Baby Swap with fastpass

[RichardG]

Hi everybody !


I'm looking for some information about the baby swap system but unfortunately the search function of this site is unavailable. Maybe some of you could help me.

Could you please explain to me how the baby swap works and is it fastpass compatible ?

Thank you

Richard

 

[wendy46001]

Baby swap and fast past are very compatible....with fast pass or not when you get to the front of the line tell the cast member you are going to baby swap...they have a place for adult w/baby to sit/stand...then you will get tickets for the number in your party that say swap...you dont have to do the switch right away...you can come back later or go right ahead...if you go right on then you use the back entrance (handy) if you choose to go later you just use the fast pass line...its very easy

 

[RichardG]

Thanks Wendy46001,

So if I understand correctly, the whole family has to get in line so that we can do the baby swap. In that case, if we are using a fastpass, we need one for everyone in the family. Will they let us through if the attraction greeter clearly sees that my 2 year old son is too short for the ride ?

Do you think it would be easier for us (my wife, my son and I) to simply get fastpasses for the attraction than to do the baby swap ?

Thanks again for your help

Richard

 

[tjmw2727]

Here is my child swap 101, very unofficial but based on my many years of using the various evolutions of babyswap/childswap most recently in April 2006.

My first advice on baby swap is to tell the CM at the attraction before you enter the line (Fastpass or Standby) that you want to use the swap and find out how they handle it. Do not wait until you are boarding!

The baby/child unable to ride must be with you to do a swap so everyone must approach the line together. Some CM's have you all wait the line together, then the first parent and older child(ren) ride and other parent and younger child wait at the exit and then switch via the exit allowing the older child(ren) to ride with both parents. Off hand I think only Star Tours and Primevil Whirl still do it this way.

Most rides now give you a rider swap pass. The rider swap pass works like a fast pass and allows up to 3 people total to return to that attraction anytime that day so the second parent can ride. You still all enter the standby line or use a FP in the FP line and ask to use parent swap. The CM will give you the swap pass and the parent riding second and the baby (or young child) can then leave to do something else while the first party rides. The second parent then returns to ride via the FP line with the rider swap pass and can bring 2 others along if they like. I prefer the rider swap pass because the baby or child that dosen't meet the height requirement dosen't have to wait the line for something he/she can't ride.

Just to clarify, the purpose of parent swap is to allow a family with a child who dosen't meet the height restriction to enjoy the attraction with only "1 wait", rather than "2 waits" not to expeidate the wait.

Hope this helps!
TJ

 

[wendy46001]

We've always gotten in line together...the cast members normally give us directions in the front of every line, they've see enough of us to know we arent trying to bring the little one on....and I always say get the fast pass....Disney has created a monster with this system and if you dont take advantage you are waiting a lot longer then needed...fast pass everyone....(esp. if you are a disney vacation club member...you can turn them in if unused ...and get day passes)

 

[Schmeck]

Just to add, the babyswap is mainly used for families with children too short to ride - those with children tall enough but unwilling to ride can be asked to enter the queue together, then do the swap at the ride vehicle.

 

[puffkin]

TJ's explanation is what we experienced in June.

The benefit of fast passes and child swapping is that when the party initially goes on the ride, the riders can use the fast pass line instead of the standby line.

None of the attractions that we did the switch on allowed us to go on the ride through a "back door" type area. All of the rides gave us a pass and then the waiting member could come back through the fast pass line. I preferred it this way though because then the baby and waiting member could go off and do other things. You didn't have to use the switch pass right away.

 

[GotFids]

Just to clarify, the purpose of parent swap is to allow a family with a child who dosen't meet the height restriction to enjoy the attraction with only "1 wait", rather than "2 waits" not to expeidate the wait.

What if you have a DD that is old enough (10) and tall enough, but is too afraid of the bigger rides to go on. Do they still let you do the "swap"??? I sure hope so...I'd love to go on some rides myself this trip.

 

[MeLaNie9]

In May we used FastPass multiple times for Soarin' (we loved this ride). DH and I both got FastPasses, one went into the line at the start of the time window and said that we were also baby swapping. Once that one came out, the other entered the FP line. I guess it didn't really matter that we were baby swapping except for the one time that DH didn't come out of the ride until after the FP window ran out - the CM said "no problem" and I could go in whenever he came out. The best part of this is that when in the "holding area" for Soarin' the CM's would be looking to fill seats on the ride and as a single rider, I was able to just go past tons of people riding in groups and ride right away.
However, we didn't use the baby swap anywhere else because I was 13 weeks pregnant at the time and the rides that DS2 couldn't go on, I couldn't go on either!

 

[tjmw2727]

What if you have a DD that is old enough (10) and tall enough, but is too afraid of the bigger rides to go on. Do they still let you do the "swap"??? I sure hope so...I'd love to go on some rides myself this trip.

Unfortunately no - babyswap is for families who can't experience an attraction together due to a height restriction.

For those who meet the requirements but choose not to ride then Fast Pass can work just as well.

TJ

 

[ObsessedwithWDW]

This is great information THANK YOU. Here is my question or clarification since I have NEVER used the Babyswap but will be in September. DO YOU go through the whole line (if you don't have a fast pass) together and then tell the person queing people onto the ride or do you tell the RIDE GREETER at the entrance to the ride line? We will have my 10 month old with me and it doesn't seem smart to stand in LINE with her but PLEASE EXPLAIN.

 

[puffkin]

This is great information THANK YOU. Here is my question or clarification since I have NEVER used the Babyswap but will be in September. DO YOU go through the whole line (if you don't have a fast pass) together and then tell the person queing people onto the ride or do you tell the RIDE GREETER at the entrance to the ride line? We will have my 10 month old with me and it doesn't seem smart to stand in LINE with her but PLEASE EXPLAIN.

No...your whole family goes to the greeter at the start of the line and asks to Child Swap. They will tell you how they do it on that ride and then the riders get in line while the others either go to a designated area or can go off and do whatever.

 

[glass slipper girl]

What we've always done is go to the fast pass kiosk all together and ask the fast pass CM for a child swap ticket. We get a fast pass for one of us with one ticket and a child swap ticket from the CM. Then when our fast pass time comes we can do fast pass and then the next parent can use the child swap ticket. This works particularly well for Splash/Thunder and RnR/ToT b/c we use DH's ticket to get a Splash FP and ask for a rider switch ticket then use my ticket to get a Thunder FP and ask for a rider switch ticket there. The FP return times are often about the same so while DH does one, I have the kids (who were at the time to short (for one) and too chicken (for the other)) and we do the Country Bears show or something. Then we meet up and I take the rider switch tickets and do both rides while DH rode the train with the kids. That won't work for us next time b/c both of our sons will want to ride both rides so we would need 3 fast passes per ride and wouldn't have tickets for that but it worked well when it was just Mom and Dad wanting to ride! This time we will get 3 FP for the ride and I will ask for the rider switch ticket. That way DH and the boys can ride Splash with a FP and I will hang out with the baby then when they are done I can give the baby to DH and the boys and I can go back with the rider switch ticket. Fortunately, all 3 of us fit in one seat on both Splash and Thunder so we can all sit together.

 

[Tam1067]

We used it several times last week. You do have to show the too short child to get a baby swap pass, and at Expedition Everest, the CMs were really careful to note that we did have two adults there, too. We usually used Fastpass and then told the CM at the Fastpass entrance to each ride what we were doing. If there's no line (we always go at park opening) then we told the first CM at the ride what we were doing. It's a great tool by the way.

 

[tjmw2727]

This is great information THANK YOU. Here is my question or clarification since I have NEVER used the Babyswap but will be in September. DO YOU go through the whole line (if you don't have a fast pass) together and then tell the person queing people onto the ride or do you tell the RIDE GREETER at the entrance to the ride line? We will have my 10 month old with me and it doesn't seem smart to stand in LINE with her but PLEASE EXPLAIN.

Tell the CM at the beginning of the line you want to babyswap, in fact at the height restricted rides where you will have babyswap they won't allow the child too small to even enter the line. Just tell the CM at the entrance to the line, either FP or standby that you want to use babyswap. The CM will tell you how they handle it, usually by giving you the babyswap pass.

TJ

 

[GraysMom]

fast pass everyone....(esp. if you are a disney vacation club member...you can turn them in if unused ...and get day passes)

Could you please clarify the 'day passes' you are talking about ? I haven't heard of this DVC perk. Thanks a bunch!

GraysMom

 

[tjmw2727]

Could you please clarify the 'day passes' you are talking about ? I haven't heard of this DVC perk. Thanks a bunch!

GraysMom

Oh yes, thanks for asking this. I was going to ask about this earler after I answered a couple questions and forgot.

Also the only kind of fast pass you would still have is an unused one since they take them when you use them??

TJ

 

[UtahMama]

One more thing to add: I have two other boys besides the baby to swap and they get to ride the rides TWICE because you can take up to two others with you! So, my DH rides with my two DS's who are 6 and 8 and I stand by (depending on the ride) with DD2 and when it's time to swap, I get to go experience the ride with my sons (not by myself which wouldn't be as fun!)

We totally love the baby swap and just make sure DD2 gets to go on the toddler safe rides like Small World and Dumbo etc...

 

[wendy46001]

Could you please clarify the 'day passes' you are talking about ? I haven't heard of this DVC perk. Thanks a bunch!

GraysMom

we meet a family who it was their last day and they wouldnt be using them anymore....He told us if a DVC member misses their window (Not like to many of us do) they can turn them in and get a blank pass to go back (these are time of passes....when you put them in the fastpass distributor it gives you back a ticket for the time of) this is for unused tickets only….before we used them we checked with the front desk at the BW and the lady told us that was how it worked.......Really nice of the guy actually

 

[tjmw2727]

we meet a family who it was their last day and they wouldnt be using them anymore....He told us if a DVC member misses their window (Not like to many of us do) they can turn them in and get a blank pass to go back (these are time of passes....when you put them in the fastpass distributor it gives you back a ticket for the time of) this is for unused tickets only….before we used them we checked with the front desk at the BW and the lady told us that was how it worked.......Really nice of the guy actually

Have to admit never having heard of this - despite many stays at BWV. Honesttly I guess I really don't understand what your saying since the CM's typically honor the fast pass after the window anyway.

Are you saying you took unused FP's (the only kind you would have since they take them from you upon use) back to the resort and got new fast passes?

TJ