Rider Switch changing (Started June 16th)

[DizneyMommy]

While the hour time limit is doable, I do wish that the second group using rider swap could ride immediately, ie go up the exit or something without having to wait in another line. Going through fastpass is ofcourse shorter than having to wait in standby again, but you're still having to spend more time waiting in line. The amount of time it sometimes takes to get two groups through the line often makes it easier to save the rider swap for later.

Cedar Point for instance allows the second group to go straight up the exit and ride immediately. You're issued a rider swap card for the day and the first group turns it over to the ride operator when they ride and you get it back when the second group goes through the exit and rides. This makes it so you can't save up swaps for later and encourages you to swap immediately, but since it takes almost no time at all to do a swap, it's not really a big deal to do it immediately.

With all things with Disney, I will adapt to these changes, but I do wish there was a bit more flexibility built into the new program, or a more immediate boarding for the second group.

I guess part of the problem is the pre-shows and the way rides are loaded at DL. Roller coasters at Cedar Point don't have the pre-shows and things that some people would not want to miss. If they took that way and literally let us walk to the exit, someone would throw a fit that they missed the pre-show or the ambiance or whatever. Thats also where they give a lot of ride instructions and safety info, so it could also be that the lawyers say you need to see it.

 

[DizneyMommy]

And I do get why they do not allow the too-short child through the line. If one slipped through and actually made it on (because... people do stupid things) then that would be a HUGE liability if that child got injured.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I guess part of the problem is the pre-shows and the way rides are loaded at DL. Roller coasters at Cedar Point don't have the pre-shows and things that some people would not want to miss. If they took that way and literally let us walk to the exit, someone would throw a fit that they missed the pre-show or the ambiance or whatever. Thats also where they give a lot of ride instructions and safety info, so it could also be that the lawyers say you need to see it.

Your pre-show point makes sense but the safety info not so much because you'd still need safety info for Cedar Point but they allow you to go through the exit (I would probably argue more safety depending on the rollercoaster compared to more tamer rides Disney has).

Now the one thing is that WDW is adjusting their safety stuff and doing videos like at 7DMT and now Splash Mountain while you're in the queue but I would assume a quick run through prior to getting on the ride would work as well if WDW did what they do at Cedar Point and let you go through the exit.

 

[Disneyliscious]

Kind of sort of off topic but ....I just wish they'd open the parks 24 hours. There are many of us night owls who would rather go at night and it would lessen teh crowds during the day. do like a 10am-10pm and 10pm-10am ticket.

 

[tink20]

Great the first time ever going to use RS and they go and change it. I was going to watch the grandbaby while everyone rode, then when mom & dad take the baby back to nap, was going to use the RS passes with DH & DS.
We are going 6/11-6/15 so maybe we will still be able to use the old way.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I guess part of the problem is the pre-shows and the way rides are loaded at DL. Roller coasters at Cedar Point don't have the pre-shows and things that some people would not want to miss. If they took that way and literally let us walk to the exit, someone would throw a fit that they missed the pre-show or the ambiance or whatever. Thats also where they give a lot of ride instructions and safety info, so it could also be that the lawyers say you need to see it.

Would it be impossible to have rider swap groups go up the exit and for the rides that have the pre-show to just go to the front of the line for that? For instance, go to the front of the fastpass line waiting to enter the pre-show. That way they wouldn't be missing it, but still wouldn't have to wait in the entire fastpass line again. The rides that do seem to be the longest to swap on do seem to be the ones with the preshows, but I think it's moreso because everyone waiting in the fastpass line has to wait for everyone in front of them to go through the pre-shows as well as the ride. For some like Soarin and FOP, that wait, for us anyway, usually entailed 45 mins for the second group to make it completely through the ride. I'm not exactly sure how long the pre-shows are, but if they're 5 mins hypothetically, plus a 5 min ride, and you only have to wait for the one group already on the pre-show and you're next to go in, that could make swapping those rides only take maybe 15 mins. Again, just going off of hypotheticals because I'm not sure how long specifically each ride and pre-show is, but it would definitely be faster. Adding 15 mins to the first group's 45 mins to be separated is a lot easier than another 45.

Again, we will make it work, but I can see us possibly skipping some swaps at times depending on the circumstances.

And I do get why they do not allow the too-short child through the line. If one slipped through and actually made it on (because... people do stupid things) then that would be a HUGE liability if that child got injured.

I completely understand that... And without a stroller, I wouldn't want to HAVE to carry a little one through a long line for a ride that they couldn't ride, just so I could ride it. I've never been to Universal, so can't comment from personal experience, but the ability for the second group to ride immediately sounds great. Having to carry a little one through a line for a ride they can't go on does not. I guess there are pros and cons to how rider swap works at each park. I do think, overall though, that Cedar Point's program works the best... Which is kind of funny, because they are a park that's dedicated much moreso to teens and adults.

 

[ArwenMarie]

How have they monetized RS? I really think this is something they will never charge for. Eliminate, possibly (although I don't think so, but I can certainly be wrong), but charge for, no.

If you get RS when you present your FPs (assuming you qualify), and some people in your party get to ride more than once via RS, then having more prebooked FPs via the CL program gets you more guaranteed RSs.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

If you get RS when you present your FPs (assuming you qualify), and some people in your party get to ride more than once via RS, then having more prebooked FPs via the CL program gets you more guaranteed RSs.

Not necessarily. You can get RS for standby as well, and just because someone has FP and could qualify for RS, doesn't mean they will actually use it. If they don't have the kid with them when they use the FP, they aren't going to get the RS. RS would really only be monetized if it could only be used with FP that were paid for.

 

[pd1138]

This is exactly what I was trying to say when people started saying I must not like spending time with my kid. I so much prefer doing things together at Disney, RS takes away from that, especially on rides with long door to door times like FoP, but I still like to do some adult rides so it is a balance. There is a reason why I have an extra FoP RS pass from my last trip though, just not worth being split up for another 45 minutes to ride it again.

I personally never wait in standby for RS rides, because I don't want to be split up that long (I think I have once over 20ish park day and it was a short line), so I would really prefer the US or Cedar Fair system, especially if you have to ride back to back anyways.

Same here...our trip in 2016 I think I brought home a RS from soarin and one from BTMR on different days. I went on with the taller kids and then our toddler melted down while waiting, it was hot, and DH just wanted to go somewhere else as a family. We said we’d come back so he could ride but we never did. He ended up not using them and I found them later in his pockets once we were home doing laundry. Did I resell it on eBay? Heck no! Taped it into our scrap book!

Now for our trip in aug I may only use RS for 44 and 48 rides as youngest finally hits 40! Looking to balance out rides since I won’t go on RR so DH can do that with other kids while I get Star tours for 40 inch kid and I. However they work this going forward will be better then our local Hershey Park where you stand in line with the small kid. Just glad I’m lucky enough to know what to expect before our trip. I wouldn’t want to deal with this in the middle of our trip like our 2016 (or maybe it was 2014....can’t remember now)trip when four days into our trip they picked us to suddenly have our kids scan fingers to enter parks. Especially after telling us we were picked for the pilot so we watched other families with small kids not scan fingers around us and get to walk into the parks rather quickly while it took us several minutes to enter the parks the last four days of our trip since five year old would forget finger....they had to check iPads, and they were constantly clearing and rescanning each kid’s finger. Almost cured me of ever park hopping again!

 

[ArwenMarie]

Not necessarily. You can get RS for standby as well, and just because someone has FP and could qualify for RS, doesn't mean they will actually use it. If they don't have the kid with them when they use the FP, they aren't going to get the RS. RS would really only be monetized if it could only be used with FP that were paid for.

More prebooked FPs means the option of more guaranteed RSs via the FP line.
So one family with a baby with 6 prebooked FPs will have a different experience than a family with 3 prebooked FPs. Even more so since RS multiplies the rides for some members of the party (the other kids).
Intertwining RS with FP has monetized rider swap indirectly

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I do wonder what the overall difference will be in number of people actually using the rider swaps, though I know we will likely never be privy to that info. Lots of people on here have stated that they often didn't end up using their passes (me included), because you just don't happen to make it back for it. With the need to use it immediately or not at all, I wonder of more people will be inclined to just use it then so they don't lose it, or if, because of the time limit, more people will skip out on it.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

More prebooked FPs means the option of more guaranteed RSs via the FP line.
So one family with a baby with 6 prebooked FPs will have a different experience than a family with 3 prebooked FPs. Even more so since RS multiplies the rides for some members of the party (the other kids).
Intertwining RS with FP has monetized rider swap indirectly

Hadn't thought of it that way but like you said, indirectly rather than explicit (seems like it would be tough for Disney to directly monetize RS, but they do seem to manage to find a way with such things), but when you combine with the no limitations on tiers on the paid FPs...

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

More prebooked FPs means the option of more guaranteed RSs via the FP line.
So one family with a baby with 6 prebooked FPs will have a different experience than a family with 3 prebooked FPs. Even more so since RS multiplies the rides for some members of the party (the other kids).
Intertwining RS with FP has monetized rider swap indirectly

I guess I'm just failing to see how more RSs are guaranteed. The family with 6 FPs may not decide to or have the kid with them to use RS on all 6 rides. Someone only getting the initial 3 FPs could use RS for all of them, then get same day FPs and use RS or use standby and RS. Having FP is not the only way to use RS and does not guarantee that someone will use the RS.

 

[pigletliz]

Kind of sort of off topic but ....I just wish they'd open the parks 24 hours. There are many of us night owls who would rather go at night and it would lessen teh crowds during the day. do like a 10am-10pm and 10pm-10am ticket.

The cost of staffing for that would be crazy. It wouldn't just be rides. It would be stores and restaurants, too. Otherwise you get people complaining that they aren't getting the same experience as the day guests.

 

[The Pho]

Kind of sort of off topic but ....I just wish they'd open the parks 24 hours. There are many of us night owls who would rather go at night and it would lessen teh crowds during the day. do like a 10am-10pm and 10pm-10am ticket.

They have done 24 hours before as an event. It was pretty awesome. But unfortunately they seem far more intent on cutting back the hours than expanding them at this point.

 

[Farro]

Great the first time ever going to use RS and they go and change it. I was going to watch the grandbaby while everyone rode, then when mom & dad take the baby back to nap, was going to use the RS passes with DH & DS.
We are going 6/11-6/15 so maybe we will still be able to use the old way.

I'm confused as I never had the need for Rider swap, but in your situation can't you make fast passes for mom and dad while you watch the baby, and then fast passes for later (even the next hour) for the rest of you when mom and dad leave with baby?

 

[DizneyMommy]

They have done 24 hours before as an event. It was pretty awesome. But unfortunately they seem far more intent on cutting back the hours than expanding them at this point.

It is awesome, I've done it at DL. I made it through the night once in my life but probably never again!

 

[tink20]

I'm confused as I never had the need for Rider swap, but in your situation can't you make fast passes for mom and dad while you watch the baby, and then fast passes for later (even the next hour) for the rest of you when mom and dad leave with baby?

Was going to use at rope drop for standby for BTM and Splash, using FPs for POTC, HM and PP (rides that we can all ride together with the baby)

Same thing at Epcot, rope drop Soarin, single line TT and FP Frozen, SE & Characters for all of us together

 

[OSUZorba]

And I do get why they do not allow the too-short child through the line. If one slipped through and actually made it on (because... people do stupid things) then that would be a HUGE liability if that child got injured.

Yeah, it would really slow down loading because they would have to recheck height. I've never used Cedar Fair's but have talked to other people that have and it seems like the best system.

The problem with Cedar Fair parks is the lack of non-height restricted rides. What makes Disney so nice for taking toddlers is that they only put restrictions on rides that actually need them and the majority don't have one. I love Kings Island and Cedar Point, but the thought of taking a toddler there sounds horrible.

 

[doconeill]

A couple thoughts...it does seem like this is happening, but how much of it remains to be seen. They've been trying some low-tech methods to slow down abuse recently, but with lots of new attractions coming up, the time is ripe to go high tech.

A one hour return window is a bit restrictive. There have been a few times where we've waited at RnRC for our first party to go through, and it taken more than an hour. I've got to believe that's pretty common if you are using the RS pass with the standby line. Sure, using the FP line it should be possible, but there are times where even that can take over an hour.

But aside from that, one of the best benefits of the RS pass was that you could take the young child and go do something else. You didn't have to wait at the attraction, trying to figure out some way to keep them occupied. You could go elsewhere in the park and ride something else. But that also takes time. So now, placing a 1 hour window on the RS pass takes that away. Sure, make it 3 hours, but I don't think making it good to the end of the day is going to change anything significantly.

Rider Switch passes where never meant to be good until the end of the month - that was just a matter of convenience for printing them in bulk backstage so they didn't have to do it every day. When the CMs could print them right at the kiosks, they would print a bunch and then use them as needed - they were only good until the end of the day. I think they should keep it at that and not make parents stress about it.