Child swap with extended queues?

[nolawave]

Since the lines are spread out far outside the normal attraction entrance, how does getting a child swap work? Do we all wait in the extended line until we get to entrance to get a child swap put on magic bands or can we walk straight to the entrance, get a child swap, then first parent and kid go to end of line? Thanks

 

[dmband]

You have to wait till you get to the main entry point otherwise people would get the swap pas and not actually get in line.
at least that’s how it was for 7d

 

[Kerr84]

Actually, most rides don’t make you wait in the extended queue. Send some party members to the end of the line and some party members (with the too short kids) to see the CM at the front. I just asked this on here and got rude answers. I asked on a Facebook group and this is what I was told. A few people said some rides are making you wait in the extended queue though. FOP was one and I can’t remember the other one.

 

[Kerr84]

You have to wait till you get to the main entry point otherwise people would get the swap pas and not actually get in line.
at least that’s how it was for 7d

Except it’s awful to make a toddler wait 30 minutes for a ride they aren’t going to ride. Many of those waits in the sun. Also, they only allow you to hold one rider swap at a time which really hurts you trying to do headliners at rope drop. I’m not trying to game the system, I just don’t think a toddler should have to wait for a ride they aren’t going to ride. We’re already moving at a snail’s pace as is.

 

[fancymouse]

Me, my husband, and my 1 year old just went to the CM at the FP part of the queue and told them we wanted to rider swap. They just sent us up. They never told either of us we needed to wait in the line before seeing them. I don’t think the advice to wait in line before the entrance is always practical because sometimes the CMs by the regular entrance don’t have the rider swap capabilities. At Splash Mountain they sent us specifically to the FP CM which would have meant getting out of line. You CAN wait in that part of the line if you want, but we always set up RS first and then sometimes I’d wait with my husband until he went in the official entrance.

Also- just FYI all people involved in RS need to be present when getting the passes. This means the person waiting in line needs to be present and the waiting party and anyone that plans to wait in line but ride again with the second party, so make sure you don’t split up before you’ve gotten your passes. They always asked us who was riding and who was waiting.

 

[Kerr84]

Me, my husband, and my 1 year old just went to the CM at the FP part of the queue and told them we wanted to rider swap. They just sent us up. They never told either of us we needed to wait in the line before seeing them. I don’t think the advice to wait in line before the entrance is always practical because sometimes the CMs by the regular entrance don’t have the rider swap capabilities. At Splash Mountain they sent us specifically to the FP CM which would have meant getting out of line. You CAN wait in that part of the line if you want, but we always set up RS first and then sometimes I’d wait with my husband until he went in the official entrance.

Yes, in October, no one made us wait in the extended queue. A few people there this week and last week said they had to wait at FOP and SDD. Maybe seven dwarfs too. I would go to the CM at the front of each ride. Some may make you wait, but hopefully most don’t.

 

[fancymouse]

Yes, in October, no one made us wait in the extended queue. A few people there this week and last week said they had to wait at FOP and SDD. Maybe seven dwarfs too. I would go to the CM at the front of each ride. Some may make you wait, but hopefully most don’t.

Yeah, I mean I never really thought about people not waiting in line after they set it up. If people are doing that then they really suck and ruin nice things for everyone. I wouldn’t want to wait in a long line in the sun with my baby who isn’t even riding. I’d be pretty frustrated if I they enforced this when they don’t even enforce the RS/FP rules under normal circumstances and people gaming that are plentiful.

 

[Kerr84]

Yeah, I mean I never really thought about people not waiting in line after they set it up. If people are doing that then they really suck and ruin nice things for everyone. I wouldn’t want to wait in a long line in the sun with my baby who isn’t even riding. I’d be pretty frustrated if I they enforced this when they don’t even enforce the RS/FP rules under normal circumstances and people gaming that are plentiful.

It would also be pretty hard to do this twice in a row too! because you would have to go up twice for everyone to ride. I’m sure they would remember you right away. So, someone would have to go up and get a rider swap, get out of line, ride it... and then come back later in the day to repeat. Who has time to go back and forth when you’ve got the littles?

 

[MomOTwins]

You have to wait till you get to the main entry point otherwise people would get the swap pas and not actually get in line.
at least that’s how it was for 7d

That wasn't how it used to work with long outdoor lines though (e.g. FOP). Pre-Covid, for example, we could walk up to the FP entrance, get the swap pass, then I'd take off with our youngest while DH would go to the back of the line. I don't understand the comment about getting the swap pass and not waiting in line. It's not like DH could "cut in" the standby queue at the FP entrance, the CMs are right there and would see it so of course he had to go to back of the "real" line after getting me my pass.

I think it is more about them not wanting a crowd to form at the FP entrance with people trying to get swaps. If they make you wait in line, they process the child swaps as you move forward in the line one at a time instead of having people cluster with no distancing.

At least you can take your stroller through the outdoor queue.

 

[fancymouse]

I think they are saying that since the CM is often not near the end of the line (or even within sight of it), that someone could set up RS and then NOT wait in line at all. Then someone has a FP without the attached waiting requirement. But like Kerr84 pointed out, if everyone wanted to ride it would take a lot of work to try to scam this system, so I would hope this isn’t happening.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think they are saying that since the CM is often not near the end of the line (or even within sight of it), that someone could set up RS and then NOT wait in line at all. Then someone has a FP without the attached waiting requirement. But like Kerr84 pointed out, if everyone wanted to ride it would take a lot of work to try to scam this system, so I would hope this isn’t happening.

I see. Would be a tricky scam as you’d need a small child, so that rules out most would-be scammers, and I think a CM would recognize if the same group came up more than once seeking child swaps for different people in their party. And anyway, someone could still do the scam if they just wait in the outdoor queue portion and then leave.

 

[dmband]

That wasn't how it used to work with long outdoor lines though (e.g. FOP). Pre-Covid, for example, we could walk up to the FP entrance, get the swap pass, then I'd take off with our youngest while DH would go to the back of the line. I don't understand the comment about getting the swap pass and not waiting in line. It's not like DH could "cut in" the standby queue at the FP entrance, the CMs are right there and would see it so of course he had to go to back of the "real" line after getting me my pass.

I think it is more about them not wanting a crowd to form at the FP entrance with people trying to get swaps. If they make you wait in line, they process the child swaps as you move forward in the line one at a time instead of having people cluster with no distancing.

At least you can take your stroller through the outdoor queue.

as far as getting the pass not not waiting in line - that’s simple really.
for example a family of four walks up, only three can ride but for whatever reason only two want to ride and/or someone wants to work the system.
they get a pass, walk away never getting in line.
Come back and get on a few minutes later.

Lots of things “used to be” and could have changed recently again. Truth be told lots of things seem to be CM related too. I have found many CM don’t do things the same way so it doesn’t surprise me people have had different experiences.

Yes, in October, no one made us wait in the extended queue. A few people there this week and last week said they had to wait at FOP and SDD. Maybe seven dwarfs too. I would go to the CM at the front of each ride. Some may make you wait, but hopefully most don’t.

there ya go, CM differences.

I think they are saying that since the CM is often not near the end of the line (or even within sight of it), that someone could set up RS and then NOT wait in line at all. Then someone has a FP without the attached waiting requirement.

exactly


one thing that should have changed if it didn’t is that swaps needed to be done the same day. Way back, you could collect swap passes all week and just go FP crazy on the last day

 

[MomOTwins]

as far as getting the pass not not waiting in line - that’s simple really.
for example a family of four walks up, only three can ride but for whatever reason only two want to ride and/or someone wants to work the system.
they get a pass, walk away never getting in line.
Come back and get on a few minutes later.

Lots of things “used to be” and could have changed recently again. Truth be told lots of things seem to be CM related too. I have found many CM don’t do things the same way so it doesn’t surprise me people have had different experiences.
there ya go, CM differences.
exactly


one thing that should have changed if it didn’t is that swaps needed to be done the same day. Way back, you could collect swap passes all week and just go FP crazy on the last day

You can’t come back right away with the child swap. The return window is based on the ride standby wait time, so you’d have to wait. And you can’t wait too long either—one time we thought we’d wait to use our child swap at HS and go get a bit to eat first and were denied entry when we back to the ride because our window had passed. I think you get something like 45 mins after your window passes as it is meant for riding back to back.

 

[Kerr84]

You can’t come back right away with the child swap. The return window is based on the ride standby wait time, so you’d have to wait. And you can’t wait too long either—one time we thought we’d wait to use our child swap at HS and go get a bit to eat first and were denied entry when we back to the ride because our window had passed. I think you get something like 45 mins after your window passes as it is meant for riding back to back.

I think you are confusing rider swap with DAS. They do not give you a time to come back. It works all day, but you can only have 1 at a time, so you have to use it before you can get another one. I got one at 9:00 am and didn’t use it until 7pm.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think you are confusing rider swap with DAS. They do not give you a time to come back. It works all day, but you can only have 1 at a time, so you have to use it before you can get another one. I got one at 9:00 am and didn’t use it until 7pm.

When? The time limits were a recent change, I think around 2019. But maybe they changed it back since then.

 

[Kerr84]

When? The time limits were a recent change, I think around 2019. But maybe they changed it back since then.

October 2020 and people on Facebook there right now

 

[Kerr84]

When? The time limits were a recent change, I think around 2019. But maybe they changed it back since then.

I just googled and found they did so time limits in 2018/19. But I didn’t have those in October and no one is reporting them now. They may have done away with them for the time being. Our first park day is Friday so I’ll report back.

 

[MomOTwins]

I just googled and found they did so time limits in 2018/19. But I didn’t have those in October and no one is reporting them now. They may have done away with them for the time being. Our first park day is Friday so I’ll report back.

Ooh that’d be nice to know! Those limits were annoying. I do see the point now about how it could be more easily abused, but still, odds are if you have a small kid, you are using the child swap the normal way instead of bypassing all waiting in line.

 

[DisneyOma]

Except it’s awful to make a toddler wait 30 minutes for a ride they aren’t going to ride. Many of those waits in the sun. Also, they only allow you to hold one rider swap at a time which really hurts you trying to do headliners at rope drop. I’m not trying to game the system, I just don’t think a toddler should have to wait for a ride they aren’t going to ride. We’re already moving at a snail’s pace as is.

Then don't make the toddler wait with you while you are in the extended queue? Have someone walk around with the toddler, look at something nearby, and then when you get up near the CM have them join you? Or perhaps rethink bringing the toddler with you, or just skip the rides the toddler can't go on, or have one adult skip the ride and go do something with the toddler? When my kids were little, we took turns going on the 'big kid" rides with the older one and doing other things with the smaller one.

As for not trying to game the system, wouldn't holding multiple RS from accumulating them at rope drop be gaming the system?

 

[Kerr84]

Then don't make the toddler wait with you while you are in the extended queue? Have someone walk around with the toddler, look at something nearby, and then when you get up near the CM have them join you? Or perhaps rethink bringing the toddler with you, or just skip the rides the toddler can't go on, or have one adult skip the ride and go do something with the toddler? When my kids were little, we took turns going on the 'big kid" rides with the older one and doing other things with the smaller one.

As for not trying to game the system, wouldn't holding multiple RS from accumulating them at rope drop be gaming the system?

Sure I’ll just leave my toddler at home from this family trip I have planned.

It’s also not gaming the system. What I was pointing out is that a couple of adults could easily do 3 big rides in the first hour of park opening. A couple with a toddler can’t because they have to take the time to ride each ride twice. So, you can only get half the amount of rides done in the same time.