Child Swap

[aspry]

Can someone help explain child swap with me. I understand the premise of it, I just don't get physically how it works. Is there an actual seperate line for child swap? Does it work with FastPass?

Also, what's the advantage of child swap over each parent taking the single rider line individually & the other waiting outside of the ride queue? From what I've read the single rider line can be pretty short sometimes. If each parent went through it once, could it be shorter than child swap.

We're not planning on doing many thrill rides, just because we want to spend most of our time together, but it'd be nice to get a handful in.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

Someone else can explain child swap better than me because we have never used it. I just wanted to mention that we haven't used it because it's usually not up and running (neither is FastPass) at the beginning of Sept because the lines are not long enough.

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

We are using it for teh 1st time this coming up September.

From what I understand it will enable my older son (7) to ride once with my DH and then again once with me for rides my youngest DD cannot go on b/c of her height. This way we wait in line together, and then my youngest waits with parent2 while parent1 and older child ride. Then parent1 takes younger child while older child and parent2 ride. That way we are not standing in line 2times (and added bonus my DS gets to ride some faves 2 times in a row!). clear as mud?

For some rides only one of us is taking our son so our younger one can play in a nearby area. But if we both want to ride it (like Splash Mountain) we will swap out.

 

[scjo68]

We've done it several times.

I think it depends on the ride, but for Soarin and Test Track, and probably others, the whole party must be together at the ride entrance, to get the child swap pass for the waiting adult/child, but then the rider(s) enter the line alone, and the waiters can actually wait/ go anywhere. In fact, the CS pass doesn't even have to be used immeditely after the first rider exits the ride. If I remember correctly, the pass was good for the rest of the day. If there were time limits, they were fairly liberal, because I don't remember rushing. Second rider(s) then go through the fast pass entrance with your child swap pass.

I think Star tours requires the whole party to wait in line together, so we didn't do CS pass for it. DS wasn''t good at waiting.

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

We are using it for teh 1st time this coming up September.

From what I understand it will enable my older son (7) to ride once with my DH and then again once with me for rides my youngest DD cannot go on b/c of her height. This way we wait in line together, and then my youngest waits with parent2 while parent1 and older child ride. Then parent1 takes younger child while older child and parent2 ride. That way we are not standing in line 2times (and added bonus my DS gets to ride some faves 2 times in a row!). clear as mud?

For some rides only one of us is taking our son so our younger one can play in a nearby area. But if we both want to ride it (like Splash Mountain) we will swap out.

Just wanted to again point out that Child Swap might not be in affect when you go in Sept. There is NEVER a wait for Splash Mountain for instance in Sept (they usually let you stay ON if you want) so that ride you won't need to use Child Swap. One parent goes on and then parent #2 goes.

 

[kelma]

We've gone to Disney in Sept. the last 3 years and have used Child Swap lots. We notice that it varies from year to year and ride to ride. Once, all of us had to wait through the entire line at TOT and then switch - they have a separate waiting area. I did not like that as it was still very scary for my little guy. The next times, we just met in the gift shop and switched (they gave us a slip of paper to pass in when we went back). It was great for our dd, because she got to ride the ride twice and we loved it because we didn't have to spend lots of time in line .

There will be rides that don't have a wait during various times of the day and you can just walk on, but there are certainly other times, even in Sept., when there can be a wait and we found the child swap to be a great time saver!

 

[cam&phoebsmom]

Just wanted to again point out that Child Swap might not be in affect when you go in Sept. There is NEVER a wait for Splash Mountain for instance in Sept (they usually let you stay ON if you want) so that ride you won't need to use Child Swap. One parent goes on and then parent #2 goes.

I hope that is the case!

Last time we went we totally did NOt plan our days well and hit lines that moved quickly, but lines none the less. This year we are much better planned so I am hoping your prediction comes true!

 

[Tnkrbelle565]

You'll still hit lines in Sept but they won't be 50 minute waits like at other times of year. We go the same week every year and we have definately been able to stay on Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids over and over again because there is no lines...which is strange to me because it's SOOOO hot and why wouldn't people want to cool off??? The longest line we have ever seen was 20 minutes for Space Mountain. But I know someone who actually waited in a 90 minute line for Space Mountain NEVER!!!!