New Rider Switch Policy is Terrible

[networkpro]

Do you have kids?

What has that to do with making someone elses' wait in the standby line longer because you didnt get a fast pass ?

 

[Dave B]

Just asking a question, that is all

 

[networkpro]

Just asking a question, that is all

a rider swap's convenience is conversely a standby riders inconvenience.

 

[Dave B]

again, just asking a question that you are not answering

 

[Shouldigo12]

again, just asking a question that you are not answering

The ride swap, as I understand it, is basically a fastpass for the members of the party not getting on the ride the first time. Because the second group gets to skip the standby line this makes the standby line longer to wait in.

 

[21stamps]

again, just asking a question that you are not answering

I have a kid.. and I completely agree with the posts saying that both parents should get a FP to the attraction.
I also think that an hour is completely reasonable, with or without a FP.

 

[Rsj88]

Two hours would be really helpful. Thankfully my youngest should be tall enough to ride most of the rides on our next trip. I am greatful there is a rider swap at all but a little extra time would be very helpful. Can we rider swap most rides in a hour, yes. But some rides like FoP are pushing it. We don’t double up on FastPasses because I’m always worried one day they will change the policy without warning and we won’t get to ride our favorite rides. We usually take the little one on a ride he can enjoy while the older one is riding. Yes, it can be done in a hour but giving a two hour window would be much more manageable and we wouldn’t be rushing around. I’ll take what I can get but I will miss the flexibility.

 

[jaklgreen]

I think the way they have made it with basically turning it into a fastpass actually makes it harder. The child and the other parent are off somewhere doing something else which is what is causing the issue with needing more time. If they all just went through the line and switched out immediately then there would not be these issues with not making it back within the hour. I think Disney needs to go back to that method. We took our kids every year starting when they were 1 and 2 years old. We never used the rider swap at all because we just stuck to the rides that they could go on with us. We had been before and knew we were coming back. I can see if someone does not go often or wants to try a new ride using rider swap. But I would think having to use rider swap for most of the big rides would be a hassle.

 

[drizgirl]

I think the way they have made it with basically turning it into a fastpass actually makes it harder. The child and the other parent are off somewhere doing something else which is what is causing the issue with needing more time. If they all just went through the line and switched out immediately then there would not be these issues with not making it back within the hour. I think Disney needs to go back to that method. We took our kids every year starting when they were 1 and 2 years old. We never used the rider swap at all because we just stuck to the rides that they could go on with us. We had been before and knew we were coming back. I can see if someone does not go often or wants to try a new ride using rider swap. But I would think having to use rider swap for most of the big rides would be a hassle.

I think when you visit Disney expecting to do all the big rides when you have little non-riders, you have to be open to some inconvenience.

Nobody says you have to go off and ride something else while the other half of your group rides. Get a Mickey bar and hang out waiting for your turn.

 

[Shouldigo12]

I think the way they have made it with basically turning it into a fastpass actually makes it harder. The child and the other parent are off somewhere doing something else which is what is causing the issue with needing more time. If they all just went through the line and switched out immediately then there would not be these issues with not making it back within the hour. I think Disney needs to go back to that method. We took our kids every year starting when they were 1 and 2 years old. We never used the rider swap at all because we just stuck to the rides that they could go on with us. We had been before and knew we were coming back. I can see if someone does not go often or wants to try a new ride using rider swap. But I would think having to use rider swap for most of the big rides would be a hassle.

Agreed. I would think having one party get on the ride and the other members wait near the loading area so they could switch off as soon as the first group gets off the ride would be the quickest and simplest way to do things. I mean most rides are like, what, four minutes? It would put an end to people using rider swaps to game the fastpass system too.

 

[randomsoulshine]

Look at it this way... how many people wait in line at the attraction, then get to the load point, and ask "Say, would it be OK if I just postpone my ride until later tonight?" and expect the CM to say "Sure! Just come right back here without waiting in line again."???

You were accommodated with flexibility -- a one-hour window to take care of your kids and swap off. They didn't even have to give you an hour. Other parks I've seen put the waiting parent and kids on the unload side and make them swap on the first parent's return.

That is how I have seen it done before. One parent rides directly after the first parent gets off. One hour does seem generous to me.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I’m interested in this as we have a trip coming up Christmas week with our 6 year old and 18 month old. An hour *should* be enough time unless the line is really long. I’m assuming it’s an hour from when the first group goes in, not when they come out. So if the wait for SDMT is 75min and you don’t have a FP, you just skip? We can do that, it’s just good to know going in.
I’m sure they’re working out some kinks.

we were there December 27th in a 9/10 level crowd and the 7dmt fastpass line only took about 5-7 minutes for us to get through. I went first, then switched with my husband. Even with both of us standing in the fastpass line, it took us maybe 1/2 hour to both ride. I don't think you'll have any problem as long as one of you has a fastpass.

I don't know how rider swap works with the standby line, though.

 

[nickys]

we were there December 27th in a 9/10 level crowd and the 7dmt fastpass line only took about 5-7 minutes for us to get through. I went first, then switched with my husband. Even with both of us standing in the fastpass line, it took us maybe 1/2 hour to both ride. I don't think you'll have any problem as long as one of you has a fastpass.

I don't know how rider swap works with the standby line, though.

They'll give you an hour from after the posted stand-by time, according to reports.

So if the posted time is 45 minutes, the RS will be timed to start 45 minutes from "now", and be valid for an hour.

 

[NickMaio]

Ridiculous.... more strategic rules. Everything has to be planned to the tee

I agree - - - It is really starting to suck a bit of the fun out of a WDW trip.

I kind of liked the single paper Fast Passes on the day. We were trying to get some FP's 30 days before our trip. The obvious E-tix were not available. At least in the past we could have gotten up and grab them first thing in the AM.

 

[DryerLintFan]

I understand being sad about missing it. Trust me, I would be too. I’m just happy to see Disney tightening up their rules. People should be able to ride back to back, and if something happens where they miss, then that’s unfortunate but gets filed under the “darn kids” category.
Unfortunately, people have become so demanding/expecting that Disney make everything right for them, no matter if it’s a situation that had anything to do with Disney or not. The result is the many threads on how Disney is ‘wrong because..’, and people expecting/asking for anytime FPs every chance they get. That type of behavior ends up ruining things for other people, one way or another.

In your situation you had a spouse there, you and the child could have quickly ridden and then met up with Dad and the melt downs.. you chose not to do that, which is fine, but it was completely your choice when you had a competent adult there as well.

Anyway, I don’t want to sound so harsh. I hope the rest of the vacation was great!

You should have asked for them to re-run the parade for you once T woke up

So you also don't think it's a good system then? I agree a straight child swap makes more sense but that's not the system Disney has in place.

Sometimes I'd like to swap my child.....

 

[DryerLintFan]

i think one hour should be more than enough time, any kid that is going to have an hour long temper tantrum does not need to be at Disney until they learn how to behave. And to those who say all kids have melt downs no they don't . my daughter is 19 and has been coming to Disney every year since she was 1 and never had a temper tantrum at Disney or home or anywhere else for that matter. If you give people all day they are going to abuse the system.

Kids melting down at Disney is almost never a behavioral problem. It's a parents trying to fit too much magic in and not paying attention to their child's cues for basic needs like food and sleep problem.

 

[NickMaio]

i think one hour should be more than enough time, any kid that is going to have an hour long temper tantrum does not need to be at Disney until they learn how to behave. And to those who say all kids have melt downs no they don't . my daughter is 19 and has been coming to Disney every year since she was 1 and never had a temper tantrum at Disney or home or anywhere else for that matter. If you give people all day they are going to abuse the system.

Infants do not really go by anyone's rules - Families vacation with kids and infants.
1 hour return time really is a joke if something comes up in any families day.
Don't even get me started if your family has special needs children.
All children are different and behave differently. We all know this.

I really don't see how allowing a person ( in a party of two ) to return any time during the same day is abusing the system?

Empathy really is gone for most people at "so called" WDW Magic.com

 

[DryerLintFan]

I think when you visit Disney expecting to do all the big rides when you have little non-riders, you have to be open to some inconvenience.

Nobody says you have to go off and ride something else while the other half of your group rides. Get a Mickey bar and hang out waiting for your turn.

This. While my husband rode, my kid and I sat on the wall nearby the exit and blew bubbles (OH THE HORROR) and looked for princesses in the crowds. When it was my turn, my husband and her had a snack.

Stacking rides with child swap sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[drizgirl]

This. While my husband rode, my kid and I sat on the wall nearby the exit and blew bubbles (OH THE HORROR) and looked for princesses in the crowds. When it was my turn, my husband and her had a snack.

Stacking rides with child swap sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Apparently only if you're limited by a 1 hour return window.

 

[21stamps]

You should have asked for them to re-run the parade for you once T woke up



Sometimes I'd like to swap my child.....

.. and do a replay of Illuminations when we missed that.