Taking a smaller child to Disney World who might not be able to ride the rides that you want to ride? Never fear, the legendary service of Disney has come to the rescue! Introducing “Rider Switch.”
What is RS exactly and how does it work? RS is an option Disney offers to families with children below height limits for rides, which allows the family to wait in line only once when taking turns babysitting the vertically-challenged family member.
Here’s how it works: the entire family gets in the standby line for a ride (unless you have Fastpasses for the ride, in which case you would get in the Fastpass line). Stop and talk to the first Cast Member you see working the ride and tell them you want to do the RS. The members of the family who want to ride first go ahead, and the person who stays behind with the baby gets a paper Rider Switch return ticket. When the first group finishes the ride, they take over the baby duties, and the person with the paper RS return ticket can then enter the Fastpass line with up to two-three additional guests. The paper ticket will give the details.
Last summer when my family traveled to Walt Disney World, my older child who was five was just tall enough to start riding some of the bigger rides, like Star Tours, Barnstormer, etc. However, we also have a 2-year-old who is unable to partake due to her height. My family loved the RS option, and as a result my 5-year-old got to experience some of the most popular rides back-to-back riding with both my husband and myself. It was a win/win for everyone!