Child Swap

[bayportkat]

We are our trip for August and have a 3 1/2 year old who most likely won't want to ride several of the rides and also gets motion sick. I have been reading about child swap but am a bit confused about how it works with Fastpass+. For example, my 2 older children, my husband and myself would like to ride Soarin, but I don't think my little one can handle it due to the motion. Do all of us need Fastpasses and then get the rider swap? Or does only the first group need it? My concern would be getting back in the line before the FP window closes if we don't arrive at the very beginning of the FP window.

 

[brooke789]

Book yourself and your daughter another FP. Your husband can go with the older kids on FP. You and daughter go up to FP return window with them and get the swap pass. Then you & DD go to your own FPs. Meet up with husband to switch off DD and you and old kids go back on with swap pass.

BTW, my daughter gets severely motion sick. She's much better now at 5, but has seen a chiropractor for 3+ years due to her motion sickness. She has no issue on Soarin.

 

[kermit27]

The first adult on the ride would get a rider switch pass from the cast member at the front of the ride. Then when group 1 is done going on the ride they give the rider switch pass to the second adult that was waiting with the child and that adult and one person (and only one person) from the first party is allowed into the FP queue. I don't think you need to book separate FP as brooke suggests.

So one lucky person will get to go on everything twice! For us we just had four so my daughter go to ride everything twice in a row.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/

 

[Roobear77]

Then when group 1 is done going on the ride they give the rider switch pass to the second adult that was waiting with the child and that adult and one person (and only one person) from the first party is allowed into the FP queue. I don't think you need to book separate FP as brooke suggests.

I know online it says the swap pass is good for just 2 people, but in reality it is good for 3. So the second adult could ride with both older children again. It says it right on the pass.

 

[TellTheHubbyLater]

We are our trip for August and have a 3 1/2 year old who most likely won't want to ride several of the rides and also gets motion sick. I have been reading about child swap but am a bit confused about how it works with Fastpass+. For example, my 2 older children, my husband and myself would like to ride Soarin, but I don't think my little one can handle it due to the motion. Do all of us need Fastpasses and then get the rider swap? Or does only the first group need it? My concern would be getting back in the line before the FP window closes if we don't arrive at the very beginning of the FP window.

Will work unless child is tall enough to ride. The website says if they don't want to, but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

 

[serenitynow]

Years ago we tried child swap. It didn't work for us, we always got our own child right back

 

[tinkerbella16]

I know online it says the swap pass is good for just 2 people, but in reality it is good for 3. So the second adult could ride with both older children again. It says it right on the pass.

Yes, they do say it right on the pass - good for up to 3 guests . We need to use RS for the first time on our upcoming trip, so I have been looking into this heavily lol. At first I was so confused by how it worked from reading so many different experiences. I think I have it down now. Our FP window opens a week from tomorrow.

 

[ArielSRL]

Will work unless child is tall enough to ride. The website says if they don't want to, but that doesn't seem to be the case either.

I was going to say the same. If she's tall enough they may not issue you a swap pass.

 

[DopeyDame]

Fast pass or not only matters to the first group riding the ride. The second group goes through the fast pass with a child swap regardless of how the first group rode the ride.

Assuming the 3.5 year old is too small to ride Soarin or Test Track, here's how it could work:
DH and big kid 1 get fastpasses for Soarin
DW and big kid 2 get fastpasses for Test Track (at a different time, clearly)

At Soarin FP time, everyone goes to the fast pass line, shows the little kid to the CM.
DW gets childswap pass and then goes and gets ice cream with little kid and bk2.
DH and bk1 ride Soarin

Later (whenever works for your schedule),
DW and both big kids get to ride Soarin
DH and little kid play in imagination

At Test Track fastpass time, everyone goes to the fast pass line, shows the little kid to the CM.
DH gets childswap pass and then goes and plays in the cars with little kid and bk1
DW and bk2 ride Test Track

Later (whenever works),
DH and both big kids ride Test Track
DW and little kid eat more ice cream.

Everyone (except little kid) gets to ride Soarin and Test Track, using only one of the tier one fast pass allotments. Little kid effectively doesn't wastes a tier one since no adult will have an available fastpass for her, but it's probably not that big of a deal. (You could, of course, substitute a Living with the Land fp if an adult wanted to ride that with the little one during Soarin time, but that depends on how old the bigger kids are and if they can ride something themselves.)

Hope this helps!

 

[bayportkat]

Thanks everyone! I think I have a better understanding now! One more question- if my son is tall enough for the ride, but won't ride it (either scared or motion) and is obviously too young to wait alone, will they issue the swap pass? I have to measure him again to see how tall he is before we go. I think he is close.

 

[IrishNYC]

Thanks everyone! I think I have a better understanding now! One more question- if my son is tall enough for the ride, but won't ride it (either scared or motion) and is obviously too young to wait alone, will they issue the swap pass? I have to measure him again to see how tall he is before we go. I think he is close.

They may not issue it just because he's scared or not wanting to ride.

 

[ArielSRL]

Thanks everyone! I think I have a better understanding now! One more question- if my son is tall enough for the ride, but won't ride it (either scared or motion) and is obviously too young to wait alone, will they issue the swap pass? I have to measure him again to see how tall he is before we go. I think he is close.

It's up to the CM.

 

[JPKnapp]

They will issue a rider swap for just about anything as long as it isn't totally obvious you are gaming the system. AKA walk up with an eager teenager saying "I cant believe we can ride BTMRR and then I can come back an ride with you w/o a fast pass!"

People will and wont ride "thrill" rides for many reasons, not just height (see sign with all the cautions). Just because you are tall enough doesn't mean you are old enough to wait alone (ex. my 2 year old was tall enough for SDMT). The Cast Member wont take it upon themselves to police it unless its really egregious.

 

[Grammy4Lizzy]

Since the "child" and non-riding parent have to go get the pass along with those riding, they do not issue passes to people that are tall enough for the ride. It is designed so a parent can stay with a child and then ride it when the first parent is done.

 

[ArielSRL]

They will issue a rider swap for just about anything as long as it isn't totally obvious you are gaming the system. AKA walk up with an eager teenager saying "I cant believe we can ride BTMRR and then I can come back an ride with you w/o a fast pass!"

People will and wont ride "thrill" rides for many reasons, not just height (see sign with all the cautions). Just because you are tall enough doesn't mean you are old enough to wait alone (ex. my 2 year old was tall enough for SDMT). The Cast Member wont take it upon themselves to police it unless its really egregious.

Actually I've read about many experiences on the DIS where the CM will not issue one if the child is tall enough. I'd say it's about a 50/50 shot from all the research I've done.

 

[bayportkat]

Thanks again for all of your help! I just want to be sure I have what we need without wasting fast passes. I will hope that the CMs take into account that my my 3 1/2 year old can't stay alone, even if he is tall enough for the ride, but won't ride it, though I will be prepared either way.

 

[bumbershoot]

They will issue a rider swap for just about anything as long as it isn't totally obvious you are gaming the system. AKA walk up with an eager teenager saying "I cant believe we can ride BTMRR and then I can come back an ride with you w/o a fast pass!"

People will and wont ride "thrill" rides for many reasons, not just height (see sign with all the cautions). Just because you are tall enough doesn't mean you are old enough to wait alone (ex. my 2 year old was tall enough for SDMT). The Cast Member wont take it upon themselves to police it unless its really egregious.

I really hope the OP doesn't take heart from your post. If that's what you have experienced, I'm very glad for you. It is NOT how the CMs are trained and they WILL take it upon themselves to measure the child, because that (a too small child) is what swap is for.