How Does Rider Switch Work for Lightning Lane Multi and Single Pass in Disneyland?

Traveling with small children can be difficult, especially when traveling to Disneyland Resort.

Rider Switch is a handy Disney service that allows a party to split up in order to ride attractions where one or more people in the party aren’t tall enough to ride. This is great when traveling with babies or small kids and can really enhance a trip. Likewise, Disneyland’s skip-the-line services can also enhance a park day, albeit for many different reasons and for a heftier price. But how do these options interact with each other? We found out!

The skip-the-line services in question are, of course, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass! These services are accessible via the Disneyland app and are more closely aligned to the old Genie+ system, as opposed to the Lightning Lane offerings at Disney World. In short, they’re paid services at Disneyland that allow people to bypass standby lines for a shorter attraction wait. But how do they work with Rider Switch?

To understand the relationship, we must first understand each service individually. Lightning Lane at Disneyland has two modes: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. Multi Pass can be used once on each available attraction, of which there is a variety in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. This service must be bought for each individual using it in order to give them arrival windows, special queues away from standby lines, and the ability to book new experiences every two hours or after redemption of the oldest reservation.

Equipped with photo perks, Lightning Lane Multi Pass can be purchased as a ticket add-on in advance or after park entry. This service recently went up in price, unfortunately.

Single Pass is similar, although it is a single-use service that can only be bought after park entry and is only valid for Radiator Springs Racers and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

As for Rider Switch, this service won’t cost you a thing! With Rider Switch, “guests take turns experiencing an attraction. One party waits outside the queue while the remainder of their party waits in the queue.” Once the first party comes back, the second goes through a different entrance — usually the Lightning Lane queue.

Guests typically use Rider Switch when someone in the party doesn’t meet the boarding requirements (such as height), a guest has a service animal, or a guest has specific needs. Rider Switch is available at most attractions throughout the Disneyland Resort.

To use Rider Switch, the whole party must go to the entrance of an attraction and let a Cast Member know you are interested in the option. Your party will then be divided into two groups, after which the first group goes into the normal queue and rides the attraction.

The remaining group is allowed up to two people, but a member of our team once used Rider Switch while visiting with twin babies, and the second group was allowed a maximum of four, two for each child, so it never hurts to ask.

The second group will have their tickets scanned for a special pass and will be informed where to enter the attraction once the first group returns. They will then scan their tickets to redeem that Rider Switch pass and be allowed to ride. If the second group is only one guest, one guest from the first group may re-ride the attraction with them.

Now that we’ve gotten into the nitty gritty of all of these offerings, let’s examine how they work TOGETHER.

Rider Switch DOES work with Lightning Lane passes. After all, it has to especially if you’re traveling with someone who desperately needs it. However, when you combine the two, you just bypass the standby line altogether. 

What matters most is that everyone who intends to ride the attraction has a valid Lightning Lane reservation.

The kicker is that most of the time, Rider Switch won’t be necessary. To put it into the simplest of terms, Lightning Lane reservations have an hour window for you to redeem them. Most of the time, that’s enough for one group to ride, come back, do the switch, and the second group rides.

In order for the Rider Switch program to be useful, you would either need to show up to the attraction right before the reservations expire or anticipate waiting in the Lightning Lane Queue, riding the attraction, and coming back out to your party in over an hour or after everyone’s reservations expire.

If you don’t think time will be an issue, you can essentially create your own Rider Switch operation without ever getting a Cast Member involved.

Keep in mind that guests must typically use their Rider Switch pass within an hour of getting it loaded onto their Disneyland app. It’s also possible for someone to ride twice with a Lightning Lane reservation, as mentioned in the example where the second group hasn’t reached the maximum number of participants.

So in that case, Rider Switch could end up providing significant monetary value (Lightning Lane access ain’t cheap, ya know)!

All in all, it’s all up to you whether or not you use the two services together! It’s more so recommended when you’re pressed for time or worried about making sure everyone gets onto a ride. However, if you want to do a switch but aren’t worried about getting everyone in time, don’t stress. As with all things Disneyland, when in doubt, ask a Cast Member for advice!

How often do you use Rider Switch or Lightning Lanes at Disneyland? Let us know, and continue to follow us here at AllEars for more Disneyland tips, news, reviews, and more!

How Does Rider Switch Work For Lightning Lane Multi and Single Pass in Disney World?

Have you used Lightning Lane passes and Rider Switch together at Disneyland? Share your experience in the comments below!

Post a Comment