DIGITAL Rider Swap/Rider Switch/Child Swap: In Effect as of June 16th

[ENJDisneyFan]

It’s an ongoing topic of discussion on the Disney for Families Board where there are two current threads.

Can you link to those threads? The two I was following have both been locked. Thank you!

 

[DizneyMommy]

Ok, we just had our first experience with the digital RS and it is hot mess EXPRESS. We are at FoP right now, it took 15 minutes to get a RS. The devices aren’t working; they only have 2 because the batteries are dead (at noon) the CM’s don’t all know how to adjust the time for a FP return, and there is absolutely no order at the front of the lines. We finally got a CM to help us and another one snatched the device out of his hand to use for someone who had just walked up. They ended up giving us anytime Fp’s because their app isn’t working.

Come on, how hard is it? DL has been doing this for months. I’ve never had an experience like this at all!

ETA: I did happen to find a manager in the area while I waited and shared my *ahem* spirited feedback on how they can help these poor CM’s do their job.

 

[OSUZorba]

Ok, we just had our first experience with the digital RS and it is hot mess EXPRESS. We are at FoP right now, it took 15 minutes to get a RS. The devices aren’t working; they only have 2 because the batteries are dead (at noon) the CM’s don’t all know how to adjust the time for a FP return, and there is absolutely no order at the front of the lines. We finally got a CM to help us and another one snatched the device out of his hand to use for someone who had just walked up. They ended up giving us anytime Fp’s because their app isn’t working.

Come on, how hard is it? DL has been doing this for months. I’ve never had an experience like this at all!

ETA: I did happen to find a manager in the area while I waited and shared my *ahem* spirited feedback on how they can help these poor CM’s do their job.

This is what I expected, at least at first. Hopefully it is all worked out by September when I'm there next.

 

[DizneyMommy]

This is what I expected, at least at first. Hopefully it is all worked out by September when I'm there next.

There is zero excuse for this. None of these things are out of their control or even a surprise.

They know this is a crazy popular ride and they know they give out tons of RS. They should have a clearly marked line to maintain order and give out RS and DAS to guests in an organized manner.

They should have known how long their devices hold a charge.

And they should have fully trained their CM’s on how to issue a RS.

Their software is crashing and glitching, but that’s par for the course with WDW apparently, they should have tested it more thoroughly and done it on a way lower capacity ride that wouldn’t create mass chaos.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Just wanting to confirm, if we are a family of 6 (one of which can't ride), I can make a FP+ for 3 people and then the other 2 will get a "swap" scanned to their band?

Maybe not. When I got a RS, my FP showed up as used and I then had a RS (well actually an anytime FP because their RS app was down). That was at FoP. I would be sure everyone has a FP if the first party has it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

There is zero excuse for this. None of these things are out of their control or even a surprise.

They know this is a crazy popular ride and they know they give out tons of RS. They should have a clearly marked line to maintain order and give out RS and DAS to guests in an organized manner.

They should have known how long their devices hold a charge.

And they should have fully trained their CM’s on how to issue a RS.

Their software is crashing and glitching, but that’s par for the course with WDW apparently, they should have tested it more thoroughly and done it on a way lower capacity ride that wouldn’t create mass chaos.

None of your statements though are restricted to RS. It's how it goes.

I'm still waiting to hear if they are consistently charging parking for overnight guests at all resorts 100% of the time though admittedly I stopped looking after a while of "well we weren't charged, it was waived, etc" comments.

If it's something Disney does consistently it's being inconsistent with things lol.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We rode FOP early afternoon Saturday and received the paper rider swap tickets; also did on Everest Saturday. Both expired that day.
We were in the parks last week and received several paper rider swaps that stated good through June 30--Splash and Space Mtns, Kali River Rapids, Soarin, Star Tours, Tower of Terror. It will be interesting to see how this rolls out.

Are you still at WDW? Have you received any RS passes today? If so did they expire today like your ones from Saturday?

 

[HopperFan]

Ok, we just had our first experience with the digital RS and it is hot mess EXPRESS. We are at FoP right now, it took 15 minutes to get a RS. The devices aren’t working; they only have 2 because the batteries are dead (at noon) the CM’s don’t all know how to adjust the time for a FP return, and there is absolutely no order at the front of the lines. We finally got a CM to help us and another one snatched the device out of his hand to use for someone who had just walked up. They ended up giving us anytime Fp’s because their app isn’t working.

Come on, how hard is it? DL has been doing this for months. I’ve never had an experience like this at all!

ETA: I did happen to find a manager in the area while I waited and shared my *ahem* spirited feedback on how they can help these poor CM’s do their job.

Surprise .... not ....

The CMs should not be doing anything to the time. That was one of the problems with the DAS paper system so the programming is written that the system sets the time. The only thing the CM does is scan, and note who will be riding. They shouldn't be doing much more than that for RS.

 

[danikoski]

If it's something Disney does consistently it's being inconsistent with things

Truer words have not been written

 

[DizneyMommy]

Surprise .... not ....

The CMs should not be doing anything to the time. That was one of the problems with the DAS paper system so the programming is written that the system sets the time. The only thing the CM does is scan, and note who will be riding. They shouldn't be doing much more than that for RS.

Well, the first CM turned to the girl next to her and asked how they “do the time for a FP rider switch”

So I have no idea what she was going to do to it. Maybe reduce the return time because the standby line was 150 minutes and we would not want to wait 2 hours to use the RS

 

[OSUZorba]

There is zero excuse for this. None of these things are out of their control or even a surprise.

They know this is a crazy popular ride and they know they give out tons of RS. They should have a clearly marked line to maintain order and give out RS and DAS to guests in an organized manner.

They should have known how long their devices hold a charge.

And they should have fully trained their CM’s on how to issue a RS.

Their software is crashing and glitching, but that’s par for the course with WDW apparently, they should have tested it more thoroughly and done it on a way lower capacity ride that wouldn’t create mass chaos.

I agree there is no excuse, but I've worked in corporate America enough to expect that. I'm sure there was some engineer saying "this is everything we need to buy and test" and some VP asking why he always has a bad attitude and saying that everything will be fine.

Surprise .... not ....

The CMs should not be doing anything to the time. That was one of the problems with the DAS paper system so the programming is written that the system sets the time. The only thing the CM does is scan, and note who will be riding. They shouldn't be doing much more than that for RS.

Yeah, I thought it would just be programmed.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Surprise .... not ....

The CMs should not be doing anything to the time. That was one of the problems with the DAS paper system so the programming is written that the system sets the time. The only thing the CM does is scan, and note who will be riding. They shouldn't be doing much more than that for RS.

I thought, though, that the digital RS passes were only good for an hour. If the initial group is using standby and the wait time is longer than an hour, there would have to be some kind of override.

 

[randumb0]

My wife asked a CM today at Spaceship Earth if the same child can ride twice. The CM stated that they didn't know all of the details of the digital system because Spaceship Earth still uses physical passes

 

[DizneyMommy]

My wife asked a CM today at Spaceship Earth if the same child can ride twice. The CM stated that they didn't know all of the details of the digital system because Spaceship Earth still uses physical passes

Spaceship earth does not offer rider switch at all.

If you mean Mission Space, then yes we got paper RS on that today too.

 

[DizneyMommy]

And to answer the question about if kids can ride twice, the CM at FoP today asked who was staying behind (me) and who was going with me on the return ride. She said I can take 2, and let me pick 2 of my party of 6 to take back.

 

[randumb0]

Spaceship earth does not offer rider switch at all.

If you mean Mission Space, then yes we got paper RS on that today too.

No it was Spaceship Earth. She wasnt attempting to get a RS she just had a general question

 

[HopperFan]

I thought, though, that the digital RS passes were only good for an hour. If the initial group is using standby and the wait time is longer than an hour, there would have to be some kind of override.

With the DAS the system can see the wait times, it then deducts 10 minutes and makes that your return time. The system is totally able to be written to set the time correctly. Leaving it up to CMs was part of the problem for that, and will become a problem for RS if it's a manual input. There will be math mistakes, guests trying to ask for specific times and a loss of the control Disney is trying to get.

What the system can do is if Group 1 is going in via FP+ then the system can give a return time of 1 hour plus the standard wait/ride time for the FP+ line .............. if Group 1 is going in via Standby then the system can give a return time of SB wait times plus standard ride time. It can all be automatic and easily programmed taking that part from CMs.

 

[DizneyMommy]

No it was Spaceship Earth. She wasnt attempting to get a RS she just had a general question

Oh gotcha. I’d probably ask a CM on a ride that actually has it, they should have more information than one who works on a ride that doesn’t offer it. They wouldn’t necessarily get that training if they don’t need it.

 

[DizneyMommy]

With the DAS the system can see the wait times, it then deducts 10 minutes and makes that your return time. The system is totally able to be written to set the time correctly. Leaving it up to CMs was part of the problem for that, and will become a problem for RS if it's a manual input. There will be math mistakes, guests trying to ask for specific times and a loss of the control Disney is trying to get.

What the system can do is if Group 1 is going in via FP+ then the system can give a return time of 1 hour plus the standard wait/ride time for the FP+ line .............. if Group 1 is going in via Standby then the system can give a return time of SB wait times plus standard ride time. It can all be automatic and easily programmed taking that part from CMs.

Yeah, it sounded like she was trying to manually adjust for the FP line, but their RS app wasn’t working at all so I didn’t get a chance to find out.

 

[HopperFan]

Yeah, it sounded like she was trying to manually adjust for the FP line, but their RS app wasn’t working at all so I didn’t get a chance to find out.

For this to be successful they need to take most the control away from the CMs. All they really should do is select the persons involved in the swap and get it on their MB. Let the system do the rest. It's already there, just needed some alterations.