RSR Technique-Help me out!

[AlyJoy716]

We will be at DCA this Thursday. There is no EE for this park that day. Yay for us, who are staying off site. We will have two strollers with a 15 month old and a 2 year old, and 8 year old, 7 year old, 6 year old, and four adults. Is this a good strategy for riding RSR?

We will get there at rope drop and try to do the wide right technique. My friend and I will stay with the strollers and get into the fast pass line for RSR while the dad's take the older 3 and get into the line. We are hoping for them to get baby rider swap passes before getting into the line. This way, after retrieving our fast passes, my friend and I can ride the ride while the hubbies what the littler ones, then we can all ride again when we return with our fast passes.

Any flaws in this strategy? Please help, if there are.

 

[Rubygoose]

We will be at DCA this Thursday. There is no EE for this park that day. Yay for us, who are staying off site. We will have two strollers with a 15 month old and a 2 year old, and 8 year old, 7 year old, 6 year old, and four adults. Is this a good strategy for riding RSR?

We will get there at rope drop and try to do the wide right technique. My friend and I will stay with the strollers and get into the fast pass line for RSR while the dad's take the older 3 and get into the line. We are hoping for them to get baby rider swap passes before getting into the line. This way, after retrieving our fast passes, my friend and I can ride the ride while the hubbies what the littler ones, then we can all ride again when we return with our fast passes.

Any flaws in this strategy? Please help, if there are.

Rider swap seems to vary with different rides and different CMs. At RSR they will often ask to see the baby, or even measure a 2 year old to make sure they are not at the height requirement before giving you a pass. So, if you take the little ones to the FP line while the dads take the big kids to RSR, they may not issue them a rider swap card. Sometimes they give you a pass at the beginning of the ride, sometimes it's the CMs who are loading the ride and sometimes it's when you exit the ride.

The good thing about rider swap is that it works like a FP without a time frame. If they want to go right to RSR and brave the wide-right crowd, then they can get 2 rider swap cards (since there are 2 under 40 inch kids). Then, you and the other adult can take the older kids again any time that day. I believe each card is good for 3 people. Plus, if you get FPs, you can also get Rider Swap cards while using FP. If you do the math, I think you can get the big kids on the ride about 4 times or so!

Here's how it would go for the big kids:
First ride with wide right.
Second ride with other parent and swap card.
Third ride with FP, get a rider swap card.
Fourth ride with swap card.
Then you still have 2 FPs left over.

The best way to use your swap cards is to save them for the evening.

Have a fun trip! The 2 year old will probably enjoy watching RSR from Flo's. They may even be able to watch the family cross the finish line.

 

[SMD]

We will be at DCA this Thursday. There is no EE for this park that day. Yay for us, who are staying off site. We will have two strollers with a 15 month old and a 2 year old, and 8 year old, 7 year old, 6 year old, and four adults. Is this a good strategy for riding RSR?

We will get there at rope drop and try to do the wide right technique. My friend and I will stay with the strollers and get into the fast pass line for RSR while the dad's take the older 3 and get into the line. We are hoping for them to get baby rider swap passes before getting into the line. This way, after retrieving our fast passes, my friend and I can ride the ride while the hubbies what the littler ones, then we can all ride again when we return with our fast passes.

Any flaws in this strategy? Please help, if there are.

You need to be there with the non-riders to get the swap pass. You could send 1 stroller to the ride to get a swap while the other waits in the FP line. Then you ride together. Or you could both get the FPs and then use single rider.

 

[sleepymouse]

The CMs at RSR will want to see the toddlers before handing out rider swap passes so everyone will have to hoof it over there. Or one parent with a stroller could get in the FP line while the other goes with everyone else to RSR. You would then only get 1 rider swap pass but up to 3 people can use it. Some CMs at other rides are not as strict and will hand out passes without seeing young child but RSR is not one of them.

 

[Rubygoose]

You need to be there with the non-riders to get the swap pass. You could send 1 stroller to the ride to get a swap while the other waits in the FP line. Then you ride together. Or you could both get the FPs and then use single rider.

This was the only ride where we had to show the "baby" in order to get the rider swap card. On all of the other rides they just gave me the card without seeing the little one.

 

[nannyz]

We have a similar situation -- 5 adults, 2 older kids, and 2 babies.
What would be the best way to do RSR if we do not want to do the Wide Right thing?
Thanks.

 

[grnflash]

Hydroguy likes skipping Wide Right (though the strategy DOES work) and getting a FP after the park has been open 1/2 hour - and I TOTALLY agree. Though we like to get in line for the FP one hour after opening.

We like to get our Soarin' and WOC fastpasses, then head straight to TSMM at rope drop and do a couple turns on that ride. This ride will easily build to a 45+ minute wait and stay that way all day. Going first thing is the only way to avoid that, especially if you want multiple rides. After TSMM we usually do a spin on the Fun Wheel if the wait is 10 min or less (slooooow loader so can definitely develop 30+ minute waits and stay there), then head over to the RSR FP line. Don't be intimidated by the length of the line! It may stretch all the way down to Animation Academy and it sure looks crazy long. But it moves the whole time, you're looking at 20 minutes or so and you'll have your fastpasses in hand. You do have to head straight to Soarin' from there because your FP return will be ending soon. From there though, the rest of our day is super leisurely. If we skipped the Fun Wheel, then there's tons of time to get to Soarin'.

This only gets you on RSR once of course. But you do get to do TSMM as a walk-on once, a 10 minute wait the second time around. When we want to do RSR twice, we skip WOC (not my reccomendation though if you only have one chance to see it) and get in the RSR standby line right before closing, like no more than 5 minutes. I swear the posted wait will say 45 minutes, but we've timed it and it's been as short as 19 minutes, no longer than 33. You wouldn't be able to child swap this way though so whoever's with the strollers would have to skip the 2nd ride.

 

[karenkspears]

Hydroguy likes skipping Wide Right (though the strategy DOES work) and getting a FP after the park has been open 1/2 hour - and I TOTALLY agree. Though we like to get in line for the FP one hour after opening.

We like to get our Soarin' and WOC fastpasses, then head straight to TSMM at rope drop and do a couple turns on that ride. This ride will easily build to a 45+ minute wait and stay that way all day. Going first thing is the only way to avoid that, especially if you want multiple rides. After TSMM we usually do a spin on the Fun Wheel if the wait is 10 min or less (slooooow loader so can definitely develop 30+ minute waits and stay there), then head over to the RSR FP line. Don't be intimidated by the length of the line! It may stretch all the way down to Animation Academy and it sure looks crazy long. But it moves the whole time, you're looking at 20 minutes or so and you'll have your fastpasses in hand. You do have to head straight to Soarin' from there because your FP return will be ending soon. From there though, the rest of our day is super leisurely. If we skipped the Fun Wheel, then there's tons of time to get to Soarin'.

This only gets you on RSR once of course. But you do get to do TSMM as a walk-on once, a 10 minute wait the second time around. When we want to do RSR twice, we skip WOC (not my reccomendation though if you only have one chance to see it) and get in the RSR standby line right before closing, like no more than 5 minutes. I swear the posted wait will say 45 minutes, but we've timed it and it's been as short as 19 minutes, no longer than 33. You wouldn't be able to child swap this way though so whoever's with the strollers would have to skip the 2nd ride.

If going straight to TSMM at rope drop and then go back to get RSR FP, usually what will be the return time for it?

We will be going to DCA this coming Wednesday. If they have EMH (calendar showing no EMH), then I will sure skip the wide right idea and just go straight to TSMM, and then Luigi and Mater. After that get in FP line 5-10 mins before official park opening. However, if there's no EMH as shown, then I don't know if we should get in line for RSR FP first or go to TSMM first at rope drop? We sure want to watch WOC, so I don't want to RSR FP return time to be too late and in conflict with WOC.

 

[HydroGuy]

Hydroguy likes skipping Wide Right (though the strategy DOES work) and getting a FP after the park has been open 1/2 hour - and I TOTALLY agree. Though we like to get in line for the FP one hour after opening.

If you only plan to ride RSR once that day I think that is the best plan. I would say I like skipping wide right. Wide right and rope drop are the best way for some people to ride RSR twice in a day.

This only gets you on RSR once of course. But you do get to do TSMM as a walk-on once, a 10 minute wait the second time around. When we want to do RSR twice, we skip WOC (not my reccomendation though if you only have one chance to see it) and get in the RSR standby line right before closing, like no more than 5 minutes. I swear the posted wait will say 45 minutes, but we've timed it and it's been as short as 19 minutes, no longer than 33. You wouldn't be able to child swap this way though so whoever's with the strollers would have to skip the 2nd ride.

That is another strategy which I have done twice. I have waited in the Single Rider at park closing for over 30 minutes.

Also use Single Rider to get on multiple RSR rides in a day if your group mix supports that.

 

[grnflash]

Wednesday is usually MM at DCA - it's odd that there isn't one on the calendar for this Wed. But either way, getting in the FP line at standard park opening will get you a return time for late morning, early afternoon at the latest.

For reference, we were there a couple Mondays ago. Even though we did MM, we still waited a full hour after regular park opening before getting in line for the RSR FP. We wanted a return time after 4pm because my husband was doing work from the hotel and wouldn't join us until later. When we got to the actual machines, we had to ask the CM if we could wait to the side for a later return since the times being given out just then were 2:50 - 3:50. Even without a MM, if you go to TSMM first, hold off on Luigi & Mater until later, then get in line for RSR FP, you will have no problem getting an early enough return.

Things are going to pick up soon with full blown Spring Break coming up. But this Wed. should be no problem to do one ride first before getting the FP with an early enough return before getting your spot for WOC. Really

Oh, if you haven't already, do check out Hydro's tips on WOC viewing. He says getting FP for this first thing in the morning does not put you in the best viewing section - and he's right again!

 

[HydroGuy]

If going straight to TSMM at rope drop and then go back to get RSR FP, usually what will be the return time for it?

We will be going to DCA this coming Wednesday. If they have EMH (calendar showing no EMH), then I will sure skip the wide right idea and just go straight to TSMM, and then Luigi and Mater. After that get in FP line 5-10 mins before official park opening. However, if there's no EMH as shown, then I don't know if we should get in line for RSR FP first or go to TSMM first at rope drop? We sure want to watch WOC, so I don't want to RSR FP return time to be too late and in conflict with WOC.

Good point. I was at DCA on a day trip in November and our RSR FP return time was in the evening which forced us to get a FP for the first WOC show of the night on which there were three shows - like at 7:30.

In answer to your question, if they hold EMH that day (I saw your other thread on that - it sucks if they do not hold EMH) then I would suggest you return to the RSR FP line 30-45 minutes after DCA opens. The wait time to get the FP will be maybe 5 minutes. The return window will be in the afternoon or maybe early evening. FPs given out 60 minutes up to 90 minutes after DCA opens (if they last that long - they do not always) are closer to park closing.

Finally, many people prefer RSR at night and purposely try and get night time FPs. I think everyone should try and ride RSR once in the day and once at night when they have that much time available.

 

[HydroGuy]

Good point. I was at DCA on a day trip in November and our RSR FP return time was in the evening which forced us to get a FP for the first WOC show of the night on which there were three shows - like at 7:30.

In answer to your question, if they hold EMH that day (I saw your other thread on that - it sucks if they do not hold EMH) then I would suggest you return to the RSR FP line 30-45 minutes after DCA opens. The wait time to get the FP will be maybe 5 minutes. The return window will be in the afternoon or maybe early evening. FPs given out 60 minutes up to 90 minutes after DCA opens (if they last that long - they do not always) are closer to park closing.

Finally, many people prefer RSR at night and purposely try and get night time FPs. I think everyone should try and ride RSR once in the day and once at night when they have that much time available.

Also...

Your mileage may vary so keep your eye out on the posted FP Distribution return window. It is very obviously shown out to the main walkway to Cars Land and thru to PP. If the window moves more quickly then get in line sooner.

And finally, RSR does go down a lot. The later in the day you get your FP the bigger the chance that it will go down and you will lose your chance to ride it that day with your FP. I have had experience at DLR using a FP the next day in cases like this. It is at the CM's discretion.

 

[karenkspears]

HydroGuy and grnflash, thank you for the replies. They are very helpful. I don't know what I'm going to do without this board.

 

[hollydolly08]

Is it possible to: Get a FP for Soarin' right away at park opening... 30 min later get a FP for RSR... then get another for each again a little later... like after the window is open to get a Soarin' FP again?

 

[SMD]

Is it possible to: Get a FP for Soarin' right away at park opening... 30 min later get a FP for RSR... then get another for each again a little later... like after the window is open to get a Soarin' FP again?

Yes. FP machines are not turned on during EMH, but at regular park open you can do it that way.

You can get another FP when the window for your current FP opens or the time limit for another FP expires, whichever is first. Either way, it will list a time on the bottom of the FP when your next one is available. One exception is if you already hold an FP that conflicts, it will tell you that you already hold a valid FP for that time. RSR is disconnected, so you could get an FP for that and then immediately get another for Soarin, or vice versa.

 

[Angrose]

If you have two adults and at least one older kid and one young kid in your group then I think you could ride RSR twice back to back using one set of fast passes if you split the group and combine it with SR line. We are going to try this later in the year. For example, our group will consist of me, DH, MIL, and DS6. DS6 is too young for SR line, but we will get 4 fast passes. When our time comes up, one adult will get in line with DS6, while the other two adults will get in SRL, so only two FP are used, then after the first ride we should have enough time to get in line and do it again with the other two fast passes. We don't mind splitting the group as long as one of us rides with our son.

This should work, right?

 

[SMD]

If you have two adults and at least one older kid and one young kid in your group then I think you could ride RSR twice back to back using one set of fast passes if you split the group and combine it with SR line. We are going to try this later in the year. For example, our group will consist of me, DH, MIL, and DS6. DS6 is too young for SR line, but we will get 4 fast passes. When our time comes up, one adult will get in line with DS6, while the other two adults will get in SRL, so only two FP are used, then after the first ride we should have enough time to get in line and do it again with the other two fast passes. We don't mind splitting the group as long as one of us rides with our son.

This should work, right?

Yep. They don't match FPs to tickets when you hand them over at the ride. Like you said, as long as you don't mind splitting up, it's a good plan.

 

[grnflash]

Hi. That's a hard yes to get another Soarin' fastpass.

But a second RSR FP, I think it's technically doable but it would be tough. Especially if trying it on a weekend or during any peak period. I think it would be impossible on an Early Entry day if you didn't qualify for early entry. And if you did qualify you'd have to spend the hour waiting for them to open the FP machines.

You'd have to ropedrop the RSR FP line (literally ropedrop it and get one of the first return times.) You have to wait until that return time comes up, then you can pull another FP for RSR. You could get your Soarin' FP after pulling one for RSR, then hop back in the RSR FP line if the first return time was favorable to this strategy.

 

[Golden Rose]

We'll be there Friday, and we can do early morning access, if it is available, and I think it is. Should we make sure the kids are up and rush over there? We'd be entering through the Grand Californian, if it matters.

What time does RSR actually start running right now? Is it still not until the park actually opens? I thought I'd read a report of it opening a little early sometimes, but now I can't find the post since the search function is disabled. And should we go for fastpasses, or just get in the regular line so we're some of the first people to ride when it does open?

Ideally, we'd get TSM and RSR out of the way, or at least scheduled, really fast and early.

 

[HydroGuy]

We'll be there Friday, and we can do early morning access, if it is available, and I think it is. Should we make sure the kids are up and rush over there? We'd be entering through the Grand Californian, if it matters.

What time does RSR actually start running right now? Is it still not until the park actually opens? I thought I'd read a report of it opening a little early sometimes, but now I can't find the post since the search function is disabled. And should we go for fastpasses, or just get in the regular line so we're some of the first people to ride when it does open?

Ideally, we'd get TSM and RSR out of the way, or at least scheduled, really fast and early.

It is common knowledge that using the special GCH entrance into DCA usually is slower than going to the main gates. Too many people and two few turnstiles. So most people in the know do not do use it first thing in the morning to get into DCA. If they do they know they will be behind most of the folks from the main entrance and they are OK with that.

I have never heard of RSR opening "early". Not sure what that means. If it opened early no one could ride it because they cannot get into the park early. RSR opens at EMH or regular park opening on non-EMH days. It does often have problems and opens late. That I have heard plenty of and experienced it myself.