SD Mine Train - Riding with Two Small Kids

[MinnieEarsAnna]

I'm heading to WDW next month and will need to ride most rides on my own with two small children (2 & 4). I've looked all over to find the capacity of the Mine Train seats and can't find the answer to this simple question:

Will the three of us be able to ride together, three across?

Thanks for any help!

 

[WEDWDW]

No.

 

[SparklePixie]

I'm heading to WDW next month and will need to ride most rides on my own with two small children (2 & 4). I've looked all over to find the capacity of the Mine Train seats and can't find the answer to this simple question:

Will the three of us be able to ride together, three across?

Thanks for any help!

No you won't. The seats are two across and molded for two individual bottoms.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Three persons cannot fit in one row on Mine Train. With children that age, you will not be able to seat them together in one row. And Mine Train fills every seat - one of you will be sitting with a stranger.

 

[Ava]

No, Mine Train only seats 2 per row. They are individual seats w/ their own lap bars, not a bench seat. You won't be able to ride unless you have another adult to ride with one of the children.

 

[MinnieEarsAnna]

Darn, but thank you.

How would you recommend approaching the ride in this situation, then? The party is a friend of mine, her 3 yo, me and my two. It sounds like we can baby swap (she takes hers, then I choose one of mine), but then one of mine would never be able to ride? There's no such thing as a reverse baby swap, is there, so I can take one, then the other?

We do have two FP+ set up, on different days. But at this age, leaving one out even with the understanding they can go another day really could cause a scene

I appreciate the advice and the information.

 

[tlmadden73]

Two across .. even though it is a "family" coaster .. it is still a coaster and you need restraints as the ride does go pretty fast and has some forces from the turns.

Also, your two year old will be tall enough (38") to ride the mine train?

Even if they are .. I would be aware that you probably should help support your child. Even though it is smooth and not a fast coaster .. a little toddler will get bopped around as they just may not be strong enough to withstand the forces.
My son was 3 and was just tall enough to go on .. my wife needed to basically hold him with her arm so he wouldn't move around too much. I doubt he would have gotten hurt, but the movement was pretty sudden for someone so little and not knowing to expect those sudden forces. He still enjoyed the speed of the ride thoroughly though and talks about it to this day.

That being said .. avoid the Barnstormer .. even though height requirement is smaller, we found that coaster to be "rougher" than Seven Dwarves. (he didn't like it even after being on Mine Train). I would avoid it with little children.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

So you actually have two adults and three very young children (none of whom are old enough to sit alone).

Still don't see how you can do it. I don't know if baby swap works in that fashion. I suppose there is a possibility they will let you ride twice, once with each child, since the kids outnumber adults and are all very young. Your friend has to be available to stay with the kids who are not riding, so you probably wouldn't be riding it the same time she is.

 

[tobikaye]

OP, you may actually want to ride with the 4 year old first and then decide if your 2 year old should or not. My cousin's 2 year old was about 1/4-1/2" about the height requirement and she had to basically hold his head back as he kept hitting the seat.

 

[MinnieEarsAnna]

Thank you for the advice. I definitely want to be side by side with each of them. While they are adventurous and experienced riders, you're right, I wouldn't want them with a stranger.

The younger is tall enough, but the idea to take my daughter first is spot on.

I'll go in planning to use baby swap and prepared for a minor fit, but hoping the younger is asleep in the stroller. And be thankful we managed to get that second FP+! So we will all get a chance to ride at least once.

 

[Ava]

If your 2-year-old is tall enough, they may not issue you a baby swap pass. Disney's website says its for children who are either too small to ride or do not wish to ride, but in practice its usually only given for children who don't meet the height requirement. If she is sleeping in the stroller though, you may luck out.

 

[hakepb]

Two across .. even though it is a "family" coaster .. it is still a coaster and you need restraints as the ride does go pretty fast and has some forces from the turns.

Also, your two year old will be tall enough (38") to ride the mine train?

Even if they are .. I would be aware that you probably should help support your child. Even though it is smooth and not a fast coaster .. a little toddler will get bopped around as they just may not be strong enough to withstand the forces.
My son was 3 and was just tall enough to go on .. my wife needed to basically hold him with her arm so he wouldn't move around too much. I doubt he would have gotten hurt, but the movement was pretty sudden for someone so little and not knowing to expect those sudden forces. He still enjoyed the speed of the ride thoroughly though and talks about it to this day.

That being said .. avoid the Barnstormer .. even though height requirement is smaller, we found that coaster to be "rougher" than Seven Dwarves. (he didn't like it even after being on Mine Train). I would avoid it with little children.

Thousands of "Disney" families have grown up with Barnstormer as an introductory coaster and survived.
Obviously every child is different. I would reccomend closer to the front if speed is a concern. The back seats feel faster.

 

[MinnieEarsAnna]

Gosh, this will be incredibly difficult if they won't issue a baby swap. We were so happy to get these FP+s and now I feel penalized for having three children between two adults.

I guess I can ask and tell them he doesn't want to ride (I hate lying in front of the kids).

Just as an aside, we all rode the Barnstormer last trip. At the time, it was two adults, two kids. No problems. It was a last minute trip with no FP+s available for the Mine Train and no patience for the long lines, so we skipped knowing we'd be back. Argh.

Again, thank you. This is my first experience with the board beyond lurking, and the responses have been so quick and helpful.

 

[tlmadden73]

When you rider swap...

Thousands of "Disney" families have grown up with Barnstormer as an introductory coaster and survived.
Obviously every child is different. I would reccomend closer to the front if speed is a concern. The back seats feel faster.

Oh .. he survived ..
We (and he) just found it a lot rougher than Seven Dwarves Mine Train. I was just throwing out my opinion.

I would just choose SDMT over Barnstormer as a child's intro coaster. It is smoother, and the twists and turns don't seem so rough.

 

[wilkeliza]

They may let you put one of them with a single rider if you don't mind as long as you are all in the same car and not separate cars. So you and one child would sit in the back and the other would sit in the front with a stranger. A lot of parents on here have reported teaming up with a single rider or other odd numbered group in the queue and that way the CMs don't say anything. It only says that a under 7 has to be with someone over 14 not their legal parent or guardian.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

There is also a height requirement. I doubt your 2 year old will be able to ride. My DD is almost 3 and she won't even make the cut.

 

[wilkeliza]

There is also a height requirement. I doubt your 2 year old will be able to ride. My DD is almost 3 and she won't even make the cut.

They already said their 2 year old is tall enough.

 

[holden]

My nephew was 3 years 4mos. old when we went and he wasn't tall enough. He's pretty average in height.

 

[maxiesmom]

How about one adult in a cart with one child next to them and two in front of them, with the other adult in the next cart? That they should allow. Heck, my 24 year old nephew was the adult for 2 younger kids on Expedition Everest. The CMs were fine with him being the in seat behind them.

 

[CindySwims]

They let my 5 yr old ride in front of me while my 3 year old rode next to me. They left the seat next to him open.