Rider Switch

Rider Switch

 

Rider Switch is the way we have survived many trips to Disney (Land and World!) and be able to have both my husband and I able to ride our favorite rides. If you have a child under the height requirement for a certain ride, or one that simply does not want to ride the ride, you can go to the entrance of the ride and ask the cast member for a rider swap. You need to have the too small or doesn’t want to ride child with you to get the switch pass.

Any ride with a height requirement offers rider switch passes. When you want to use your rider switch pass, you usually just go to the fastpass entrance to gain entry via the fastpass lane. However, each ride has different requirements, which should be stated on the pass or told to you by the cast member. For example, at Disneyland (at least the last time we were there!! They change OFTEN!) You actually take your rider switch to the exit (or the handicap entrance) of the ride at Indiana Jones, Space Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

They change what they allow with rider swap and how they do it on each of our trips – or so it seems. Last time we were at Disneyland, the other adult and up to 2 guests could use the rider swap. At Disney World last time, they allowed one adult and up to 3 guests on the rider swap. So just be warned it could change at any time!

We have a couple of different strategies for using our rider swap effectively for our family.

  1. We will get fastpasses for the entire family. One parent will go through with the older kids that want to ride, we get the rider swap, and they use their fastpasses, while the other parent goes on another ride with the other kids (or gets them a snack, etc.). We then swap small kids, and the older kids get to ride the ride twice in a row using the fastpass lane! If the rider swap doesn’t allow for all the kids, we simply use the extra fastpasses that we had from the family members that didn’t go through the first time.
  2. We basically do exactly what I mentioned above, but instead of swapping right away, we save the pass for later. Either later in the day or later in our trip (when we may not have a fastpass!), we use the pass. We often use it when the younger kids are napping – so they don’t have to wait around bored. It is a great way to spend napping time! The other parent just takes the kids back to the hotel (and the other parent and kids meet them there a little later), or find a shady spot to sit and read while the little ones nap in the stroller. It works REALLY well!

Do you have any favorite strategies for Rider Swap? It is a VERY useful tool when visiting Disney with kids of different ages.

Here is what the Disney site says about their Rider Switch Program:

If Guests in your party don’t want to board an attraction, you don’t have to miss out. One adult can wait with the non-rider while the rest of the party experiences the attraction. The waiting adult can then board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again when another adult in the party returns to supervise the child or children who do not ride—either because they do not meet the height requirement or simply do not wish to ride.

Rider Switch is available at select attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. See a Cast Member at the attraction for more information.

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.