we should get max pass for both of us or not... If we're both supposed to have it, I'm totally fine with buying for both of us, but I've heard that the second parent doesn't need to have a FP if you have a rider swap. Can anyone confirm or let me know your experience?

If it’s just the 2 of you...only get one maxpass. Unless it’s super busy then you can get 2 and book fp for different rides at the same time. Then rider swap them both.

 

[smartlabelprint]

If we have 3 riders and a baby what's the best way to use it? Should we all get the fast passes for the same ride?

I’d get one. The first person would ride alone. As they walk up to the ride for the rider swap make sure both of the other people get their tickets scanned for rider swap.

The only drawback is rides the baby can go on like the 2 toy story’s. But you could get paper for those all at the same time.

 

[Wahlee]

I’d get one. The first person would ride alone. As they walk up to the ride for the rider swap make sure both of the other people get their tickets scanned for rider swap.

The only drawback is rides the baby can go on like the 2 toy story’s. But you could get paper for those all at the same time.

Anyone under 3 doesn't get a ticket, so it shouldn't matter if you book a FP via Maxpass or paper for HM and TSMM and Buzz-- the baby just gets waved on with the rest of the party.

 

[DreamtheImpossible]

I am going with a group of 4 adults, 1 child and 1 baby. How many people would rider swap allow to come back? 3? or 3 plus the person "swapping"? For example, if 3 adults and 1 child rode Space Mountain while 1 adult stayed with the baby, with rider swap would 3 adults and 1 child still be able to ride again? (With just one of the adults swapping places)

this is so confusing!

 

[lcp9]

Anyone under 3 doesn't get a ticket, so it shouldn't matter if you book a FP via Maxpass or paper for HM and TSMM and Buzz-- the baby just gets waved on with the rest of the party.

Good point, I was thinking of my own kid last week who is 3, but hers is 15 months so that's a non-issue

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

I am going with a group of 4 adults, 1 child and 1 baby. How many people would rider swap allow to come back? 3? or 3 plus the person "swapping"? For example, if 3 adults and 1 child rode Space Mountain while 1 adult stayed with the baby, with rider swap would 3 adults and 1 child still be able to ride again? (With just one of the adults swapping places)

this is so confusing!

It is three people total (three adults or two adults and one child).

 

[millie0312]

The new rider swap is SUCH a pain- I’m really not happy about the change. It’s hard enough as a parent to get to go on the ride when we had the old RS tickets that you could use all day- honestly I almost always missed some good rides (it took me 2 years to get on IJ once and I never get RSR more then once) so this new system is so restrictive it’s maddening. I get they are trying to go electronic and all that, but I’m not a fan of the RS portion of MP. I’m getting MP for all of us because I’d rather pick the time for my FP return then have it assigned and with MP I can fencer and rebook new MP if I want the RS a CM has to cancel off. Such a flawed system for the parents that actually use it as it’s intended. Side note- I also had CM’s refuse me a RS last year because the line wasn’t “long enough” although when I would have tried to get in line it was PLENTY long- the CM was also rude and I had my infant in a pack on me I complained to city hall and they issued us multiple multi-experience passes and were so sorry- it was ridiculous that he saw me with a young kid and wouldn’t allow me to RS because he thought 30-45 mins wasn’t too long to wait (tell that to a fussy infant waiting for mom).

 

[smartlabelprint]

Anyone under 3 doesn't get a ticket, so it shouldn't matter if you book a FP via Maxpass or paper for HM and TSMM and Buzz-- the baby just gets waved on with the rest of the party.

If they only have 1 maxpass it would work for most rides. But the toy story rides they’d have to pull paper.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

The new rider swap is SUCH a pain- I’m really not happy about the change. It’s hard enough as a parent to get to go on the ride when we had the old RS tickets that you could use all day- honestly I almost always missed some good rides (it took me 2 years to get on IJ once and I never get RSR more then once) so this new system is so restrictive it’s maddening. I get they are trying to go electronic and all that, but I’m not a fan of the RS portion of MP. I’m getting MP for all of us because I’d rather pick the time for my FP return then have it assigned and with MP I can fencer and rebook new MP if I want the RS a CM has to cancel off. Such a flawed system for the parents that actually use it as it’s intended. Side note- I also had CM’s refuse me a RS last year because the line wasn’t “long enough” although when I would have tried to get in line it was PLENTY long- the CM was also rude and I had my infant in a pack on me I complained to city hall and they issued us multiple multi-experience passes and were so sorry- it was ridiculous that he saw me with a young kid and wouldn’t allow me to RS because he thought 30-45 mins wasn’t too long to wait (tell that to a fussy infant waiting for mom).

I agree with you 100%. The new rider swap is a real downgrade from the old system.

 

[RheBot]

Can I latch on to this thread and ask a similar question?

If there are 4 adults and a toddler (too short for thrill rides) going, should only two of us get maxpass and rider swap the other two? Or should we all get maxpass and then we can have two separate rides booked for maxpass that we can then rider swap? (If that makes sense! The whole thing confuses me haha)

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Can I latch on to this thread and ask a similar question?

If there are 4 adults and a toddler (too short for thrill rides) going, should only two of us get maxpass and rider swap the other two? Or should we all get maxpass and then we can have two separate rides booked for maxpass that we can then rider swap? (If that makes sense! The whole thing confuses me haha)

It depends on how you want to ride. If you want to do two and two for rides, I would get max passes for everyone. With two max passes you could do a single rider, then three on the return, and you could have two rides at a time booked. Or with 2 MP you could do two riders and two riders but only one ride at a time.