Rider Switch changing (Started June 16th)

[DizneyMommy]

Disney really needs more play areas for little kids. If they have to wait while other family members do the height-restricted rides, Disney should at least provide them with something fun to do.

And I agree that there's no good reason Disney couldn't make more rides for the whole family to enjoy in DHS. When we went to WDW a few years ago, our littlest was an infant, and our older kids were newly 6 and 7 (too short for Rockin' Roller Coaster, and too scared for Tower of Terror). We skipped DHS entirely because there just wasn't enough we could all enjoy as a family to make it worth one of our vacation days.

Yup. We are pretty much skipping it entirely this trip, as we have a 2 yo and literally not a single ride there for her with TS closed. We aren’t big on shows, so we will go see the SW fireworks and get the big kids on Star Tours, but that’s about it.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Not true. All of the rides I mentioned offer RS despite not having height limits (per the Disney website and confirmed by plenty of Dis-ers who have received RS for those rides).

We were denied a RS pass at FEA in August when our toddler was asleep in the stroller. I hate waking up little ones so I asked so DH and I could stay back with him and ride after he woke up. The rest of our group would go on ahead. We all had FP too, so no skirting tiers or anything. We were told no, and that swaps for that ride take place at boarding since everyone is tall enough to enter the queue.

That's the way it works for anyone tall enough to ride but can't or won't for whatever reason and can't be left alone. The thread linked to a couple pages ago is literally the only case I've heard of where someone got a RS paper pass at a non height restricted ride, without there being some unusual circumstance. Obviously, it should not have even happened without showing someone who couldn't ride either. IF that story was true, it was likely a CM who made a mistake.

That's true, but a) that is supposed to go away with the change which would now require all parties that want the RS to have a FP for that ride

Did I miss that? I read through the articles on Doctor Disney and WDNT and don't recall anything about requiring FP for those who use the swap.

What's really nuts is when it opens there will only be one non-height restricted ride in DHS, once everything is open it's still only be 2 of 9 without a hieght restriction.

Man, I didn't even think about that! Next time we go, either we miss out on Slinky Dog to get AS or TSMM as a tier one, or DS won't get to ride anything at HS. I can only imagine what standby will be like, and that's just not going to happen for us. They really need to have a non Tier one ride for little ones.

What will the second no height ride be? Is it one of the SWL rides?

 

[DizneyMommy]

Did I miss that? I read through the articles on Doctor Disney and WDNT and don't recall anything about requiring FP for those who use the swap.

It is actually an existing rule that hasn’t been enforced.

 

[sbbobe]

We were in the Magic Kingdom last week with our 2 4 year old granddaughters and while they were both tall enough to ride 7DMT the CM would not give us a rider switch.

 

[CMNJ]

We were denied a RS pass at FEA in August when our toddler was asleep in the stroller. I hate waking up little ones so I asked so DH and I could stay back with him and ride after he woke up. The rest of our group would go on ahead. We all had FP too, so no skirting tiers or anything. We were told no, and that swaps for that ride take place at boarding since everyone is tall enough to enter the queue.

That's the way it works for anyone tall enough to ride but can't or won't for whatever reason and can't be left alone. The thread linked to a couple pages ago is literally the only case I've heard of where someone got a RS paper pass at a non height restricted ride, without there being some unusual circumstance. Obviously, it should not have even happened without showing someone who couldn't ride either. IF that story was true, it was likely a CM who made a mistake.



Did I miss that? I read through the articles on Doctor Disney and WDNT and don't recall anything about requiring FP for those who use the swap.



Man, I didn't even think about that! Next time we go, either we miss out on Slinky Dog to get AS or TSMM as a tier one, or DS won't get to ride anything at HS. I can only imagine what standby will be like, and that's just not going to happen for us. They really need to have a non Tier one ride for little ones.

What will the second no height ride be? Is it one of the SWL rides?

I assume the mickey ride going into the Chinese theater will be the other no height ride

 

[DizneyMommy]

We were in the Magic Kingdom last week with our 2 4 year old granddaughters and while they were both tall enough to ride 7DMT the CM would not give us a rider switch.

You wanted a rider switch because they were afraid to ride? In that case they would have you go through the line with them, and have them and the second adult wait at the loading area while the first adult rides and then switch. They only give an actual RS pass when a child is too short to ride in my experience.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It is actually an existing rule that hasn’t been enforced.

Where has it ever been stated that that has always been a rule? I know someone posted about an email they received that indicated people should have a FP to ensure they can ride, but the language used still didn't indicate that someone couldn't receive RS without one or that it was even policy. We all know that phone calls and emails don't always represent policy either.

I'm not arguing for or against everyone having FP, but I don't see where an official policy has ever been posted to indicate either way. Without that, no one can ever really know what Disney intended. We also have no idea if it will be enforced that everyone have a FP now for RS, as nothing has mentioned it.

By the way, since your familiar with DL, when you get RS do you know if they are actually ensuring you have a FP? I'm not exactly sure how they add the RS there.

I assume the mickey ride going into the Chinese theater will be the other no height ride

Thanks! Somehow, I had completely missed hearing about that. GMR had already closed when we went, but I never paid attention to what would be replacing it.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Where has it ever been stated that that has always been a rule? I know someone posted about an email they received that indicated people should have a FP to ensure they can ride, but the language used still didn't indicate that someone couldn't receive RS without one or that it was even policy. We all know that phone calls and emails don't always represent policy either.

I'm not arguing for or against everyone having FP, but I don't see where an official policy has ever been posted to indicate either way. Without that, no one can ever really know what Disney intended. We also have no idea if it will be enforced that everyone have a FP now for RS, as nothing has mentioned it.

By the way, since your familiar with DL, when you get RS do you know if they are actually ensuring you have a FP? I'm not exactly sure how they add the RS there.



Thanks! Somehow, I had completely missed hearing about that. GMR had already closed when we went, but I never paid attention to what would be replacing it.

It’s been posted several times in various threads and some ride CM’s are beginning to enforce it. At DL they do check all of our FP on my app before giving RS.

 

[OlieRow]

You wanted a rider switch because they were afraid to ride? In that case they would have you go through the line with them, and have them and the second adult wait at the loading area while the first adult rides and then switch. They only give an actual RS pass when a child is too short to ride in my experience.

If I have 3 adults and 2 kids - a 4 yr old thats tall enough for 7DMT and a 2 yr old thats hypothetically just tall enough - would we be able to put 2 adults plus the 4 yr old on the ride and then switch out one adult the second time by swapping at the loading area? Planning a trip just before my nephew turns 3. He's practically off the growth chart but something about a 2 year old on even a coaster as smooth as 7DMT seems weird. Not sure he'd have the head/neck control for that.

 

[DizneyMommy]

If I have 3 adults and 2 kids - a 4 yr old thats tall enough for 7DMT and a 2 yr old thats hypothetically just tall enough - would we be able to put 2 adults plus the 4 yr old on the ride and then switch out one adult the second time by swapping at the loading area? Planning a trip just before my nephew turns 3. He's practically off the growth chart but something about a 2 year old on even a coaster as smooth as 7DMT seems weird. Not sure he'd have the head/neck control for that.

He’ll be fine! I know tall 3 year olds who love our toon town roller coaster and it looks about as jarring/smooth as 7DMT. But no, if the child is not tall enough they cannot go through the line. If they are, you can ask to switch at the loading area. Basically you just get in line together and then when you get up there tell the CM you don’t feel safe having the child ride and ask to wait for the first adult to come back to switch. We have done it when one of our kids went through a super nervous phase on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and they were always very understanding. Had us wait off to the side and then swapped, the adult that rode first took the scared kiddo out the exit and then I got on. Everyone waited in line, totally fair game.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

It’s been posted several times in various threads and some ride CM’s are beginning to enforce it. At DL they do check all of our FP on my app before giving RS.

It's been posted that on rare occasions only on certain rides a CM required everyone to have a FP before giving a RS. It's been posted far more often, and been my experience, that it isn't what typically happens. Nonetheless, it very well could be that CMs just haven't been enforcing the policy. The problem is, nobody knows if it is actual policy or not. The random cases we've heard of needing FP could be CMs who don't understand that it's not required. That's where my question came in. Is there solid evidence anywhere that the policy is for everyone to have FP for RS of the first group does? It seems like people assume that's what it should be, but that doesn't mean that there ever was or is a policy like that.

I also just checked out numerous DL threads on here as well as several sites that discuss RS and maxpass at DL and they all say that the second group does not need a fastpass/maxpass to get rider swap.

From what I was reading, it does appear that RS at DL worked just as it does at WDW up until the switch to Maxpass. At that point, it looks like RS went digital, those staying behind have to get their ticket scanned to add the RS, and they imposed a one hour time limit and one RS at a time limit. Same 4 changes that have been mentioned for WDW. Before maxpass at DL, the second group didn't need FP to get RS, and from what I've read, they still don't. With how much these prosposed RS changes at WDW seem to mirror those that happened at DL, it doesn't seem likely they would require all riders to have FP for RS at WDW with these changes.

 

[DizneyMommy]

It's been posted that on rare occasions only on certain rides a CM required everyone to have a FP before giving a RS. It's been posted far more often, and been my experience, that it isn't what typically happens. Nonetheless, it very well could be that CMs just haven't been enforcing the policy. The problem is, nobody knows if it is actual policy or not. The random cases we've heard of needing FP could be CMs who don't understand that it's not required. That's where my question came in. Is there solid evidence anywhere that the policy is for everyone to have FP for RS of the first group does? It seems like people assume that's what it should be, but that doesn't mean that there ever was or is a policy like that.

I also just checked out numerous DL threads on here as well as several sites that discuss RS and maxpass at DL and they all say that the second group does not need a fastpass/maxpass to get rider swap.

From what I was reading, it does appear that RS at DL worked just as it does at WDW up until the switch to Maxpass. At that point, it looks like RS went digital, those staying behind have to get their ticket scanned to add the RS, and they imposed a one hour time limit and one RS at a time limit. Same 4 changes that have been mentioned for WDW. Before maxpass at DL, the second group didn't need FP to get RS, and from what I've read, they still don't. With how much these prosposed RS changes at WDW seem to mirror those that happened at DL, it doesn't seem likely they would require all riders to have FP for RS at WDW with these changes.

We have been asked to see our FP at DL to get Rs for the second group. Honestly we all just have it out already as a habit now so I couldn’t tell you how often they ask, I just show it to move things along and not hold up the line.
I can’t find it now but more than one person has asked, including myself, and shared the response from Disney that if party 1 is getting a RS through the FP line then party 2 needs to have FP also. I don’t have the email I received anymore, it was asked and answered and it was a few months ago, I didn’t think I needed it anymore. It will be much easier to enforce when it goes digital as the CM will be interacting with that person’s magic band to issue a RS.

 

[HopperFan]

It's been posted that on rare occasions only on certain rides a CM required everyone to have a FP before giving a RS. It's been posted far more often, and been my experience, that it isn't what typically happens. Nonetheless, it very well could be that CMs just haven't been enforcing the policy. The problem is, nobody knows if it is actual policy or not. The random cases we've heard of needing FP could be CMs who don't understand that it's not required. That's where my question came in. Is there solid evidence anywhere that the policy is for everyone to have FP for RS of the first group does? It seems like people assume that's what it should be, but that doesn't mean that there ever was or is a policy like that.

I also just checked out numerous DL threads on here as well as several sites that discuss RS and maxpass at DL and they all say that the second group does not need a fastpass/maxpass to get rider swap.

From what I was reading, it does appear that RS at DL worked just as it does at WDW up until the switch to Maxpass. At that point, it looks like RS went digital, those staying behind have to get their ticket scanned to add the RS, and they imposed a one hour time limit and one RS at a time limit. Same 4 changes that have been mentioned for WDW. Before maxpass at DL, the second group didn't need FP to get RS, and from what I've read, they still don't. With how much these prosposed RS changes at WDW seem to mirror those that happened at DL, it doesn't seem likely they would require all riders to have FP for RS at WDW with these changes.

Honestly Disney has posted rules and guidelines they don't follow, sometimes follow, follow (including some of the RS policy) ... and they have non-posted rules and guidelines that they sometimes follow, sometimes not ...... the point is that there is nothing at Disney black and white when it comes to policies. Some rules are enforced differently by different CMs and different managers. And sadly that has created lots of problems from attractions, to guest safety, to room issues, to dining ............... and bottom line Disney has themselves protected in the fine print from any consistency.

If this is happening, we will see how it begins to operate in a week if the date is right. And I wouldn't be surprised if it's very inconsistent and takes some time for them to find a plateau of operating the RS. It's the Disney way ... to implement a new policy or change or inconvenience ... with very short notice so folks can't cancel, can't start too much of an uproar and in the end it usually blows over pretty fast and we all adapt. It happens over and over ...

 

[DizneyMommy]

Honestly though, regardless of where the policy is or isn’t written, it’s the fair way to do it, it just seems like common sense. It never occurred to us to NOT get a FP for everyone.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

We have been asked to see our FP at DL to get Rs for the second group. Honestly we all just have it out already as a habit now so I couldn’t tell you how often they ask, I just show it to move things along and not hold up the line.
I can’t find it now but more than one person has asked, including myself, and shared the response from Disney that if party 1 is getting a RS through the FP line then party 2 needs to have FP also. I don’t have the email I received anymore, it was asked and answered and it was a few months ago, I didn’t think I needed it anymore. It will be much easier to enforce when it goes digital as the CM will be interacting with that person’s magic band to issue a RS.

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying I didn't believe you that they've checked at times for FP for you at DL! From others though, it seems like it's at least not ever been done consistently.

Honestly Disney has posted rules and guidelines they don't follow, sometimes follow, follow (including some of the RS policy) ... and they have non-posted rules and guidelines that they sometimes follow, sometimes not ...... the point is that there is nothing at Disney black and white when it comes to policies. Some rules are enforced differently by different CMs and different managers. And sadly that has created lots of problems from attractions, to guest safety to room issues, to dining ............... and bottom line Disney has themselves protected in the fine print from any consistency.

If this is happening, we will see how it begins to operate in a week if the date is right. And I wouldn't be surprised if it's very inconsistent and takes some time for them to find a plateau of operating the RS. It's the Disney way ... to implement a new policy or change or inconvenience ... with very short notice so folks can't cancel, can't start too much of an uproar and in the end it usually blows over pretty fast and we all adapt. It happens over and over ...

I completely agree with this. It just baffles me sometimes when it's stated on here that such and such is policy when there's no way for us to know what is actually policy, what's an error on the website, in an email, or over the phone, or CMs not enforcing an actual policy, or if there's even a clear policy about something in the first place.

I did find it interesting reading about how the introduction of maxpass affected rider swap at Disney Land. That, to me, seems the best indicator of how this policy will be implemented here. Of course though, things change all the time and we won't really know for sure until it happens.

I did read about some issues with RS not properly being added in the beginning at DL. I wonder how often that will happen here, or if it won't be as big of an issue because MB are so much more popular here and WDW uses more technology now than it seemed DL did when they added maxpass.

 

[OSUZorba]

Man, I didn't even think about that! Next time we go, either we miss out on Slinky Dog to get AS or TSMM as a tier one, or DS won't get to ride anything at HS. I can only imagine what standby will be like, and that's just not going to happen for us. They really need to have a non Tier one ride for little ones.

What will the second no height ride be? Is it one of the SWL rides?

I roped dropped TSMM last year (in Sept) and was able to ride it twice in about 20 minutes, so I'd try to do that and get a FP for slinky dog. I bet it will also be easier to get SDFP for TSMM than Slinky Dog.

I am assuming both rides in SWGE will be height restrictions. The Mickey Mouse ride I assume won't.

I'm still upset about GMR since my DD loved it, and it was long enough to make it feel like more than one ride, but short enough to not worry about a meltdown. I wanted to, but never did take DD on Elen's Energy Adventure because I was worried about meltdown and being stuck for 45 minutes while we upset all 2 other people on it.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Just to clarify, I wasn't saying I didn't believe you that they've checked at times for FP for you at DL! From others though, it seems like it's at least not ever been done consistently.



I completely agree with this. It just baffles me sometimes when it's stated on here that such and such is policy when there's no way for us to know what is actually policy, what's an error on the website, in an email, or over the phone, or CMs not enforcing an actual policy, or if there's even a clear policy about something in the first place.

I did find it interesting reading about how the introduction of maxpass affected rider swap at Disney Land. That, to me, seems the best indicator of how this policy will be implemented here. Of course though, things change all the time and we won't really know for sure until it happens.

I did read about some issues with RS not properly being added in the beginning at DL. I wonder how often that will happen here, or if it won't be as big of an issue because MB are so much more popular here and WDW uses more technology now than it seemed DL did when they added maxpass.

Yeah DL went from stone ages to everything digital practically overnight. Totally caught me off guard and I’m there all the time. I think they went in heavy and fixed it as they went but it actually wasn’t too bad, we never had any of the problems some people reported.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

I roped dropped TSMM last year (in Sept) and was able to ride it twice in about 20 minutes, so I'd try to do that and get a FP for slinky dog. I bet it will also be easier to get SDFP for TSMM than Slinky Dog.

I am assuming both rides in SWGE will be height restrictions. The Mickey Mouse ride I assume won't.

I'm still upset about GMR since my DD loved it, and it was long enough to make it feel like more than one ride, but short enough to not worry about a meltdown. I wanted to, but never did take DD on Elen's Energy Adventure because I was worried about meltdown and being stuck for 45 minutes while we upset all 2 other people on it.

That's nice to hear about TSMM at rope drop. You have given me something to consider and read up about as time passes. I wonder how TSMM lines at rope drop might be affected by TSL opening though and the presumed influx of families at rope drop.

I was disappointed about GMR as well. It closed shortly before my kids' first trip, so they never got to experience it. Same with Ellen. Actually, I never rode that either. I'm going to have to look up more about the Mickey ride being built though. Hopefully it's as good as or better than GMR.

Yeah DL went from stone ages to everything digital practically overnight. Totally caught me off guard and I’m there all the time. I think they went in heavy and fixed it as they went but it actually wasn’t too bad, we never had any of the problems some people reported.

That's reassuring to hear, especially from a regular. Our next WDW isn't this year so I'm sure if there are kinks that most will be ironed out before we go, but for everyone else, I hope the transition goes smoothly.

 

[Andyman33]

Honestly though, regardless of where the policy is or isn’t written, it’s the fair way to do it, it just seems like common sense. It never occurred to us to NOT get a FP for everyone.

My issue is that it makes sense for the parent and too small kid to have a fastpass for something else. We are now past the too small kid stage but if child.is too small.for space then that kid should have a fastpass for buzz or Tomorrowland speedway .They can't ride alone so other parent should ride with them. Hence why everyone doesn't need a fastpass for that ride. That's my gut feeling about it. I can see the "other side" I just don't agree with that other side.

 

[DizneyMommy]

My issue is that it makes sense for the parent and too small kid to have a fastpass for something else. We are now past the too small kid stage but if child.is too small.for space then that kid should have a fastpass for buzz or Tomorrowland speedway .They can't ride alone so other parent should ride with them. Hence why everyone doesn't need a fastpass for that ride. That's my gut feeling about it. I can see the "other side" I just don't agree with that other side.

I have a too-small kid, she’s the 3rd so we’ve been through this for a while, and I personally have never felt that way. We make our choices, we alternate big and small rides, and we tour as a family. I don’t feel she is missing out in any way. She’s too short, she’ll get to ride the next ride. I’ve always found my kids did better with having that downtime during a RS ride anyways, rather than constantly rushing from ride to ride and from line to line. There are tons of other ways to enjoy Disney besides ride ride ride ride. And we like to do those small rides as a family anyways.