Baby Swap

[Melissa R]

I have used baby swap in the past but it has been a couple of years since doing it. I wondered if anyone could give me the recent info of how it is run at a few different rides. (I know the best bet is to ask the cm at the entrance, but I'm trying to formulate a bit of a plan and remember that the way they handle it at each ride can sometimes really affect wait times.)

I'm specifically wondering about doing the swap for Mission Space, Test Track, Splash Mountain, and Space Mountain. Basically, I"m trying to find out if they just swap out of the exit line (like I know we did for Thunder Mountain, Dinosaur, and I think Space Mountain) or if the second rider has to wait in line again (perharps in the FastPass line.....seems that I remember doing that for Rockin Roller Coaster - and because the FastPass line was sort of long at that time, it made for another somewhat long wait.)

Also, our 6 year old will be riding the rides while we swap the 1 year old. It is my understanding that our older son will get to ride both times so both parents get to experience the ride with him....do I need to inform the cm of that, or is it just expected that he'll ride twice?

Thanks in advance,
Melissa

 

[lurontravel]

It seems that lately we've been given a special pass for fast pass (for all rides that have fastpass and do a baby-swap), and then waiting in the fast pass line. The special "fastpass" allows up to three riders to ride again. Test track has been the exception to this always in my experience (and the Triceratops Spin, which you didn't mention), and I haven't done Mission Space yet, but I read somewhere that Mission Space takes an hour!?! But I don't know that for a fact. I'd consider this ride at nap time maybe...I'm going in early Oct, so if you still need to know then, I should have some first-hand knowledge.

Hope this helps.

 

[BevS97]

We baby-swapped on Splash Mountain 2 years ago, and were given a Fast Pass, it did make for a very long wait, but there is a play area right under the exit, so there was somewhere for my dd to play while we rode.

Most other rides, we waited at the exit area, but we didn't do many big rides anyway.

The 2nd rider definitely doesn't have to wait in the Standby Line again, but may well have to go in the Fast Pass line.

Speaking of long rides, we swapped on Ellen's Energy Adventure, but as that takes so long, we just took turns to ride, and the other person took dd off for another activity because it is too long to be waiting around the exit to swap over.

Bev

 

[swilphil]

When we were there this summer, we were able to get a child watcher pass on some rides that had fast passes. This way the 1 year old and the other adult doesn't have to wait in line with the riders and the 6 year old will definitely be able to ride two times in a row.

 

[chb]

Mission Space should not take an hour for each parent unless you are waiting in the standby line. DH rode it at opening and I got a fast pass. Took us each about 30 mins.

FYI about Mission Space that I did not know before we got there. There is a small child's play area at the exit of Mission Space. It is on the inside where some of the "hand's on" things to do are after the ride. It's a bunch of tubes and slides to crawl through--similar to an indoor McD's play area.

 

[Narcoossee]

We were just there in July/Aug with our two year old. I used the baby swap quite frequently so that I could ride with other family members. They actually call it ryder switch now. You do have to go up to the CM to get your ticket. They will want to know who is currently waiting in line. Then they will give you a fast pass that is good for yourself and up to three other people. When your husband gets off the attraction, you and whoever is riding with you will go through the fast pass line. I did this for Splash Mountain, Mission Space, Buzz LightYear, and Rock-n-rollercoaster. It works the same at all atractions that have a fast pass line. I don't know what it is like for something without fast pass. The only time I had any hitches was on Mission Space. Once inside they divide people into three lines. They put me in the single rider line instead of the fast pass line because I was going alone. For whatever reason this line was REALLy slow!! I saw other people with fastpass sailing right on into the ride while I waited as long as if I had been in standby for the attraction. I finally told a CM that I had come to be in this line with a ryder switch pass and the wait had been rediculous. He got me right on. Also keep in mind that splash mountain is a fairly long attraction so you will wait a good 20 minutes for the first riders once they are actually on the ride. Plus any time they may spend standing in line themselves. Oh, by the way, you can still get a ryder switch pass if your first riders are using fast pass themselves. We did this quite a bit. My husband would do fast pass and once he was in that line I would get my ryder switch pass. Good Luck and have fun.