Recent FOP + Digital Rider Swap at Rope Drop Experience?

[jwolfpack]

We are planning to rope drop FOP on our next trip. It will be on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend, so we expect heavy crowds. We are a family of 5 with 3 kids, 1 of which is too short to ride.

We are planning to arrive at the park 1 hr+ before opening to make sure we're toward the front of the rope drop crowd. Has anyone used this strategy with the new digital rider swap? How did it go?

My concern is that we're going to get hung up at the ride entrance trying to get the swap arranged and the rope drop crowd is going to pass us by negating the benefit of arriving at the park so early.

 

[hiroMYhero]

All the Rider Swap threads are now here on the Families board.

 

[jwolfpack]

All the Rider Swap threads are now here on the Families board.

Got it - and totally understand

 

[sandym718]

Hoping someone has done this recently. I was unable to get a FP for for our first half day in AK (morning/afternoon) but was able to get it for our AK evening later in the trip. Trying to decide if we should attempt to Rope Drop FoP, using Rider Swap for my 2 yo niece, or just skip it that first day.

 

[lolomarie]

I don't have experience with FOP but I do with SDD and they were flagging families over to the rider swap while walking into the queue, so I just jumped out of our place and pointed out our family. A general tip I found is that you have to be assertive with rider swap CMs. There is no queue for the rider swap and people will jump ahead of you if you don't stand your ground.

 

[jwolfpack]

Hoping someone has done this recently. I was unable to get a FP for for our first half day in AK (morning/afternoon) but was able to get it for our AK evening later in the trip. Trying to decide if we should attempt to Rope Drop FoP, using Rider Swap for my 2 yo niece, or just skip it that first day.

We'll be there this Sunday to give it a go! I'll report back.

 

[jwolfpack]

Hoping someone has done this recently. I was unable to get a FP for for our first half day in AK (morning/afternoon) but was able to get it for our AK evening later in the trip. Trying to decide if we should attempt to Rope Drop FoP, using Rider Swap for my 2 yo niece, or just skip it that first day.

Today was our day, and rope drop using rider swap worked flawlessly for us! We arrived at park at 7:30 for 9:00 open, so we were at front of rope drop crowd. We were let through tapstiles at 8:15, then held on bridge to Pandora until ~8:30. We trekked with the crowd to the standby entrance and requested a swap from cast member there. My husband rode first with my 2 older kids, while I stayed back with our 5 year old. They put the rider swap with a 9:08 return time on my band and my 2 older kids’ bands. My little one and I rode Na’vi twice while the first group rode FOP. By 9:30, we were done with the 2nd group on FOP and headed out of Pandora.

 

[sandym718]

Today was our day, and rope drop using rider swap worked flawlessly for us! We arrived at park at 7:30 for 9:00 open, so we were at front of rope drop crowd. We were let through tapstiles at 8:15, then held on bridge to Pandora until ~8:30. We trekked with the crowd to the standby entrance and requested a swap from cast member there. My husband rode first with my 2 older kids, while I stayed back with our 5 year old. They put the rider swap with a 9:08 return time on my band and my 2 older kids’ bands. My little one and I rode Na’vi twice while the first group rode FOP. By 9:30, we were done with the 2nd group on FOP and headed out of Pandora.

Thanks for the report!! We’re going to give it a try