Child Swap

Cinderellabride

Mouseketeer
Joined
May 11, 2006
Messages
362
I'm sorry if this has already been asked. The search feature is not working; it just comes up with a white screen.

Anyway, my question is how does the child swap work on rides where you can't bring your baby? Is it a pain in the butt? Dec will be the first time my husband and I will go with child. Our baby will be about 9 months old if he is born on time. Any advice? Thanks.
 
We had no problems any time we used the child swap. You just get in line (all of you) and when it is your turn, one of you goes on the ride while the other waits in a designated area while the rider is on the ride. As soon as the rider gets off, to you pass off the baby and get right on the ride. It was great for my oldest son last time because he got to ride everything twice.
I do vaguely remember this last time getting child swap passes (like fast passes) for some rides too.
 
We used child swap a lot in Dec '06. It's not a pain, infact, if you use it along with your fastpasses it's actually benificial.
What you do is you, the baby and who ever you are swapping with all go to the CM at the beginning of the attraction entrance and ask for a child swap pass. Then one of you stays with baby and the other one goes through the standby line (or fastpass if you have one) when they come back then the other person takes the child swap pass through the fast pass line.
The only ride that is different than this is Goofy's barnstormers. Then the person who is riding second waits for the first one at the exit of the ride and hops in when the other gets out.
 
Some info about child swap and the rider switch pass:

The only rides that offer child swap are those with height restrictions.
The rider switch pass (special child swap Fastpass) is given out on rides with the Fastpass option.
Rides like Pooh, HM, or Buzz that do not have Fastpass but no height requirement, don't offer the rider switch pass (special child swap Fastpass).
As far as I know there is no child swap offered at rides without a height requirement but that can, of course, depend on the CM working the entrance to the ride.

They do not let children that do not meet the height requirement through the line (except on Star Tours; the entire party enters the line and they do the switch at the ride itself).

What to do:

Approach the CM at the entrance to the attraction before you enter the ride line (either the Fastpass line or Standby line) and ask them about child swap and let them know you want to use the child swap feature and find out how they handle it; most rides handle it the same except Star Tours, as I said before.

The parent and the child must approach the CM together. They must see the child who doesn't meet the height requirement. The CM may measure the child if they are close to the height requirement. The CM will then give you a rider switch pass (if the child doesn't meet the height requirement) and the parent that is riding second can then leave with the child and to do something else while the first parent/party rides. They could wait outside or wait at the exit of the ride (which is usually in a store) or do a different attraction.

Meanwhile, the first parent/party can ride however they've decided; either Fastpass, standby or single rider, if available. Then the second parent returns, at their convenience, to ride via the Fastpass line with the rider switch pass and they can ride with up to 2 other guests; the rider switch pass is good for up to 3 guests total and is good all day.

Please note: the parent riding with the rider switch pass does not need a regular Fastpass; the rider switch pass is all they need to enter the Fastpass line. It takes the place of a regular Fastpass.

Please note: If your child is tall enough to ride but doesn't want to, then you can still create your own form of swapping by getting a Fastpass for each parent and then taking turns. Works just about the same as getting the rider switch pass. Or you could ask the CM if there's a way you could possibly swap at the ride itself or at the exit to the ride.

The purpose of child swap isn't a "head of the line pass" or to eliminate a double wait for a family that can't ride together but to shorten the wait for the second parent as much as the Fastpass line can and to make it more convenient by letting you come back later if you need/want to with up to 2 other guests to ride with you so you don't have to ride alone.
 

Thank you for the info. I always thought that the party got to stand in line together and then that one parent held the baby at the ride entrance/exit and when the first rider got off he/she took the baby and the other parent got on. Did it used to be like that? I understand this way with the fast pass thing could be more convenient for some, but who wants to stand in line all by themselves? Are there any rides with height requirements that don't have fast pass? How does it work then? I guess like someone said with Star Tours.
 
We used CS a few times on our first trip with DD (5 months) but when we went for her first b-day in Oct we honestly just used FP. The whole party (7 adults) would grab FPs, then half would ride while the rest waited with DD (or took her on a ride with no height restriction) then we'd switch out. The nice thing about the CS passes though is that you don't have a window in which you have to return.

I believe the method of having everyone go through line, then each parent taking turns waiting at the exit with the little one, went by the wayside a couple of years ago. I can see why...I'm sure it wasn't helpful having a bunch of people hanging around the exit area. Plus look at it this way: if your baby is napping, or hungry, won't it be easier for one person to walk around or feed her while the other rides?
 
Thank you for the info. I always thought that the party got to stand in line together and then that one parent held the baby at the ride entrance/exit and when the first rider got off he/she took the baby and the other parent got on. Did it used to be like that? I understand this way with the fast pass thing could be more convenient for some, but who wants to stand in line all by themselves? Are there any rides with height requirements that don't have fast pass? How does it work then? I guess like someone said with Star Tours.

They haven't done the baby swap by waiting at the exit for many years now (except at Star Tours). It really isn't a matter of convenience but safety - they won't allow a child/baby who dosen't meet the height restrition thorugh the line on the off chance that a child who is close but not tall enough may make it onboard the ride.

There are no rides with height requirements that don't have fast pass. I never had an issue wating by myself - it goes by pretty quickly especiallly if you use FP and or RS pass.

FWIW we have been using child swap for 5-6 years now 2 or more times a year and my experience is exactly as Beattyfamily described.

TJ
 
Goofy's Barnstormers is the only one that I can think of that doesn't have fastpass, but does have CS.
The advantage to CS vs. FP is that CS is good for up to 3 people.
 


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