Hi there, Belvien!
Thank you for stopping by planDisney. I am happy to answer your question about two of my favorite ways to maximize time at Disneyland Resort, Lightning Lane passes and the Rider Switch service!
Lightning Lane passes are part of a paid service that lets Guests skip the standby lines at many attractions. There are two types of Lightning Lane passes, Multi Pass and Single Pass.
Radiator Springs Racers uses Lightning Lane Single Pass, which means Guests need to purchase a Lightning Lane pass just for that attraction.
Rider Switch allows a Guest to wait with a member of their party who cannot ride an attraction due to height restrictions, service animals, or inability to wait outside the queue on their own. Once the first Guest returns from riding the attraction, the waiting Guest can board the attraction (usually with one other person) without waiting in the standby queue. It is a great option when traveling with young kids!
Guests can often use Rider Switch in conjunction with Lighting Lane passes. However, every Guest who uses the Rider Switch pass must have already purchased a Lightning Lane pass for that attraction in my experience. The benefit of using Rider Switch is that your son could potentially ride the attraction twice, once with each adult! Just make sure you purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for him.
Guests are usually given a one-hour window to use a Lighting Lane pass at an attraction. When using Rider Switch, Guests must typically use their Rider Switch pass within an hour of getting it loaded onto their Disneyland mobile app in my experience. You can always ask the Cast Member in front of the attraction about your timeframe if you have questions while you are there.
Keep in mind that Lightning Lane Single Pass can only be used at that one attraction. Currently, two attractions use Lightning Lane Single Pass, Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure Park and
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disneyland Park. On the other hand, Lightning Lane Multi Pass lets you skip the standby lines on many attractions in both theme parks (assuming you have a Park Hopper ticket). You can find a list of attractions included in Lightning Lane Multi Pass on the
Lightning Lane page. Scroll down to "Multi Pass Attractions" to find the list for both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
Make sure to download the
Disneyland mobile app before your visit! You can use the app to enter the theme parks, access your Lightning Lane reservations, view wait times, find Disney Characters, and more!
Belvien, have a wonderful trip to Disneyland Resort! Do not hesitate to reach out to planDisney again if you have other questions!
Magic Happens!
Jen