Parent / Child Swap - Please help

[tanmar]

I am having a little trouble figuring this one out... I emailed Disney and they replied but I had to email them back again since it doesn't really work for my situation.....

WDW's reply:
A "child swap" procedure is in place at our theme park attractions that enables parents to take
turns experiencing our rides when a small child is in the party. After proceeding through the
standard queue area at each attraction, one parent experiences the presentation while the other
remains behind with the child or children who cannot ride. At the conclusion of the ride, the
parents simply change places, permitting the second parent to also experience the attraction.
However, in fairness to all guests, we ask that only those individuals who did not ride with the
first parent accompany the second parent riding.


I had to email them back because we have a 4 yr old and a 17 mth old. Say I go on a ride with my son who's 4 while my husband waits with the baby. I'd like for my husband to enjoy the ride as well, but it would be sad for him to have to go it alone.... It seems that Disney is suggesting that I send my husband on with another child, but we only have the two! I think the option they are offering only works if you have 3 or more children.

Any insight?

 

[wdwlver]

We just came back and have a 7 year old and an 8 month old. My DH would ride with my son and I'd stay with the baby, then it would be my turn. The CM's encouraged my son to go on again with me every time.

Worked out great!

 

[tanmar]

Wow that's great! I was feeling badly that either my husband or I would miss out.... I'll keep my fingers crossed that they're as kind to us. Did the one staying behind stay in the line? It's been a while since we've done the Disney thing, but sometimes Entrances and Exits are in different spots so I'm just wondering where we have to go.
You don't need any particular pass or anything, right?

 

[Psychodisney]

Just ask a CM at the ride entrance(or FP entrance) for a baby swap. They give you a receipt or something. When you come out, find your husband waiting outside and he can take the receipt back and enjpy the ride. The only ride I remember having to go through the line was Dinosaur at AK, otherwise we just waited outside. My boys were bummed when their sister was old enough to ride! Less easy turns for them!

 

[tanmar]

Where would he go with the receipt?

 

[Matt]

I think you go in the fastpass line. You get basically a fast pass for child swap.

 

[beattyfamily]

My advice is to ask the CM at each ride as not all rides give out the special child swap Fastpass (good up to 3 people and good all day long). Some still have you swap at the ride itself or swap at the exit.

Have fun!

 

[tanmar]

So it's when we enter the line that we speak to someone?.... meaning it's not when we've waited thru the line and just before getting on?

Seems so darned complicated - I'm getting tired already thinking about having to ask and explain at each attraction!

 

[beattyfamily]

So it's when we enter the line that we speak to someone?.... meaning it's not when we've waited thru the line and just before getting on?

Seems so darned complicated - I'm getting tired already thinking about having to ask and explain at each attraction!

Yes, you ask at the entrance to the ride that you'd like to do parent swap and they will either give you the special parent swap Fastpass or tell you to swap when you get to the ride or at the ride's exit. It's not really all that complicated at all. Most do the special swap Fastpass but a few still have you swap after waiting in line or at the exit.

It's better that you ask and get the special Fastpass so that your little one doesn't have to wait in the line. You and one child go through either stand by or with your fastpasses while your wife waits with baby and then when you are done, your wife and older child (if they want to) can ride with the special parent swap Fastpass. Older child gets to ride twice.

 

[tanmar]

So in your experience they haven't had a problem with the older child riding twice?

I ask only because Disney of course replied that they only ask that it's not the same child that rides with the 2nd adult - which of course like I mentioned only works if you have 3 or more kids!!

But if you haven't had troubles, that certainly gives me peace of mind.

 

[beattyfamily]

So in your experience they haven't had a problem with the older child riding twice?

I ask only because Disney of course replied that they only ask that it's not the same child that rides with the 2nd adult - which of course like I mentioned only works if you have 3 or more kids!!

But if you haven't had troubles, that certainly gives me peace of mind.

No, no trouble at all. We do it all the time. My DH rides with our older DD and then I ride with our older DD!! Don't worry about that!

 

[Mickey Fliers]

We have three sons (8,6 and 3) and we have always been issued the Parent Swap (or Rider Switch) Fastpass. It works great. My DH takes the big boys on the ride while I take the little guy to a near by play area or shop. When my DH and older sons are done with the ride, we either ride again right away (with me and sons this time) or we often wait and come back later in the day. The pass enables you to go right through the fastpass line. It really is a wonderful convienence. Of course, on our next trip, my little guy is 40 inches and will be able to go on most rides.

HTH. Don't worry about it and have a great trip!

 

[Cbarr]

When we went to WDW in 2004 we used the baby swap very often. We had an 8 yr old and a 3 yr old. We just told each ride attendant that we were going to do it and never had a problem. My older child was thrilled because he got to ride twice every time.

 

[Matt]

Yeah it's not a problem at all. Just tell them before you get in line.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

What a strange reply. We were just there a month ago, with an 8yo and a 2yo, and the 8yo always got to ride twice. We asked at the line entrance to each ride, and each time we were given a "rider switch" pass, which always said it was good for the holder, plus up to three more guests. In fact, I even think the planning video mentioned this, saying something like "Disney doesn't want to make one parent experience the attraction all alone".

When we did it, one parent waited in line and rode with the 8yo, while the other parent took the 2yo to something she enjoyed. Then, the other parent used the rider switch pass to get in through the fastpass line with the 8yo. It was the same on every single ride we did it on. Space Mtn, Splash Mtn, BTMRR, Soarin', Test Track, Tower of Terror, RockNRoller Coaster, Dinosaur (except the 8yo decided not to ride that one again), Hmm, I think that's all.

We asked on Haunted Mansion, but they said they didn't do it there, because they have no height requirement. So for HM, PotC and Snow White, which have no height requirement, but we knew we didn't want to take the 2yo on, dh and I just took turns riding with dd8 with no rider switch pass, but we were lucky because the lines were short. It'd be a bummer if the lines were long, maybe that's when the whole family would have to wait and switch at the front of the line. I know I've read here about doing it that way, but we were never given that option. Personally I wouldn't have liked that at all, because I'd hate to make a 2yo wait in a line for something she couldn't ride. Mine would've been very upset if she was up there at the front of the line and wasn't allowed to get on the ride, lol.

Good luck! Just be sure to ask how it's done at the entrance to each line. It seems that it changes often and from ride to ride.

 

[tanmar]

yes, it does seem to depend...

I want to send out a huge thanks to everyone - you've all been very informative and I appreciate the help - We haven't been to WDW in sooo long.

 

[beattyfamily]

Sometimes when you have a child tall enough to ride but the don't want to, the CM at the entrance will measure them, say they are tall enough and then they don't give out the special Fastpass for swapping. They told me we all had to go in the line and swap at the ride itself. I had this experience at Splash Mountain and ToT. I've got a 6 year old afraid of many rides!! But it does depend on the CM working cause I went another time, and they did give us the special swap pass.

I remember when Test Track used to do the swap at the exit and the parent not riding would wait at the exit area and then you'd swap then...but I think they've changed it now.