What is Rider Switch?
This handy feature at select Walt Disney World attractions allows adult Guests to take turns waiting with youngsters or Guests unable to ride.
To Use Rider Switch (this is directly from the WDW website)–
1. First check with a Cast member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question.
2. Once at the attraction, approach the greeting Cast Member with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guests who are not riding will be issued a Ride Switch entitlement by the Cast Member and asked to wait in a designated area (usually outside of the attraction). This group is “Party 2.”
3. The other party members (“Party 1”) ride the attraction.
4. After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2. Then, Party 1 takes over supervision of the non-riding children or Guests.
5. Party 2 enters and boards the attraction without having to wait in the regular queue a second time. The Rider Switch entitlement must be validated by a Cast Member at this time.
Please note that if the person in party 2 waits alone with the child or non-riding Guest, the number of Guests who may join him or her and ride again is limited. Only one additional person can ride with the second adult who waited (this used to be three)
Rider Switch Notes and Questions
How does this work with Lightning Lane?
-In times before Disney Genie, with the FastPass+ system, you were able to utilize more than your 3 prebooked FastPasses with rider switch- For example, for a party of two adults and two children, you would make a FastPass for one adult and one child for one attraction, and another adult and other child at second attraction, instead of all utilizing the same 3 FastPasses. Then you could utilize Rider Switch to your advantage, since both parties could ride with only using the first party’s FastPass allotment. This gave guests up to 6 prebooked FastPasses instead of 3. With Disney Genie+, all riding guests must have the Lightning Lane selection for that attraction.
–Do I need to purchase Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lane to use Rider Switch at an attraction?
No, rider switch can be used at any attraction that accepts rider switch, even if you use the standby queue. The process is the same- the whole party arrives at the attraction, check in with a cast member at the entrance and ask for rider switch, they will scan your bands or ticket of the party riding the second time, the first party goes through the standby queue and when they return, the second riding party goes through the Lightning Lane to board the attraction.
–Can my riding child ride twice?
Yes, the idea is that each adult can experience the attraction with the riding child. When you scan in, the riding child and the second adult will scan their bands to get the Rider Switch pass.
But let’s say you have a party of 5, and one person can’t ride- 3 of you would go through the standby queue (or LL if purchased) while the other rider and non-rider wait. When the 3 return, the non-rider can ride with one additional person, not two.
-What does it look like in Disney Genie?
The return time is the time you can start entering with the second party.
It is good the rest of the day.
-Can I get a rider switch pass if my whole party is not with me?
No, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve got your whole party with you before heading to the Lightning Lane return entrance to set up Rider Switch, as Cast Members must see the non-riding members of your party.
Attractions Offering Rider Switch
Magic Kingdom Park
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
Epcot
Frozen Ever After
Mission: SPACE
Soarin’
Test Track
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Alien Swirling Saucers
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Slinky Dog Dash
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
Na’vi River Journey