Child Swap dummy here - please explain how it works

[Moushe]

Since our kids are so small we usually avoid thrill rides and just do stuff they can ride. Our 3.5yo will be tall enough to ride 7DMT at our August trip. We also have a 1.5yo so one of us will have to stay back with her.

How does Child Swap work exactly? The general instruction is "go up to a cast member and let them know you will need to use Child Swap and they will give you a paper ticket that the other parent can use to get on the ride without having to make the line again" But where do I approach the CM? Assuming we have FP do all four of us get in the FP line and then let the CM at the loading area know?

 

[Alesia]

You ask the CM at the entrance of the queue. Children who are too small to ride will not be allowed into the queue at all.

 

[Robo]

where do I approach the CM?

Any CM standing at the entrance to the FP attraction you want to ride.

 

[wallskm]

You only need FP for the first set of riders if you want them to FP the ride. If they don't have a FP they can go through the standby line and the procedure is the same. Everyone will walk up to the CM at the entrance to the line and ask for a rider swap. They usually want to see the child too small to ride to see that you truly need it. Then I believe they will give the two that are riding a lanyard or something that they will take with them through the line and when they get to the second CM they will give the lanyard to them and they will get the paper ticket at that point. (This is new since I last went, previously you got the paper ticket from the first CM but I believe this has changed to the procedure above). Then they will do the ride and you then do the ride at your convenience (the tickets are usually good for the rest of the month so you don't necessarily have to do the ride right then). The Rider Swap ticket is good for 3 persons, so you will be able to take your child on it for a second ride. We usually get FP for the first set of riders, then the adult staying back with the smaller kids will get FP for something else to take the smaller kids on while the bigger kids are riding.

 

[patdoc98]

All good advice above. I would add that the CMs sometimes will not give you a rider swap if the standby wait is short. Not an issue for Mine Train (which always has a long standby wait) but might be for Barnstormer (or if your 3.5 year old hits 40 inches, it could be an issue if you go to Splash/Big Thunder at rope drop).

Also, our rider swap passes were always good until the end of the month. Not sure if that is always the case.

Finally, to add to wallskm's last point, it's good to think about what the 1.5 year old will enjoy more than the 3.5 yr old. For us, our younger one loved the Carousel, so we'd do that while the older one rode Mine Train. No need for a FP for the Carousel. We ended up having to be a bit creative to get maximum use from the initial FPs.

 

[Moushe]

Thanks everyone, it sounds a lot easier than I was thinking!

 

[Moushe]

All good advice above. I would add that the CMs sometimes will not give you a rider swap if the standby wait is short. Not an issue for Mine Train (which always has a long standby wait) but might be for Barnstormer (or if your 3.5 year old hits 40 inches, it could be an issue if you go to Splash/Big Thunder at rope drop).

Also, our rider swap passes were always good until the end of the month. Not sure if that is always the case.

Finally, to add to wallskm's last point, it's good to think about what the 1.5 year old will enjoy more than the 3.5 yr old. For us, our younger one loved the Carousel, so we'd do that while the older one rode Mine Train. No need for a FP for the Carousel. We ended up having to be a bit creative to get maximum use from the initial FPs.

My little one will love the Carousel while we wait. Great idea, thanks!

 

[nfouey]

All good advice above. I would add that the CMs sometimes will not give you a rider swap if the standby wait is short. Not an issue for Mine Train (which always has a long standby wait) but might be for Barnstormer (or if your 3.5 year old hits 40 inches, it could be an issue if you go to Splash/Big Thunder at rope drop).

Also, our rider swap passes were always good until the end of the month. Not sure if that is always the case.

Finally, to add to wallskm's last point, it's good to think about what the 1.5 year old will enjoy more than the 3.5 yr old. For us, our younger one loved the Carousel, so we'd do that while the older one rode Mine Train. No need for a FP for the Carousel. We ended up having to be a bit creative to get maximum use from the initial FPs.

Interesting on the fast passes. I guess that never crossed my mind. Or if I did I thought it was against the rules? I booked fast passes for all ticketed riders, but someone will have to stay behind with our 4 month old. Really with rider swap, this renders one of the fast passes useless right? But to your point is it worth canceling the 3rd fast pass incase the CM is not in the mood for handing out rider swap!?

 

[patdoc98]

Interesting on the fast passes. I guess that never crossed my mind. Or if I did I thought it was against the rules? I booked fast passes for all ticketed riders, but someone will have to stay behind with our 4 month old. Really with rider swap, this renders one of the fast passes useless right? But to your point is it worth canceling the 3rd fast pass incase the CM is not in the mood for handing out rider swap!?

There are a lot of threads about this, but here's an example that is not against the rules: Mom, Dad, Kid 1, Kid 2. Mom and Kid 1 ride 7DMT with FPs, Dad has a FP for Winnie the Pooh --> CM will give Dad a rider swap pass, then Dad can go ride Winnie the Pooh with Kid 2, using Dad's FP. Later, Dad and Kid 1 can ride 7DMT, while Mom rides tea cups with (or, sadly more likely, changes the diaper of) Kid 2.

This doesn't render any FPs useless. It gives a slight benefit to Kid 1, who gets to ride 7DMT twice with one FP. But it also gives the family more hassle than they would have if Kid 2 were tall enough to ride.

The CM will never be "not in the mood" to hand out a rider swap, but it makes sense that Disney doesn't want families to rack up tons of extra rider swap passes if, say, Big Thunder is at a 5 min wait from 9-9:30 am.

Overall, I think the rider swap system is very fair, and just makes the park a bit easier for families with small kids. It's still never a smooth day when a 4-month old is part of your group - expect a poop out every time you sit down to eat, and expect the kid to fall asleep in the TSMM FP line!

 

[EEva]

They usually want to see the child too small to ride to see that you truly need it.

Can you still get a child swap if your child is tall enough, but doesn't want to ride? I know for a fact my DD12 will not want to ride many of the coaster-type rides. But I'm not sure I would feel comfortable leaving her on her own while the rest of us rode.
Thanks!

 

[Loopster]

Can you still get a child swap if your child is tall enough, but doesn't want to ride? I know for a fact my DD12 will not want to ride many of the coaster-type rides. But I'm not sure I would feel comfortable leaving her on her own while the rest of us rode.
Thanks!

Unfortunately they don't allow it in situations where kids are tall enough but just don't want to ride.

 

[Jacie]

Unfortunately they don't allow it in situations where kids are tall enough but just don't want to ride.

Which is completely contradictory to their website.

 

[Alesia]

Which is completely contradictory to their website.

The website is full of inaccuracies. That's just one example.

 

[Jacie]

The website is full of inaccuracies. That's just one example.

Not saying it's the only one. Just pointing it out for those who might have had a chance to read it before coming here.

 

[LovePug]

Unfortunately they don't allow it in situations where kids are tall enough but just don't want to ride.

Thanks for this info. I was wondering about this because my DS9 cannot handle quite a few rides due to his ASD. I had been thinking we could do child swap, but now I don't need to ask while there (and feel like a fool).

 

[Atilley]

Thanks for this info. I was wondering about this because my DS9 cannot handle quite a few rides due to his ASD. I had been thinking we could do child swap, but now I don't need to ask while there (and feel like a fool).

It can't hurt to ask. Last time we went my 3 year old at the time was tall enough to ride all but 2 of the coasters and they still let us do rider switch on all the rides we asked to do it for.