Post Your Child-Swap Experience

[MickeyMaz]

Post your child-swap experience per ride. It would be useful to know how far into the line you need to go before leaving the family for the first ride. I seem to remember in Space Mountain, everyone goes on the line to the loading area. I waited with the kids until DW rode and then we switched.

On Splash Mtn. I heard the CM gives you a ticket for child-swap before going on the ride. You wait until DW comes out the exit then you take the ticket on the Fast-pass line while she waits with the kids.

If there is interest I will float a list of rides to the first page of this thread and then have it transferred to the Trip with Families board.

Help us out and Post,

Maz

 

[beth_cam]

This was in 2003 but on the Star Tours ride, we went all the way through no one (them or us) checking to find out my 2 year old was too small. we got to the end and they said for us to child swap. I walked through the "ship" and waited on the other side for my husband and daughter. Then when it was done we swapped and I got to take my daughter back on with me right then on the next ride. I was thinking maybe it was just because well they had let us come that far with no one checking his height but I think it was just standard procedure at the time.

 

[TMB1203]

We were just there last March. All the rides allowed you to get the baby switch pass at the entrance of the line. This worked out well because either my dh or I would go get fast passes or take our ds on another age appropriate ride while the other went on with our other ds.

 

[nicolita3]

this past summer my family all wanted to go on EE and we had a 1 year old with us and we tried to do child swap, and i dont know if it was just that cm but they said no way! that one person would have to wait with the child and then when we were done the person watching her would have to get in line again mind you the line was 1 hour long...we just couldnt really understand why we couldnt just all wait in the line together then swap once we got to the front of the line.

 

[dbarker]

We had to "swap" on Splash Mountain. We all went through the line to the loading area. DS7 decided it was just too scary for him and refused to ride. We told the CM. I rode while DH and DS waited in the laoding area. Then we swapped and DH rode.

 

[tjmw2727]

Sure, here is my experience with child swap based on my many years of using the various evolutions of babyswap/childswap.

Most recently we used baby swap in October 06 and just prior to that in April 06.

My first advice on baby swap is to tell the CM at the attraction before you enter the line (either Fastpass or Standby) that you want to use the swap and find out how they handle it. Do not wait until you are boarding!

The baby/child unable to ride must be with you to do a swap so everyone must approach the line together. Some CM's have you all wait the line together, then the first parent and older child(ren) ride and other parent and younger child wait at the exit and then switch via the exit allowing the older child(ren) to ride with both parents. Off hand I think only Star Tours and Primeval Wirl still do it this way.

Most rides now give you a rider swap pass. The rider swap pass works like a fast pass and allows up to 3 people total to return to that attraction anytime that day so the second parent can ride. You all go to the entrance of the standby line or use a FP in the FP line and ask to use parent swap. The CM will give you the swap pass and the parent riding second and the baby (or young child) can then leave to do something else while the first party rides. The child who dosen't meet the restricion must be with you to get the rider swap pass!! The second parent then returns to ride via the FP line with the rider swap pass and can ride with 2 others (3 max) if they like.

I prefer the rider swap pass because the baby or child that dosen't meet the height requirement dosen't have to wait the line for something he/she can't ride.

TJ

 

[MickeyMaz]

I prefer the rider swap pass because the baby or child that dosen't meet the height requirement dosen't have to wait the line for something he/she can't ride.

TJ

I was thinking the other way. My DD6 does not want to ride Space Mountain, but the line is kinda cool with exhibits and all the theming. It would be nice if she could see that stuff without riding. Same with Everest. And Pirates, kind of. But there are other lines that should be avoided if possible, I agree.

 

[robinb]

The general rule is:
(1) If the child is too small for the attraction they are not allowed in the queue and the swapping parent must wait outide the queue.
(2) If the child is big enough for the attraction but too chicken, everyone must stand in line and the parents swap in front.

This proved to be a problem when my 42" DD was afraid of the ToT pre-show. She now rides Mission:Space!

 

[tjmw2727]

I was thinking the other way. My DD6 does not want to ride Space Mountain, but the line is kinda cool with exhibits and all the theming. It would be nice if she could see that stuff without riding. Same with Everest. And Pirates, kind of. But there are other lines that should be avoided if possible, I agree.

Good point esp for an older child, I was talking more about a toddler or preschooler who would not want to wait or not understand why they couldn't ride.

OTOH if a child is older and tall enough then they can do the queue and opt out via the chicken exit. If the child dosen't meet the height requirement they may not enter the queue - no exceptions.

Also - Just fyi, Pirates dosen't have a height restriction hence no baby swap option.

TJ

ps - I love your mall, just wish it wasn't a "day trip" for us!!

 

[tjmw2727]

The general rule is:
(1) If the child is too small for the attraction they are not allowed in the queue and the swapping parent must wait outide the queue.
(2) If the child is big enough for the attraction but too chicken, everyone must stand in line and the parents swap in front.

This proved to be a problem when my 42" DD was afraid of the ToT pre-show. She now rides Mission:Space!

Very well said!

When I think of baby swap though I think of those not eligible to ride, your #1.
#2 I just think of as using the chicken exit as it's available to anyone of any age.

My 9yo agrees with your dd. She loves the 'ride portion' of TOT but will not ride anymore as she is terrified of the preshow. She will however ride MS, RnRC, and EE, actually just about anything but TOT

TJ

 

[mimif1]

In October 06, we were given a Rider Switch Pass at the following:

Dinosaur
Expedition Everest
Kali River Rapids
Primeval Whirl
Soarin
Test Track
Mission Space
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Splash Mountain
Space Mountain
Tower of Terror
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

For Star Tours, we were told that we all entered the line and then passed off after the ride. When we got in, they let the little one and a parent ride in a simulator with the motion turned off. They had about 10 people in the non motion simulator. It was a very nice bonus!

Most of the rider switch passes had an expiration date for a later date so we could save them for another day during our trip if we needed to. It was really great.

 

[robinb]

Very well said!

When I think of baby swap though I think of those not eligible to ride, your #1.
#2 I just think of as using the chicken exit as it's available to anyone of any age.

You still get to do a rider switch in #2 when the child is too young to wait alone, except you are usually "back-doored" like in the old days pre-FP. My DD finally got over the pre-show to ride ToT and she just hides during it now .

 

[cybrkitn]

this past summer my family all wanted to go on EE and we had a 1 year old with us and we tried to do child swap, and i dont know if it was just that cm but they said no way! that one person would have to wait with the child and then when we were done the person watching her would have to get in line again mind you the line was 1 hour long...we just couldnt really understand why we couldnt just all wait in the line together then swap once we got to the front of the line.

I'm surprised to hear that. Our DS is 4 and is two inches too short to ride when we were there on Halloween. CM Kimberly gave us a Rider's Switch FP for us and told us to wait by the exit then switch out. I went through the FP line rather than the Stand By line. Of course the Stand By line didn't have an hour long wait like you had encountered.