Rider Swap Questions

[Brittney Cornwell]

Hi. We are bringing our 15 month old baby with us to Disneyland for the first time. Well mostly do things to focus on her . However, I would love to catch a couple of our favorite rides. Can you use Rider Swap when it's just two people and a baby? Does that mean you have to wait in line by yourself while the other person sits out with baby? How long does it usually take to get Rider #2 through once Rider #1 gets off? Is there any difference/benefit rather then if we both got a fast pass for a ride and just used one after the other?

 

[agamble]

What we did was use FP with rider swap. Say you want to ride Radiator Springs. Get a FP for it with one of your tickets. Then the 3 of you go to the queue and ask for a swap pass. They now attach it to your tickets. One gets in line and the other can take baby to go do something else. When our kids were little we liked to do family rides early and then do rider swapping while the little one napped.

 

[agamble]

Adding: There isn't much of a difference in just using FP. The biggest difference is that you can double dip and each reserve a different FP. But timing is also an issue, and now the swap passes have a time limit. So since you don't have older kids too, you could just use FP and skip rider swap. One benefit is that you won't all have to walk over to the ride.

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

Adding: There isn't much of a difference in just using FP. The biggest difference is that you can double dip and each reserve a different FP. But timing is also an issue, and now the swap passes have a time limit. So since you don't have older kids too, you could just use FP and skip rider swap. One benefit is that you won't all have to walk over to the ride.

I just got an email back from Disney asking about using FP and RS simultaneously like you explained above and they said both riders need FPs. Sorta negates the whole purpose of RS but does get you the extension of an hour. So... that’s the official word form Disney help contact, but whether all CMs go by this is still a toss up.

 

[Jaina]

So here's another question: If the second adult decided they didn't want to ride (like my husband isn't the biggest fan of Splash Mountain sometimes) could I theoretically send the 3 oldest kids (12, 11, and 9) on for the second "party?" I'm guessing not, but just curious.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

So here's another question: If the second adult decided they didn't want to ride (like my husband isn't the biggest fan of Splash Mountain sometimes) could I theoretically send the 3 oldest kids (12, 11, and 9) on for the second "party?" I'm guessing not, but just curious.

I think the oldest kid would need to be 14. It's been a while, but I think that's what my sister was told when she wanted to send her kids on rides without her using RS. Her oldest was just shy of that age, so this had to wait until the next trip.

 

[sunshiinedaydream]

So here's another question: If the second adult decided they didn't want to ride (like my husband isn't the biggest fan of Splash Mountain sometimes) could I theoretically send the 3 oldest kids (12, 11, and 9) on for the second "party?" I'm guessing not, but just curious.

Also, the second adult can be you again and two of your kids. You just have to scan three passes but they don’t check IDs or anything.

 

[bumbershoot]

Can you use Rider Swap when it's just two people and a baby?

Yep.

Does that mean you have to wait in line by yourself while the other person sits out with baby?

Yep.

I strongly urge the waiting parent to not just sit there with baby. Do something. Anything.

I also urge you guys to go for you, and baby will be happy because she’s with you. Vacations with babies and toddlers aren’t actually vacations, so to have that aspect of it along with “this is for the baby” puts a freakish amount of pressure on you. If baby has a day of tantrums, it can mess up the enjoyment even more, if the trip is mainly for baby.

I think the oldest kid would need to be 14. It's been a while, but I think that's what my sister was told when she wanted to send her kids on rides without her. Her oldest was just shy of that age, so this had to wait until the next trip.

Kids can go on rides alone at 7 at Disney if they meet the height requirement. Each of their older kids can go alone. Therefore they can go together. None of them need a supervising companion.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Kids can go on rides alone at 7 at Disney if they meet the height requirement. Each of their older kids can go alone. Therefore they can go together. None of them need a supervising companion.

Yes, the poster's kids can all ride alone, but in this particular case, I don't know if a kid under 14 counts as an "adult" on a Rider Swap. In my sister's case, her oldest (at 13 1/2) did not count as an adult -- at least, not to the CMs they asked. (Other CMs may have answered differently.) As the pp suggested, if the CM says no, then mom can scan twice.

 

[Jaina]

I think the oldest kid would need to be 14. It's been a while, but I think that's what my sister was told when she wanted to send her kids on rides without her using RS. Her oldest was just shy of that age, so this had to wait until the next trip.

That’s what I figured. Good to know! It will be good practice in taking turns and not being selfish...

 

[Brittney Cornwell]

Yep.



Yep.

I strongly urge the waiting parent to not just sit there with baby. Do something. Anything.

I also urge you guys to go for you, and baby will be happy because she’s with you. Vacations with babies and toddlers aren’t actually vacations, so to have that aspect of it along with “this is for the baby” puts a freakish amount of pressure on you. If baby has a day of tantrums, it can mess up the enjoyment even more, if the trip is mainly for baby.



Kids can go on rides alone at 7 at Disney if they meet the height requirement. Each of their older kids can go alone. Therefore they can go together. None of them need a supervising companion.

Thank you for the advice! I'm definitely not taking my 15 month old to Disney for herself as she would probably be just as happy at the zoo at home. However, it's definitely not going to be our typical sit at the bar drinking while we wait for our fast passes for thrill rides all day kind of trip. I intend to do more child centric things then we normally would. She's not much of a tantrum thrower, but if she was a tantrum at Disney is better then a tantrum at home on the couch