This is an entry for “Buddy Pass” or “Roo Pass” in our Disneyland 101 Glossary, which features definitions of Disney terms in under 101 words. After the entry, keep reading for answers to frequently asked questions about the Buddy Pass and how to use it at Disneyland Resort.
A Buddy Pass is a queue option occasionally offered on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Disneyland Park and Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue in Disney California Adventure Park. In the process of seating groups together on these attractions, some smaller rows with room for two people or one adult and two small children are sometimes left empty, reducing hourly capacity. Similar to utilizing Single Rider Lines, Cast Members at these attractions’ entrances may attempt to efficiently fill these rows by offering paper passes to small groups which allow users to bypass regular standby.
Thank you for reading this entry on the Buddy Pass and the Roo Pass from our Disneyland 101 Glossary. For a compilation of all of our best advice for saving time in line, please explore our post Maximize Your Disneyland Experience: Beat the Lines & Save Time. That is part of our larger Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. For tips on how to use the Roo Pass or Buddy Pass keep reading.
Buddy Pass & Roo Pass at Disneyland Resort, FAQs
Why would I use a Buddy Pass or a Roo Pass at Disneyland Resort?
When they are available, using a Buddy Pass on Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue or a Roo Pass on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh allows you to reduce your time waiting in line for those attractions.
Both of those rides have small multi-bench ride vehicles. Disney cast members make an effort to keep travel groups together on all Disneyland Resort attractions. They also avoid seating guests who do not know one another on the same small bench. This means that cast members will sometimes be left with one small empty row on these two attractions. Because many people visit Disneyland Resort as a family, small groups that can fit in these small rows can be hard to find. When no small groups are easily on hand, cast members dispatch these vehicles with empty seats.
When you volunteer to ride as a small group and fill these empty rows, you increase a ride’s hourly capacity. This is good news for Disney and for other guests. And it’s also good news for you.
Often you will hear cast members at rides asking for small groups at the loading area. However, you usually have to wait through the entire standby line to get to this point. With a Buddy or Roo Pass, you actually get to skip the standby line and head straight to the loading area. You will wait there until a cast member needs a small group, and then you will get to ride.
You are not guaranteed a quick wait with a Buddy or Roo Pass, but it is usually quicker than waiting in the standby line. If you are a group of one or two, or a group of three including small children, we encourage you to consider getting a Buddy or Roo Pass.
Where can I get a Buddy Pass?
Buddy Passes are sometimes available at the attraction Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue, which is in Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure Park. To use one, speak to a cast member at the queue entrance to the attraction and ask if they are handing them out.
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue does not always use Buddy Passes, and there is not a special line or sign for them. Simply asking is the way to find out if you can get one.
Where can I get a Roo Pass at Disneyland?
Roo Passes are the name for Buddy Passes at Disneyland Park’s The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Before you enter the queue, ask a cast member at the entrance if they are currently distributing Roo Passes. You can find this entrance across from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Bayou Country.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh does not always use Roo Passes, and there is not a special line or sign for them. You will need to ask a cast member to find out if you can get one.
How many times can I use Buddy or Roo Pass?
A Buddy Pass or a Roo Pass is single use. You can ask for one at the queue entrance to Monsters, Inc, Mike & Sulley to the Rescue and The Many Adventures of the Winnie the Pooh respectively.
If you get a pass, you will be directed to enter the attraction through an alternative entrance where you will give your pass to a cast member. You will not take the pass with you after the ride.
However, you can always ask for a new pass on your next ride. So while each Buddy Pass or Roo Pass is single use, you are not limited as to how many passes you can get.
How do I get a Buddy or Roo Pass?
There are no special signs or queues for Roo and Buddy Passes at Disneyland Resort. To get a Roo Pass, speak to a cast member at the entrance to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. To get a Buddy Pass, speak to a cast member at the entrance to Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue.
Remember, these passes are not always available (especially if lines are already short) and they are only for small groups.
Who is eligible for a Buddy or Roo Pass?
Buddy or Roo Passes are for small groups. This usually means one or two guests. Sometimes groups of three can be accommodated if the group includes small children. For example: two grandparents with a toddler might be able to use a Buddy Pass.
You can show your group to the cast members at the attractions’ entrances. Remember, the purpose of these passes is to fill short rows in ride vehicles. This allows the attractions to operate at greater capacity while still keeping travel parties together. Cast members loading the ride vehicles will expect you to sit with your buddy (or buddies) on one bench seat.
How much does a Buddy Pass cost at Disneyland Resort?
There is no cost to use a Buddy Pass or a Roo Pass at Disneyland Resort. You will need valid admission to the theme parks, but you may use a Buddy Pass or a Roo Pass without paying an additional fee.
If you are looking for tips on paid time-saving services at Disneyland Resort, please explore our article Disneyland Lightning Lanes: How to Super-Charge Your Visit.
Is a Buddy Pass the same as Rider Switch at Disneyland Resort?
No. A Buddy Pass is the same as a Roo Pass. But, neither a Buddy Pass or a Roo Pass is the same at Rider Switch.
Briefly, the Rider Switch service allows you to have an adult supervise a non-rider while the rest of the group waits in the queue and experiences an attraction. When that first riding-group reunites with the non-riders, the adult who has not yet experienced the attraction get to bypass the standby queue to experience the attraction with a riding companion.
Rider Switch is a little tricky to explain succinctly, but it is a fantastic tool for groups traveling with young children or group members who need supervision. If that’s you, please read our guide here to understand this great, and free, service: Rider Switch Service, Disneyland 101 Glossary.
While Rider Switch is not the same as a Roo Pass or Buddy Pass, groups with small children are the most likely to make good use of both in one trip! First, because small kids can easily fit into small rows on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue.
And second, because both of these the Buddy/Roo Pass rides are great places to take a small kid while you are waiting to take your turn with the Rider Switch Pass. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a well-placed attraction to enjoy while the rest of your group rides Tiana’s Bayou Adventure or one of the attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Similarly, I like taking little ones on Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sulley to the Rescue while the rest of our group rides Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
Is a Buddy Pass the same as a Single Rider Line at Disneyland Resort?
Almost. The Buddy Pass or Roo Pass functions very similarly to a Single Rider Line at Disneyland Resort. All of these options help cast members quickly and easily fill empty seats on attractions and therefore keep guest throughput high. All of these are also free for you to use while (hopefully) reducing your wait time. Just remember that any of these options may be closed at cast members’ discretion.
The main difference between these options is that Single Rider Lines are established permanent queues with their own entrances at select Disneyland Resort attractions. In contrast Buddy and Roo Passes are for rides with no special single (or double) rider queues. With these passes, you will get a paper pass that will direct you through the attraction exit. And of course, the other main difference is that Single Rider Lines are for individuals, while Buddy and Roo Passes can accommodate individuals or pairs (and sometimes small groups of three).
You can find our guide to Single Rider Lines here: Single Rider Line, Disneyland 101 Glossary. For another free time saving strategy, see Disneyland Virtual Queue Guide.
Thanks for reading this entry for Buddy Pass and Roo Pass in our Disneyland 101 Glossary.
You can find more Disney definitions under 101 words in our Disneyland 101 Glossary. And please explore our free and complete Disneyland planning guide here: Step-by-Step Disneyland Prep. Included in that guide are tips for saving time in line at Disneyland Resort in our Maximize Your Disneyland Experience: Beat the Lines & Save Time. Thanks again for reading!