My experience with Rider Swap - 2/23 thru 2/28

In Nov we were told that we all had to have FPs. I just don’t understand the point of that. It seems you wouldn’t even need rider swap if everyone has FPs. To me this just unnecessarily ties up extra FPs.

Even if everyone needed to have a FP, the RS would still have some value. Consider a family of 4 consisting of 2 parents, 1 kid tall enough to ride, and 1 kid not tall enough to ride. If everyone has a FP, but the family does not get a RS, Parent 1 and and the tall kid ride, but then the second parent has to ride alone. Had they gotten a RS for the kid, Parent 2 could have ridden with the kid who would be riding for a second time. So even if everyone has a FP, the RS insures that nobody has to ride by themselves.

But like I said in my original post, out of the 7 rides I attempted the only time I was told what you were told (that Group 2 needs a FP) was at Alien Swirling Saucers, and even then the CM still gave the RS.
 
This doesn't make sense that you would need a fast pass for rider swap. Rider swap is all about a parent staying with the kid who doesn't want to ride then "swapping" back in the 2nd time through with the other parent. Fast pass should be irrelevant? We are heading back to Disney World in Feb 2020, luckily my kids are older now but the youngest is still not quite tall enough for all the rides yet so we will be doing swaps. Plus one kid might not want to ride a specific ride but the other kid does. Which requires a rider swap as well. Whether we have FP or not shouldn't matter.
 
This doesn't make sense that you would need a fast pass for rider swap. Rider swap is all about a parent staying with the kid who doesn't want to ride then "swapping" back in the 2nd time through with the other parent. Fast pass should be irrelevant? We are heading back to Disney World in Feb 2020, luckily my kids are older now but the youngest is still not quite tall enough for all the rides yet so we will be doing swaps. Plus one kid might not want to ride a specific ride but the other kid does. Which requires a rider swap as well. Whether we have FP or not shouldn't matter.

You are correct in that you can definitely use a rider swap without FP. Group 1 will go through the standby line and Group 2 will go through the FP line.

However, if you are planning your FPs efficiently, you will find that the rides that get the longest lines and which are most deserving of a FP are the rides which have height requirements, and thus are the rides you will be making use of rider swap for.

In order to minimize your time standing in line, you will find that it is most beneficial to use your FPs in conjunction with Rider Swap. See my original post in this thread, or just google "rider swap with fastpass" and you will find lots of helpful information.
 
Thanks for this information!

According to the Disney site rider swap can be used if the child does not meet the height requirement or doesn't want to ride. Does anyone have experience successfully using Rider swap when a child meets the height requirement but doesn't want to ride?

What generally happens is you will be told to perform a swap at boarding if you have a child who is tall enough but doesn't wish to ride. Everyone would enter and wait in the line together (and if doing FP, even the non-riders would need a FP to enter the line). When you get to the boarding area, you ask the CM to perform a swap. One adult waits at boarding with the kid while everyone else rides. When they return, the adult who waited gets to ride.

So yes, you can still do rider swap, but you most likely will not be given the rider swap pass on the magic bands which enable you to wait outside the queue. Since everyone is tall enough to enter the line, the CMs generally tell you to wait in line together and perform the swap at boarding.
 
What generally happens is you will be told to perform a swap at boarding if you have a child who is tall enough but doesn't wish to ride. Everyone would enter and wait in the line together (and if doing FP, even the non-riders would need a FP to enter the line). When you get to the boarding area, you ask the CM to perform a swap. One adult waits at boarding with the kid while everyone else rides. When they return, the adult who waited gets to ride.

So yes, you can still do rider swap, but you most likely will not be given the rider swap pass on the magic bands which enable you to wait outside the queue. Since everyone is tall enough to enter the line, the CMs generally tell you to wait in line together and perform the swap at boarding.
Awesome info! Thanks.
 


Just wanted to extend my thanks for all this very detailed and helpful information Brian! (And khanrsn as well for the FOP part.) It's really hard to come by and is so valuable! Don't apologize for the length. The more reports of these we can get with the more details, all the better!
I do wish we had any anecdotal evidence to support the lack of an expiration time, but I think the lack of it showing on the app is pretty telling. Brian, in all the times you got RS, did any CM ever mention an expiration time?
 
This is how rider swap worked for us last November. We were a party of 9 (6 adults, 5 yo, 3.5 yo, & 1.5 yo). Rider swap worked exactly as described for us on every height restricted ride. Alien Swirl was the only one that we got questioned on. But that was really my fault. I didn’t pay attention to how short the height restriction is. My 1.5 yo was tall enough to ride. The CM didn’t make it an issue though. In my head I was trying to figure out how to do it, I would just skip or something and she just said no problem. Sent us all through the fastpass 1.5 yo included! A little pixie dust for us!
 
This is how rider swap worked for us last November. We were a party of 9 (6 adults, 5 yo, 3.5 yo, & 1.5 yo). Rider swap worked exactly as described for us on every height restricted ride. Alien Swirl was the only one that we got questioned on. But that was really my fault. I didn’t pay attention to how short the height restriction is. My 1.5 yo was tall enough to ride. The CM didn’t make it an issue though. In my head I was trying to figure out how to do it, I would just skip or something and she just said no problem. Sent us all through the fastpass 1.5 yo included! A little pixie dust for us!
So you didn't have enough FP for everyone for Aliens, assuming you'd get enough RS to cover it, but they let you all in anyway? Very nice of them!
Do you know what all attractions you used this for where the non rider didn't have a FP? And did anyone ever mention an expiration time for the RS?
 
So you didn't have enough FP for everyone for Aliens, assuming you'd get enough RS to cover it, but they let you all in anyway? Very nice of them!
Do you know what all attractions you used this for where the non rider didn't have a FP? And did anyone ever mention an expiration time for the RS?
When I booked fast passes, I would book for most of the party, usually 5, and plan to use rider swap for the other 3. At MK we used rider swap with Fastpasses for SM, BTMRR, Splash, and BS. We had done EMM, so didn’t need it for 7D.
At AK, we used rider swap with fastpasses at FOP, EE, and Kali.
Our Epcot day didn’t go great, so we only used it at Soarin. Didn’t really ride anything else.
At HS, we were a party of 7. We used rider swap with Fastpasses on RR, ToT, Slinky, and ST. I had scheduled 3 Fastpasses for Alien Swirl with the plan to use rider swap for the other 3. But like I said I didn’t notice that the height restriction wasn’t very tall and my 1.5 yo could actually ride. The CM was super nice and sent all of us on through fastpass.

At no time did any CM comment about how the others didn’t have FP for a ride that we were swapping on. I don’t recall a time limit being mentioned, but we always ride the swap right after the first group is done.
 
When I booked fast passes, I would book for most of the party, usually 5, and plan to use rider swap for the other 3. At MK we used rider swap with Fastpasses for SM, BTMRR, Splash, and BS. We had done EMM, so didn’t need it for 7D.
At AK, we used rider swap with fastpasses at FOP, EE, and Kali.
Our Epcot day didn’t go great, so we only used it at Soarin. Didn’t really ride anything else.
At HS, we were a party of 7. We used rider swap with Fastpasses on RR, ToT, Slinky, and ST. I had scheduled 3 Fastpasses for Alien Swirl with the plan to use rider swap for the other 3. But like I said I didn’t notice that the height restriction wasn’t very tall and my 1.5 yo could actually ride. The CM was super nice and sent all of us on through fastpass.

At no time did any CM comment about how the others didn’t have FP for a ride that we were swapping on. I don’t recall a time limit being mentioned, but we always ride the swap right after the first group is done.
Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I'm just curious where the whole hour long window came from that people were saying for a while. I wonder if CMs were saying it for some reason even if it was never enforced.
Also, I had a question about the logistics. If you're getting a rider swap for someone who's also riding the first time, do they have to have their band scanned to have the swap added, and then they go scan at the FP entrance to actually use the FP and are then left with the RS? I assume the system always takes a valid FP before it takes a RS, since this makes sense in this case, and I think someone mentioned a mutli-use FP getting used by mistake instead of the RS. I'd also be curious what happens if you just received a RS but your FP is one minute outside the grace period when you scan. :-) So many little details...
 
Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I'm just curious where the whole hour long window came from that people were saying for a while. I wonder if CMs were saying it for some reason even if it was never enforced.
Also, I had a question about the logistics. If you're getting a rider swap for someone who's also riding the first time, do they have to have their band scanned to have the swap added, and then they go scan at the FP entrance to actually use the FP and are then left with the RS? I assume the system always takes a valid FP before it takes a RS, since this makes sense in this case, and I think someone mentioned a mutli-use FP getting used by mistake instead of the RS. I'd also be curious what happens if you just received a RS but your FP is one minute outside the grace period when you scan. :-) So many little details...

There were just a few rides that we got RS for someone who was going through with the first group. They scanned his band to put the RS on, then he scanned his FP. When it was time for him to ride with the second group, there was no problems the second time he scanned through the fastpass line. I can’t speak for the anytime FPs possibly being used instead of the RS. That would make sence, that maybe the system takes the FP before the RS.

The timing thing was a worry for me so we always hit within the window. I didn’t want to chance missing out while getting RS. Our next trip is coming up this June, and we are planning to rope drop a few of the height restricted rides. I’m feeling a bit worried about having to stop to get RS and everyone just moving past us. I know it will be fine; it won’t increase our wait by much at all. Just hope it works smoothly.
 
Help me get this straight in my head. lol

I want to use RS with FP, if possible.

My party consists of 6 adults, 1 toddler and 1 infant.

I was thinking of booking 3 of us FPP for Dinosaur and 3 of us FPP for EE. However, I would like 4 people, or only 2?, to ride EE so someone doesn't have to sit alone. How would I do this?

I would also like to do this for ToT and RnR, but making sure 4, or only 2?, ride RnR so someone doesn't have to ride alone. And again on BTMRR and Splash Mountain.

Basically, the rides that have bench seating I'm fine with an odd number. The ones that have even number of seats I want to make sure no one sits alone.

How do I do this? And does the entire party have to be linked on MDE?
 
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elp me get this straight in my head. lol

I want to use RS with FP, if possible.

My party consists of 6 adults, 1 toddler and 1 infant.

I was thinking of booking 3 of us FPP for Dinosaur and 3 of us FPP for EE. However, I would like 4 people, or only 2?, to ride EE so someone doesn't have to sit alone. How would I do this?

I would also like to do this for ToT and RnR, but making sure 4, or only 2?, ride RnR so someone doesn't have to ride alone. And again on BTMRR and Splash Mountain.

Basically, the rides that have bench seating I'm fine with an odd number. The ones that have even number of seats I want to make sure no one sits alone.

How do I do this? And does the entire party have to be linked on MDE?

If this works as people have reported, here's what you could do. You get 3 FP for Dinosaur - people A, B, and C - and 3 FP for Everest - people D, E, and F. People A and B ride Dinosaur and you ask for a rider swap. They should give you 3 of them, so DEF could all get one. After A and B right, C can use the FP with DEF who use the rider swap. You might schedule C's FP time a little further back to make sure you don't run out, but remember that you get a 15 minute grace period. Then you just do the reverse for Everest.
I don't believe you have to have your party linked, but I guess I'm not 100% sure. You might do it just to be safe? It couldn't hurt.
 
Help me get this straight in my head. lol

I want to use RS with FP, if possible.

My party consists of 6 adults, 1 toddler and 1 infant.

I was thinking of booking 3 of us FPP for Dinosaur and 3 of us FPP for EE. However, I would like 4 people, or only 2?, to ride EE so someone doesn't have to sit alone. How would I do this?

I would also like to do this for ToT and RnR, but making sure 4, or only 2?, ride RnR so someone doesn't have to ride alone. And again on BTMRR and Splash Mountain.

Basically, the rides that have bench seating I'm fine with an odd number. The ones that have even number of seats I want to make sure no one sits alone.

How do I do this? And does the entire party have to be linked on MDE?

If this works as people have reported, here's what you could do. You get 3 FP for Dinosaur - people A, B, and C - and 3 FP for Everest - people D, E, and F. People A and B ride Dinosaur and you ask for a rider swap. They should give you 3 of them, so DEF could all get one. After A and B right, C can use the FP with DEF who use the rider swap. You might schedule C's FP time a little further back to make sure you don't run out, but remember that you get a 15 minute grace period. Then you just do the reverse for Everest.
I don't believe you have to have your party linked, but I guess I'm not 100% sure. You might do it just to be safe? It couldn't hurt.

This. Which is what I suggested in the other thread you posted in a couple days ago. You shouldn't need everyone linked in MDE since they have to scan each band that will get the rider swap to add it. They don't just scan one and add the rider swap to members that are linked on MDE, they scan each band.
 
This. Which is what I suggested in the other thread you posted in a couple days ago. You shouldn't need everyone linked in MDE since they have to scan each band that will get the rider swap to add it. They don't just scan one and add the rider swap to members that are linked on MDE, they scan each band.

Ha! I thought it sounded familiar as I type it. I wasn’t sure if I had actually posted it or not. lol

I’ll try not to ask again. No guarantees though. lol

I did do 3 and 3. I only did it for EE and Dinosaur, and ToT and Star Tours
 
Ha! I thought it sounded familiar as I type it. I wasn’t sure if I had actually posted it or not. lol

I’ll try not to ask again. No guarantees though. lol

I did do 3 and 3. I only did it for EE and Dinosaur, and ToT and Star Tours

Haha, no worries! I just assumed you hadn't seen the responses on the other thread. You shouldn't have any issues. Just make sure to get to those rides early enough in the FP window for Group 1 to make it through so the other person with FP (who will be riding with the rider swap people) will be able to scan in before their FP expires.
 
Just wanted to extend my thanks for all this very detailed and helpful information Brian! (And khanrsn as well for the FOP part.) It's really hard to come by and is so valuable! Don't apologize for the length. The more reports of these we can get with the more details, all the better!
I do wish we had any anecdotal evidence to support the lack of an expiration time, but I think the lack of it showing on the app is pretty telling. Brian, in all the times you got RS, did any CM ever mention an expiration time?

Expiration time was never mentioned. Not even once. I'm not sure where the 1-hour window talk came from. Maybe they started off that way when the program switched to digital last summer but I really don't know.
 
Thanks for confirming my suspicions! I'm just curious where the whole hour long window came from that people were saying for a while. I wonder if CMs were saying it for some reason even if it was never enforced.
Also, I had a question about the logistics. If you're getting a rider swap for someone who's also riding the first time, do they have to have their band scanned to have the swap added, and then they go scan at the FP entrance to actually use the FP and are then left with the RS? I assume the system always takes a valid FP before it takes a RS, since this makes sense in this case, and I think someone mentioned a mutli-use FP getting used by mistake instead of the RS. I'd also be curious what happens if you just received a RS but your FP is one minute outside the grace period when you scan. :-) So many little details...

If you are getting a rider swap for someone who is riding twice (once with a FP, once with a RS), they still have their band scanned just like someone who is only riding the second time. When they enter the FP line, it seems to be programmed to take the FP and not the RS. FYI none of this will show up immediately in the MDE app. Almost every single time, it would take the app 5-10 minutes to start displaying everything correctly. By the time the first group was out and the second group was heading in, the app would have its act together. The second group would then enter, all with RS, and everything went smoothly.

Like I said in my original post, there was an issue with the multi-experience pass. We got a multi-experience pass due to Big Thunder Mountain shutting down. We then went over to Splash Mountain and had rider swaps added. So at that point, my son who was riding twice had a FP for Splash, a RS for Splash, and a Multi-Experience pass. First time through Splash it took his FP, no problems. Second time through it took his Multi-Experience pass instead of the RS. When we saw this we went back to the entrance for Splash where the CM fixed everything and put the Multi-Experience pass back on. (Note: He did not remove the RS for Splash. That remained on the app the rest of the day, but we never used it.)

I think if you have a Multi-Experience pass in your account, it's a good idea to tell the CM every time you scan your band just to make sure the system takes the correct pass.
 

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