Baby Swap Question...Please help!

[strawberrysh]

Ok, we are heading to Disney in September and I get to schedule Fast Passes on Wednesday. It will be me and my husband and our two year old. Obviously she is not big enough to ride the good rides (all the mountains, etc.). My question is...how is the best way to work it so my hubby and I can still ride (by taking turns). Do we need fast passes or does the rider swap option allow you to enter the fast pass line without an actual fast pass. I am so confused after reading all the threads on the swap/switch for babies and need someone to help me. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sdobek]

It's not like a free fastpass - you'd still have to wait in the standby line if you don't have a FP+. They just let you have one person ride and then you switch off. Some rides they have you wait by the loading area to do the swap. Some rides issue a baby swap pass and the 2nd riders go up the exit or through the FP line to ride.

 

[cewewee]

We've used rider swap every year for the past 9 years. The cast member at the queue entrance will give you a paper rider swap card that can be used any time that day. One Person will then get in line (can be the fast pass line if you have a fast pass for that ride) while the other adult and child find something else to do. When the second adult is ready to ride, the rider swap card gets you into the fast pass line. I've never seen a ride where you enter through an exit or take the child through the line with you. I'm not sure where the previous poster got that info.

 

[strawberrysh]

So like on Space Mtn for example. If we do not have a fast pass, we all wait in the regular line. Then when we get to the ride, I ride and hubby stays with baby and then he gets to ride? How do I get the baby since Space mountain lets off at a different point than it puts people on? Also, you are saying that if I have a fast pass, we go in the fast pass line...do we both need a fast pass for the ride or just one of us if we are doing baby swap?

 

[mistysue]

No, baby never gets in line.

You would approach Space mountain. With no FP's you would walk up to the entrance to the line, show the baby and the cast member will hand you a slip of paper and your husband gets in line. Then you come back later, hand in your slip and you enter through the FP line while DH walks away with the baby. Recently there have been reports that the slip (rider swap pass) will last for days, traditionally it had to be used that day.
Now if you have a fastpass it will pretty much work the same way, but the 1st person will go in through the fastpass line as well. Sometimes they will check if the 2nd parent also has a fastpass to issue the swap pass when the person riding goes through the fastpass line. Usually they don't check but it's a taking your chances thing if you don't both reserve the fastpass.

 

[Sdobek]

http://wdwuntangled.com/rider-switch/

 

[claryche]

Now I will tell you that not all rides do it the same way. Most do like everyone has mentioned, you show the baby, get the rider swap, one parent rides the ride, and the other uses the rider swap to ride it later and they get to use the fp line.

However, with that said, I know for a fact that Star Tours in the past has done it differently. Maybe there is someone with more recent information, but for our son's first trip (2007) when he was 18 months old he stayed in the line with us through Star Tours all the way up until the loading stage. Then I rode the ride and my DH stayed there holding our son. When my ride was done I was told to wait in my seat and my DH would meet me with my son. And my son and I could go on and exit the ride.

With that said, what actually happened was a little bit different, which I'm sure they won't do now with the change to Star Tours. But what they were able to do for us, was my DH met up with me and gave me our son and went on to another loading area. And the cm gave me the option of riding the ride with no motion and letting my son ride it that way. She said they were only able to do that when the line was really slow. Of course I said yes and my DS had a great time. Maybe that is one of the reasons why he loves Star Wars to this day. Afterwards he also got a certificate, for the year of Dreams and it said Jedi Logan on it. It was a great experience.

So be prepared for rides that might handle things differently. Just ask the cm.