Is it true that you can use rider switch with a child who is tall enough for a ride but just “reluctant” to ride? If that is the case, is there an age limit? Also with RS pass 3 guests can ride? For our travel, we have myself (K), DH, DS12, DS10, DD6, and Grandma (G). I currently have FFP for all 6 of us for FEA and want to make sure that this plan will work before changing them… The plan is to put us into groups of 3 so that K, G, and DD6 are one group and then DH, DS12, and DS10 are another group and use 3 FFP for one group at TT and then 3 FFP for the other group at FEA. Then have one adult from non- FFP group go up with DD6 and ask for RS. Then the second group rides without FFP rides with RS pass. Have people done this? I was worried about changing our FEA FFP though because I don’t think that DD6 will be reluctant to ride that one and she is tall enough! Also we may end up having to pass a MB around for it to work if DD6 is always the “reluctant” rider. It would get us on TT with a FP (currently TP has 25 min wait for us) but is it worth it?
You can ask for the rider switch anytime. For us they never questioned who or what size the child was that wasn’t riding. You ask for it as you enter the ride and then once inside they give you a kind of FP paper ticket you bring out and hand to the other adult. Then that person enters the FP line and can also bring up to two other people with them.
A couple of our kids got to ride Test Track, Big Thunder, and Kali River twice because they got to go with each parent when we did the rider switch.
By the way, Frozen Ever After was my favorite ride at Epcot (well, a tie between that and Soarin’) and our whole party of 7 - 2 adults and kids ages 1.5, 5, 7, 10, and 12 rode it all at the same time. You will not have to split up on that one. She will definitely love that one. Same thing for Navi River Journey, if you are doing that one. (FEA is better IMO! Maybe I just love Frozen.)
I even loved waiting in the FP line. Loved the lighting and hearing the “goods seller” saying Yoo-Hoo to each group of guests as they got on the ride. Seven Dwarfs has a similarly charming queue.
Thanks for your response! Do the parent and child not riding also need to go to the CM to get the RS pass?
It seems to vary whether the CM giving the pass wants to see the non rider, but they are supposed to. You may run into trouble on some rides if the child is big enough but just doesn’t want to ride, but their own website says rider swap can be used if someone doesn’t want to ride, so stand your ground.
I would be slightly weary of this strategy because I’m not sure if I have actually heard of any reports of successful use of Rider Swap on FEA. I know it is listed on the website, but there is no actual height restriction. We took our DS1 on it with no problem. We also always had to show up with him in order to get any RS. So I think that FEA might be one of the least likely ones to allow RS for a “not willing to ride.” Especially since a 6 year old girl is like literally the most willing to ride FEA. This just seems like you might be setting people up for disappointment or at the very least some sort of CM confrontation.
I may be misreading your strategy. If DD6 is truly unwilling to ride, use RS. FEA is very appropriate and a lot of fun for the average six year old. My 2 and 4 year old loved it. Please don’t tell a CM she doesn’t want to ride and then have her ride using the RS ticket.
Picture your daughter looking around in the queue to FEA and then you go to the CM, say she doesn’t want to ride and ask for a RS even if she is super excited and desperate to ride. Is she going to give you away by facial expression or argue with you that she does want to ride? Or possibly burst into tears when she finds out she can’t ride this ride right now? Is it worth the stress on her (not to mention you) to try to work the system this way?
I personally wouldn’t even risk it over a 25 minute wait for TT.
In August for RNR at HS we all went up to fast pass entrance, DS9 was tall enough but not brave enough so that CM gave the party that was going to ride a lanyard and they had to present it to the next CM to get the actual RS pass. DS9 and I had fast passes for Toy Story. Not sure if all RS work that way but it did for us.
So if I understand all of his correctly, it would be possible to ride two Tier 1 rides with FP+ if I do the following:
DH gets FP+ for Soarin’ - he gets RS pass and rides while I stay with our two boys. Then I ride on the RS pass while he stays with the boys.
Boys and I get FP+ for FEA - we ride FEA without DH, who won’t mind missing it anyway.
Is that right? We would be able to ride Soarin’ and FEA with FP+ in one day?
You are right. Now that I fully understand how this would work, I will not do the RS. I was trying to see if we could use some of our FP for multiple first tier groups but it wouldn’t be worth it. I think everyone in my party will want to ride FEA. I don’t think I will even use the RS on a ride that DS is not tall enough for like RNR because of what you said. If she has to go in and then can not ride, even if at the time she says she thought she didn’t want to, she may change her mind and then be really sad.
Yes, this should work. Are your boys too short for Soarin’?
She does not have to go in the line, just to the entrance. If you think she’ll be okay with walking away from the entrance (my younger niece really wants to ride everything, but she’s only 4 so I usually bribe her with a ride she really likes, a M&G that the older one won’t care about, ice cream, etc) then you definitely should use RS on those rides.
Let me make sure I am understanding this. I have a group of 5 - me, DW, DD6, a second DD6, and DD1. DD1 does not have FPP’s because she is only 1. If we are at MK and I get a FPP for me, DD6, and DD6 for 7DMT and a FPP for DW for Dumbo to take DD1 while the older girls are on 7DMT. If we go to the FPP line at 7DMT and check in and ask for rider swap, will DW be able to go and take both DD6’s for a second ride while I DD1 to go do something else? Is this what is being said? Is this cheating/inappropriate/wrong/going to get me banned from Disney?
Yes, this is what is being said, and it’s not what I’d consider cheating. It’s in the spirit of the system that both you and your wife should get to ride 7DMT, and DD1 shouldn’t have to wait in line for a ride she can’t ride. In that spirit she should be able to ride Dumbo with a FP (even if you didn’t buy her a ticket… chances are good that if she was 3 she still wouldn’t be big enough so that detail doesn’t change the spirit of the system), and she’d need DW to go with her since she’s not 7. It’s really just a perk that the older girls get to ride again. DW using a FP on Dumbo really isnt a big deal, because that’s not a super high demand FP anyway.
Also, it will definitely not get you banned… it’s totally allowed. If they didn’t want to allow that they’d have the RS system computerized with MagicBands, and they don’t, on purpose.
Ok. Thanks. That sounds awesome. When I read about RS at first, I thought that every one had to wait in the line, and then the one group that wasn’t going had to wait off to the side while the first group rode and then they kinda switched out, but wasn’t sure that both girls would get to ride again. Also wasn’t sure about whether DW would need a FPP for 7DMT or if just the 3 of us had it, if they would give her a RS without her having a FPP. If it works this way, it sounds like a good way to let the older girls ride a couple of times without waiting in a line forever. Thanks again
I know my oldest is tall enough. My youngest is on the small side for 5, so he may or may not be tall enough. Actually, I think he could probably be just tall enough, but there is no way they would get on it. They are both terrified of heights. In fact, they really don’t like anything fast, high, or turbulent. I"m pretty sure FEA is about as wild as they will be able to handle - and that is only with me there to warn them about the drops. I had forgotten all about the height thing. Maybe it won’t work then?
I think you will be fine on Soarin if you have a small/young son. They don’t interview the non riders by any stretch and if he is close anyway plus doesn’t want to ride I’m sure you can get the pass. It’s FEA that makes me a little skeptical that a CM will believe a 6 year old girl (prime demographic) will not want to ride. For your info, I am not sure the “drop” is worth worrying about either. My DS1 literally slept through the whole entire ride and didn’t blink at that part. Lol.
Haha I promise that this is the exact intended use! The pass you receive is paper and good until the end of the calendar month so you don’t have to ride back to back. You can come back later in the day or another day. I recommend doing Pooh with the baby while you guys are doing 7DMT since it is so close.
For future reference on the RS as well, you don’t have to use it via Fastpass only. You can use it in the regular line. We rope dropped 7DMT and I went through standby really quick first thing and then we came back and my husband rode during naptime while I shopped!