Walt Disney World is a great vacation destination for families with littles. Even the tiniest of littles will be able to experience more than 50 attractions that have no height requirement. On my little one’s first trip to Disney at 6 months old, classic attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and Frozen Ever After delighted him.
Still, there are times when older kids and adults may want to ride some of the more thrilling attractions. Understanding how to use Rider Switch can help your family enjoy a balance of family-friendly attractions and thrill rides.
There are over 20 participating attractions throughout Walt Disney World that offer Rider Switch, including those that are currently operating on a virtual queue.
Rider Switch Basics
Overview of Rider Switch
A quick one-sentence overview: Disney offers Rider Switch so that both parents can ride an attraction that one or more of their kids may not be able to ride.
The first adult waits in line and rides the attraction while the second adult stays with the child(ren). When the first adult is done, the second adult uses their Rider Switch pass to bypass the standby line and ride the attraction, while the first adult stays with the child(ren).
When you arrive at the attraction, bring your whole party to the entrance so a cast member can assist you. Some attractions feature a Rider Switch checkpoint, while others just have a cast member with an iPad. If you need help finding where to go, just ask any cast member, and they can point you in the right direction.
Let the cast member know who will be waiting with the non-riding members of your party, and they will receive a Rider Switch Pass. These are given directly through the My Disney Experience app, so you must scan a MagicBand, ticket card, or your MagicMobile.
This is a simple description of how Rider Switch works, but there are ways this could vary for your family. I’ve included some examples below to show how this may work for your family.
Scenarios for using Rider Switch
The process is pretty straightforward if you are a family with two adults and one non-riding child. One parent rides the attraction while the other stays with the child. However, it gets more complex when you add more children.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, an eligible Rider Switch attraction
2 adults/2 children
Let’s say parents Melanie and Hayden are visiting Walt Disney World with their children Micah and Murphy. Micah is tall enough to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, but Murphy is not. In this case, all four of them would visit the entrance to the attraction. Melanie would get a Rider Switch Pass, tell the cast member who she would like to ride again with, and stay with Murphy while Micah and Hayden ride.
While waiting for the ride, Melanie and Murphy explore Fantasyland and get a Mickey Bar. When Hayden and Micah return, Melanie and Hayden swap, and now she can ride Seven Dwarfs with Micah. Disney has recently changed their policy, and only ONE rider may ride again with the waiting adult. This is done as a courtesy, so the second rider doesn’t have to ride alone.
2 adults/3 children
If Melanie and Hayden return a couple of years later with a new baby, the scenario changes again. Murphy is now tall enough to ride Seven Dwarfs and can’t wait to ride with her parents. However, because of the rule, neither child can ride with both parents.
You could approach this a couple of different ways: Hayden could take Micah and Murphy on Seven Dwarfs while Melanie stays with the new baby, and then one of the kids could ride again with Melanie. Or one of the kids could ride with Hayden first, and then the other kid could ride with Melanie once Hayden is finished. It all depends on your family’s dynamics and kids’ temperaments, which option would work better for you.
Using Rider Switch with Lightning Lanes or Virtual Queues
My little one in the splash pad while Mama rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Rider Switch isn’t just for the standby lines; you can also utilize this service with Lightning Lanes and Virtual Queues. Combining these services can help you get through the lines faster, giving you more time for other family attractions.
The most important thing to know is that everyone who rides the attraction must have a Virtual Queue reservation, a Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation, or an Individual Lightning Lane reservation. If there are three people in your party riding the attraction and one non-rider, you’ll need a valid pass for all three.
If we use our family from above, Micah and Hayden can go through the Lightning Lane at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Melanie stays with Murphy, and they visit the nearby splash pad. Melanie can use her Lightning Lane pass and retake Micah on the attraction when they are done.
It’s important to note that you still need to set up the Rider Switch pass before going on the attraction. This will allow Micah to ride again with his mom, even though he has already used his Lightning Lane.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney with littles and would like help navigating all the challenges, I’d be thrilled to assist you. When you book with Dreams Unlimited Travel, our services are always free to you, and we’re here to help with all your questions about Rider Switch, Genie+, Lightning Lanes, and more!
