Rideswap question

[Sillysox]

Hi there!

So, we are going to Disneyland again in September for our third time.

This time our kids are going to be 8 and 10. I'm pretty sure they're both well above all the minimum heights for most, if not all of the rides. The problem is, they are both, (well, more so my daughter, the 10 year old) nervous of heights, drops and going fast and anything that resembles a roller coaster. She doesn't like Dumbo, freaked out at Soarin, but since she couldn't actually SEE how high she was, she decided to like it. Pirates took her a number of ride-throughs to acclimatize to the drops.

Now in all fairness I will admit that I also am a big baby in this regard, before Disneyland the first time 3 years ago I had never been on a coaster before. Since then I have been on the (at the time) Mulholland's Madness and BTMRR, Indiana Jones. I didn't like Mulholland's Madness, liked BTMRR, really liked Indy, (still refuse to do Splash LOL!.) My kids haven't been on any of the above.

This time I am HOPING to ride the Matterhorn for the first time, and I'm HOPING both my kids will also ride and enjoy Matterhorn, BTMRR, and also Indy...but what I'm wondering is--what if they refuse? or try them once and won't go on again? Would we be eligible for the Rideswap pass, even though my kids are bigger? how do they work? (In the past we've always been with a group and have never done the rideswap before) I'm a little bit nervous of just leaving my kid(s) outside the ride if they don't want to ride, although I guess they are getting older now, maybe it would be ok..

Thoughts??
Thanks for your input!

 

[ArchOwl]

Hi there!

So, we are going to Disneyland again in September for our third time.

This time our kids are going to be 8 and 10. I'm pretty sure they're both well above all the minimum heights for most, if not all of the rides. The problem is, they are both, (well, more so my daughter, the 10 year old) nervous of heights, drops and going fast and anything that resembles a roller coaster. She doesn't like Dumbo, freaked out at Soarin, but since she couldn't actually SEE how high she was, she decided to like it. Pirates took her a number of ride-throughs to acclimatize to the drops.

Now in all fairness I will admit that I also am a big baby in this regard, before Disneyland the first time 3 years ago I had never been on a coaster before. Since then I have been on the (at the time) Mulholland's Madness and BTMRR, Indiana Jones. I didn't like Mulholland's Madness, liked BTMRR, really liked Indy, (still refuse to do Splash LOL!.) My kids haven't been on any of the above.

This time I am HOPING to ride the Matterhorn for the first time, and I'm HOPING both my kids will also ride and enjoy Matterhorn, BTMRR, and also Indy...but what I'm wondering is--what if they refuse? or try them once and won't go on again? Would we be eligible for the Rideswap pass, even though my kids are bigger? how do they work? (In the past we've always been with a group and have never done the rideswap before) I'm a little bit nervous of just leaving my kid(s) outside the ride if they don't want to ride, although I guess they are getting older now, maybe it would be ok..

Thoughts??
Thanks for your input!

I don't believe you can use rider swap if your kids are tall enough to ride. Someone, please correct me if I am wrong on this. When I have used this service, many times the CM will ask to see the young child who cannot ride. So, they are double checking to make sure you actually have a young child.

How many adults will be there? You need at least two adults to do rider swap.

 

[aispj002]

Yes, you can take advantage of the rider swap program if you have a child that is afraid to go on the ride.


Posted from DISboards.com App for Android

 

[BlueBayou]

You can use rider swap for kids that are afraid to ride. I have DD9 and DD11 who are tall enough for all but Screamin' (DD9) and have used it for Matterhorn and Indy. But I don't like spinny rides - So normally my DD11 and I go on Matterhorn while DH and DD9 ride tea cups over and over.

 

[disneymum58]

I was not allowed to use RideSwap for my 9 year old who was too scared to ride Space Mountain.

 

[twilightsparkle]

It sounds like you are just going to have to see when you get there. I was told if the child was over the height requirement then I couldn't ride swap, but it looks like a pp was able to. It may depend on the cm working.

 

[coaches24]

We have a 3 year old and this past week we didn't use rider swap at all because the rides we would have used it on all offered single rider passes. We found that for rides like splash and Indy the singe rider was better than anything. We also took turns with FP on some rides before we figured out single rider. If you find you need to take turns on some rides then single rider is a good way to avoid rides. I did see on Indy some people clearly taking advantage of single rider. There were groups of 2 or 3 who clearly knew each other but were doing the single rider to avoid the 45+ min wait.

 

[MommaMouseketeer]

I got conflicting info when I had one who was above the height and one below.

We ended up getting FPs and taking turns, one on the ride one with the kids on a kid ride. That was only an issue for us on CA Screamin, Indy, and Goofy's Sky School.

However, my older one would not ride Space Mtn or BTMRR so she went in line with us, crossed over, and waited for us on the platform from behind the yellow line. That would be a longer wait and more problematic for Pirates, but for the shorter rides it is a def. possibility and much easier than swapping.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

What I used to do with my kids, and what I did with my nephews (12 & 10) this year was that we would all go in the queue together, and the one who did not want to ride would cross to the other side of the ride and wait for us to ride it, and meet us at the end.

It worked for our family, and we didn't do a lot of this, but it doesn't hurt them to wait a bit. I also don't believe if forcing someone on a ride - strongly encouraging them maybe, but not forcing them.

 

[Sillysox]

Sounds like there might be some options then! Thanks!

oh. But can someone explain--when you do the rideswap, is it something like this: You all wait in line together, then one parent goes on the ride with the child who is willing/able to ride, and then where does the other parent and child who can't/won't ride go? Does that parent get given a front of the line pass for later or do they wait at the platform until the other parent gets back? Thx

I'm thinking if it's my oldest who doesn't want to ride, she can wait at the exit. I'm not sure about leaving my 8 year old son alone though. He's a little young for his age.. Sounds like if rideswap doesn't work, then single rider might be a plan...

 

[coaches24]

Sounds like there might be some options then! Thanks!

oh. But can someone explain--when you do the rideswap, is it something like this: You all wait in line together, then one parent goes on the ride with the child who is willing/able to ride, and then where does the other parent and child who can't/won't ride go? Does that parent get given a front of the line pass for later or do they wait at the platform until the other parent gets back? Thx

I'm thinking if it's my oldest who doesn't want to ride, she can wait at the exit. I'm not sure about leaving my 8 year old son alone though. He's a little young for his age.. Sounds like if rideswap doesn't work, then single rider might be a plan...

When we did it it usually worked like this

Tell the CM at the front of the que that you want to ride swap. They want to see the child and then they give you a pass. One of the adults goes through either the FP or Single rider line and rides and then comes back and the second adult who waited outside with the child goes in with the pass to ride. For example on Indy DW waited for me along the rock wall by the exit and then went in as I came out.

 

[MommaMouseketeer]

For ride swap, one parent goes through the line and rides the ride, gets a swap card, gives the swap card to the other parent who may then use the fast pass line with it. The other parent waits in the fastpass line and rides then rejoins the family.

Ride swap is pointless if you both have fast passes or if the non rider is over the height limit for the ride.

If the 8yr old is over the height limit but you dont want to let him crossover to wait on his own, you all get in line but when you get close to the front, you allow a few people to go between you and your husband. Husband and daughter ride while you're a few back in line. Husband gets out and waits at exit. Son crosses over to dad while you ride alone.

When I was at Screaming, the fp line was much faster than the single rider line. I rec. fastpasses for all so you can get in that line even if all don't ride.