Rider Swap/Rider Switch/Child Swap: Digital System begins in late June

[hiroMYhero]

As reported over the weekend as possible changes to Rider Swap implementation, it’s now being reported on more than one site that Digital Rider Swap passes go into effect later this month. *On or around June 19th is the anticipated start time.

From Doctor Disney:
“Along with the digital implementation, there will also be a few changes happening and altering the way the service works. These changes could also help cut down on any abuse of the system.

Expected changes to Rider Switch/Swap:

• It will be done entirely digitally
• The entire party will need to be present to receive a Rider Switch as all MagicBands/park tickets will be scanned – Whether there is a limit or not remains to be seen
• Rider Switch passes will be valid for one-hour return windows **At DL, posters are reporting the one-hour Swap window begins when the Swap is digitally added to the Swap riders. Post #28.**
• Only one Rider Switch return time can be held at a time – The system will not allow Cast Members to distribute a second until the first has been used, cancelled, or time has passed

All paper forms of Rider Switch passes will be going away entirely and not accepted after this new system begins. Cast Members have been advised to deny them if presented.”

http://doctordisney.com/2018/06/01/...tal-at-walt-disney-world-soon-changes-coming/

Info can also be found here:

https://wdwnt.com/2018/06/breaking-...-or-baby-swap-at-attractions-to-combat-fraud/

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

I doubt this is being done to "combat fraud" as the second title implies but rather to bring about everything to the same platform and eliminate paper waste.
"Combating fraud" would simply be a side effect to the changes in the protocol.
But as far as I can tell, it doesn't appear that the ability to use it in conjunction with FP+ and/or splitting the party to 2 tier one attraction FP+s for example and relying on RS to get everyone on both is going away, but just decreasing the window to do so.

 

[hodad]

• Rider Switch passes will be valid for one-hour return windows
• Only one Rider Switch return time can be held at a time

Do we have any idea when that one-hour window will be? Does it begin when the bands are scanned, or is it sometime later in the day? If it's the latter, the combination of these two details could really muck up someone's touring plans.

Also, be prepared for a bunch of strollers clogging up the entrances to attractions as the baby watchers get their bands scanned.

 

[Crystal824]

This sounds awful for those with young kids. The appeal of RS is that you can come back and ride at another time so you too young kid doesn't have to keep waiting. You kind of work it in to the day. This sounds like a planning nightmare. Now in addition to FP, you have to figure out how to work in RS. We often get RS passes but don't always use them if it doesn't work out. I'll admit we sometimes hold them during the day and use them in the evening if our little one falls asleep in the stroller, etc. If that doesn't happen, we often don't use them at all.

I'm a little annoyed with this change. We have a trip planned for July. I have three kids, 2 of which are tall enough to ride most attractions. We also have an infant. He will be 15 months at the time of our trip, I planned our days with the current RS policies. I may have put more time in between FP attractions, etc if I had known this was going to be an issue especially given that we don't know when the one hour window will start.

 

[Duck143]

This sounds awful for those with young kids. The appeal of RS is that you can come back and ride at another time so you too young kid doesn't have to keep waiting. You kind of work it in to the day. This sounds like a planning nightmare. Now in addition to FP, you have to figure out how to work in RS. We often get RS pases but don't always use them if it doesn't work out. If our little one falls asleep in the stroller, etc. we will use them then sometimes that is way later in the day.

I have to admit, I'm a little annoyed with this change. We have a trip planned for July. I have three kids, 2 of which are tall enough to ride most attractions. We also have an infant. He will be 15 months at the time of our trip, I planned our days with the current RS policies. I may have put more time in between FP attractions, etc if I had known this was going to be an issue especially given that we don't know when the one hour window will start. It isn't the end of the world if one adult doesn't get to experience an attraction, we have done it all before and again, we often down even use the RS passes anyway. It is nice to have that option.

I agree about the one hour window. One hour with little kids goes by in a flash. A bathroom break, a food pitstop and your one hour RS window is gone.

 

[DavidNYC]

I'm skeptical of the "one hour" requirement (and it conflicts with some other sites reporting). Limiting to a single day should suffice for everything they want to accomplish especially with the limitation of only having one swap pass at a time. There is zero reason to limit to an hour if you're trying to give parents with young kids some flexibility.

Still a lot of questions to be answered such as how the scanning will work for the person who may ride twice (if the person waiting is waiting alone) and will everyone need a FP to use the FP line for the first group. While I see this cutting down abuse of paper fastpasses - I worry about the extra scanning time with large parties - can easily cause backups at a queue entrance.

 

[Gentry2004]

I'm glad my trip isn't until November and you all can find out the specifics and report back!

 

[StacyStrong]

I'm going to go against the grain here and #unpopular opinion, but I honestly think this is way more fair. And I'm 100% ok with it.

 

[rteetz]

I doubt this is being done to "combat fraud" as the second title implies but rather to bring about everything to the same platform and eliminate paper waste.
"Combating fraud" would simply be a side effect to the changes in the protocol.
But as far as I can tell, it doesn't appear that the ability to use it in conjunction with FP+ and/or splitting the party to 2 tier one attraction FP+s for example and relying on RS to get everyone on both is going away, but just decreasing the window to do so.

I think it is a mix of it all. Disney has been trying to stop "cheating" their systems as of late.

 

[KateB_UK]

We’re at 60 days next week, so currently thinking about which FastPasses to book!

We are a party of 5; 2 adults, 2 kids and a toddler and so will need to use child swap for all of the rides with height restrictions.

Originally planned to split our party into groups of 1 adult and 1 kid. Planned to book FastPasses for the initial party of 2, then use child swap to allow the other party of 2 to ride.

Does anyone know whether we can still do that? Or will all 4 of my riding party require a FastPass in order to ride?

Many thanks

 

[StacyStrong]

We’re at 60 days next week, so currently thinking about which FastPasses to book!

We are a party of 5; 2 adults, 2 kids and a toddler and so will need to use child swap for all of the rides with height restrictions.

Originally planned to split our party into groups of 1 adult and 1 kid. Planned to book FastPasses for the initial party of 2, then use child swap to allow the other party of 2 to ride.

Does anyone know whether we can still do that? Or will all 4 of my riding party require a FastPass in order to ride?

Many thanks

I don't know the answer to this BUT

Literally nothing against you at ALL. If I were you, I would definitely look to do the exact same thing and use the same exact strategy. Like 100% I would not even hesitate.

But this is one of the reasons why I'm all for this change. Rider swap effectively gives families double the amount of fast passes. And with large families. Oh boy. Just take a look at trip reports on this site and you can see how many people talk about having extra passes and handing them over to friends who arrive later in the month/week. It's insane.

Again. I would not hesitate at all to do this myself. It's a Disney problem. Not a people problem.

FWIW, it sounds like your strategy will still work, but you'll just be limited in when you can return for the swap. At least that's my understanding.

 

[yaya74]

When a family uses the rider switch, don't they wait in the "designated area" while the other party go on the ride? Then when the riding family is done with the ride, the waiting family will just go on without having to wait in line again? Isn't that how the rider switch program works??? So why is the "one hour window" a concern??? As regards to FP, don't all family members who want to ride the ride need to have FP+ to get into the FP+ line????

The more I read about this new policy, the more confused I get.

 

[KateB_UK]

I don't know the answer to this BUT

Literally nothing against you at ALL. If I were you, I would definitely look to do the exact same thing and use the same exact strategy. Like 100% I would not even hesitate.

But this is one of the reasons why I'm all for this change. Rider swap effectively gives families double the amount of fast passes. And with large families. Oh boy. Just take a look at trip reports on this site and you can see how many people talk about having extra passes and handing them over to friends who arrive later in the month/week. It's insane.

Again. I would not hesitate at all to do this myself. It's a Disney problem. Not a people problem.

FWIW, it sounds like your strategy will still work, but you'll just be limited in when you can return for the swap. At least that's my understanding.

Thanks for the reply.

I can totally understand the removal of the paper tickets (I’d naively never realised some people pass them on/try to sell them!) and linking them to magic bands.

For us, it’s not so much the ability to book more FastPasses but the flexibility of when party #2 returns for their turn. Entertaining a bored toddler whilst they wait for 2 separate groups to ride is going to be a real pain.
Having the flexibility to ride once, then go off to do something toddler-friendly, then return later on, is far more appealing.

Fingers crossed we get some more news soon!

 

[DizneyMommy]

When a family uses the rider switch, don't they wait in the "designated area" while the other party go on the ride? Then when the riding family is done with the ride, the waiting family will just go on without having to wait in line again? Isn't that how the rider switch program works??? So why is the "one hour window" a concern??? As regards to FP, don't all family members who want to ride the ride need to have FP+ to get into the FP+ line????

The more I read about this new policy, the more confused I get.

No. You get a pass from a CM and the other parent can get back immediately in the FP line or come back and ride later.

 

[DizneyMommy]

It’s been digital and linked to your ticket at DL for a while now. It works, we use it all the time with no problem.

 

[hiroMYhero]

It’s been digital and linked to your ticket at DL for a while now. It works, we use it all the time with no problem.

How does DL assign the Rider Swap hour-return window? Is it for the full hour after the initial party enters the FP entrance or ride entrance?

 

[DizneyMommy]

How does DL assign the Rider Swap hour-return window? Is it for the full hour after the initial party enters the FP entrance or ride entrance?

It is not one hour, it is just the same day. I am not sure if you can hold two at once either, it may be limited to one at a time. We always use ours immediately, so I’ve never tried that

 

[yesdnil]

Honestly, I like this change. I think it makes a lot of sense! On our last trip, we always used the rider switch to immediately return to a ride so everyone in our party could ride it around the same time and we weren't trying to circle around the parks constantly trying to get back to an attraction to ride it again later that day. I was pretty surprised to learn that some people were doing that.

 

[yesdnil]

It is not one hour, it is just the same day. I am not sure if you can hold two at once either, it may be limited to one at a time. We always use ours immediately, so I’ve never tried that

The one-hour window and one-at-a-time rules are the new changes being implemented. Scroll back up to the original post for context

 

[DizneyMommy]

The one-hour window and one-at-a-time rules are the new changes being implemented. Scroll back up to the original post for context

If you read my post it was replying to Someone asking me how Disneyland does it. I am aware of the rumor