New Rider Switch Policy is Terrible

[Joebradley62]

Mashed fingers will invoke blood and tears, and pushing those carts will raise quite a sweat, so I can certainly believe it.

So the OP had a job and had to work. Man I feel sorry for them. Most of us are independently wealthy.

 

[Shouldigo12]

This is not at all the same kind of issue that the original poster posted about.

I don't want to speak for them, but I think that reply was more in response to my post that I don't expect special treatment at the parks but retain the right

'Literally poured blood, sweat and tears' - This is why I can't take anything you have just said seriously[/QUOTE/]
Doing carts in 90 degree heat-sweat
Running carts over my foot and breaking off the nail multiple times, and cutting myself on glass when cleaning up broken jars- blood
Being yelled at by unhappy customers, whether I was the cause or not -tears. So yes, I put my blood sweat and tears into that job.

 

[Shouldigo12]

So the OP had a job and had to work. Man I feel sorry for them. Most of us are independently wealthy.

Yeah, of course everyone has to work. My post was in response to what I thought someone else was saying (and I realize now I misinterpreted), which was I don't have a right to complain about the cost on my vacation because everyone pays a lot. They weren't saying that, but ive seen so many people act like that.

 

[jaklgreen]

What if mom and two kids go with mom's sister? Should mom forgo riding so auntie can ride everything? What if mom and older teenager go with a younger child who's afraid to ride? What if too-little-to-ride has a meltdown when it's time for mom to ride with big-enough-to ride? There are many configurations where dividing the duties between the adults makes for a less-than-magical experience. All these troubles can be eased with just a little longer return time, is all I'm saying. None of the things that are a problem for one hour are likely to extend to two hours.

So what. They chose to go to the parks knowing the dynamics. Nothing is ever set in stone with kids. And I don't think changing the window to 2 hours is going to make a big difference. Even if it does, that is not the point. The point is that Disney has decided that an hour is what they want to give as a return time, just like fastpass. If you miss it, tough. Why does everyone think they are entitled to special consideration? What about someone who does not have a small child but one of the person's is not feeling good but they have a FP time. If they miss the FP then they are out of luck on the popular rides. Should Disney then give them another hour because they missed it through no fault of Disney's. We managed several trips with young ones and never once used rider swap and still had a great time. This is the case of you give an inch and they want a mile.

 

[Joebradley62]

Yeah, of course everyone has to work. My post was in response to what I thought someone else was saying (and I realize now I misinterpreted), which was I don't have a right to complain about the cost on my vacation because everyone pays a lot. They weren't saying that, but ive seen so many people act like that.

I was just being a smart a$$. The real answer to this is 1 hour, 2 hours , 3 or 4 no matter what disney does some people will be ok with and others won't.

 

[EngineerMom]

This is not at all the same kind of issue that the original poster posted about.

Sure it is
She was upset that they changed the rider switch policy
Hey changed the policy on BOG right before we traveled. We were planning on waiting in line for lunch and all of a sudden it was a reservation so we couldn't go. We were VERY disappointed. We had my parents with us who had no been and wanted to take them but could not the whole trip.
We had a plan for BOG. To get in line early but since Disney changed their policy and we didn't know in time we couldn't go. It happens.
BUT we were at Disney. Yes we could not do one thing we REALLY wanted to do but we moved on.

 

[EngineerMom]

So since we never tried to do rider switch when our kids were little I didn't look into it.
I just read it so you don't have to use a fastpass, you don't have to stand in line with little kids, you can even take someone else on the ride with you when you go back so if you have other people in your party like an older child they get to ride the ride a second time without waiting WOW that is a NICE perk.

Seems reasonable to me that it has a 1 hour limit. After all you can still have 3 fastpasses that day.
We have always had people in our party who don't ride certain rides and so since I am the planner I am the always the one figuring out who is going to ride which rides. This would have made me have more options of not waiting. (basically more fastpasses)

 

[2thDr]

I'm a parent who took my child in a stroller before they could remember. Why? Because we go very often and I don't sit at home until they remember things. I find that argument that the kids don't remember kind of silly because no one should ever just sit at home from things because kids don't remember - because the parents sure do.

I do sometimes think that parents push too hard to have perfection or go non-stop so the kids are miserable, but every family is different and if they have fun, I don't care. That's why I find the whining over an hour also a bit silly. If you cannot, as an adult, make it back in an hour, it's not the end of the world. No ride is that important. That said an unruly child or two shouldn't prevent a swap. Parents also should be able to just swap immediately after in almost all cases. Maybe a tiny percentage will really have something major happen (child severely hurt or the like) but meltdowns don't count in this case to me. That's on the parents for not dealing and swapping. Obviously I'm a parent and I am in the middle of taking school-aged offspring. So I'm not that out of touch with reality. I'm not going to judge parents whose kids melt down or anything, I just don't see things on that level as a valid excuse.

School-aged offspring? They don't have poopocalypses at just the right moment, or need to be nursed Right. This. Minute. Judging parents by your own experiences as to what they should or shouldn't be able to do in an hour is unfair, unnecessary, and so not the point. The point is, how can Disney craft the rider-swap policy so as to enhance the experience for the largest number of visitors while inconveniencing the smallest number of visitors while still maintaining a profitable business? I say, two hours would do the trick.

 

[2thDr]

Sure it is
She was upset that they changed the rider switch policy
Hey changed the policy on BOG right before we traveled. We were planning on waiting in line for lunch and all of a sudden it was a reservation so we couldn't go. We were VERY disappointed. We had my parents with us who had no been and wanted to take them but could not the whole trip.
We had a plan for BOG. To get in line early but since Disney changed their policy and we didn't know in time we couldn't go. It happens.
BUT we were at Disney. Yes we could not do one thing we REALLY wanted to do but we moved on.

OP wrote:
"Or maybe my kids are just terrible. But today I tried to do rider switch with my husband for Splash Mountain. I was told I only had one hour to redeem it. Long story short, I have twins toddlers who had a meltdown after Dad left and I couldn't get them to settle down within the hour window to use the pass.
I get that people are abusing it and they had to crack down but it seems to restrictive to me, especially with little ones who may not be so crazy about sitting out a whole hour plus so mom and dad can ride. Come on Disney at least give us the option of redeeming it later I the day!!!!"
She wasn't complaining that they changed it without her knowledge, but that the new policy is terrible. Your example relates an incident where you had a plan and were thwarted.

 

[raven]

This is why I prefer Universal’s Child Swap over anything. The entire party enters the line. One parent (or other party member) stays with the child in a themed Child Swap room near the load area of the ride. As soon as the rider comes back, they swap places. The person who originally waited with the child will then board immediately with whoever else from their party wants to ride again.

Yes, the children have to wait in line with the parents but the swap is utilized immediately. A pass is issued to the waiting parent to use for boarding so no one can abuse the system by riding over and over again.

 

[correcaminos]

School-aged offspring? They don't have poopocalypses at just the right moment, or need to be nursed Right. This. Minute. Judging parents by your own experiences as to what they should or shouldn't be able to do in an hour is unfair, unnecessary, and so not the point. The point is, how can Disney craft the rider-swap policy so as to enhance the experience for the largest number of visitors while inconveniencing the smallest number of visitors while still maintaining a profitable business? I say, two hours would do the trick.

I currently have school aged. Read my post, and you'll see that I have been taking my offspring since before birth. So I've been there during infancy, toddler years, pre-school age (potty training) etc. Don't assume that I've not gone through it. Also as I said, I do NOT judge (where you got that I do from my post baffles me really) what parents go through. I know things happen, but a meltdown of the kids not riding is not an excuse to miss. There are two adults for a reason.

I know what the point is. And IMO 1 hour is more than enough time to add for the rider switch. IMO you should be switching immediately after the first ride, so this 1 hour is way more flexible than I think it should be. If a child poops, needs to be fed, etc. that is what the other adult you are swapping with is for. If you need to nurse, the hour is more than fair (if it is the mom waiting while riding). People seriously whine too much about little things and really a window for a rider swap (which really means you swap after being done, not come back later IMO) is not something I'd ever whine about.

This is why I prefer Universal’s Child Swap over anything. The entire party enters the line. One parent (or other party member) stays with the child in a themed Child Swap room near the load area of the ride. As soon as the rider comes back, they swap places. The person who originally waited with the child will then board immediately with whoever else from their party wants to ride again.

Yes, the children have to wait in line with the parents but the swap is utilized immediately. A pass is issued to the waiting parent to use for boarding so no one can abuse the system by riding over and over again.

This is exactly what I think rider swap should be like. If WDW cannot give a themed room to wait, then still the swap should be done quickly after anyway.

 

[Sonconato]

When our child was young, the rider swap option didn’t even exist. It probably would have been nice, but we waited until our child was older any way and we simply went on rides we all would enjoy.

After reading all the comments, it seems Disney has been more than fair to accommodate families with children. To be honest, this system really makes it unfair to those that don’t have children in that, as many have mentioned, these parents can enjoy the tiered Fastpasses in the same day whereas it’s impossible or nearly impossible for everybody else to use Fastpasses in the same day for such rides as Soarin’ and Test Track. On top of that, an hour should be plenty of time to “swap”. One Off, One On…it’s as simple as that.

Perhaps what should be done, which would be fairer for everybody and will also accommodate the parents that can’t seem to make an hour work, is Disney should require that both parents get a FP for the same ride. The difference would be that once the first parent scans for the Rider Swap, then that will automatically open up the second parents FP to have a “floating return time” or perhaps a “four-hour window”, but it would have to be for the same ride. That would close that loophole where these parents can get additional FPs whereas everybody else can’t.

 

[mk1971]

I have a question, let's see if someone who used the new Rider Switch system can help.

I have 2 kids, a 6yo and a 2yo. Can I book a FP for Space Mountain only for my husband and then use the Rider Switch for me and my 6yo?

I know we could do that with the old system, I'm wondering if we can still do that and double the Fastpasses

 

[daisyduckie]

I think the new policy is great! It was beyond ridiculous how lenient the previous policy was. But I'm one of those horrible people who think that being a parent doesn't make you and your family more special than a family that has grown kids, or a family that is older adults. The rider switch is still a massive perk.

 

[EngineerMom]

Agree that Universal has it right. They have a nice waiting area on some of their wilder rides like Spiderman.

I understand why some of the older rides don't have it but when Disney built the newer rides like FOP or Soarin why didn't they add some sort of waiting room.

 

[Lets Respect]

I always wonder about why they didn't build RS rooms like at Universal on the new rides.

It would take less time for the riders. And wouldn't allow for doubling of FPs

 

[sndral]

...
I suspect this plan isn’t well thought out bc it doesn’t directly put dollars in Disney’s pocket. An executive probably took 30 seconds to decide and said “we’ll just make it easy on ourselves, just go with an hour.”

I suspect the opposite. WDW implemented the digital FP system in part because their exit surveys showed people disliked long lines a lot. The digital FP system reduces those lines by regulating the number of people given FP access for a set time window of an hour. If the predicted number of people show up, the FP line moves at a predictable pace and the standby line moves at a predictable pace. RS passes and other any time passes were wild cards - there was no accounting for when those passes would be utilized. Most likely those wild card passes were being used at predictably popular times causing both FP and SB lines to become far longer than envisioned when the FP were issued 60/30/that day. Thus by limiting the return time to one hour and 1 RS at a time WDW can predict & manage the queues better. This also eliminates the early a.m. dash where people collected multiple RS for later in the day/stay for returns & then used them when the system was already solidly booked for FPs by guests who got them in the normal course.
As for the argument that people w/out young children have no dog in this fight, what nonsense, anything that makes the wait in a line - FP or SB - longer impacts everyone who wants to ride that ride. We’ve all experienced those inexplicable 45 minute ‘FP’ lines.
I also suspect that by digitizing the RSs the number of day of FPs issued can be better regulated as well.

 

[daisyduckie]

Agree that Universal has it right. They have a nice waiting area on some of their wilder rides like Spiderman.

I understand why some of the older rides don't have it but when Disney built the newer rides like FOP or Soarin why didn't they add some sort of waiting room.

Disney would rather you be out shopping or eating that sitting around waiting.

 

[daisyduckie]

So the OP had a job and had to work. Man I feel sorry for them. Most of us are independently wealthy.

I'm betting most of us have cushy jobs too. Where we sit on clouds while some minion feeds us bonbons all day long.

Yeah, this year alone I've broken a toe at my job, in addition to all of the various cuts and bruises I get. It is a running joke that I'm always going for band aids or ice packs. I think most of us work very hard and put our all into our jobs. It infer we don't is insulting.

 

[Delgado]

I'm a parent who took my child in a stroller before they could remember. Why? Because we go very often and I don't sit at home until they remember things. I find that argument that the kids don't remember kind of silly because no one should ever just sit at home from things because kids don't remember - because the parents sure do.

I do sometimes think that parents push too hard to have perfection or go non-stop so the kids are miserable, but every family is different and if they have fun, I don't care. That's why I find the whining over an hour also a bit silly. If you cannot, as an adult, make it back in an hour, it's not the end of the world. No ride is that important. That said an unruly child or two shouldn't prevent a swap. Parents also should be able to just swap immediately after in almost all cases. Maybe a tiny percentage will really have something major happen (child severely hurt or the like) but meltdowns don't count in this case to me. That's on the parents for not dealing and swapping. Obviously I'm a parent and I am in the middle of taking school aged offspring. So I'm not that out of touch with reality. I'm not going to judge parents whose kids melt down or anything, I just don't see things on that level as a valid excuse.

When people said my kids won’t remember and I’m wasting my time taking them to fireworks, the beach, and Disney among other things...I always told them we’re starting early on how to behave in public. Don’t keep your kids home until they’re 8 then decide a trip to Disney is in order....train your kids before they can tell you they don’t want to wait and it’s too hot
I have a 3 and 9 yo, they travel fantastic! (minus the motion sickness puking —-insert Dramamine ad—-but I’ll take that over nonstop whining)