Question about Child Swap

[Dimap]

I understand that the bigger attractions allow for one parent to ride the ride while the other parent waits with the little kids and then switch without waiting on line again. My question is: We have 4 children (7, 4, 3, 3). What do we do if 3 want to go on the ride? I am not sure how comfortable I would be having my 7 year old sitting with one of the younger kids. Will the CM's allow one of the parents to go on the ride again with the third child?

Also, I have read the ride height requirements. Are they based on smaller kids sitting with adults or can they sit with an older sibling? Like on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, can my 7 year old take my 4 year old on it?

Thanks for your help!

Pam

 

[CowboyCO]

Yes, the older child can ride with the second parent again.

Here's a plan I thought up (that of course we never used and I am surprised that I even thought of it )to use with multiple kids and thrill rides that littler kids can't go on:

1. Go get 4 fastpasses for you, spouse and 7 year -old.(use younger child's park ticket to get 4 total
2. return at fastpass time and give the attendant two fastpasses for first parent and child and ask for a switchpass to attend to younger kids.
3. When first parent comes off ride, second parent uses the switchpass (which is good for up to two people) and takes son on the ride again.
4. Now you still have two fastpasses and you can do steps 2-4 above again.

That way you get in 4 fast rides. 2 for each adult, 4 for older child and all usually within an hour!

Again don't flame me, this is just something that occurred to me one day in Disney

 

[CowboyCO]

OOps I missed the bulk of your question.

The ride heights are for just getting to ride at all )except the indy cars go-carts, which have seperate ride height requirements for riders and drivers. If 7 & 4-year-old are OK with riding with each other, the CMs won't have a problem with it.

I don't think it would work for a second ride for a parent to go with the third child, because there is no one to watch the children that are not riding while you ride. The best alternative is to use fastpasses and switch passes as I described above to get rides for a larger family with an odd number of riders. Instead of repeating rides with the same kid, repeat ride with next kid, then use next set of fastpass/switch passes for next kid, etc. That way there is always a parent with kids at all times.

 

[Schmeck]

You must be 7 yrs old to ride by yourself at WDW, so a 7 yr old couldn't take a 4 yr old alone on a ride.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Just for clarification, the Rider Switch Pass is good for 3 people.

For example, go to CM at FP entrance of BTMRR. Ask for a Rider Switch Pass. Dad takes 7 and 4 year old on BTMRR while Mom waits with 3 yo's. When Dad and kids get off, Mom takes 7 and 4 yo back on while Dad waits with 3 yo's.

If the 3 yo's are tall enough to ride, then it becomes a non-issue. You can also use this scenario while holding FPs. Say, get FPs for Splash first, then do the BTRMRR scenario. Then go over to Splash and get a Rider Switch Pass. Dad uses FP with older kids while Mom waits. Mom and older kids ride while Dad waits. Give away Mom's unused FP at the end of the day!

 

[tricia]

The 7 yr old could not take the 4 yr old in the line and all the way thru the ride by themselves, but if there is an adult with them (like in the seat behind them with the 3 yr old) I believe that is OK. My 2 boys sometimes ride together and leave me and DH to share a seat.

 

[twinspluscade]

Here's how I would do it:

I would use the Baby swap rather than fastpass.
First Dad rides with 7 and 4 year olds. Dad sits in the same seat as 4 year old, and 7 year old sits in own seat in front (or behind) Dad. Mom stays with the 3 year old twins.

Next time, Mom rides with the 3 year old that wants to ride. Dad waits with other 3 kids. I probably wouldn't have the 7 year old ride in his own seat again, just because (if it was my kids) the 4 year old would then want to ride again too, and from what I understand they wouldn't let the 4 year old ride with just the 7 year old in the seat.

 

[Dimap]

Thank you so much for your advice. I am hoping that my 7 year old will be willing to sit in front of dh and one of my little ones. He will probably be too nervous about doing this on some of the rides, but I guess it is worth a shot!

Thanks for the fast pass ideas too! I never even considered that factor!

Pam

 

[Schmeck]

If you do baby Swap without a fastpass, then the first crew that goes on the ride has to go through the standby line. Why would anyone not want to use FP?

Also, on rides where only 2-3 people can fit in a vehicle - I don't think I would want to burden a 7 yr old with the responsibility of keeping a 4 yr old safe and appropriate.

 

[tjmw2727]

Yes, parent swap allows a family with children who don't meet the height restriction to ride without a double wait. The first parent waits in the FP or standby line and the second parent gets a swap pass that allows access to the FP line. You may still have a short wait though as its not a head of the line pass.

The height restrictions are very strict and and in addition Disney requires children under 7 to ride with a responsible adult. So if your 4yo makes the height restriction and your 3yos do not then you can use the swap. In the case of most of the 40" rides, esp slpash mtn and BTMR you you can probably fit 3 in a seat if not, swap and go 2 and 2.

Here is my child swap 101, very unofficial but based on my many years of using the various evolutions of babyswap/childswap most recently in April 2006.

My first advice on baby swap is to tell the CM at the attraction before you enter the line (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 Primevil Whirl 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 still all enter 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 second parent then returns to ride via the FP line with the rider swap pass and can bring 2 others along 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.

Just to clarify, the purpose of parent swap is to allow a family with a child who dosen't meet the height restriction to enjoy the attraction with only "1 wait", rather than "2 waits" not to expeidate the wait.

Hope this helps, if you have more specific questions ask away!
TJ