Child swap question

[CJK]

I've read conflicting information on this, and wondered if someone knows the official answer. Does child swap work if a child is tall enough for a ride, but doesn't want to ride? For example, if a 46 inch child doesn't want to ride Space Mountain but the older siblings do, can the parents use child swap? TIA!!

 

[Robo]

I've read conflicting information on this, and wondered if someone knows the official answer. Does child swap work if a child is tall enough for a ride, but doesn't want to ride? For example, if a 46 inch child doesn't want to ride Space Mountain but the older siblings do, can the parents use child swap? TIA!!

Sometimes.
Depends on the CMs staffing the attraction.

Sometimes (sometimes) on Splash the CMs at LOADING will allow a non-riding child to stand with a parent while the rest of the party rides. Then, when the party returns, the parent can ride the attraction. (Varies if a guest (guests) who rode the first time will be allowed to ride with the waiting parent.)

 

[CJK]

Sometimes.
Depends on the CMs staffing the attraction.

And there lies the problem of conflicting information I guess! Thank you!

 

[Alesia]

Here's how it's supposed to work: if the child is tall enough to ride, you don't get a rider switch pass. Instead, everyone goes through the line and you will explain the situation to the loading CM, who will then tell you what to do.

If you ask for a rider switch pass you may get one, but it's pixie dust -- not the normal procedure

 

[DavidNYC]

Yeah - it's not so much that the information is conflicting - it's that the actual practice isn't consistent. You'll also likely find a difference in outcome between a just tall enough but very scared looking 4 year old who doesn't want to board Everest with a 9 year old child well over the height who doesn't want to go on 7D. While there's nothing in any rule (real or imagined) that would distinguish between the two situations, all those factors (as well as what side of the bed they woke up on that morning) will likely play into how a CM handles it.

But as PP noted - you can always go through the line together and cast members are often able to find a way to accommodate the adult who has to leave with the child who doesn't ride.

 

[gail228]

My question is related - my kids want to experience the queues and preshows at Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year but do not want to ride. My kids are 9 and 7, so tall enough for both.
I have Fast Pass for 2 for each of these shows, used my husband and I Tier 1 FP for Tower and my kids Tier 1 FP for RnRC.
Will this work? If we talk to CM at start of line, will they inform us the procedure for the chicken exit? Will they let us all in line with only 2 FP?
I originally planned for adults to split up and take 1 kid each time with Child Swap, but wondering if we could all go in together and experience the preshows as family? I would love to see both kids reactions for both.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

My question is related - my kids want to experience the queues and preshows at Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year but do not want to ride. My kids are 9 and 7, so tall enough for both.
I have Fast Pass for 2 for each of these shows, used my husband and I Tier 1 FP for Tower and my kids Tier 1 FP for RnRC.
Will this work? If we talk to CM at start of line, will they inform us the procedure for the chicken exit? Will they let us all in line with only 2 FP?
I originally planned for adults to split up and take 1 kid each time with Child Swap, but wondering if we could all go in together and experience the preshows as family? I would love to see both kids reactions for both.

You will all need a FP to go in the FP line.

 

[BrianL]

My question is related - my kids want to experience the queues and preshows at Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster this year but do not want to ride. My kids are 9 and 7, so tall enough for both.
I have Fast Pass for 2 for each of these shows, used my husband and I Tier 1 FP for Tower and my kids Tier 1 FP for RnRC.
Will this work? If we talk to CM at start of line, will they inform us the procedure for the chicken exit? Will they let us all in line with only 2 FP?
I originally planned for adults to split up and take 1 kid each time with Child Swap, but wondering if we could all go in together and experience the preshows as family? I would love to see both kids reactions for both.

They are most likely not going to allow anyone in the party to enter the FP line without an FP in their name. You might get a sympathetic CM, but I wouldn't count on it. Personally, I wouldn't recommend using FPs just for pre-shows. They're cute, but not that amazing.

 

[JohnneeO]

The conflict is one of Disney's own making. Although the website explicitly states that "Rider Switch" is available for "a Guest (that) does not wish to board a particular attraction", this is not always honored in the real world. Conflicts will continue until CM's actions consistently match the website's Rider Switch description.

 

[DavidNYC]

The conflict is one of Disney's own making. Although the website explicitly states that "Rider Switch" is available for "a Guest (that) does not wish to board a particular attraction", this is not always honored in the real world. Conflicts will continue until CM's actions consistently match the website's Rider Switch description.

I'd say instead people will get confused until the website is updated to match what the actual practice is in the park. The website has no bearing on what the rules are (and it's also incorrect on how many can use a swap pass).

 

[Disneyliscious]

I have a question too. Hope its alright to contain it in this thread as well. This will be our first time using child swap.

Our 5 adults (one is 17 so, adult), a 2 year old, a 6 week old.

On -every- ride, someone is going to have to stay back with the little ones. Do we just all go through the line at once and let 2 adults (the mom and dad) ride while the remaining 3 of us stay with the kids and then mom and dad get off, take the kids and the remaining 3 of us go?

 

[Robo]

5 adults (one is 17 so, adult), a 2 year old, a 6 week old.
1. On -every- ride, someone is going to have to stay back with the little ones.
2. Do we just all go through the line at once and let 2 adults (the mom and dad) ride while the remaining 3 of us stay with the kids and then mom and dad get off, take the kids and the remaining 3 of us go?

1. There are many rides that allow 2 year olds and 6 week olds to ride with adults.
(Any ride without a height restriction will allow all to ride.)
2. Anyone too short to ride an attraction is not allowed to go through the waiting line, at all.
If a child is too short to ride, someone must stay outside the attraction with that child and wait until the others
are finished riding.
That is why you need to take the child (or children) to the ride entrance and ask for a rider swap pass before
getting into the waiting line.

 

[Alesia]

I have a question too. Hope its alright to contain it in this thread as well. This will be our first time using child swap.

Our 5 adults (one is 17 so, adult), a 2 year old, a 6 week old.

On -every- ride, someone is going to have to stay back with the little ones. Do we just all go through the line at once and let 2 adults (the mom and dad) ride while the remaining 3 of us stay with the kids and then mom and dad get off, take the kids and the remaining 3 of us go?

There are very few rides that the little ones can't go on. Here's a list of the height-restricted rides: https://wdwprepschool-com.cdn.amppr...om/rides-at-disney-world-height-requirements/

If a ride isn't listed, it's fine for everyone -- including the newborn.

 

[jo-jo]

Remember using a FP cuts out a lot of the queue thus you don't see as much neat stuff. Once in a while ,if the line isn't too long, we do PP without a FP just to see the room where Tink flys around.

I am not in this situation, but I would hope people who have older disabled children, are able to get kid swap.

 

[Alesia]

I am not in this situation, but I would hope people who have older disabled children, are able to get kid swap.

There is a separate procedure for that.

I think that this is why so many people get confused on this issue: the child swap pass is only for children who are too short to enter the line, but that doesn't mean that there aren't options for families that have children who are tall enough but can't or don't want to ride.

If you have a child who is disabled, you get a DAS card.

If you have a child who is tall enough but doesn't want to ride, everyone enters the queue and the loading CM takes care of the switching. You don't need a rider switch pass because everyone goes through the queue.

 

[anomamatt]

It seems many CMs don’t follow the “afraid to ride” aspect if the kid is tall enough. Along with the website being a massive source of confusion (and not limited to rider swap confusion), IMO so is the existence of rider swap at frozen ever after (as it has no height restriction).

 

[Robo]

It seems many CMs don’t follow the “afraid to ride” aspect if the kid is tall enough. Along with the website being a massive source of confusion (and not limited to rider swap confusion), IMO so is the existence of rider swap at frozen ever after (as it has no height restriction).

Nothing is as inconsistent as WDW inconsistency!

You can count on it being as inconsistent as it is intermittent.

 

[Alesia]

It seems many CMs don’t follow the “afraid to ride” aspect if the kid is tall enough.

Because they're not supposed to. As I pointed out earlier, there is a different procedure for that situation.

The problem is, sometimes the CM will go ahead and give a pass either out of niceness or laziness. Then the person tells everyone on the internet that they got special treatment (whether they realize it or not) and all of a sudden everyone else is expecting special treatment, too. That's the reason why there's so much less pixie dust than there used to be.

And the fact that Disney's website is full of bad information doesn't help

 

[fbarker]

Here's how it's supposed to work: if the child is tall enough to ride, you don't get a rider switch pass. Instead, everyone goes through the line and you will explain the situation to the loading CM, who will then tell you what to do.

If you ask for a rider switch pass you may get one, but it's pixie dust -- not the normal procedure

Thanks for the clarifcation. The "written rules" are very clear and understandable. The problem comes, as it does in most customer service interactions, when one CM extends a courtesy to a guest. The guest then expects that same courtsey each time. The exception has become the rule. The guest instead of appreciating the exception they received once now expects it everytime, even when they know its an exception, and will push for that exception instead of being very appreciative that they got some "pixie dust" and leaving it at that. They want to (and i know this wont go over well!!) game the system each time.

 

[lanejudy]

I am not in this situation, but I would hope people who have older disabled children, are able to get kid swap.

There is a separate procedure for that. ...
If you have a child who is disabled, you get a DAS card.

Families with older children (or even adults) with a disability have the same challenges with Rider Swap as discussed on this thread. If the non-rider is tall enough but won't be riding, sometimes a RS pass is offered, other times it is not. DAS has absolutely no bearing for a situation in which the DAS-holder will not be experiencing the attraction but family members will.

Enjoy your vacation!