Child Swap and the Queue

[Dale-n-Chip]

Anybody know which rides require the whole family to queue up together? For example, Star Tours required us to all go through together then DH rode while DS and I waited outside the "shuttle" until it was my turn. Space Mountain, on the other hand, gave me a child swap pass without having to take DS through the queue.

I want to make effective use of both Child Swap and FP. DH and I want to ride the "big kid" rides and with a very sensitive/timid DS5, we don't want to take him through the queues. Although many kids take them in stride, the queues are loud and frightening for our little guy. Our wait outside the shuttle on ST was five minutes of my life I do NOT want to repeat!!

Any insight about which ones make the family queue together vs. queue separately for Child Swap? (Oh, and forget about Stitch--we made that mistake last trip when the ride was too new for guidebook warnings! Another five minutes I'd just as soon forget ever happened. . .)

 

[beattyfamily]

Every ride is different, as yiou know. It also can just depend on the CM working that day.

Also, many rides will make the child NOT riding go in the line IF they are tall enough for it but just don't want to ride it. That happened to us at Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, ToT, and TT at Epcot. They told me since DD was old enough to ride, she had to go in the line with us and that we'd swap at the ride itself.

Only RnR at MGM gave us a parent swap pass since DD wasn't tall enough.

BUT if the child isn't tall enough to ride, most do give out the special parent swap pass.

Maybe if you tell the CM at the entrance to the ride how afraid of the line your child is, maybe they'll give you the pass or let you swap at the exit.

Good luck.

 

[cavepig]

As far as I know Star Tours is the only where you bring the whole party through the line and switch at the ride (isn't it great waiting in that area with screaming kids). All the others will give you a rider switch pass to use which allows up to like 3 or so guests (depending on the ride) to go through the fast pass line.

I would think that the rider switch only applies if the kids are too little because the cast member has to see them before they give you the pass. But since you're son is 5 I don't see getting a rider switch to big of a problem unless he is really really tall.

 

[tjmw2727]

Your best bet is good use of FP for the rides your son can't handle. Like others we have only been able to get a "rider swap" for the rides the child isn't tall enough to ride. Otherwise everyone walks through the queue and then you switch at the exit.

If I were in your position I would plas to use fast pass and split up, we did this on our December trip and it worked well.

Two examples from our December trip:

MK, DH and older dd rode Space Mtn with their fast passes while I took younger dd on TTA. Then we got an ice cream and realaxed at our meeting spot until dh & dd returned. Then I returned and rode Space with my fast pass while dh took both girls on Buzz and we met up again.

In MGM older dd and I rode RnRC with a fast pass while dh took younger dd to beauty and the beast. Then dh rode with his fp while the girls and I shopped and pin traded.

It took some time so we had to decide how worth it it was and sometimes either dh or I would take older dd on something and the other parent would just skip it to do something with younger dd. The other thing that was nice is both dh and I got some alone time 1-1 with each dd so that was an upside to our plan!

It won't hurt to ask at the entrance of the queue before your ride how they handle a rider switch (baby swap) to see if they will accomodate you. We found it easier to just plan around some things ourselves after realizing my younger dd would have to walk the queue.

Have fun,
TJ