Baby Swap question?

[GEM]

I understand that most of the Baby Swaps now involve using Fast Pass. Let me see if I have this right -

Say, we want to ride Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain.

We tell the attendant we want to do the swap.

First, one of us waits in the regular line and when they are finished the other person is issued a Fast pass.

Is that right?

Is the Fast Pass good for that time, or do they have to come back later and ride?

Also, to cut down on wait times, could the first rider get a FastPass (the traditional way) and use the FastPass line instead of waiting in the regular line? And then the second person is still issued a FastPass for the swap. Would that work?

Do these questions make any sense? This is our first time with a baby, so we are trying to get this figured out! Thanks!

 

[dcmbshafe]

The baby-swap option is available on rides with and without Fastpass. If you are riding on a Fastpass ride, all members of the party that will be riding must obtain a Fastpass. You'll all queue up in the Fastpass line together by showing your Fastpass to the CM at the entrance. Then, as you approach the boarding area, you will tell the CM that you would like to do baby-swap. What happens next depends a little bit upon the attraction. For instance, in attractions that load and unload at the same place, one of you will ride while the other waits with the child in a separate area. Then you'll switch. At other attractions (Space Mountain is a good example), one of you will ride and unload, then you'll need to be escorted by a CM back to the loading area through a special entrance to do the swap.

Please note that you don't have to be using Fastpass to use baby swap. If, for instance, you get there at opening and go straight to Splash Mountain, the wait time might not be long enough to justify using a Fastpass. Just go through the general line and as you approach, tell the CM you want to baby-swap.

I wouldn't recommend trying to "game" the system with a baby - just tour and use Fastpass as you normally would. When you tell the CM you want to do baby-swap, they'll tell you exactly where to go and what to do.

 

[GEM]

OK. Let me see if I have this straight now -

If we are doing the Baby Swap and we want to use FastPass (on a ride that has it), we both get a FastPass just like we would if we were riding without the baby. Then, we come back at our FastPass time and go through the FP ine together and switch off at boarding?

That's not the way I've seen it described in most other posts I've read. It seems like most of the other posts describe one person going through the line (while the other waits in a shop or someplace else) and coming off the ride and then the next rider being issued a FP and going through the FP line at that time.

Now I'm really confused.

And I'm not trying to "game the system" at all. But, if the swap works the way I'm describing, wouldn't it save time for the first rider to get a FP and go through the FP line, instead of waiting in the stand by line?

 

[jacksonsmom]

Originally posted by GEM


That's not the way I've seen it described in most other posts I've read. It seems like most of the other posts describe one person going through the line (while the other waits in a shop or someplace else) and coming off the ride and then the next rider being issued a FP and going through the FP line at that time.

This is how it was for Mission Space. We went up to the CM near the enterance, said we wanted to do the child swap. He gave DH a fastpass/child swap ticket & I went into the single riders line.
While I was riding DH took our son through the gift shop & they have a play area in the waiting area of Mission Space. Once I came out, DH went in.

Mission Space is the only one I personally know how they do the child swap, we didn't do a child swap on any other rides.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[dcmbshafe]

The answer to your first question is Yes!!!

With Fastpass, you could do it the way you described or the way I described and for some attractions it would make no difference because the Fastpass wait time is very small. But remember, even Fastpass lines have some queue, so if you both get Fastpasses and go through together, you avoid having to experience the queue twice.

Sorry to confuse you, but the whole concept of baby-swap is to allow you to go through the queue only once instead of twice. There are some rides that are not Fastpass but still have long queues...on these rides, the baby-swap option really saves time.

 

[GEM]

That's how I was thinking it worked, as well. So, in that situation, I guess the first person could go ahead and do the FastPass, or, like you said, the single rider line, to save time. Does anybody know for sure how it works on Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. Those are the ones I'm really wondering about. Thanks!

 

[moinab]

We were just there last week. On BTMRR, M:S, and RnR, we were not allowed to go through the line together. One of us had to wait outside the ride for the other to go through. (I was too chicken to go on Space Mountain.) We decided it was easier to just get fastpasses for both of us and take turns, which we did on Splash Mountain and ToT. All other rides, we took the kids on with us.

 

[cindy21494]

GEM,

We were just there and did child swap for all three. This was our experience.

What you do is go to the CM at the beginning of the entrance. Let them know that you will be needing a child swap ticket. The CM will give you a child swap ticket. If you got a fast pass, the CM will take all of them at this time. You will then proceed to the regular line or fast pass line if you have gotten a fast pass. When you come off, the person that waited, will go to the CM in the fast pass line and give them the child swap ticket. This person will then be able to go on through the fast pass line.

BTW, when you go to the CM to get the child swap ticket, all of you must be present to prove that you have a small child that can't go on. We made this mistake the first time, and I had to go find DH and our DD before we were issued a child swap ticket. This is for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and BTMRR. Other rides sometimes do it a different way.

I hope this helps.

Cindy

 

[madalex]

Originally posted by cindy21494
GEM,

BTW, when you go to the CM to get the child swap ticket, all of you must be present to prove that you have a small child that can't go on. We made this mistake the first time, and I had to go find DH and our DD before we were issued a child swap ticket. This is for Space Mountain, Splash Mountain and BTMRR. Other rides sometimes do it a different way.

It was not our experience on a recent trip that we all had to be present to get the child swap ticket. At both Space Mtn and Test Track, my wife went all be herself to the ride (I and the children were off doing other things) and returned with a child swap ticket for me. Maybe it varies depending on who the CM is working the ride.

 

[cindy21494]

There were a few times that I did go alone and not have a problme on other trips, so I do think it depends on the CM. I figured after that why take the chance and have to go searching for my DH. Just wanted to let you know that it can happen.

 

[GEM]

Thanks everybody! That makes it a lot clearer!