Random questions - Fairfield Inn, restrooms, rider swap

[bellewannabe17]

Hello, this is my first post. Briefly, we're driving to Disneyland on Sunday 2/18 and hitting the parks on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with four-day park hoppers. Three girls -- 2, 5 and 7. Staying at the Fairfield Inn. Booked package through Disneyland.

Here are my current questions:
1. We have reserved two premium view rooms. I requested adjoining rooms multiple times with Disney and then called the hotel (because I worry a lot). The hotel did not have the request with either reservation. Anyone have any experience with not getting adjoining rooms? I know it's a busy weekend/week, but is there anything else I can do to try to get our request (other than remaining kind and pleasant to the front desk)? I don't care the size of the beds or even if they are premium rooms (since I don't think there are fireworks), but I need two rooms that connect. Any thoughts/recommendations to put my mind at ease?

2. I'm hoping to rally the troops to get to the gate before the parks open. Someone will inevitably have to pee while we wait for the gates to open and/or during rope drop. If we're outside the park, is there a restroom nearby? I don't see anything on the app (I can see all the inside the park restrooms). What's the best bet for potty emergencies right outside the gates?

3. As a party of 5 who will have max pass (two older girls are tall enough for almost all rides), I am not sure the best way to ride. Can one adult ride with two girls while the other waits with the little one? Then use rider swap? Can one adult and one child ride, and then can rider swap be used to switch both the adult and child? Or is that pointless? I want to keep us together as much as I can so I would think rider swap would be nice so we could be in line together, but I am not sure if both the adult AND child can swap.

Thanks so much for any input. Sorry for the lack of brevity in my questions.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

2. There are restrooms outside of each park, to the left side when facing the gates.

3. I don't have experience with rider swap, but I'm sure someone who does have experience with it will answer about the logistics. There is also a relatively recent thread on here about using rider swap, so you might want to try to do a search for it. The comment I wanted to offer is that you will not be waiting in line all together when using rider swap. You have to go to the CM at the ride and get a swap pass, and one adult and the child/children not riding wait elsewhere while the party planning to ride gets in the line. A child who is too short to ride will not be allowed to wait in the line.

ETA: This thread has some rider swap information. https://www.disboards.com/threads/rider-swap-and-maxpass.3662948/#post-58790037

 

[bellewannabe17]

2. There are restrooms outside of each park, to the left side when facing the gates.

3. I don't have experience with rider swap, but I'm sure someone who does have experience with it will answer about the logistics. There is also a relatively recent thread on here about using rider swap, so you might want to try to do a search for it. The comment I wanted to offer is that you will not be waiting in line all together when using rider swap. You have to go to the CM at the ride and get a swap pass, and one adult and the child/children not riding wait elsewhere while the party planning to ride gets in the line. A child who is too short to ride will not be allowed to wait in the line.

ETA: This thread has some rider swap information. https://www.disboards.com/threads/rider-swap-and-maxpass.3662948/#post-58790037

Oh, thank you! I really didn't understand Rider Swap! I will read over the link. I think we won't need to use it, though, if we just all get Fastpasses and appear at the start of our one hour window. Very helpful. And, very helpful about the restrooms.

 

[ellamama]

Here are my current questions:
1. We have reserved two premium view rooms. I requested adjoining rooms multiple times with Disney and then called the hotel (because I worry a lot). The hotel did not have the request with either reservation. Anyone have any experience with not getting adjoining rooms? I know it's a busy weekend/week, but is there anything else I can do to try to get our request (other than remaining kind and pleasant to the front desk)? I don't care the size of the beds or even if they are premium rooms (since I don't think there are fireworks), but I need two rooms that connect. Any thoughts/recommendations to put my mind at ease?

I haven't stayed at this particular hotel, but I think what you're looking for is connecting rooms. I've found that "adjoining rooms" in hotel speak often means room right next to each other, while "connecting rooms" means that you are asking for rooms with a door between the rooms. I assume with kids that young you are looking for rooms that connect with an interior door. Maybe if you changed the wording of your request it would help convey what you are asking for?

 

[gottalovepluto]

...Here are my current questions:
1. We have reserved two premium view rooms. I requested adjoining rooms multiple times with Disney and then called the hotel (because I worry a lot). The hotel did not have the request with either reservation. Anyone have any experience with not getting adjoining rooms? I know it's a busy weekend/week, but is there anything else I can do to try to get our request (other than remaining kind and pleasant to the front desk)? I don't care the size of the beds or even if they are premium rooms (since I don't think there are fireworks), but I need two rooms that connect. Any thoughts/recommendations to put my mind at ease?...

Calling Fairfield direct was the right move. (For future reservations anywhere always make sure to call the hotel directly for room requests to matter what the travel supplier tells you because it is quite common for requests not to make it through the system to the hotel.) I would call again the day before you go and confirm the request for a connecting room is on the account.

It is not guaranteed therefore you must prepare to have 2 separate rooms in your mind. There is no way around this as you purchased 2 rooms at the hotel and the hotel has no obligation to make them connecting. Hotels try, but if there aren't connecting rooms available you need to be ready to roll with your plan B even if that is one parent in one room and one parent in another.

 

[lcp9]

With rider swap, the waiting adult can bring two other riders (whether they are new riders, or rode the first time.) So, you can do it either way - with our kids, it made the most sense for dad to go with both kids, and then mom to go with both kids...that way both kids can ride twice. Most CMs now will ask to see the baby/whoever that can't ride, so you'll all need to go to the entrance.

With maxpass now, instead of just a general "rider switch" pass, you actually get a new fastpass on your account that will have a certain time. Sometimes the time is immediate, sometimes there is a wait. In my experience, CM's were pretty accommodating if your rider switch made you "wait" - they let us just immediately re-ride.

 

[bellewannabe17]

Good points ellamama and gottalovepluto. I'm calling to change what I mean. I'd be fine with one adult in each room if it weren't for my husband's GI issues. He'll wake the kids up. But, I'll pack the white noise machines for plan B. Thank you!

 

[RedHotMama]

3. As a party of 5 who will have max pass (two older girls are tall enough for almost all rides), I am not sure the best way to ride. Can one adult ride with two girls while the other waits with the little one? Then use rider swap? Can one adult and one child ride, and then can rider swap be used to switch both the adult and child? Or is that pointless? I want to keep us together as much as I can so I would think rider swap would be nice so we could be in line together, but I am not sure if both the adult AND child can swap.

We were at the parks last week and used maxpass and rider switch. Don't bother getting maxpass for you and the younger kids who won't do the fast pass rides. Save the money. I got it for just my husband and the older kids. Then I would book the rides for them with maxpass, we would get a rider switch at the entrance, then one of us rode and the other waited with the littles. The one who waited was always able to use the new "fast pass" rider switch immediately. Even if we were there a few minutes early, the CM overrode it, but usually the times were accurate. You have about 1 hour to use the RS FP, so just plan to get on the ride as soon as the others are off. Also, even though it may be your husband that has maxpass, you two can take turns on who rides first. They really don't care who the maxpass is assigned to. We did this all week and it worked great.

 

[aussiejen]

We just got back and used rider swap alot.
Its just like a fast pass ..for example my DH went on the rides with my older 2 and i watched the baby, at the entrance sometimes exit he asked for a rider swap and they handed him a green card and i just lined up in the fast pass line with my older 2 kids and went on.
sometimes they didnt hand us a card they just let us in the fast pass line...

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

We just got back and used rider swap alot.
Its just like a fast pass ..for example my DH went on the rides with my older 2 and i watched the baby, at the entrance sometimes exit he asked for a rider swap and they handed him a green card and i just lined up in the fast pass line with my older 2 kids and went on.
sometimes they didnt hand us a card they just let us in the fast pass line...

Hmmmmm this is interesting. They handed you cards to use for rider switch? This is not typical. Usually rider switch passes are loaded electronically to your ticket or AP.

 

[fromans]

Hello, this is my first post. Briefly, we're driving to Disneyland on Sunday 2/18 and hitting the parks on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with four-day park hoppers. Three girls -- 2, 5 and 7. Staying at the Fairfield Inn. Booked package through Disneyland.
..1. We have reserved two premium view rooms. I requested adjoining rooms multiple times with Disney and then called the hotel (because I worry a lot). The hotel did not have the request with either reservation. Anyone have any experience with not getting adjoining rooms? I know it's a busy weekend/week, but is there anything else I can do to try to get our request (other than remaining kind and pleasant to the front desk)? I don't care the size of the beds or even if they are premium rooms (since I don't think there are fireworks), but I need two rooms that connect. Any thoughts/recommendations to put my mind at ease?

I can't speak for the Fairfield Inn, but the Marriott gave us adjoining rooms in 2015 without even needing to ask. They saw two rooms in my name and just made the logical connection. I'm not sure Disney reservations go through the same hoops as a traditional booking at these hotels so don't be too worried yet. Like someone already said, just check with them again the day or so before you arrive. Good luck!

 

[aussiejen]

Hmmmmm this is interesting. They handed you cards to use for rider switch? This is not typical. Usually rider switch passes are loaded electronically to your ticket or AP.

it was a small green slip...but not all rides handed us these? alot of CM at the entrance just let us go on in fast pass lane

 

[RedHotMama]

it was a small green slip...but not all rides handed us these? alot of CM at the entrance just let us go on in fast pass lane

That is very interesting! We never got a paper slip, or were just let in last week. They scanned our tickets (our phones) each time to add a digital FP for RS.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

it was a small green slip...but not all rides handed us these? alot of CM at the entrance just let us go on in fast pass lane

Was this one day only or for your entire trip? Did you have special tickets?

 

[aussiejen]

This for our entire trip.......

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

This for our entire trip.......

Very interesting! I wonder what that was about... a new change or maybe something was not working correctly? I do think the new system is a lot of work for the CMs and many flat-out don't understand it at all. I have witnessed other CMs correcting CMs who were not loading the rider switch passes correctly.