Rider Swap Changes (?)

[Epek]

I was at DLR yesterday for Mother's Day. We have a ds5 and dd2, so we often have to use rider swap. I wanted to report that they are now enforcing the rule that the entire party must be present in order to get a rider swap. I know several of you have stated that you have had to show the young child in the past, so that's why I put the (?) in the title. In my 2.5 yrs as an AP holder getting a rider swap almost every trip, we have never been asked until yesterday. In fact, the cm's at HSM told us this was "new". So, if you've done like my family and just split up, be prepared to make changes. They did let us meet at the exit and swap that way. Not sure that would work on all the rides, though.

 

[kathy040690]

The only ride I have had to prove why we need it was radiator racers

 

[amyg1975]

We have had it happen both ways. Star Tours and Matterhorn we had to show our daughter, but just once or twice, not every time! It does make sense for them to ask to see the family, because otherwise lots of people could take advantage of this great system.

 

[agamble]

It's been the official policy. Perhaps they're starting to remind CM of the policy. We always walk the whole family over to the ride to get the pass just in case. Then whoever isn't riding goes off and does something else. The weird one to me is BTMR. They always say to ask at the top. I have been given a lanyard before for swapping out, but I've also just been told to ask. I would rather there was a hard and fast rule and that all rides followed the same. It's annoying to have to remember to ask at the checkpoint at RSR too, they've always given us a Lanyard there though and asked to see the non riding kid.

 

[FryingPansWhoKnew]

Yeah, the enforcement of this rule has been inconsistent. BTMRR used to just wave us through with no verification whatsoever which honestly seemed a little silly. What's to stop people from riding it twice by saying they have a kid waiting?

While I'm not thrilled with the idea of trotting my kid up to a ride that he/she can't go on, I understand they really have to enforce it like that or people would take advantage.

 

[FeistyBelle]

Does anyone know which rides require the child to go through the entire queue vs. just getting the rider switch ticket at the entrance and then being free to go do something else while one adult rides? I know the last time we tried to ride Splash we were told to wait in line and then switch when we got to the top. But there was no way I was making my toddler wait all that time in line for a ride that she couldn't go on. At WDW they've always just given us the ticket at the entrance. I'm curious as to why it's different at DL.

 

[smartlabelprint]

We've never had to take them to the whole line. Just the entrance.

 

[agamble]

You're not even "allowed" to take a child under 40" in the queue if they don't measure up. That's odd they told you to do that. Splash also has a single rider line. No CM should be telling you to take a child who isn't of height through the line, and even if they are but don't want to ride they should still willingly give you a swap pass.

 

[lovebug33]

We've always had to show our kids.

 

[disneyxica20]

we've always had to show that we've had little ones. usually, they'll give us the pass at the entrance, but at star tours this last weekend they told us we all had to wait in line and then when we reached the front they gave us the pass, which i think is silly.

 

[beachdreamr1229]

I don't use it much except at RSR and Star Tours, but at both locations, my children have always had to be present. I wonder if maybe it's being enforced more now as new trainees come in for the summer season.

 

[bumbershoot]

DS is 5'5"is at 11 now, so we haven't done swap in a long time. But back then we had to show him to the CM. So this isn't new. This is old.

Does anyone know which rides require the child to go through the entire queue

None of them even allow too-short kids to go into the *whole* queue.

But this is where English is so imprecise! And this is where communication about swap gets difficult.

With Splash it's a perfect example, though. So everyone who has been there can visualize the Splash queue. There's a decent amount outside the mountain, and longer amount inside. On a quiet day, you practically enter where the CM is, which is just as you enter the mountain. I've NEVER seen a CM alllll the way at the entrance to the start of the queue. Ooh, English, is it the END of the line? Like when you join a clump of people and say "are you the end of the line?" which means the last person in the line. But we sometimes call that the START of the line, when talking about Disney lines. Right?

So it's where the line STARTS. If it's a busy day, or if you like to be precise and IN LINE the whole time, you pass Haunted Mansion and you get into the Splash line between the fence and the wooden fencing that is the line's demarkation. I've never seen a CM there.

So with swap, you need to be in that line (on a busy day) and go alllll the way to where the CM is, to show the CM the child.

But do you? Or could you put the first riders into the line, have the second riders with the too-small kid doing something else, and have that second riders and that child meet up with you as you reach that CM? I say yes, you can do that.

Does that make sense?


Same with Space. Sometimes the line goes all the way down the ramp out to the open space. There's no CM there. When you see the CM to get the swap pass, you've waited from where you joined the line until where you see that CM. For Space there's really nothing else you can do, so just get in that line. See the CM, get your pass, then the child and second riders move to where they'll meet the first riders.


But you're never going ALL the way through the line. You're just there until you reach the first CM.

Same with Indy. Light crowd day, you get right to the CM. Not much (if any) line waiting at all. On a bigger crowd day, though, there's a line before you reach that first CM. The kid has to wait until you reach that first CM.

 

[KCAshley]

Someone a few weeks ago mention on the DLR Reddit that he and his SO pretend to need rider swap so they can go twice without waiting in the lines. Something like that never crossed my mind (I'm a rule follower to a fault) but I'm sure he's not the only person to do it.

 

[smartlabelprint]

we've always had to show that we've had little ones. usually, they'll give us the pass at the entrance, but at star tours this last weekend they told us we all had to wait in line and then when we reached the front they gave us the pass, which i think is silly.

You should complain. Cm doesn't understand!

 

[figment_jii]

we've always had to show that we've had little ones. usually, they'll give us the pass at the entrance, but at star tours this last weekend they told us we all had to wait in line and then when we reached the front they gave us the pass, which i think is silly.

When you say "front" do you mean inside the building or where the line enters the building? The last time I went with a little one, he was never allowed past the first CM with the height stick which was usually well before the line got anywhere near the loading point.

 

[Jacie]

While it isn't new, it hasn't been enforced hardly at all. We were only made to produce our son once during 3 separate week long trips last year.. So thanks for the heads up, OP!

 

[disneyxica20]

When you say "front" do you mean inside the building or where the line enters the building? The last time I went with a little one, he was never allowed past the first CM with the height stick which was usually well before the line got anywhere near the loading point.

sorry, i meant where the line enters the building

 

[silvaohana808]

We were just at DLR last week and yes, it is inconsistent. Some Cast Members asked to see the little one and some didn't. For me, it wasn't a problem to show baby. Also, when we tried to bring baby into the line just to wait with us, he couldn't...so I'm not too sure why some people were asked to bring the little ones into the queue.

 

[agamble]

None of them even allow too-short kids to go into the *whole* queue.
So with swap, you need to be in that line (on a busy day) and go alllll the way to where the CM is, to show the CM the child.
But do you? Or could you put the first riders into the line, have the second riders with the too-small kid doing something else, and have that second riders and that child meet up with you as you reach that CM? I say yes, you can do that.

But you're never going ALL the way through the line. You're just there until you reach the first CM.

Same with Indy. Light crowd day, you get right to the CM. Not much (if any) line waiting at all. On a bigger crowd day, though, there's a line before you reach that first CM. The kid has to wait until you reach that first CM.

Interesting way to look at it. We've never experienced this on the rides you mentioned, but we always ride these rides with FP or when the lines are shorter, ex early morning. But Matterhorn is another good example. We have taken our son, one at the time, through the first half of the Matterhorn queue. It wrapped all the way around the mountain, and you're right there is no CM to ask for a pass until you get to the front. But we've also split up and one of us has taken the stroller and met back up when the waiting party has gotten to the front. Usually in that scenario it's DH going to get a FP for something and meeting back up with us. Matterhorn is kind of weird to use riderswap on because it doesn't have a FP line to return to. They do offer it though, but we had issues with Lady-bug boogie not wanting to let a baby on, but not wanting to offer riderswap either.