How to Use Rider Switch at Walt Disney World

Do you have small children? Or maybe some less adventurous children who don’t want to ride a roller coaster or other thrill ride?  Did you know there is a service at Walt Disney World that allows you to still experience attractions yourself or with your older children without needing to wait in the full queue twice?

This service is called Rider Switch and it is a great way to make sure everyone gets to ride what they want! 

How it works

One party will wait outside the queue while the rest of the party waits in the queue for the attraction. Once the first party returns from riding, the second party will be able to experience the attraction without having to wait in the regular queue.

The process

Divide into 2 parties. Party A will wait in the regular attraction queue. Party B will wait outside the queue. **Please note that a maximum of 2 people can ride in Party B with the rider swap.

At the attraction entrance (BEFORE you enter the queue), tell the cast member you wish to use the Rider Switch option.

The cast member will scan the tickets or bands of Party B and let you know where to enter when it is your turn to ride. **Pro Tip: one person from Party A can re-ride the attraction if Party B is a single rider.

After Party A rides the attraction, guests from Party B should enter to the return location entrance and have their tickets scanned by a cast member.

Here is a real life scenario:

Lisa, Aaron, Natalie, and Claire are a family of 4. Claire is not tall enough to ride Space Mountain, but the others would all like to experience the attraction. 

Lisa and Natalie decide to ride first while Aaron and Claire get a snack. They all go to the attraction entrance and tell the cast member they want to utilize Rider Switch. 

Since Aaron would be a single rider, Natalie chooses to ride with him a second time. 

The cast member scans Aaron’s and Natalie’s bands and then Lisa and Natalie get in the queue.

Once Lisa and Natalie are done with the attraction, they find where Aaron and Claire have sat down. Lisa then stays with Claire and Aaron and Natalie go to the return location entrance and will have a shorter wait time since they aren’t in the regular queue.

Not all attractions have this option, so here is a complete list by park of where you can utilize Rider Switch:

Magic Kingdom Park
The Barnstormer
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad**
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Speedway
TRON Lightcycle / Run

EPCOT
Frozen Ever After
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind*
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

*All Rider Swap participants for this attraction are required to be in a Virtual Queue boarding group or to have an eligible Lightning Lane Single Pass prior to boarding.

**Scheduled for refurbishment in 2025

Do you have questions about rider switch? I would be happy to help!