Rider Switch isn't a secret Disney Parks® service, but I have found that not many families know it exists or how to utilize it. If you look around you while at Walt Disney World® or Disneyland® you'll spot a familiar scene: little ones waiting with Mom or Dad at a ride exit while the other parent takes the older sibling on the ride. When the child and adult exit the ride, the group moves along to the next attraction or stop on their itinerary with one or more adults missing out on the fun of the attraction they just left. This doesn't have to be the case!
Rider Switch is a free service at both Walt Disney World® and Disneyland®. It gives all adults in a party a chance to experience a ride, even if members of their party can't or don't wish to board the ride. Here's how it works:
1. Approach the Cast Member at the attraction entrance and explain that you'd like to use Rider Switch.
2. The Cast Member will ask you to identify the adult who is staying behind with the non-riding members of the party. Party 1 becomes the people who will enter the line to experience the attraction. Party 2 will be the non-riders and their adult supervisors.
3. Party 1 enters the line for the attraction. In Walt Disney World®, the adult member of Party 2 will be given a Rider Switch ticket. In Disneyland®, the supervising adult members of Party 2 will scan their admission tickets and be asked to wait in a designated area.
4. When Party 1 rejoins Party 2 after experiencing the attraction, Party 1 takes over supervision of the non-riding members. At that time, Party 2 can enter the line for the attraction through the FastPass queue. The details from here vary a bit based on the park:
In Walt Disney World®, Party 2 will need to surrender their Rider Switch ticket when they enter the line and the Rider Switch is good for up to 3 riders.
In Disneyland®, guests from Party 2 will rescan their tickets at the FastPass entrance and get into the line. Up to 3 guests may use a single Rider Switch ticket in Disneyland®.
Knowing is really half the battle when it comes to Rider Switch. Many attractions offer this free service. My family took advantage of it often during our last trip to Walt Disney World®, giving my 9-year-old the opportunity to experience many of his favorite rides multiple times and with both me and my husband. Our Rider Switch tickets were good for the entire month, too, so we were able to spread a little magic on our last day by giving our unused tickets - and the knowledge of Rider Switch - to a family we met while waiting in line to meet Snow White. Be sure to check the expiration date on your Rider Switch tickets. You may be able to use them later in your trip or pass them along to another family who will be in the parks after your last day.
Here are the attractions in Walt Disney World® offering Rider Switch:
Magic Kingdom Park The Barnstormer Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Space Mountain Splash Mountain Stitch’s Great Escape Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
(Photo credit: Magical Pix by Candi)
Epcot
Frozen Ever After
Mission: SPACE Soarin' Test Track
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Star Tours® - The Adventures Continue Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park Avatar Flight of Passage DINOSAUR Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain® Kali River Rapids Primeval Whirl
(Photo credit: Magical Pix by Candi)
Here are the attractions in Disneyland® offering Rider Switch:
Disneyland Park Autopia Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Gadget's Go Coaster Indiana Jones Adventure Matterhorn Bobsleds Silly Symphony Swings Space Mountain Star Tours - The Adventure Continues
Disney's California Adventure California Screamin' Goofy's Sky School Grizzly River Run Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: BREAKOUT! Jumpin' Jellyfish Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters Mater's Junkyard Jamboree Radiator Springs Racers Soarin' Around the World Tuck and Roll's Drive 'Em Buggies
(Photo Credit: MousePros Agent Emily Milligan)
Our MousePros agents are experts at Disney Parks® vacations. They can help you plan your FastPass+ experiences, help you decide if you need Park Hopper passes, and go over the details of Rider Switch for any attraction on your itinerary. Contact them today for help in planning your next magical Disney Parks® vacation!