Everything You Need To Know About Rider Switch at Disney World

Visiting Disney World with tiny tots in tow doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on your favorite thrill rides! This is where Disney’s Rider Switch program comes into play.  Using Rider Switch, parents can split up.

One parent stays with the child too small to ride the attraction while the other parent enjoys the ride with any other family members that meet the height requirements.  Once the first group of riders has finished, the parent that stayed behind gets to hop on and bring two family members with them. This can even include children who rode the first time!

Attractions Included in Rider Switch:

The rider switch option is available for any Walt Disney World attraction that has a height requirement! This are as follows:

Magic Kingdom:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Splash Mountain
• The Barnstormer
• Space Mountain
• Tomorrowland Indy Speedway
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Epcot:

• Frozen Ever After
• Mission: SPACE
• Soarin’
• Test Track

Animal Kingdom:

• Avatar Flight of Passage
• Dinosaur
• Expedition Everest
• Kali River Rapids
• Primaeval Whirl

Hollywood Studios:

• Alien Swirling Saucers
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
• Slinky Dog Dash
• Star Tours
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Steps To Using Rider Switch

As mentioned above, the procedures for Rider Switch are pretty simple.  Here’s a quick guide for first-time switchers!

• Let the Cast Member at the entrance to the attraction know that you’d like to use Rider Switch.
• The CM will provide you with a paper Rider Switch ticket for the adult that will be staying behind the first time around.
• The first party rides the attraction, the other parent party stays behind in the designated Rider Switch area.
• When the first part finishes they re-group with the second party and switch out.
• The person that waited it out the first time and up to two additional guests (the ticket holder must be a different rider than in the 1st party but the other two guests can be children/or adults that enjoyed the attraction the first time around) can skip the long lines and head right on to the ride.

Does my second group have to use their Rider Switch ticket straight away? Nope! There is no return time on a Rider Switch ticket.  This technically means that if you want to grab a quick bite to eat or head to the restrooms you can.  The second group that had to wait it out the first time can return to the attraction when they are ready to ride.

Rider Switch and FastPasses

Yes. And there’s actually a system that many Disney regulars use to their FastPass advantage!  Because of the way Rider Switch operates, only the members of the first group have to have FastPasses booked.  Those in the second group don’t need FastPasses but can still ride on the Rider Switch ticket.

This means that in a roundabout way, families using Rider Switch can double up on FastPasses.  However, you need to be aware that everyone riding for the first time would actually need to have a FastPass booked.  Here’s an example of how this would work:

For a family of five with 2 adults, 2 children that meet the height requirements and 1 child too small to ride. Mom and one of the older children could book a FastPass for Splash Mountain, once they’ve enjoyed the attraction Dad and the both of the older children could swap and ride.  Then dad and the child that rode the second time could book separate FastPasses for Space Mountain, they would ride first and then swap out with Mom and the other child!

This means that with a bit of careful planning guests utilizing the Rider Switch option could technically pre-book more than 3 FastPasses during your visit.  However, this only works when you have a child that is too small to ride attractions!  Disney won’t let you utilize this option if your family doesn’t meet the requirements!

We think Rider Switch is an awesome, underutilized way to enjoy your favorite Walt Disney World attractions when traveling with kids that may not meet the height requirements.  Trust us when we say that this under-the-radar family perk will make your Disney days a breeze!

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