Rider Switch Policy / Epcot

[S Frey]

Do they still hand out rider switch passes or does it somehow go onto the magicbands? If the ride is currently closed for repair but people are standing in line, will they still give me a rider switch if the rest of my group is waiting, but not having gone through the ride entrance yet?

Here was my thought for my group of 12, tell me what you think:

RD: 5 people head to TT 5 head to Soarin. I will be the runner with the toddler (in a safe jogging stroller) and will initially get a rider switch at TT and then run with the toddler & stroller over to soarin to get another rider switch for that group. I will then ride The Land with the toddler while waiting for them to get off of Soarin. This way we wouldn't have to use any FP for the initial ride, saving them for later in the morning or day. When we use the FP, we could then get another set of rider switches for each ride, giving us a total of 6 people who can use a rider switch on each ride. Thus, we could ride TT & Soarin 3 times without much of a line at all.
Correct?

 

[Robo]

1. Do they still hand out rider switch passes
2. or does it somehow go onto the magic bands?
3. If the ride is currently closed for repair but people are standing in line, will they still give me a rider switch if the rest of my group is waiting, but not having gone through the ride entrance yet?

1. Yes.
2. No.
3. Maybe. Too many unknowns in that hypothetical.

 

[rosedolph]

From Disney's website -
To Use Rider Switch:

"1. Check that Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question by asking a Cast Member.


2. Enter the normal queue with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guest who will not be riding will then be issued a Rider Switch Pass and asked to wait in a designated area. This group is “Party 2.”


3. The remaining party members, “Party 1,” ride the attraction.


4. After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2. The non-rider is then “switched” to Party 1.


5. Party 2 enters without having to wait in the regular queue a second time and boards the attraction. The Rider Switch Pass must be presented to a Cast Member at this time.


If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note: Only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass."

So this is how it has always worked for me. When your group approaches a ride you ask a cast member for a RS pass (usually the cast member in the FP line has the passes). You get a paper return pass (looks like the old FP tickets), it's good for all day. I have never been "asked to wait in a designated area", usually I leave with child to be entertained elsewhere. I was able to use the pass for 3 people but the website said 2 so maybe a rule change?

You wont be able to get your second Rider Switch pass while the group is still on the first ride, because you will need to be with you group to get the pass.

I have never tried to get a RS pass when the ride was closed for repairs. I've always known them to clear a line if the ride shuts down, and not allow people to stay in the queue. RS passes are only given out if the group enters the queue so I don't think they would give out a RS pass if the ride is shut down.

 

[Alesia]

From Disney's website -
To Use Rider Switch:

"1. Check that Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question by asking a Cast Member.


2. Enter the normal queue with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guest who will not be riding will then be issued a Rider Switch Pass and asked to wait in a designated area. This group is “Party 2.”


3. The remaining party members, “Party 1,” ride the attraction.


4. After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2. The non-rider is then “switched” to Party 1.


5. Party 2 enters without having to wait in the regular queue a second time and boards the attraction. The Rider Switch Pass must be presented to a Cast Member at this time.


If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note: Only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass."

So this is how it has always worked for me. When your group approaches a ride you ask a cast member for a RS pass (usually the cast member in the FP line has the passes). You get a paper return pass (looks like the old FP tickets), it's good for all day. I have never been "asked to wait in a designated area", usually I leave with child to be entertained elsewhere. I was able to use the pass for 3 people but the website said 2 so maybe a rule change?

You wont be able to get your second Rider Switch pass while the group is still on the first ride, because you will need to be with you group to get the pass.

I have never tried to get a RS pass when the ride was closed for repairs. I've always known them to clear a line if the ride shuts down, and not allow people to stay in the queue. RS passes are only given out if the group enters the queue so I don't think they would give out a RS pass if the ride is shut down.

Unfortunately, the information from Disney's website is inaccurate.

 

[Robo]

Unfortunately, the information from Disney's website is inaccurate.

Agreed...
as is so much of the "info" on that poorly edited site.

 

[volfan1978]

The way I understand your plan, you are going to be there for rope drop and split into two groups with 5 each (one group to TT, the other to Soarin), and then you will have a toddler who you plan to shuttle back and forth for the purpose of scoring rider switch passes for the group without using them. And then later on when you use your FP's you are going to use the same toddler to get another rider switch pass at each ride. Correct?

I see a number of potential hiccups in your plan. First, rider switch passes are solely at the discretion of the cast member. If there's not much of a line, they might not issue them. I remember RD'ing MK and heading to Splash Mountain first and being denied a rider switch pass there and at BTMRR because it was still a walk on at both, even though we had a 14 month old.

Secondly, if you go to TT first, you're going to be a while getting to Soarin. By the time you run over to Soarin, the line there will already be somewhere in the 45-60 minute range I'm guessing. That's a little longer than what I would consider a short wait. I would recommend going to Soarin first and then to TT. That would cut your group's initial wait at Soarin and allow enough time for a sufficient line to build at TT that wouldn't encounter Problem #1 cited above.

Finally, keep in mind that Epcot has FP tiering...so the same person can't get a FP for both Soarin and TT. So in reality, the entire group would not get to ride both rides three times. They would get three rides on their choice of Soarin or TT (or a combination thereof), but not three times on each.

 

[rosedolph]

Unfortunately, the information from Disney's website is inaccurate.

How is it inaccurate? It's the parks own website. Except for the "wait in a designated area" bit, this is how it has worked for us - every single time, for multiple trips.

 

[Robo]

How is it inaccurate? It's the parks own website. Except for the "wait in a designated area" bit, this is how it has worked for us - every single time, for multiple trips.

2. Enter the normal queue with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guest who will not be riding will then be issued a Rider Switch Pass and asked to wait in a designated area. This group is “Party 2.”
----------------------
If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note: Only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass."

#2 is wrong. Guests too short to ride an attraction cannot enter the ride queue, at all.
----------------------
Last line is wrong. The guest with a Rider Swap Pass can bring TWO other guests along to ride.
The Rider Switch Pass allows 3 guests to ride.
----------------------
There are other inaccuracies (at least one big one) stated on the WDW website about Rider Switch not found in your quote) that are wrong.

And as to it being "the parks own website..." That means nothing in regard to accuracy.
The site is notoriously poorly written, badly edited and sloppily maintained.
The "official WDW site" has appeared, for at least half a decade or longer, to be treated as an afterthought
by Disney. Not carefully updated with the many changes that have been made in park
operations over the weeks, months and years.
Shameful for a company with supposedly high guest accountability.

 

[Alesia]

How is it inaccurate? It's the parks own website. Except for the "wait in a designated area" bit, this is how it has worked for us - every single time, for multiple trips.

#2 is wrong. Guests too short to ride an attraction cannot enter the ride queue, at all.
----------------------
Last line is wrong. The guest with a Rider Swap Pass can bring TWO other guests along to ride.

Correct.

Also, the website says that rider switch can be used for someone who is tall enough, but does not wish to ride, which is not true.

 

[Quellman]

How is it inaccurate? It's the parks own website. Except for the "wait in a designated area" bit, this is how it has worked for us - every single time, for multiple trips.

The Rider switch is also good for three toatl persons, not two as stated. At least this was my experience in December.

 

[CT Disney]

So you have a group with 11 people who are 'tall enough to ride' and 1 baby? Do you really even need a rider switch in the afternoon? It seems that your group doesn't mind splitting up (since that's what you planned to do at RD). So, when it comes time to reserve FP+ can't you just split into one group of 5 and one group of 6....with staggered fast pass plus times? That way nobody ever has to ride alone or watch the baby alone.

Rider switch is a great benefit when used as intended. I see it as a huge benefit for two parents traveling with little kids. But, I just don't see the necessity of it when you've got 11 adults and the ability to reserve FP+.

I see a lot of threads about people trying to take advantage of RS. I think that using it to get 12 people an additional tier-1 ride is a good example. Look at it this way...any person who walks into EPCOT has the opportunity to ride two tier-1 rides with almost no wait (once at RD and once using FP+). Why should folks with infants be any different?

I can see collecting *one* rider switch at *one* ride during RD (since you'll be watching the baby at that time and may miss your RD advantage). But shuttling the baby back and forth to collect two RS passes at RD is too much IMO. After all...at RD you'd probably only be able to ride one tier-1 ride with little to no wait...not two. And one RS pass will make up for this missed RD opportunity.

 

[bumbershoot]

So you have a group with 11 people who are 'tall enough to ride' and 1 baby? Do you really even need a rider switch in the afternoon? It seems that your group doesn't mind splitting up (since that's what you planned to do at RD). So, when it comes time to reserve FP+ can't you just split into one group of 5 and one group of 6....with staggered fast pass plus times? That way nobody ever has to ride alone or watch the baby alone.

Rider switch is a great benefit when used as intended. I see it as a huge benefit for two parents traveling with little kids. But, I just don't see the necessity of it when you've got 11 adults and the ability to reserve FP+.

Agreed!