Rider Switch changing (Started June 16th)

[TheMaxRebo]

We still don't know what the rules will be, if this hour even comes into play, and if so how. Everyone is getting upset over something Disney hasn't even put out there. If Disney is reigning R/S in it's because the system was broke and they were trying to gain some control over it, especially before Toy Story Land opens. It's because they saw some abuse/overuse and just like many other changes that some hate - we all have to adjust our trips.

I don't think anyone is getting upset - more like a bit bummed and commenting on how it helped reduce stress for their vacation.

But your last part is of course true - we will adjust and move on if it is the case

 

[DizneyMommy]

Would really be nice if Disney got ahead of this rather than letting it leak to bloggers and whatever and then not saying a word

 

[Minniemouse07]

Those of you in love with US’s RS... you have clearly not had to wait 3 hours for Harry Potter with a 2 year old and NOT allowed to take the stroller in the line! Their policy resulted in me basically riding nothing the entire last trip. The lines were all 90+ minutes, most more like 2 hours, and strollers not allowed in line.

We were there in July (fairly crowded CL of around 8 I think) using Express Pass...but this was before any of the HP rides had EP. We did Diagon Alley later in the evening on the first day in the last two hours of the park being open, and Hogsmeade at rope drop the next morning walking onto Forbidden Journey. Never waited more than 20 minutes for anything either day. We were even able to do Gringotts a second time at the end of the second day...also walked on.

For your next trip, I highly recommend using a carrier for naps and standing in line w/ a toddler. We used one until they were 3 or 4yo (many good carriers do to higher weights and handle toddlers well).

 

[HopperFan]

Those of you in love with US’s RS... you have clearly not had to wait 3 hours for Harry Potter with a 2 year old and NOT allowed to take the stroller in the line! Their policy resulted in me basically riding nothing the entire last trip. The lines were all 90+ minutes, most more like 2 hours, and strollers not allowed in line.

YES

3 Harry Potters, Skull Island, Transformers, Hulk, Rockit, Simpsons, Fast & Furious, Despicable Me, Fallon, Jurassic Park, Spiderman .... and when it's hot Dudley-Do Right is miserable wait ... all have lines hour or longer many times of year.

Would really be nice if Disney got ahead of this rather than letting it leak to bloggers and whatever and then not saying a word

Well, I think this was all on purpose. MANY if not most big bloggers went to Disneyland Paris for a special event ... where most were out of loop. Doctor Disney got the information ... who knows who from but Disney is has leaks (some on purpose) including well meaning front line CMs (one reportedly told a guest about that this week).

And the short notice is typical Disney so folks can't change their plans. Less time to deal with uproar.

 

[DizneyMommy]

We were there in July (fairly crowded CL of around 8 I think) using Express Pass...but this was before any of the HP rides had EP. We did Diagon Alley later in the evening on the first day in the last two hours of the park being open, and Hogsmeade at rope drop the next morning walking onto Forbidden Journey. Never waited more than 20 minutes for anything either day. We were even able to do Gringotts a second time at the end of the second day...also walked on.

For your next trip, I highly recommend using a carrier for naps and standing in line w/ a toddler. We used one until they were 3 or 4yo (many good carriers do to higher weights and handle toddlers well).

That’s very nice for you, but that’s not reality at USH. With like 9 total rides and only 2 without a heigh limit, everything is crowded and long lines all day. It’s not fair to the child to have to wait for nothing and not happening for me to carry a 30 pound kid for 2 hours. FJ is pretty much 2-4 hours from open to close

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Oh we won’t even be going to Universal until all our kids can ride the majority of rides there. A big reason why most of us who are fans of RS have said we’re not angry or anything is probably because at the end of the day there’s a ton to do at Disney without having to split up with small kids.

I’m definitely not arguing that their system is better down the road at Universal.

 

[TXAKDisneyFan]

I have never waited an hour with a FP+ and I have done FoP quite a few times, with FP+. At most I would say we spent 30 minutes from the time I entered until I got off. The only other ride I can think of that cause me to wait close to that may be TT, and then the safari due to the nature of the ride but I don't think it has R/S.

That said Disney is fully aware of their wait times in both lines and would have to be beyond stupid to not factor that in to their new system. We don't know for sure what this "one hour" means so I would like to wait and see how it is all set up rather than get all upset.

Going digital gives them many more parameters they can add to the old system. Just like the DAS, change is hard, folks get upset, but the system is quite fair, runs smooth and handles the need.

WE ALL make decisions about when we go to Disney for our luxury vacation. If a young child is going to impact your touring plans then maybe wait. I've gone to Disney with my kids since they were 4 mos old and we make it work and have never had a bad trip because a child was too small to ride. It is not Disney's job to plan my trips to my likes.



I just don't understand why it's so hard to do something with your other child. Nothing about this sounds like that is going to happen. It sounds like maybe your pass isn't going to last for days/weeks but I don't believe this one hour thing will come into play as folks think because Disney knows many of these rides they are talking about have a wait time that long.

But even if I were expected to do back to back rides, I never had trouble doing something with a child, occupying them in a positive way ... and I still have to handle this situation.

It’s not just you, but it really seems like several people who don’t think a one hour time limit would be a problem are only considering having one child who is too short to ride. There are a lot of families (like mine) that have 2, 3+ children who can’t ride. Hauling everyone into the Land without a stroller, for instance, is a huge PITA. One non-riding parent can’t very easily just run to the tea cups with multiple children while the other takes kids on 7DMT. Waiting 20 mins for the first parent to ride is usually fine, but immediately waiting *another* 20 mins for the second parent to ride can be a problem for 3 small kids.

I understand them presumably trying to cut back on people selling FP+, and doubling up on rides by splitting FP+ booking, but I really hope the one hour time limit isn’t enacted. If it is and we have trouble with it, we’ll be stopping by guest services to lodge our first ever complaint (they need to know if their rules make it so that guests can’t take part in programs as intended). We’ve never had a bad time at Disney even with four young kids (who are very petite), and I hope new rules don’t change that.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Would really be nice if Disney got ahead of this rather than letting it leak to bloggers and whatever and then not saying a word

It would, wouldn’t it?

But they didn’t even have an accurate version of their rider swap posted on their own website all these years, so I don’t expect much!

 

[DizneyMommy]

Are you guys saying you can’t take a stroller into Pandora?

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Are you guys saying you can’t take a stroller into Pandora?

I think the stroller talk has been limited to Soarin’.

We killed our wait for the FoP switches by buying what the cast members lovingly referred to as “my little space ponies” at the gift shop. They are pretty cute. You’re welcome, Disney, for doing what you really want people to do when they aren’t in line!

 

[Minniemouse07]

YES

3 Harry Potters, Skull Island, Transformers, Hulk, Rockit, Simpsons, Fast & Furious, Despicable Me, Fallon, Jurassic Park, Spiderman .... and when it's hot Dudley-Do Right is miserable wait ... all have lines hour or longer many times of year.

That’s very nice for you, but that’s not reality at USH. With like 9 total rides and only 2 without a heigh limit, everything is crowded and long lines all day. It’s not fair to the child to have to wait for nothing and not happening for me to carry a 30 pound kid for 2 hours. FJ is pretty much 2-4 hours from open to close

It was definitely reality. We were there at the height of the summer crowd season (just after 4th of July) for two days over a weekend and waited in almost no lines. With a little planning, utilizing Express Pass, and early entry one morning, we were able to do everything we wanted to (some things 2-3x!) with very little waiting. It is possible...you just need to have a plan. ...and no, it wasn't as detailed as a Touring Plan, but we did figure out what big things would have longer waits when, and prioritize them when they had shorter wait times.

We also didn't even attempt to do Universal until our youngest was a bit older precisely because we knew it would be harder for him to have a good time when he was unable to do 85% of the attractions. For our family, we got a lot more bang for our buck from WDW when the kids were younger and I'm glad we waited for their first US trip.

That all said, I think the US rider swap system is more accommodating to families and easier to use than the existing WDW system...and definitely superior to the proposed system.

[Carrying a 30lb toddler in a carrier is SUPER easy, and much preferable to carrying a squirmy, overtired, bored kid who needs a nap without one!]

 

[DizneyMommy]

It was definitely reality. We were there at the height of the summer crowd season (just after 4th of July) for two days over a weekend and waited in almost no lines. With a little planning, utilizing Express Pass, and early entry one morning, we were able to do everything we wanted to (some things 2-3x!) with very little waiting. It is possible...you just need to have a plan. ...and no, it wasn't as detailed as a Touring Plan, but we did figure out what big things would have longer waits when, and prioritize them when they had shorter wait times.

We also didn't even attempt to do Universal until our youngest was a bit older precisely because we knew it would be harder for him to have a good time when he was unable to do 85% of the attractions. For our family, we got a lot more bang for our buck from WDW when the kids were younger and I'm glad we waited for their first US trip.

That all said, I think the US rider swap system is more accommodating to families and easier to use than the existing WDW system...and definitely superior to the proposed system.

Yeah that does not happen in California.

 

[DizneyMommy]

I think the stroller talk has been limited to Soarin’.

We killed our wait for the FoP switches by buying what the cast members lovingly referred to as “my little space ponies” at the gift shop. They are pretty cute. You’re welcome, Disney, for doing what you really want people to do when they aren’t in line!

Why would you want to take a stroller onto Soarin’? Sorry I’m lost here

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah that does not happen in California.

Wait were you talking about Universal Hollywood the whole time? Have you been to the Orlando one yet?

 

[HopperFan]

It was definitely reality. We were there at the height of the summer crowd season (just after 4th of July) for two days over a weekend and waited in almost no lines. With a little planning, utilizing Express Pass, and early entry one morning, we were able to do everything we wanted to (some things 2-3x!) with very little waiting. It is possible...you just need to have a plan. ...and no, it wasn't as detailed as a Touring Plan, but we did figure out what big things would have longer waits when, and prioritize them when they had shorter wait times.

We also didn't even attempt to do Universal until our youngest was a bit older precisely because we knew it would be harder for him to have a good time when he was unable to do 85% of the attractions. For our family, we got a lot more bang for our buck from WDW when the kids were younger and I'm glad we waited for their first US trip.

That all said, I think the US rider swap system is more accommodating to families and easier to use than the existing WDW system...and definitely superior to the proposed system.

Not questioning your experience, but as a Universal Orlando Annual Passholder I have seen mostly long line for most non-kiddie friendly rides. I have even paid for private events just to be able to do more. The last thing I want to do is make a non-rider keep going through long lines when they could be doing something else. We end up splitting up on rides so much less time together.

So I prefer the Disney "wait outside the line" option.

At Disney even if my window of time is shorter, there is no where in those parks I can't find something for us to do.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Wait were you talking about Universal Hollywood the whole time? Have you been to the Orlando one yet?

No. I am taking about USH. They have the same rider switch policy as Orlando.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

Why would you want to take a stroller onto Soarin’? Sorry I’m lost here

Soarin’ is located in the bottom floor of the land building. In order to access the entrance to prove you have a small child to get a rider switch pass, you need to park the stroller, carry/walk the child to the land building from stroller parking, and make your way through the building. Not impossible, obviously, but not super convenient especially if you’ve got more than one child too short to ride or they’re sleeping.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Wait were you talking about Universal Hollywood the whole time? Have you been to the Orlando one yet?

Regardless, my point is their way really sucks in a long line. You don’t always have a fast pass at Disneyland, so to have to stand in the standby line with a small child for two hours is torturous.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

No. I am taking about USH. They have the same rider switch policy as Orlando.

Yeah..but they are completely different crowds....

Same for WDW and DLR.

Harry Potter Hogsmeade opened up in June 2010 in Orlando with Diagon Alley opening up in July 2014. Hollywood's version opened up in April 2016. Of course the crowds are high since it's newer there. We went to Orlando back in 2011 and it was long waits for Forbidden Journey because the ride was still relatively new. I can't speak much for 2017 as we went during Irma so my crowd level isn't realistic.

Regardless, my point is their way really sucks in a long line. You don’t always have a fast pass at Disneyland, so to have to stand in the standby line with a small child for two hours is torturous.

No it's not regardless. It's confusing. The same program may have different results in the two different parks. The PP was talking about Orlando, you were talking about Hollywood. You told the PP about the wait times for Hollywood without disclosing that's what you're talking about. I would not expect routine 2-4 (ETA: hour) waits anymore for FJ 8 years after it's been open. Longer than wanted at times? Sure but it would be rare for it to be that long all the time nowadays but I can def. see it for Hollywood. I think in general most people were speaking towards Orlando's parks (*could be wrong). Plus I will say with Express Pass being added for Harry Potter as of June 2017 trips before then in Orlando may be different wait time wise if someone purchased Express Pass or stayed at a resort that got it included or is an annual pass holder using it after 4pm.

***I do understand you don't like Universal's and I don't take issue with that. Both companies seem to have pros and cons to their program.

 

[QueenHeather]

Not questioning your experience, but as a Universal Orlando Annual Passholder I have seen mostly long line for most non-kiddie friendly rides. I have even paid for private events just to be able to do more. The last thing I want to do is make a non-rider keep going through long lines when they could be doing something else. We end up splitting up on rides so much less time together.

So I prefer the Disney "wait outside the line" option.

At Disney even if my window of time is shorter, there is no where in those parks I can't find something for us to do.

But at Universal you split up by choice not to bring the child through the line. Disney splits you up to in order to go through the line twice. I’d rather have my family together in one line, then split up for two.

Obviously, the Universal system isn’t perfect either. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types of rider swap systems. In my opinion, two huge advantages of Disney was being able to take my children to do something else and the flexibility to return later to ride. Both of these advantages would be removed or made more difficult with the rumored changes.