SDMT: CM measured child before giving rider switch

[robinb]

That makes sense. Thank you for the clarification. I see now how the need for a fastpass would add a wrinkle to it. How long (generally) is the wait for the fastpass line? For example, if my husband and I both wanted to ride a ride that our kids are frightened of, and it is one that we should fastpass, would we save time by using the rider swap in conjunction with a fastpass?

Again, I apologize if this has already been covered. Having not done it before, it is all a little abstract to me.

If your kids are tall enough to ride everyone would need a FP+ so you could stand in line together. Plus, of anything has a height limit it's going to be a "fast" ride and will be popular so you will need FP+s for those rides. Wait times depend on your dates and when in the day you are there. They can range from a "walk-on" (no wait) to 30 minutes in the FP+ line.

 

[puffkin]

That makes sense. Thank you for the clarification. I see now how the need for a fastpass would add a wrinkle to it. How long (generally) is the wait for the fastpass line? For example, if my husband and I both wanted to ride a ride that our kids are frightened of, and it is one that we should fastpass, would we save time by using the rider swap in conjunction with a fastpass?

Again, I apologize if this has already been covered. Having not done it before, it is all a little abstract to me.

While I have seen this done on very, very rare occassions, typically this is NOT done at WDW. They do have chicken exits, but they don't typically allow someone to get back on the ride after the other parent rides at the ride platform. The rides just aren't set up that way with loading and exiting either (think Dinosaur, Space Mountain, Everest). Also, for height restricted rides, you aren't even allowed in the line if you don't meet the height requirement. By and far, most rider switches are done where part of the party enter the line (whether FP line with valid FP's or the standby line and when they are finished, the waiting party then returns back through the FP line). Depending on the ride, that is why it can take a very long time even if both parties use the FP line.

 

[rastuso]

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole
hy·per·bo·le

[hahy-pur-buh-lee] Show IPA
noun Rhetoric . 1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.

2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”

People are getting double rides by using FP+ and ride swap, and not all having FP+ for each ride. No hyperbole there.

People are abusing the ride swap system. No hyperbole there. Opinion perhaps, but not hyperbole.

The people saying having little kids greatly slows them down and limits their rides? That is bordering on hyperbole. 2 x FP+ < 1 x SB for most everything. And of course 6 FP+ is greater than 3 FP+.

Had I said ride swap abusers are ruining my visits to parks, THAT would be hyperbole. Of course I would say that, but I was part of the FP- Abusers club who apparently DID ruin everything. That may have been a smidgen of hyperbole.

I'd assume the number is small now, which is why Disney is letting it happen. Once this becomes more well know, and more folks are abusing it because 6>3, it may hit the radar of Disney, and they change it. FP+ can't support abuse like FP- could. Socialism depends on everyone being equal.

But for now, you are abusing the rider swap pass, and that is fact, not hyperbole.

-Jason

 

[robinb]

While I have seen this done on very, very rare occassions, typically this is NOT done at WDW. They do have chicken exits, but they don't typically allow someone to get back on the ride after the other parent rides at the ride platform. The rides just aren't set up that way with loading and exiting either (think Dinosaur, Space Mountain, Everest). Also, for height restricted rides, you aren't even allowed in the line if you don't meet the height requirement. By and far, most rider switches are done where part of the party enter the line (whether FP line with valid FP's or the standby line and when they are finished, the waiting party then returns back through the FP line). Depending on the ride, that is why it can take a very long time even if both parties use the FP line.

I have personally switched at the front of the line on both Dinosaur and Space Mountain (and BTMR, Splash Moutain & Tower of Terror) and witnessed a parent switching on Everest. I'm not sure what they do for R&RRC, but they probably bring people back up the chicken exit. By the time my DD was tall enough for R&RRC she was game for anything.

 

[sls404]

If the whole point is to allow an adult to watch a child and also ride with no standby, why does Disney allow 3 people to use the RS? I realize no one wants to ride alone but it's not exactly fair that 2 people can get extra FPs because a child in their party can't/will not ride. Now the adult that has to watch the child- I totally understand and agree that they should get to use the pass.

IMO it may help with potential abuse if the RS only allowed 1 rider to go through the FP line.

 

[asmit4]

If the whole point is to allow an adult to watch a child and also ride with no standby, why does Disney allow 3 people to use the RS? I realize no one wants to ride alone but it's not exactly fair that 2 people can get extra FPs because a child in their party can't/will not ride. Now the adult that has to watch the child- I totally understand and agree that they should get to use the pass.

IMO it may help with potential abuse if the RS only allowed 1 rider to go through the FP line.

GEEZ! At this rate I might have to consider 'renting' a 3 month old....j/k!

 

[merina888]

If you think that Disney doesn't know that this stuff is happening, then you are not giving Disney enough credit. As a previous poster has said, using Baby Swap in conjunction with Fastpass has been happening for a long time. If it was really as big an issue as you seem to think it is, I'm sure they would have eliminated the option when they put Fastpass+ in.

 

[mom2rtk]

GEEZ! At this rate I might have to consider 'renting' a 3 month old....j/k!

I probably should have applied for copyright protection of my "rent-a-baby" idea. Are you interested in the real thing or the new animatronic version?

I'm personally going to recommend going with the 6 month old model. They sleep better.

 

[fan1080]

abusing the RS pass to double your FP+ rides is just that, abuse. Just like all the GAC abuse that used to happen.

Just man/woman up to the fact you are abusing a system to your benefit. Disney is letting you. But your abuse is making other people wait longer than they should, because they aren't abusing the system.

-Jason

If Disney is allowing it, it's not gaming the system, and it certainly isn't abusing the system.

It is nothing more than your own perception that the system is being abused/gamed, which has no place in reality.

It's ok not to like the policies Disney has put in place. It's another thing altogether to point fingers at others and accuse them of something that isn't true simply because it's not in line with how you perceive the system is supposed to work.

 

[southernfriedmom]

I've read several comments about "where should we draw the line for age if they are tall enough but too scared?" I am not sure that I think that there should be an age limit but at the very least you should be issued a rider swap if your child is under 7. Why??? Because that is the age Disney has recently been enforcing cannot ride without an adult so clearly they shouldn't wait by themselves. This particular rule proved to be quite a pain for our family with children 9, 6, 4 & 4... My poor 9 year old always had to ride any two seater ride by himself, my husband or I was always without a gun on Buzz & TSMM, crammed into Dumbo, and were forced to ride Barnstormer twice if all 4 kids wanted to ride it. Not directly related to the FP+/RS debate but definitely a rule that adds extra time to a family with young children.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

I've read several comments about "where should we draw the line for age if they are tall enough but too scared?" I am not sure that I think that there should be an age limit but at the very least you should be issued a rider swap if your child is under 7. Why??? Because that is the age Disney has recently been enforcing cannot ride without an adult so clearly they shouldn't wait by themselves. This particular rule proved to be quite a pain for our family with children 9, 6, 4 & 4... My poor 9 year old always had to ride any two seater ride by himself, my husband or I was always without a gun on Buzz & TSMM, crammed into Dumbo, and were forced to ride Barnstormer twice if all 4 kids wanted to ride it. Not directly related to the FP+/RS debate but definitely a rule that adds extra time to a family with young children.

See, I'd even be willing to go so far as to say up to 14 would be acceptable, since Disney states that children under 14 cannot be in the parks without an adult. Oh, and I would of course also allow parents of children and adults who have a mental disability making it unsafe for them to be left unattended to also take advantage of rider swap.

 

[Luckybee]

People are getting double rides by using FP+ and ride swap, and not all having FP+ for each ride. No hyperbole there.

People are abusing the ride swap system. No hyperbole there. Opinion perhaps, but not hyperbole.

The people saying having little kids greatly slows them down and limits their rides? That is bordering on hyperbole. 2 x FP+ < 1 x SB for most everything. And of course 6 FP+ is greater than 3 FP+.

Had I said ride swap abusers are ruining my visits to parks, THAT would be hyperbole. Of course I would say that, but I was part of the FP- Abusers club who apparently DID ruin everything. That may have been a smidgen of hyperbole.

I'd assume the number is small now, which is why Disney is letting it happen. Once this becomes more well know, and more folks are abusing it because 6>3, it may hit the radar of Disney, and they change it. FP+ can't support abuse like FP- could. Socialism depends on everyone being equal.

But for now, you are abusing the rider swap pass, and that is fact, not hyperbole.

-Jason

The morality police on these boards never cease to amaze me. Have we really come to a point in society where we go crazy when god forbid , someone may get an advantage over someone else....heaven forbid....are there those who truly believe that everyone goes through life treated exactly the same.

Def'n of abuse -Dictionary.com
1.
to use wrongly or improperly; misuse: to abuse one's authority.

2.
to treat in a harmful, injurious, or offensive way: to abuse a horse; to abuse one's eyesight.

3.
to speak insultingly, harshly, and unjustly to or about; revile; malign.

4.
to commit sexual assault upon.

5.
Obsolete . to deceive or mislead.



Presumably you'd be speaking about . 1

There is nothing that suggesting anyone is using rider swap in any manner that is "wrongly or improperly"

Wikipedia def'n -Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of an entity, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit

once again nothing "improper" here

Sheesh and I don't even have kids

 

[rastuso]

If Disney is allowing it, it's not gaming the system, and it certainly isn't abusing the system. It is nothing more than your own perception that the system is being abused/gamed, which has no place in reality. It's ok not to like the policies Disney has put in place. It's another thing altogether to point fingers at others and accuse them of something that isn't true simply because it's not in line with how you perceive the system is supposed to work.

So the old folks that were selling access to their GACs for years were fine, and just following policies?

 

[asmit4]

So the old folks that were selling access to their GACs for years were fine, and just following policies?

If you can't tell the difference btwn paying a disabled person 500 bucks to pretend to be part of your family to cut the line and what is being described here....then this conversation is gonna go nowhere fast.

IF people started 'renting' 6 month olds....then YES, IMO that would be cheating the system. As a parent of a young child- this whole process of what you call 'gaming the system' seems like 1 giant PIA to me. Organizing fast passes, having family members run to other rides to switch out etc etc.

 

[sretav]

No one is abusing the rider swap system. Does anyone really believe that Disney isn't fully aware what loopholes exist with all of their policies? With a 6, 4, 4 & 2 yr old we used it often but always with 1 adult, the 6 yr old and 1 twin, then the other adult, the 6 yr old and the other twin. We couldn't be bothered trying to split fastpasses to get twice as many. Too complicated. Rider swap meant the 6 year got to go twice many, many times though.

Life is not fair. We teach small children that lesson but too many adults forget it.

 

[rastuso]

No one is abusing the rider swap system. Does anyone really believe that Disney isn't fully aware what loopholes exist with all of their policies? With a 6, 4, 4 & 2 yr old we used it often but always with 1 adult, the 6 yr old and 1 twin, then the other adult, the 6 yr old and the other twin. We couldn't be bothered trying to split fastpasses to get twice as many. Too complicated. Rider swap meant the 6 year got to go twice many, many times though. Life is not fair. We teach small children that lesson but too many adults forget it.

i

So you really think your situation is a valid example of how small families aren't abusing rider swap?

Life isn't fair. And some people gladly abuse rules, and hide behind old adages.

 

[rastuso]

If you can't tell the difference btwn paying a disabled person 500 bucks to pretend to be part of your family to cut the line and what is being described here....then this conversation is gonna go nowhere fast. IF people started 'renting' 6 month olds....then YES, IMO that would be cheating the system. As a parent of a young child- this whole process of what you call 'gaming the system' seems like 1 giant PIA to me. Organizing fast passes, having family members run to other rides to switch out etc etc.

What are you talking about? It's not a pita at all. Each non short child chooses 3 FP+ that they like. They then use them and collect rider swap passes so that everyone gets FP+ rides for all 6 or 9 rides. No running around necessary. And a hell of a lot less of a PITA than waiting in SB, dontcha think? The point was this is clearly abusing a special access pass, just like the GACs. I'm really stunned so few people can realize that.

 

[Sleepy425]

To the person complaining that RS should only entitle ONE person to ride the second time around - should one parent really have to miss seeing their kids on a ride?
And to the parents who have used this and say that doing it any way but their way is abusing the system - you seem to all have something in common. One kid. So each parent would be riding alone anyhow. Imagine I told you that you and your spouse had to choose who would go on each ride with your child. You would get annoyed because it is a family vacation, of course both of you should see your child enjoying Disney. Parents of more than one kid feel the same way.

It is absolutely absurd that people are so heated about this topic. I have worked at Disney, done Disney as an adult without children, and have done Disney with children. Even when I was a 19 year old travelling to Disney alone with friends, there was no point that I looked at a family with crying, annoyed kids whose parents were using rider swap and thought, "Gosh I wish I was that parent so I could get extra FP!"

 

[asmit4]

What are you talking about? It's not a pita at all. Each non short child chooses 3 FP+ that they like. They then use them and collect rider swap passes so that everyone gets FP+ rides for all 6 or 9 rides. No running around necessary. And a hell of a lot less of a PITA than waiting in SB, dontcha think? The point was this is clearly abusing a special access pass, just like the GACs. I'm really stunned so few people can realize that.

I was under the impression that you had to wait in the SB line and only THEN could you get a swap pass.....Hmmm....this changes things up a lot. So what you are saying is....say I have 5yo and a 1 yo. The 5yo is adventurous....so he rides everything and is 40 inches. My 5yo son and I pick the same FPs, my husband picks 3 other FPs....for a total of 6 FP rides....then we walk to each ride-rotate the family, and now we have 6 FPs for the entire family?......all because our 1yo is too short to ride.

I think people using FPs shouldn't be able to use rider swap. Wait in the regular line THEN you get the rider swap- and the 2nd group gets FP status. I was thinking about this entirely wrong. Now I am seeing it from your side of things.

 

[delmar411]

I was under the impression that you had to wait in the SB line and only THEN could you get a swap pass.....Hmmm....this changes things up a lot. So what you are saying is....say I have 5yo and a 1 yo. The 5yo is adventurous....so he rides everything and is 40 inches. My 5yo son and I pick the same FPs, my husband picks 3 other FPs....for a total of 6 FP rides....then we walk to each ride-rotate the family, and now we have 6 FPs for the entire family?......all because our 1yo is too short to ride.

I think people using FPs shouldn't be able to use rider swap. Wait in the regular line THEN you get the rider swap- and the 2nd group gets FP status. I was thinking about this entirely wrong. Now I am seeing it from your side of things.

Well of that's how you feel about, you feel free to go in the SB line only and then get a rider swap. Knock yourself out! I bet you change your tune really darn quick when it is brutal hot and that SB line gets really long.

And RS only works on height restricted rides not just any ride.