Parent swap changes...

[Hcalvert]

I made a mistake of reading the article's comments. Already, some guy is thinking his family will get special treatment due to his son's disability and will be able to work around the new procedure. He should just get his son a DAS if he qualifies.

 

[Kingoglow]

False. It was intended so that families could ride together as much as possible. Whether it was "fair" or not, Disney's policy for decades was to allow this.

And, to be clear, I'm only complaining because the timing is no coincidence - now that fastpasses cost money, Disney is tightening things up. I don't even have a dog in this fight -- by the time I return, all my kids will be tall enough for everything anyway.

Nope. You are wrong and are spreading misinformation on this forum.

This is from the Disney website on Rider Switch. You can view the explanation by clicking on the Read More link under the first heading 'What Is Rider Switch and How Does It Work?'

With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

No where does it say that the adult that waited outside can bring any guest. let alone all their children. The service is there to allow everyone the opportunity to ride once for each time the family waits in line.

 

[WannaGoNow]

Where is this official?

The WDW website says Rider Switch allows three guests. Disneyland also allows 3 guests per Rider Switch party. There’s no mention of an upcoming change.

 

[orky8]

Nope. You are wrong and are spreading misinformation on this forum.

This is from the Disney website on Rider Switch. You can view the explanation by clicking on the Read More link under the first heading 'What Is Rider Switch and How Does It Work?'

With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

No where does it say that the adult that waited outside can bring any guest. let alone all their children. The service is there to allow everyone the opportunity to ride once for each time the family waits in line.

Sure, go ahead and leave out the part where it literally then says they can bring two additional guests with them. And, go ahead and explain why, if the policy is only to allow the waiting adult to ride, why they could bring ANY guests with them, let alone two additional guests? Because it takes three adults to supervise the nonriding child?

 

[Chi84]

Sure, go ahead and leave out the part where it literally then says they can bring two additional guests with them. And, go ahead and explain why, if the policy is only to allow the waiting adult to ride, why they could bring ANY guests with them, let alone two additional guests? Because it takes three adults to supervise the nonriding child?

I agree with the point you're making. Disney wants its guests to have fun and doesn't worry about people who can't stand the thought of anyone getting one single thing more than absolutely necessary to reach what those folks have determined to be the minimum acceptable experience. That's why we go there so often. When I read some of the comments here, I wonder if we visit a completely different WDW than some of the posters here.

 

[AndyS2992]

Seems like a perfectly logical move. People are just angry their kids can't ride twice after only waiting once, it's an abuse of the system which in my eyes has now been rightfully corrected. I wasn't even aware you could bring two people, always thought it was one adult + one kid. For a family of five, one being a baby, I see no problem with one adult riding with one kid and the other adult riding with the other, and then just switch who rides with who on the next ride. A non issue really.

 

[flynnibus]

Sure, go ahead and leave out the part where it literally then says they can bring two additional guests with them.

Read how they explain the process….
“At least one adult member of your party and the Guests who are not riding will be issued a Ride Switch entitlement by the Cast Member and asked to wait in a designated area (usually outside of the attraction)”

the 2 guests is to limit the size of the return group (group 2). So you can split your party up and not solely require the person to ride alone.

but because disney never cared to enforce this - its been an easy way to get rerides.

 

[doctornick]

I’ve got to admit I find the reactions interesting. I definitely fall on the side that the rules were clear and that 3 people could ride during the second ride and if that meant that 2 kids rode twice okay. I don’t see that as abusing or manipulating the system as that was how it was set up.

Now I have seen times were people were truly abusing the system in a way not intended (by lying about having a non rider or saying a kid is too scared in order to get the pass then getting in line with them anyway etc). Not that this policy would eliminate such abuses but makes it less beneficial. It’s abuses like that which really hurt everyone as people scam the system which hurts other guests.

That said regardless of their motivation- and yes it surely is in prep for paid FP+ more than being about abuse or excessive use though there’s some overlap - this change is still very fair and reasonable. There’s absolutely no reason why doing 3 people for the return is more fair or reasonable or logical than 2. This change to me actually makes sense and is fair. The purpose of having more than 1 person ride is so the adult watching the young kid doesn’t have to ride alone. Having a second rider accomplishes that perfectly fine and fairly.

of course they could always go the Uni route and have the rider swap rooms. Definitely far less family friendly - the poor non rider kid who has to wait in the line with everyone - but much tougher to abuse.

 

[kong1802]

If FP returns just have to use the smallest ones FP for the ride and have the second child use that band to get on with the second adult so they can enjoy the ride together like before.

But we know it’s not returning.

 

[flynnibus]

There’s absolutely no reason why doing 3 people for the return is more fair or reasonable or logical than 2

Sure there is - not having to make your second group small. Allowing you to decide to solit your group how you’d like.

i mean if you wanted to be the most strict… there is no reason it shouldn’t be anyone but those who didn’t ride… even if that is only one person.

allowing two is even a generic and potentially unnecessary grace.

 

[mgf]

People are just angry their kids can't ride twice after only waiting once,

I am pretty sure you are interpreting this incorrectly. It isn't the wait. It is the missed moment. Image a first-ever trip to Disney. Your kids ride a "big kid" ride for the first time and come off excited and energetic. You, as the waiting parent, would want to still be part of that moment and hop straight on with the kids. You would not want to have to go wait in line another 90 minutes to ride again. It would kill the magic.

Disney is free to change the policy. It just strikes me as ticky-tacky. Ride swap literally never crossed my mind as something that "inconvenienced" me when I was a kidless guest.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I am pretty sure you are interpreting this incorrectly. It isn't the wait. It is the missed moment. Image a first-ever trip to Disney. Your kids ride a "big kid" ride for the first time and come off excited and energetic. You, as the waiting parent, would want to still be part of that moment and hop straight on with the kids. You would not want to have to go wait in line another 90 minutes to ride again. It would kill the magic.

Disney is free to change the policy. It just strikes me as ticky-tacky. Ride swap literally never crossed my mind as something that "inconvenienced" me when I was a kidless guest.

So much of what they're doing as of late is ticky-tacky and gross.

 

[doctornick]

I am pretty sure you are interpreting this incorrectly. It isn't the wait. It is the missed moment. Image a first-ever trip to Disney. Your kids ride a "big kid" ride for the first time and come off excited and energetic. You, as the waiting parent, would want to still be part of that moment and hop straight on with the kids. You would not want to have to go wait in line another 90 minutes to ride again. It would kill the magic.

But this change doesn’t prevent that from happening.

 

[mgf]

But this change doesn’t prevent that from happening.

Right, if you only had one kid of riding age. Again, I am just saying that, from what I see, no one in this thread is lamenting having to wait. They are lamenting the lost opportunity to reride with two instead of just one kid.

 

[James Alucobond]

Right, if you only had one kid of riding age. Again, I am just saying that, from what I see, no one in this thread is lamenting having to wait. They are lamenting the lost opportunity to reride with two instead of just one kid.

Which was never the point of the system in the first place. As a poster above showed, the language describing rider switch says the second parent or guardian is supposed to board with others who did not ride previously.

You view this change as tacky, which it may be from a timing perspective with paid Fast Passes on the horizon, but I personally find not observing basic line etiquette to be tacky. True, it is generally no skin off my nose when it happens, and I’m certainly not going to confront someone over it, but you are prioritizing your time and experiences over those of others when you do it. Allowed by Disney or not, I think it’s inconsiderate, even if it’s mild and falls under the “tolerably inconsiderate and totally understandable from a parent’s perspective of wanting more for their child” category. Still, you’re inflating the wait time of others and may be making them late for a reservation or reducing the total number of rides they can visit in a day. Minor inconveniences to them in the grand scheme of things, but inconveniences nonetheless that I would personally avoid by abiding by the spirit of this rule rather than taking advantage of it in the way that most benefits me personally.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

Right, if you only had one kid of riding age. Again, I am just saying that, from what I see, no one in this thread is lamenting having to wait. They are lamenting the lost opportunity to reride with two instead of just one kid.

While that depiction of a “first-time” experience sounds nice, one parent already has to miss that magical moment. The bonus ride is just that, a bonus.

I have a feeling many of the people complaining have experienced these attractions multiple times anyway - they just enjoyed getting two rides for the wait of one.

 

[Dave B]

They care now because everyone wants to have the best secret on tiktok and people are abusing the system, same why DAS was changed. Not every change is because Disney is an evil money hungry corporation bent on trying to make you have the most awful vacation experience ever.

How did DAS change?

 

[flynnibus]

You view this change as tacky, which it may be from a timing perspective with paid Fast Passes on the horizon, but I personally find not observing basic line etiquette to be tacky. True, it is generally no skin off my nose when it happens, and I’m certainly not going to confront someone over it, but you are prioritizing your time and experiences over those of others when you do it. Allowed by Disney or not, I think it’s inconsiderate, even if it’s mild and falls under the “tolerably inconsiderate and totally understandable from a parent’s perspective of wanting more for their child” category. Still, you’re inflating the wait time of others and may be making them late for a reservation or reducing the total number of rides they can visit in a day. Minor inconveniences to them in the grand scheme of things, but inconveniences nonetheless that I would personally avoid by abiding by the spirit of this rule rather than taking advantage of it in the way that most benefits me personally.

To be fair - while Disney has documentation on how the system is to be used, Disney by their own actions and posture never really lived that standard. And I'm not talking just about what they 'enforce' but how CMs are trained, act, describe it, etc.

I don't fault anyone for using it as Disney offered it - but don't try to argue the intent/rules are something else just because that's what they did operationally. What they do operationally and what they chose to enforce often vary... we just shouldn't get huffy and puffy when they operationally tighten up. Take the graces for what they were

 

[flynnibus]

They care now because everyone wants to have the best secret on tiktok and people are abusing the system, same why DAS was changed. Not every change is because Disney is an evil money hungry corporation bent on trying to make you have the most awful vacation experience ever.

Meh - this method is no secret and certainly has been this way for decades. There is no new 'outting' here or new exposure. It's literally been part of every Disney tip/guide forever.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

How did DAS change?

The original system gave front-of-line access...which was abused to the point of rendering it useless to everyone.

Now DAS riders are given a return time. It's still abused, but not to nearly the same extent.