SDMT making babies wait in line for rider switch

[Lilsia]

We skipped many rides. Because of people like you Disney is making things harder for the rest of us

Are you kidding me? Things are much easier now then they used to be, especially with little kids. Rider swap was exactly as I said it was, with everyone going ALL the way through the line, every line. No having the second parent go about their day doing whatever they wanted, like it is now. There was no FP, so you waited in line for every single ride. And yet, we all managed to have wonderful experiences with our kids. I would argue that you have it so easy now, that when one little thing goes wrong, you can't handle it. Maybe don't let the little things get to you. Disney will still be there in a few years when you go back and you can ride those rides that you missed this trip.

 

[DisLiss]

We do make sacrifices. This is advertised as a benefit by Disney on their website so you if you buy into these new policies and are happy, I can express my disappointment just the same

Good for you. I hope you teach your kids to stand up for themselves rather than being pushovers and doormats for the rest of their lives

Of course you can express your disappointment and of course you can teach your kids not to be doormats. But to me personally your story wound up sounding like biting off your nose to spite your face.

If WDW refuses to make a change that would make something comfortable for you, and you opt to go ahead and stick with the situation and be uncomfortable, that's what it sounds like to me. Refusing to be a pushover, in my mind, would have been firmly but politely stating what you felt was acceptable, and when that didn't pan out, leaving and taking the subject back up with someone else at a later point, after you had all enjoyed yourselves doing other things. Then you wouldn't have let anyone force you into a situation you didn't like and you could have had your say as well.

Sorry this ride didn't work out well for you.

 

[Disturbia]

Are you kidding me? Things are much easier now then they used to be, especially with little kids. Rider swap was exactly as I said it was, with everyone going ALL the way through the line, every line. No having the second parent go about their day doing whatever they wanted, like it is now. There was no FP, so you waited in line for every single ride. And yet, we all managed to have wonderful experiences with our kids. I would argue that you have it so easy now, that when one little thing goes wrong, you can't handle it. Maybe don't let the little things get to you. Disney will still be there in a few years when you go back and you can ride those rides that you missed this trip.

We go at least a once a year and went in Nov. we weren’t trying to do everything. I don’t need to prove anything to someone who is just trying to make personal attacks. I’ll just leave it at that.

 

[Disturbia]

There was a weird hostility from post one of this thread, and a little bit of entitlement and victimhood too.

"They knew we were coming with an infant" – well so are thousands of other people. I'm not sure what you want them to do for you, specifically, knowing this information.

"We are not welcome in the parks" – because of this one incident?

Saying "people like you" are ruining Disney for others, which means ... something I guess.

It's OK to vent, but this is NOT worth ruining your day, then night, then next day – and now – over.

Thanks for your deep analysis. No didn’t ask for one.

I know we are part of the problem as we keep coming back despite the disappointments.

you are using words like victim hood and entitlement not me

 

[FCDub]

Thanks for your deep analysis. No didn’t ask for one.

I know we are part of the problem as we keep coming back despite the disappointments.

you are using words like victim hood and entitlement not me

YOU are using defeatist language like "we are realizing more and more that we are not welcome in the parks," implying that you should have gotten different treatment because you were coming with an infant, and talking about people serving Disney with lawsuits because they ... forced people to stand in line? You were free to leave at any time. Just like you are free to let this go and not continue letting one experience ruin your trip.

 

[HopperFan]

Or, and hear me out on this, suck it up and skip a ride every once in awhile. In this situation, OP could have told her husband and older child "you guys go ahead, I'm going to do some shopping with the baby in the air conditioning." And then next time, you have the dad take the baby while the mom gets to ride something fun. You take turns making a sacrifice.

Yup. When my kids were younger Disney didn't offer any baby swap. Splash Mountain once gave my smaller one a certificate that when he got big enough he could trade for a no wait ride but ... all I ever experienced was one of us sitting out while the other parent rode. Our only option was we each waited in line to ride if we both wanted to ride. So the fact that one can obtain a rider swap after waiting in line for a bit is still a huge advantage over anything I had.

I also have an adult child who can not go on some rides. Even though Disney's website advertises that rider swap is for any age, we have been refused it since he's tall enough to ride. Again, one of us just sits out with him. It is what happens when you go to "amusement" parks with a non-rider. We chose to go somewhere we all can't ride, so we make plans around that. It's our job, not Disney's.

As always has been on the ground CMs have final word based on operations at the moment. Just like a ride can be down, it can pour rain or you can get bumped from your booked room .... Disney is a vacation that has no guarantees.

 

[LSUmiss]

It does not make the line any longer to have that extra adult and baby. Everyone has their space 6 feet apart no matter if you have 2 people or 4, you are still in that same space. And you actually get through the ride faster as a family this way because the second person rides immediately after the first one gets off. The other way is the first adult has to come off of the ride and then the second has to get in the FP line, which can take a while.

Have you been lately? Not exactly...the bigger the party the more space that’s taken up. There is very little distancing right now mostly b/c parties are bigger than the space that’s allotted. So with all the safety nonsense that’s still in place, this change is counter productive.

 

[Lilsia]

Have you been lately? Not exactly...the bigger the party the more space that’s taken up. There is very little distancing right now mostly b/c parties are bigger than the space that’s allotted. So with all the safety nonsense that’s still in place, this change is counter productive.

Yeah but we are talking about too small of a percentage of people for it to make any kind of an impact. Who knows why they did what they did with that ride. It's Disney, they test and change things around all the time. And I was there a little over a month ago.

 

[DLgal]

We skipped many rides. Because of people like you Disney is making things harder for the rest of us

What? People like me?

 

[DLgal]

I’m not a troll and we have been going to Disney with small kids for over a decade. I guess you guys are new to the game so don’t know what Disney customer service was.

Just one decade? YOU are the one who is still new to the game. No wonder you got so bent out of shape. You have no idea how things were before rider switch existed.

 

[Bearval]

A newer generation that has grown up with a sense of entitlement is the problem

 

[katyjeka]

Waiting in lines and battling hot humid conditions is what one should expect when choosing an amusement park in Florida for vacation. If you are traveling with kids plan ahead. Have an idea as to how you will handle a cranky baby and UNDERSTAND that you will not be able to do everything you want with kids in tow. We have had to shorten our days, avoid rides(our kids were afraid of some), and eat a counter service versus a sit down due to our kids moods. If hot crowded lines are a problem for a family maybe a vacation to a beach would be a better fit.

 

[Lewisc]

Disney's website describes rider swap exactly how the OP remembers from past trips.

A person isn't entitled for thinking a business should be following posted policy.

I agree some of the posts were dramatic.

Current situation may dictate some modification to policy. Is it asking too much to expect appropriate change in the website. Yes we have fine print.

 

[katyjeka]

Good for you. I hope you teach your kids to stand up for themselves rather than being pushovers and doormats for the rest of their lives

Confused.... Teaching our kids that life is about following rules and waiting in line is Disney's rule does not teach them to be pushovers/doormats. Teaching kids that they are entitled will do them more harm. In our family we follow rules, respect each other and other people, and stand up for what is right. Complaining about a hot line at an amusement park in Florida is the parents problem not Disney's. If the child can not handle the heat or waiting in line, its simple, leave the line. Try the ride at a different time or when the child is old enough to wait.

 

[Meglen]

Couldn't op have just went and did something else while the other adult went in line than meet back up when they were close to the front? Since it was only the outdoor queue part they make you wait. I highly doubt any one would consider this line cutting since it for a rider swap.

 

[FCDub]

Disney's website describes rider swap exactly how the OP remembers from past trips.

A person isn't entitled for thinking a business should be following posted policy.

I agree some of the posts were dramatic.

Current situation may dictate some modification to policy. Is it asking too much to expect appropriate change in the website. Yes we have fine print.

We're still in a pandemic and stuff is subject to change. Going with the flow is imperative during this period. The OP never actually said how long they were forced to endure this traumatic experience of waiting in line before getting their rider swap pass.

The OP also says their baby was calm until "several minutes into the wait in the unshaded area" ... if your baby can only handle "several minutes" of sun, you probably should realize that and bail and just make a sacrifice. Or like, don't go to Disney World in the summer.

 

[Lewisc]

We're still in a pandemic and stuff is subject to change. Going with the flow is imperative during this period. The OP never actually said how long they were forced to endure this traumatic experience of waiting in line before getting their rider swap pass.

The OP also says their baby was calm until "several minutes into the wait in the unshaded area" ... if your baby can only handle "several minutes" of sun, you probably should realize that and bail and just make a sacrifice. Or like, don't go to Disney World in the summer.

Typically when I read these kinds of threads the OP is unreasonable and is looking for special treatment. In this case the OP is looking for the exact procedure Disney describes on their website as to how rider swap is handled. The OP isn't an example of an entitled poster.

We've been in a pandemic for more then a year. More then enough time for Disney to make appropriate changes to its website.

Again I see both sides. The changes described seem like a reasonable change. Parts of the OP sound exaggerated and embellished. Posters who attempt to categorize the OP as being entitled are wrong and rude.

Some of us previously visited Disney prior to FP and prior to advance rider swap. It worked.

 

[FCDub]

Again I see both sides. The changes described seem like a reasonable change. Parts of the OP sound exaggerated and embellished. Posters who attempt to categorize the OP as being entitled are wrong and rude.

Saying "they knew we were coming with a baby" is pretty entitled.

And then complaining about the cost of luxury dining (Topolino's THREE TIMES? Be Our Guest TWICE?) is absurd. No one's making them pay those prices multiple times (lol), yet they'll use it as an argument for why their trip sucked. Invalidates those complaints pretty fast.

 

[mjkacmom]

The OP made her infant wait an hour in the hot sun, crying, for a ride. Once you are a parent, you know that sometimes (many times) you have to bail.

 

[FCDub]

The OP made her infant wait an hour in the hot sun, crying, for a ride. Once you are a parent, you know that sometimes (many times) you have to bail.

It's not actually clear how long they waited, which might have been omitted on purpose.

They said the baby was upset after waiting "several minutes" in the sun. And also "Our calm baby turned into a screaming monster for an hour after waiting in the line in the hot sun." -- not necessarily that they waited an hour in the sun, but rather that the kid was upset for an hour afterward.