Disneyland Rider Switch & FastPass

 I want to ride TOO!!!  Yup, that's what I sound like when I go to Disneyland nowadays.  Over the past 2 years my Disney adventuring has changed because I have a kid.  I love kicking it in Fantasyland with him and all, but I'm also jonzing for Radiator Springs Racers and Indiana Jones.  Don't get me wrong, my Disneyland experience has been brightened with this little guy, but it's also been an experience in finding ways onto my favorite rides.  I'm talking FastPass & Rider Switch.  I'm here to talk about what parents (and anyone with a little) can do to cut your wait time.  On our last visit Buddy was 35" and just tall enough for Gadget's Go Coaster.  Yes, it was awesome to ride a "fast ride", but I need speed!  Real speed......40" or taller kind of speed!  So, I need FastPass & Rider Switch privileges. Just be aware that not all rides offer FastPass or Rider Switch.  Check your app, or the park map to know.    

FastPass....This awesome perk can be picked up at a ride for free, or selected using MaxPass.  A FastPass gives you access to a specific ride during a specified one hour window where you can skip the "regular line" and queue up in the FastPass line.  This line gets you on the ride faster.  Now, you can't just have as many FastPasses as you want.  Your MaxPass, or FastPass ticket will let you know when you can get your next FastPass.  There are 2 categories for WHEN your next FastPass can be selected.  1)  Right after you ride the first FastPass ride.(Get a FP for Toy Story Midway Mania at 9:00.  Hop in line, scan your ticket...bam next FastPass can be selected).  2) 90 minutes  from your previous FP. (Get a FP for Guardians with a 2:00-3:00 return time, it's 11:00.  You can select your next FP at 12:30).  All you need is your park ticket, or the app with your park ticket linked.  This is a huge change circa July 2017.  "Back in the day" you only needed the hopper ticket.  Now, YES!!! you can have more than one FP at a time.  Let's say you have a FP for Guardians at 8:00, and it's only 11:00 am.  After you select your Guardians FP, give it 90 minutes, then select your next FP.  Say its for Radiator Springs Racers at 3:30.  You now have 2 FP and after another 90 min. wait you can select another.  I strongly suggest MaxPass for all of its perks, but specifically for not having to run to each ride to get your next FP.  It's only one of the excellent perks of MaxPass.

Rider Switch...Now this specific perk has a caveat, that being that you MUST have at least one person in your party who is not tall enough to ride.  This can be a newborn, or your "just too short" 3 year old.  Rider switch allows ADULTS(14 years or older) guests to take turns waiting with any guests who are unable to ride.  In our case there were only 2 of us, so we just switched with each other and road alone(if single rider is not available), but this perk is excellent for bigger parties. So, first let the cast member at the ride know that you'd like to use rider switch.  Make sure you are all there, because they NEED to see that there is a reason for using this service.  Decide how you want to split your group.  If each parent wants to ride with the kids, you'll need to explain this to the CM so they can scan the kid's tickets as well.  The CM(cast member) will scan the waiting groups tickets.  When the CM scans the tickets they are essentially giving the second group FP that start 15 min from being scanned, and lasting 1 hour.  This is different then the previous way.  You can no longer come back and ride the ride later in the day.  It's usually only long enough for the 1st group to finish, and the next group to go.  The CM's are aware of wait times, should it take group 1 more than an hour to ride.  I strongly suggest using FP along with Rider Switch.  The reason for this is you can USUALLY get 1 extra ride in if you use the FP & rider switch within the 1 hour window of your FP expiring.


Single Rider...When it's just the 3 of us, we bypass rider switch and focus on Single Rider.  The list of rides offering this service are small, but worth it if you are only a family of 3(one of which is super small).  I do have to say....more people are learning about single rider and SOMETIMES the wait is just as long as waiting in the regular line.  We've experienced this on Radiator Spring Racers, California Screamin'(which will soon be an INCREDIBLE coaster), and Indiana Jones.  So, I say only use this service if you really are a single rider.