Hi there, Adam, and welcome back to planDisney! I'm so glad you're here with this great question about your upcoming visit to the Most Magical Place on Earth! Planning your first Walt Disney World Resort vacation is an exciting journey, and I know it can seem a little overwhelming at times. There's just so much to learn and prepare for before you arrive, but
hakuna matata, that's why we're here to help!
Adam, I think you'll find that
Disney's Rider Switch service can be really helpful. When it comes time to experience an attraction that one of your kiddos isn't tall enough to ride, or might be a little intimidated by, just head to a Cast Member at the entrance. Let that Cast Member know that you'd like to use Rider Switch Service. You'll then split into two groups: one group that will ride the attraction and the other group that's staying behind. The Cast Member will scan the MagicBand of the parent who is staying behind, as well as the MagicBand of one other person in your party who'd like to ride with them. Sometimes, this means that one person will be able to ride twice! When the first group is finished riding, the parent who initially stayed behind will then head to the Lightning Lane entrance with the other person whose MagicBand was scanned.
In my experience, if both the first and second groups would like to use the Lightning Lane entrance, then you will need to have booked the
Lightning Lane in advance with either Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass for each person who will be riding. Those who do not wish to ride do not need to book a Lightning Lane for that attraction.
Whether the first group is using the standby queue or the Lighting Lane, the nice thing about Rider Switch is that the second group is free to do whatever they like while the first group is experiencing the attraction. You absolutely don't have to just sit and wait on a bench, unless you need a little time to rest! In my experience, you don't need a Lightning Lane booked for each attraction. Hopefully you'll find that the standby queue wait times aren't too long, and some of the queues are even immersive and entertaining, like the ones for
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and
Peter Pan's Flight.
I hope this is helpful as you prepare for your visit. During your vacation, I encourage you to stop and ask a helpful Cast Member if you need any clarification on Rider Switch! Please come back to planDisney with any other questions you have!
See you real soon!
Jennifer