SDMT: CM measured child before giving rider switch

[mummabear]

Sometimes I wish WDW had a similar policy to Disneyland where the first part of the party going through the queue for the rider switch gets a card that they exchange for the rider switch ticket once they get to where they collect fastpasses in the line, because this would cut down on people scamming for rider switches and make it easier for guests actually needing them.

Nope DL's works exactly the same. You get the pass at the entrance to the ride.

 

[mummabear]

This makes better sense. To do this swap, all riding members have either paid their dues in standby, or used FP+, so there is no way to abuse it. Although the small child must wait through a line they don't ride.

Just another way FP+ has screwed things up. You should be able to all use your FP+, then split to the baby swap area. Or with SB, the one parent and baby go immediately to baby swap, and wait for the other to get through the line. Universal has always blown Disney out of the water with their baby swap rules.
-Jason

Universals baby swap sucks. It is impossible and no fun for the kids (and therefore no fun for the adults). You also cannot take a sleeping child through.
We found it so difficult that we will not return to US until the kids are tall enough for it to be worthwhile or they change their set up.

 

[mefordis]

Rider swap is great. It allows my 10 year old to ride all the mountains twice - once with each parent while my younger daughter waits with one of us.

 

[rastuso]

Universals baby swap sucks. It is impossible and no fun for the kids (and therefore no fun for the adults). You also cannot take a sleeping child through.
We found it so difficult that we will not return to US until the kids are tall enough for it to be worthwhile or they change their set up.

Really? When we used them, they were dedicated rooms, most air conditioned, with some toys, and a TV in them. You could easily push a stroller right in.

-Jason

 

[trainingupmy4princes]

I have the ability to get this advantage, but I don't. I understand that it is Disney's rule so no one is technically breaking the rule. However, I think it is a bad rule. And, yes, I do think it is giving an unfair advantage to those with smaller children as they can now select 2 Tier 1 fast passes and 4 Tier 2 passes.

I don't see how it is abuse?
If I book Soarin for DH and 4 boys(and RS so I can ride it later) and book Character Connection for DD and me to do while their on Soarin how have I abused anything. She can't use her FP on Soarin as she's too short at 3 and she can't enter a line without an adult. Or are you suggesting she should not get a FP for her ticket which costs just as much as the 40" child's? Or possibly that one of the parent's shouldn't get to ride anything for the cost of their ticket? My DD should get to enjoy the trip doing things she likes and that shouldn't rule out the option of me getting to do something fun on vacation either.

 

[mefordis]

Really? When we used them, they were dedicated rooms, most air conditioned, with some toys, and a TV in them. You could easily push a stroller right in.

-Jason

That was our experience as well at Universal.

 

[rastuso]

I don't see how it is abuse?
If I book Soarin for DH and 4 boys(and RS so I can ride it later) and book Character Connection for DD and me to do while their on Soarin how have I abused anything. She can't use her FP on Soarin as she's too short at 3 and she can't enter a line without an adult. Or are you suggesting she should not get a FP for her ticket which costs just as much as the 40" child's? Or possibly that one of the parent's shouldn't get to ride anything for the cost of their ticket? My DD should get to enjoy the trip doing things she likes and that shouldn't rule out the option of me getting to do something fun on vacation either.

Because when you use the RS later, it is for up to 3 people, NONE of which had to have an FP+ for it.

See, you are doing the right thing, but others don't, and for your Soarin' example, only you and your husband need FP+. Then you get RS passes and take your boys on WITHOUT them needing FP+. They can then use FP+ for other things.

-Jason

 

[mummabear]

EXACTLY!!! the fact that people are purposely only getting teh FP+ they need to then use the maximum number of people for the swap pass is absolutely gaming the system with calculated effort to maximize teh gaming.

For them to then say it's no big deal shows their entitlement mentality.

-Jason

Its no big deal because this is how CM's have told us to use it. It is not gaming the system because if you have a family of 4 all tall enough to ride they will wait say 10 minutes using their fastpass and then they are all done ready to ride their next ride (and allowed to book another FP). With rider swap 1 parent and child will wait 10 minutes and ride and then the other parent will wait another 10 minutes and ride-doubling the time it took them to all ride the ride.'
So yes the older child gets to ride twice but if they couldn't then the 2nd parent would miss out on experiencing the ride with their child.

The only people gaming the system are the people lying about the child not being tall enough or being too afraid-and I doubt there is many of them-no different than the people who lie to gain access to DAS.

 

[southernfriedmom]

I don't see how it is abuse? If I book Soarin for DH and 4 boys(and RS so I can ride it later) and book Character Connection for DD and me to do while their on Soarin how have I abused anything. She can't use her FP on Soarin as she's too short at 3 and she can't enter a line without an adult. Or are you suggesting she should not get a FP for her ticket which costs just as much as the 40" child's? Or possibly that one of the parent's shouldn't get to ride anything for the cost of their ticket? My DD should get to enjoy the trip doing things she likes and that shouldn't rule out the option of me getting to do something fun on vacation either.

This is the most valid point made yet. 3-6 year olds are often too short to ride height restricted rides but you still pay for their tickets so if both parents had to have FP to ride using RS then those young children's FP would just be wasted. That's not any "fairer" than what some is considering abuse here. We personally plan to do standby at rope drop the thrill rides and get a rider swap but that is not the way all families tour.

 

[mummabear]

Really? When we used them, they were dedicated rooms, most air conditioned, with some toys, and a TV in them. You could easily push a stroller right in.

-Jason

Except that they don't allow the strollers in. Furthermore, yes there is a boring room that the 2nd parent and child to wait in, how fun to sit in a 6x6 cell for 90 minutes who wouldn't want to do that!

 

[mummabear]

Clearly we are all very concerned with things being fair.
So the only solution is to put a maximum number of rides per day, regardless of what time you start your day. And like hiking where you must go at the pace of the slowest walker here the maximum will need to based low so as not to be unfair on those that like to sleep in, have kids/don't have kids depending on who you think has the advantage or any other factors that slow people down or effect their ride count, shall we say 4.
Disney will need to have some sort of babysitting service at each ride and allow 3 year olds to meet Mickey or ride Peter Pan alone.
Because as with everything in life we must all get exactly the same or it isn't fair.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Clearly we are all very concerned with things being fair.
So the only solution is to put a maximum number of rides per day, regardless of what time you start your day. And like hiking where you must go at the pace of the slowest walker here the maximum will need to based low so as not to be unfair on those that like to sleep in, have kids/don't have kids depending on who you think has the advantage or any other factors that slow people down or effect their ride count, shall we say 4.
Disney will need to have some sort of babysitting service at each ride and allow 3 year olds to meet Mickey or ride Peter Pan alone.
Because as with everything in life we must all get exactly the same or it isn't fair.

Disagree. To me, the fair (or whatever) thing to do is ditch the tiering altogether and no longer limit how many fast passes one can get, not unlike how original fast pass was. If you have a fast pass, you are eligible for the fast pass line. If you are going to do rider swap and use the fast pass line initially, all members of the party who will be going through that fast pass line, either initially or with the rider swap card, need to have pulled a fast pass for it. No limits. No tiers.

 

[mummabear]

Disagree. To me, the fair (or whatever) thing to do is ditch the tiering altogether and no longer limit how many fast passes one can get, not unlike how original fast pass was. If you have a fast pass, you are eligible for the fast pass line. If you are going to do rider swap and use the fast pass line initially, all members of the party who will be going through that fast pass line, either initially or with the rider swap card, need to have pulled a fast pass for it. No limits. No tiers.

But again that is unfair-a family with young children will take twice as long to ride the same ride.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

But again that is unfair-a family with young children will take twice as long to ride the same ride.

They don't have to travel with their child.

Seriously, though, the thing is it isn't always going to be "fair" (and again, I really do hate that word but just can't think of a better one for what I'm trying to convey) but I just don't like the rule and think that it does more to make things unfair than fair. And, again, I'm not necessarily faulting people for doing this and taking advantage of the opportunity, I just think that the rule is a poor one and needs to be strongly looked at by the powers that be..

 

[rastuso]

Except that they don't allow the strollers in. Furthermore, yes there is a boring room that the 2nd parent and child to wait in, how fun to sit in a 6x6 cell for 90 minutes who wouldn't want to do that!

You are obviously anti Universal. Universal offers an ACd waiting room for you. Just a tad bigger than 6x6. You can wait in the heat like at Disney, if you so choose.

You don't like Universal because they let you do the same as Disney, Plus give you the option to wait in air conditioning. Yeah, that makes sense. The only thing Uni doesn't do is let you abuse baby swaps for more rides.

 

[asmit4]

I think all of you are missing the point- and I know this because I TOTALLY missed the point for the LONGEST time...so here goes- and please read carefully

Mom and Dad take their 3 kids....kid #1 is 2yo and too short to ride. Kid #2 is tall enough and kid #3 is tall enough....

Their family is entitled to 3 booked FPs per person who are ticketed....so that would mean 2 adults and 2 kids, for a TOTAL of 12 booked FPs. (4 people x3) 2yo doesn't need them.

SOOO...mom books Soarin with kid #2 for their FP. Mom picks up 2 rider swap passes so DAD and kid #3 can ride right after.....

dad books Test track with kid #3 for their FP. Dad picks up 2 rider swap passes so dad can take kid #2 right after.....

IN the above scenario- perfectly legal..... the entire family has ridden 2 RIDES but only used ONE FP entitlement.

Do you get it now? If they do this ALL day long- then the family effectively doubles their FPs. HOW is this FAIR?

The point of baby swap was to help parents be able to not wait in line twice....in the above scenario- NOBODY in the ENTIRE group is waiting EVER.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Doesn't FP+ eliminate the need for rider swap entirely?

I am so confused.

 

[ArwenMarie]

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

I dunno. This is nothing like GAC abuse. It's not abuse if you are following the rules that Disney puts out. And it's not anywhere as advantageous as the old GAC was.

 

[PrincessMommy09]

While looking for the policy on fp+ and rider swap, I came across this link.

http://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com/questions.aspx?pgm=2&pid=120&cid=129&qid=259497


I'm wondering if those in the "unfair/abuse" camp have entered info for a BOG fast pass. Technically that is supposed to be only for those who have been invited, but the system allows you to get a fp without the invitation. Maybe that loophole needs to be closed too in order to reduce wait times. Or did you ever hold a paper fast pass for a "disconnected" ride and additional ride at the same time. Isn't that abuse of the system?

 

[asmit4]

Doesn't FP+ eliminate the need for rider swap entirely?

I am so confused.

The LIGHTBULB has been turned on for you Re-read my post about 4 up again and you will fully understand it