Rider swap for scared 9 year old

[cmbx2mom]

My daiughter is 9 but terrified to go on any roller coasters, log flumes etc etc, while my 7 year old can't get enough. I was trying to read up on the rider swap but can't seem to get a straight answer. I would have to stay with my daughter while my husband and son go on a ride. Is it possible for me to get a rider swap even though my daughter will be tall enough for all the rides, she just refuses to go on any??? On the website it said yes, but I saw some posts where people were told no...

 

[mexican-mouseketeers]

Not sure about it, since I am the family chicken, so I can stay with anyone who doesn´t want to ride.

But, at least for Splash Mountain, she can go all through the line with you, and there is a small bridge in the loading área that she can cross and wait there while you ride, since the unloading área is in that same place. I would feel a lot better if my daughter was waiting there, I would not leave her outside of the ride.

Big Thunder Railroad Mountain also loads and unloads in the same place, I knot that one time I chickened out, I sat in the train and decided to out, so really only used the vehicle to cross to the unloading área, she might do that too and wait there for you (don´tknow if it is allowed)

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I've seen reports both way. I've wondered too. I had always thought it was only based on them not being able to ride because they were not tall enough. Maybe it depends on the CM that is working that day.

 

[brymolmom]

It never hurts to ask...But be prepared to be told no so have another plan in place.

Also - the ONE time we did do this it was treated different than a 'usual' rider swap...They made the whole family stand in line together and then took the non-riding child plus one adult at the end and swapped us there. Honestly it was kind of a pain (thus we never did it again) and my son who was terrified of TOT the WHOLE time in line was saying 'but mom, I don't WANT to ride this'.

I would just do some fancy-work with FP's if it was me...Get FP for Space, splash and BTMRR (for example) - then have one adult plus 7 year old wait in line to ride it once...Then use the FP's for second adult plus 7 year old to ride it a 2nd time (could even use FP's for both - just use 2 of the 4 'family fp's' and ride once, then the other 2 to ride the second time). Good thing is there aren't too many roller-coasters at WDW...So MK is really the only place it'll likely be an issue at all.

 

[Robo]

Is it possible for me to get a rider swap even though my daughter will be tall enough for all the rides, she just refuses to go on any??? On the website it said yes, but I saw some posts where people were told no...

Depends on the CM staff at the attractions in question at the time you are there.

 

[bumbershoot]

The only info on the website says that it's for those who don't want to ride (or aren't tall enough).

The issue is that I don't think the CMs were trained this way. That website page has only been up since all of the changes (and at one point it was stated BOTH ways), but there has been some sort of disconnect between those that write the info pages for disneyworld.com and the way CMs learn to do their jobs.

If you want a chance at this working, bring some sort of printout or mobile device with the page bookmarked to show someone that this is what is being told to guests while planning.


Depending on the comfort of the 9 year old and her parents, she CAN go through the line with you then take the exit before the ride seating, and wait for you either in the giftshop or in the photopass area (there are CMs there at the photopass area). Or you can take her to the giftshop/photopass area first and let her stay there while you go through the line, but that *could* be a bit of a wait.

 

[Happyjen27]

Every time I tried to rider swap for my kids, I was asked "where is the infant?". When I could only produce children over 40 inches I was told this did not apply to me.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[ttintagel]

For the longest time, the rule was that it was only for people ineligible to ride (because of height, etc.). It's still described that way in printed materials. However, the wording on the web site is different now. So, it's kind of ambiguous, and reports from the field suggest that it's being left up to individual CM's to make the call.

Personally, I'd go into it prepared for it to go either way. It seems like a nine-year-old could handle waiting in line, going through the "chicken exit," and then waiting while the seven-year-old rides, but that's the parents' call to make.

 

[Dis703]

According to their website its not just for those who are too short its also for those with kids who don't want to ride. I have heard reports that it depends on the CM though so maybe having the web page with that info in your phone or a print out of the policy may help just in case.

 

[mom2rtk]

They really do have to be careful with this since in the end it does result in extra rides for some members of the party. Heck, the "too scared" kid in question could even sit out the first time, then ride with the pass later when a different CM mans the line.

 

[ucfknight]

They really do have to be careful with this since in the end it does result in extra rides for some members of the party. Heck, the "too scared" kid in question could even sit out the first time, then ride with the pass later when a different CM mans the line.

There will always be dishonest people looking to abuse the system no matter what Disney puts in place.

 

[Hannathy]

They really do have to be careful with this since in the end it does result in extra rides for some members of the party. Heck, the "too scared" kid in question could even sit out the first time, then ride with the pass later when a different CM mans the line.

Exactly! they better stick to to short or they are really opening a can of worms. Especially with the 3 FP's now.

I would just have her go thru the line and then wait at the chicken exit. My DS did this a couple times and he was younger than 9.

This will be the next thing they have to quit doing if it gets taken advantage of to much. Someone always has to spoil a nice thing.

 

[mom2rtk]

Exactly! they better stick to to short or they are really opening a can of worms. Especially with the 3 FP's now.

I would just have her go thru the line and then wait at the chicken exit. My DS did this a couple times and he was younger than 9.

This will be the next thing they have to quit doing if it gets taken advantage of to much. Someone always has to spoil a nice thing.

Well, surely you couldn't be talking about that new "rent a baby" service I have proposed?

 

[tjmw2727]

In my experience No - the CM will only issue a rider swap pass if a child is to small to ride. This is as recently as December with a child who just barely made the 40 inch height but was not ready to ride (nor could he wait alone). The CM measured to be sure we qualified for the RS Pass and would not issue one because the child was 40 inches.

It never hurts to ask of course as you could get a favorable response but be prepared for a no and have an alternate plan.

 

[bumbershoot]

There will always be dishonest people looking to abuse the system no matter what Disney puts in place.

I wish they would realize this and just deal with it instead of ruining good things for the majority of the people.


I think that more people need to bring it to their attention IN the parks that the website tells us it's good for anyone who just doesn't want to ride!

 

[MacDalt]

There was a Facebook post the other day about a mom who was pregnant, a dad, and two kids tall enough and willing to ride. Mom wanted to know if they could do rider swap so dad could ride with each kid alone. I said no. Everyone else said sure, they do it all the time! What do you guys think?

 

[photo_chick]

There was a Facebook post the other day about a mom who was pregnant, a dad, and two kids tall enough and willing to ride. Mom wanted to know if they could do rider swap so dad could ride with each kid alone. I said no. Everyone else said sure, they do it all the time! What do you guys think?

No. It's for children who require an adult to wait with them and are either too short or do not wish to ride.

From the official site...

"The waiting adult can then board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again when another adult in the party returns to supervise the child or children who do not ride—either because they do not meet the height requirement or simply do not wish to ride."

 

[MacDalt]

Right?! But the "do not wish to ride" must confuse people.
And lots of people told me how wrong I was! I just let it go.

 

[Suellen]

She is 9? I would have her wait with you and then cross out the chicken exit. Surely a 9 year old can wait the < 5 minutes it takes to ride those rides.

YMMV but my understanding is you must have a child too short to ride.

 

[Maggie'sMom]

There was a Facebook post the other day about a mom who was pregnant, a dad, and two kids tall enough and willing to ride. Mom wanted to know if they could do rider swap so dad could ride with each kid alone. I said no. Everyone else said sure, they do it all the time! What do you guys think?

No. It's for children who require an adult to wait with them and are either too short or do not wish to ride.

From the official site...

"The waiting adult can then board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again when another adult in the party returns to supervise the child or children who do not ride—either because they do not meet the height requirement or simply do not wish to ride."

This could be a legitimate use of the Rider Swap pass though. If the two kids riding are both tall enough but not yet 7 when they can ride alone, then the only way they could ride is with an adult. If it's a ride that mom can't ride because she's pregnant (likely, since Rider Swap rides are ones that have height restrictions and therefore the bigger rides that would have pregnancy restrictions), then the only way for both kids to ride would be to ride with dad. I can see a CM allowing Rider Swap in this circumstance.