Child swap and other items from the email show...

[doconeill]

Just got back from a 2 hour drive, listening to the email show (the regular show was the other way).

I see there is already a thread about New England...

Kevin, you are right...they are called "tube" TVs still. And Kathy is right too...they did replace all the tubes with transistors - except one, the picture tube. In more technical terms we call the old TVs/monitors "CRTs" for Cathode Ray Tube, the actual name of the picture tube.

Child swap - I'm rather surprised that some weren't more familiar with this. I've been doing it for years (and our December trip will likely be the first time ever NOT using it for us).

Almost every theme park attraction that has a height requirement also has Fastpass. One notable exception is Goofy's Barnstormer.

If a child does not meet the height requirement and there is a Fastpass line, they will NOT be allowed into the attraction queue at all. Instead, what you will receive is a Rider Switch pass. This is very much like a Fastpass, except it is good for up to three guests. What will happen is that at least one person will need to stay outside the attraction queue area with the young child, while the rest enter the Standby line (more about combining with Fastpass later). Once they return, the person who stayed behind can then enter the Fastpass line (with up to two others, so they do not need to ride alone). This does mean they still have to go through pre-show areas if there are any, so it is slower than if they did do switches right at the loading area, but I've never seen this done at these attractions.

Two notable exceptions - Star Tours they had been doing swaps right at the simulators for some time (one adult would wait with the child at the entrance side, and when the first ride concluded they would hand the child straight through and ride themselves), but I've heard that they are at least part-time using Rider Switch passes.

And at Mission: SPACE, they inexplicably sometimes hand out the RS passes at the EXIT of the ride. And since you have to show the child that is too small, it means you have to wait near the exit doors in the activity area. I'm not sure if they do this any longer.

At ANY other attraction, where there is no height requirement or where the child is tall enough but does not wish to ride, then you need to work with the CMs to see what can be done as it varies from ride to ride.

Were the waiting areas, etc. pre-Fastpass/Rider Switch? Because we've never seen them...

As always at Disney, there can be exceptions, but this is one thing they have been VERY strict about.

Oh, and make sure you are ready to present the child for measuring - most CMs won't give you the Rider Switch pass unless they actually measure and are sure they aren't tall enough.

Oh...and on the ESPN Club - I found this a FINE place to watch football/baseball. Note that the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk is NOT an ESPN Zone, like the one at DL. It was operated independently of the Zone chain, which has actually been closed, although the DL and LA locations are still open under 3rd-party management. There MAY be table minimums, but I was not informed of any at the bar, so if you can stand and wait to score a couple bar seats, that may be the way to go.

 

[DrMomof3]

Even though this was our 5th trip in 3 years, this was the 1st time we'd ever used child swap. It was awesome and I'm kicking myself for not using it sooner!!! We have 3 children. One meets the 44" requirement, another the 40" requirement, and the 3rd is too young for those rides (and too short). The 2 older kids loved riding each ride twice in a row - once with each parent!

We got rider swap passes at the entrance to all of the rides you mentioned: Star Tours, Mission: Space, etc. They weren't strict about viewing the "too short" child. My 6 year old and I walked up to Space Mountain while my DH took the other 2 on Astro Orbiters and nobody asked any questions when handing us the pass (it turns out that the crowds were so low last week that we didn't use the passes very often - we usually just walked on anyway!). My 2 year old was never measured to see if he was too short. Again, it may be stricter when the crowds are bigger.

There is NO need to just sit and wait outside the ride. While my DH took the big kids on Thunder Mountain, my little guy and I rode Pirates. Another time I took the younger 2 on Buzz while my oldest was on Space Mountain. The passes don't have a return time on them but they're only valid on that particular date.

I highly recommend using this perk. It worked out really well for my family and allowed my DH and I to ride all of the "big" rides that we love without feeling like we were forcing the smaller kids to make sacrifices.

Amanda

 

[txmama]

Thanks, y'all, that was my video question -- and this is really helpful information!

 

[Minniemouse07]

We've used rider switch for many years now.

The OP has a great explanation of how it works but I have to disagree w/ some of it.

Our most recent trip in June we had dd (almost 9yo at the time) and ds (4.5yo) with us and used FPs often. Ds met the height requirement for the majority of rides (not RNRC or Primeval Whirl) but is NOT a thrill ride kid so didn't go on anything more thrilling than the Barnstormer.

We successfully used the rider switch all over the "world" w/o having to have ds measured .. Test Track, RNRC, TOT, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, BTMRR, etc.

Since there are four of us and three riders, we typically will obtain FPs for ALL of us (including ds) then go back and approach the cm for a Rider Switch pass when our FP was ripe.

Then... dd would ride w/ dh using one pair of FPs, ride with me using the Rider Switch pass, then ride AGAIN with either dh or I with the second pair of FPs.

Once ds gets older and starts riding all the cool stuff dd is going to be VERY sad!

We have never had to stand on line through the ride w/ ds to participate in Rider Switch...even on Mission Space (although that was back in 2007).

There are great areas for the smaller kids to play at most of the larger attractions. Splash Mountain and BTMRR have a play area under the train station, Test Track has the vehicle display area at the end of the ride (ds LOVED playing w/ all the cars and the interactive stuff), and I'm pretty sure there is a play area at the end of Mission Space as well (didn't ride this trip so I can't remember). Space Mountain doesn't have a play area, but the People Mover is a great distraction as well as CoP and Buzz Lightyear!

 

[doconeill]

Well, I did say there are exceptions. Never getting measured is an exception! Some CMs are in fact so restrictive, even if you are asking for a RS pass they will go through the same level of detail of trying to get a card between their head and the stick as when you WANT them to go on the ride...

In my experience, more often than not, they will want to at least eyeball the kid. That is why I said you should be prepared for them to be measured. And they really are only for those who don't meet the height requirement, although more traditional swaps may be available for other cases - and sometimes the CMs will give a RS pass just to make it easier to deal with. You generally have to work with the CMs for "too tall but scared" situations. Same with non-FP attractions.

A few CMs will hand them out to anyone who asks...free FPs!

 

[mejkjj97]

the only experience I had with a "too scared" was last year on Soarin. My DD just made the height requirement and we went through the line but she got scared when we entered the room. They allowed my mother in law to stand aside with my daughter while I road the ride. We then switched and she road while i took my daughter out.

 

[doconeill]

the only experience I had with a "too scared" was last year on Soarin. My DD just made the height requirement and we went through the line but she got scared when we entered the room. They allowed my mother in law to stand aside with my daughter while I road the ride. We then switched and she road while i took my daughter out.

They do something similar at TOT - from what I understand they will generally have one adult and the child take the chicken exit elevator, which takes you to where the guests come out after riding, and wait. When the first adult gets out, the other adult can take the elevator back down.

I haven't heard too much about it being done at other attractions, but I would guess there are similar accommodations. I've just never seen any waiting areas.

 

[Dale-Not-Chip]

If you use Child swap enough you'll eventually get one you'll want to keep.

 

[doconeill]

Figured I'd bump this, as it was readdressed on last week's email show with the voicemail from mrzrich (maybe I should have called it in instead of email )

Some notes:

1) I have never seen a Rider Switch pass that listed being good for more than 3 guests - do you know where you got that?

2) Star Tours has gone back to Rider Switch passes, at least occasionally. It may depend if they are using Fastpasses that day. Of course it doesn't matter at all at the moment.

3) Mission: SPACE has also done things differently - giving the pass at the END - which personally I think defeats the purpose.

4) Good for more than one day? Not any more. Several years ago, they printed the passes in bulk back stage on the old Fastpass cardstock, and made them good until some date in the future so they didn't need to do it every day - as much as a couple weeks. Now they are printed that morning (and as needed later on) right from the kiosk by the CM, and bear that day's date on it.

5) Using with Fastpass - note that there have been some CMs that believe that the adult staying with the child should also have a Fastpass, and they will "trade" the Fastpass for the Rider Switch pass. It's kind of a 3-for-1 trade so its still a good deal, IF you can make use of it. If you are two adults and a baby, not so much. It IS uncommon though. I speculate it is to prevent the group from gaining an advantage by getting FPs at different attractions and using Rider Switch as well, thus nearly doubling their touring speed over those who can only use "regular" Fastpasses. I have numbers posted in other threads but no need to regurgitate them here. Unlike late FP use, no CM has actually been able to state the policy.

6) For Kathy's comment on fairness (aside from the fact that you can't use them on another day at least without some pleading to a sympathetic CM ), note that since the second adult still needs to go through the Fastpass line, they still have to spend some additional time waiting since the FP line does not necessarily get you to the loading area but to the pre-show (think Test Track and RNRC), and thus actually cost you more time than if they still did the separate waiting area method where you waited at the loading/unloading area. So giving a little flexibility in the return time is nice...

It also means we're in the shops, etc. instead of standing around...


Alas, much to DD#1's dismay, we may never be able to get these again...

 

[mrzrich]

Thanks for your input, I'll admit its been over a year since I've used the child swap.

DS is 7 now, so there isn't much he doesn't ride anymore. I had forgotten about Mission Space. Now that you've refreshed my memory, I do remember having to wait at the ride exit and thinking it kind of defeated the purpose of the switch pass.

I agree that waiting twice can be very time consuming (I remember how long it took us all to get through Soarin' ), so it was nice having the option to come back later in the day if there was an impending ADR.

I also remember the ability to come back later made touring DHS a little easier in relation to the scheduled shows. (LMA, Indy, etc)

 

[thunderbird1]

Everyone's already done a great job explaining how the rider switch passes work, but I wanted to add my $.02 on Kathy's comment about fairness. While I understand your concerns about the passes being exploited, from a child's point of view it's much better not to have to wait in line for an attraction that he will not be able to ride.

With a baby it's not as big a deal, but it's torture for an older child who may want to ride but isn't tall enough to have to endure that wait. Most of the queues these days are so much a part of the attraction that they really build your excitement for the ride. I'm thinking of ToT, Soarin', RnRc, etc. If the poor kid has to wait half an hour or more, through the whole pre-show, see all the cool theming, and then watch his older siblings get on the ride while he's shown the exit, you're not going to have a very happy kid.

On the other hand, if one of the parents can take the baby/smaller child over to another attraction or character (as mrzrich suggested) or the themed play areas (as Julie suggested) or to the baby care center to nurse in private ( couldn't resist), everyone (including all the other people waiting in line) will be much happier for it.

Thanks again for all you do, podcast team!

 

[maroo]

If you use Child swap enough you'll eventually get one you'll want to keep.