Child Swap and ASD

[dreamer17555]

So at risk of bringing up a sensitive topic - Is it possible to get a child swap card for a child who is tall enough but due to ASD (or general fear) is unable to ride? Not looking to combine it with FP but if my 15 yo DD waits in line while I take my 10 yo DS with Autism on something a child swap would mean I could then ride while she takes him for a snack.

Anyone knows how Disney handles stuff like this?

 

[gap2368]

Sometimes you can sometimes the CM will have everyone go in the line and at the end you swap, I would talk to him beforehand and let him know that just because he is in line does not mean he has to ride.

 

[hllb]

I have heard nothing but glowing reviews of Disney working with families with special needs kids. If the child is autistic, I would think they would very readily give you a pass.

 

[mom2rtk]

Couldn't you use a DAS to get a return time for the other half of your group to ride?

 

[dreamer17555]

Couldn't you use a DAS to get a return time for the other half of your group to ride?

The person with the DAS pass must ride. There are several rides that are going to be far too intense for him especially with noise levels or things that pop out like Dinosaur.

Sometimes you can sometimes the CM will have everyone go in the line and at the end you swap, I would talk to him beforehand and let him know that just because he is in line does not mean he has to ride.

DS waiting in line as is will be tricky. DS waiting in line for a ride he can't go on is just not fesiable. That's why am hoping for a child swap pass. He also cannot wait on his own at any point. He needs to have somebody with him at all times. He is verbal but limited and cannot be trusted not to wander off.

 

[gap2368]

The person with the DAS pass must ride. There are several rides that are going to be far too intense for him especially with noise levels or things that pop out like Dinosaur.


DS waiting in line as is will be tricky. DS waiting in line for a ride he can't go on is just not fesiable. That's why am hoping for a child swap pass. He also cannot wait on his own at any point. He needs to have somebody with him at all times. He is verbal but limited and cannot be trusted not to wander off.

I would FP the rides you want to go on that he will not ride and use the DAS for rides he can ride. and then talk to the CM about Rider swap they might help you out.

 

[ArwenMarie]

If you're both still going to be riding solo, just FP the rides for you and your daughter and then use the DAS for your son's rides that you can all go on together.

 

[dreamer17555]

If you're both still going to be riding solo, just FP the rides for you and your daughter and then use the DAS for your son's rides that you can all go on together.

Thank you. My only concern with planning on using a DAS is that until we get there we have no way to know for 100% he will be granted one. I think he will but I would hate to book my 60 day FP assuming we will have it and then not. I would rather know for sure that we have rides planned for him with a minimal wait. This is his first trip so trying to plan with him as the focus. If a child swap is not available, I just might be missing out on rides this trip.

 

[DisneyOma]

Thank you. My only concern with planning on using a DAS is that until we get there we have no way to know for 100% he will be granted one. I think he will but I would hate to book my 60 day FP assuming we will have it and then not. I would rather know for sure that we have rides planned for him with a minimal wait. This is his first trip so trying to plan with him as the focus. If a child swap is not available, I just might be missing out on rides this trip.

As he is tall enough to go in the queue, expect not to be offered a child swap pass. You may be offered a swap at the ride vehicle itself though. Book your FP+ based on what rides you have planned for him. There's no need to miss out on rides, BTW. You always have the option of using the standby queue.

 

[srwarden1928]

I know it depends on the CM you get, but getting the DAS for my great nephew was SO easy. My niece had barely started to explain that she needed one for him--I think she just said that she needed one for him--and the CM was in process of issuing it.

 

[dreamer17555]

As he is tall enough to go in the queue, expect not to be offered a child swap pass. You may be offered a swap at the ride vehicle itself though. Book your FP+ based on what rides you have planned for him. There's no need to miss out on rides, BTW. You always have the option of using the standby queue.

My daughter can watch him for a short period of time but I would worry about her caring for him for anything longer than 30 minutes which means Standby might not work. She is fine to watch him in areas he is familiar with that are not busy (like our home) but he likes to bolt in crowded place and will not listen to her like he does for me. We had an incident with this at a mall when I went to a store and she tried to take him to the food court. He behaved for a bit and then ran off. It was very scary for our whole family. There seems to be something about that 30 minute threshold where the novelty of her and him being alone wears off and he is over it.

Anyway it's okay. Not ideal but as long as both of my kids are happy (she gets to ride her rides, he can do what makes him happy) it will be good. I was just hoping Disney had a policy for this as I cannot be the only person to have dealt with it.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Thank you. My only concern with planning on using a DAS is that until we get there we have no way to know for 100% he will be granted one. I think he will but I would hate to book my 60 day FP assuming we will have it and then not. I would rather know for sure that we have rides planned for him with a minimal wait. This is his first trip so trying to plan with him as the focus. If a child swap is not available, I just might be missing out on rides this trip.

I don't think you will have an issue getting a DAS. Go to guest services at your first park with your son and explain to them exactly what you have explained to us here. This exactly the type of situation the DAS was designed for. I hope you enjoy you all enjoy your trip!

 

[DisneyOma]

I don't think you will have an issue getting a DAS. Go to guest services at your first park with your son and explain to them exactly what you have explained to us here. This exactly the type of situation the DAS was designed for. I hope you enjoy you all enjoy your trip!

Yes, the DAS would help for rides he wants to go on, but will not work for rides he doesn't want to go on - and child swap may not work because he is tall enough for the attractions. It depends on the CM at the start of the queue - what training they have had, etc.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Yes, the DAS would help for rides he wants to go on, but will not work for rides he doesn't want to go on - and child swap may not work because he is tall enough for the attractions. It depends on the CM at the start of the queue - what training they have had, etc.

I understand that. I wasn't responding to the child-swap issue. I was reassuring OP that she would be able to get the DAS as she is worrying she won't get one at all and it will impact her plans. Perhaps read through the entire thread before commenting next time.

 

[bumbershoot]

Perhaps read through the entire thread before commenting next time.

Jinkies.

It is entirely possible to read the whole thread and still want to remind the op that the das won’t work for the rides he can’t go on.

OP, it’s far more likely that he’ll get a das (for the rides he can go on) than you’ll consistently find CMs who will give a swap card (for those he won’t). I would just make the FPs for the rides he won’t go on, and make sure you know how to explain his needs for the das. Because it’s not diagnosis-based, but needs-based.

 

[CinderDuffy]

I see only one issue. If you are on a ride, and it breaks down, you could potentially be away from your son & daughter longer than 30 minutes.

Normally, I wouldn't worry about it. But, given your son's special needs, it's something to consider. If being away longer than 30 minutes would put him/them in an unsafe situation, you may not wish to do this.

 

[HopperFan]

So at risk of bringing up a sensitive topic - Is it possible to get a child swap card for a child who is tall enough but due to ASD (or general fear) is unable to ride? Not looking to combine it with FP but if my 15 yo DD waits in line while I take my 10 yo DS with Autism on something a child swap would mean I could then ride while she takes him for a snack.

Anyone knows how Disney handles stuff like this?

Kudos to you for planning for all the what ifs, it certainly will make your trip go smoother. It is possible they will give you a swap, it is possible they will ask you to travel the line then swap or as we have experienced ... no help. Have plan A B C. I have opted to just pass on some rides and let the others go while I take DS on something else.

Note: While your odds are good if explained properly to get a DAS, NO ONE on here can promise you anything in that regards.

Sometimes you can sometimes the CM will have everyone go in the line and at the end you swap, I would talk to him beforehand and let him know that just because he is in line does not mean he has to ride.

Correct in that there is no set plan. It can vary from ride to ride, CM to CM.

I have heard nothing but glowing reviews of Disney working with families with special needs kids. If the child is autistic, I would think they would very readily give you a pass.

They do but I would never say they "very readily give you a pass" as that is not a set in stone policy. The R/S policy is full of issues and glitches and only what the CM on the ground at the ride says matters. My DS is CLEARLY multiply disabled, and we have been refused because he is tall enough.

In the end the most important thing for me is my kids/family have a great time and if it means I don't ride Space Mountain and instead ride the Speedway, which DS loves, I do it. In the end my best memories will be his huge smile, not my couple minute ride on SM.

 

[shellyj]

MY ASD son is younger, but tall enough for a lot of rides that he won't do. He likes roller coasters but is terrified of 7DMT. We've never had trouble using rider switch but I do travel with a print out of the policy since I have read some unfortunate stories. Never had to use it, but it's comforting to be prepared. The website says that rider switch (NOT "child", rider) is:
"If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem!"

I wouldn't make a scene, but if I was ever refused I would be ready to dispute it. The policy isn't only for children, it's for any group that doesn't want to leave behind one guest while everyone else rides.


Here's the link, in case you want to print it out, too.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/

 

[shellyj]

My daughter can watch him for a short period of time but I would worry about her caring for him for anything longer than 30 minutes which means Standby might not work. She is fine to watch him in areas he is familiar with that are not busy (like our home) but he likes to bolt in crowded place and will not listen to her like he does for me. We had an incident with this at a mall when I went to a store and she tried to take him to the food court. He behaved for a bit and then ran off. It was very scary for our whole family. There seems to be something about that 30 minute threshold where the novelty of her and him being alone wears off and he is over it.

Anyway it's okay. Not ideal but as long as both of my kids are happy (she gets to ride her rides, he can do what makes him happy) it will be good. I was just hoping Disney had a policy for this as I cannot be the only person to have dealt with it.

Have you been on the disAbilities board here? There is a lot of good, reassuring info there.

Disney is FABULOUS in working with families with special needs. I told someone the other day that the reason we keep going back is because it's the only trip we take where we are really away from real life. It's the only place in the world where my son is truly accommodated rather than just tolerated. We don't expect the real world to bend over backwards for us, but it is such a relief to have one place that does. One place where the entire family can stay together and escape reality.

My 6 year old has to wear a safety harness when we go out to crowded public places because his elopement behaviors are scary. Getting better, but still scary. He's almost as tall as my 9 year old and as strong ax an ox. And fast.

 

[tjmw2727]

MY ASD son is younger, but tall enough for a lot of rides that he won't do. He likes roller coasters but is terrified of 7DMT. We've never had trouble using rider switch but I do travel with a print out of the policy since I have read some unfortunate stories. Never had to use it, but it's comforting to be prepared. The website says that rider switch (NOT "child", rider) is:
"If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, no problem!"

I wouldn't make a scene, but if I was ever refused I would be ready to dispute it. The policy isn't only for children, it's for any group that doesn't want to leave behind one guest while everyone else rides.


Here's the link, in case you want to print it out, too.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/

Yes - rider switch will be offered but there is no guarantee that you will receive the paper "rider swap paper pass"! If the non rider is tall enough often the answer is to wait the line together and switch riders at loading. IME a family with a tall enough child who won't or can't ride is not automatically given the paper pass but instead offered alternatives - this does coincide with the wording on the website.

OP - I would definitely go to GR and explain your child's needs. I would also refer you to the DisAbilities board here for a complete description on the DAS and lots of helpful folks