Single Parents and rides

[divabydisney]

I will be taking my two young boys this fall. The question is, I want to ride space mountain, I don't know if my 6yo will be able to handle it, he is tall enough but don't think he's ready for the "set-up" of the ride, he likes to sit next to me and hold hands. My question is how do I get to ride this if I want to go on it. Would you allow your 12yo to watch your youngest while you do this? This has me a bit nervous and not comfortable with it, but I may just be nervous.

 

[danceintherain]

Do you allow your 12 year old to watch your 6 yo at other times?

Either way, you know your children best. When I was 12, I babysat other people's kids much younger than me for hours. However, when my brother was 12 and we went to Disney, we all watched him very closely (poor baby with 5 older siblings). Nobody will be able to make you feel better about it, and honestly, knowing the way these threads tend to trend it's more likely that people will make you feel worse about it.

You could make them both wait in the line with you (since your 6 yo is tall enough), then take the chicken exit, and wait for you just outside. That would reduce the amount of time you would be apart. Personally, I am super paranoid, so I was afraid to leave my 3 month old son with his father while I rode rides by myself. I was worried that the ride would break down. I would be stuck on it for hours, and my son would cry uncontrollably from hunger. In reality, I got on the ride and was off within 15 minutes and my son slept the entire time.

 

[MartDM]

This has me a bit nervous and not comfortable with it, but I may just be nervous.

I always trust the "Mom's instinct". If you are having misgivings about the idea of leaving them alone, that's your gut telling you it would probably be best to skip Space Mountain this trip.

 

[Karebear]

My cousin has taken her 2 girls to WDW 3 or 4X by herself--her dh is military and gone a lot. She doesn't feel comfortable going on rides without them (they are 7 & 11) and the youngest is afraid of Haunted Mansion, etc. She puts them in a kids club (Poly) and then goes to the MK for a few hours by herself to do the rides that she enjoys. Hope this helps!

 

[excited4dis]

Sorry to hijack, but I have a similar problem.

I'm a single mother too going with my DS10 & DS7.

My DS7 is more adventurous than his older brother. He wants to ride Space Mountain with me as well as Splash Mountain.

I was wondering how I could make this possibe because I will not leave DS10 standing by himself while we wait in line forever.

Is it possible that DS10 can wait next to a CM that is working the ride while we are on it? Do they do this at all?

 

[sissy_ib]

Sorry to hijack, but I have a similar problem.

I'm a single mother too going with my DS10 & DS7.

My DS7 is more adventurous than his older brother. He wants to ride Space Mountain with me as well as Splash Mountain.

I was wondering how I could make this possibe because I will not leave DS10 standing by himself while we wait in line forever.

Is it possible that DS10 can wait next to a CM that is working the ride while we are on it? Do they do this at all?

A possibility is to have your son go through the line with you. Tell the CM as you approach the boarding area that he is not going to ride with you. They will have him go through the "chicken exit". That should send him in to the gift shop. Have him wait in the shop for you while you ride.

 

[YodaGirl]

I always trust the "Mom's instinct". If you are having misgivings about the idea of leaving them alone, that's your gut telling you it would probably be best to skip Space Mountain this trip.

A possibility is to have your son go through the line with you. Tell the CM as you approach the boarding area that he is not going to ride with you. They will have him go through the "chicken exit". That should send him in to the gift shop. Have him wait in the shop for you while you ride.

This.

You exit the ride in a different area than you board, so even if the CMs were able to watch your child while they did loaded guests, you wouldn't be coming back to the same place.

 

[cinabug]

Couldn't the 12 year old act just like another adult in childswap, so you could both wait in line together, the twelve year old could ride while you wait and then he could wait at the exit with the little one while you ride. Then your 12 year old only has to babysit for the duration of your ride? I haven't ever done child swap, but this would work if I understand it correctly.

 

[Isaac.]

Would you allow your 12yo to watch your youngest while you do this? This has me a bit nervous and not comfortable with it, but I may just be nervous.

I do believe that your 12-year-old should be able to function as a second parent in regards to ChildSwap. If not, I'm sure the CMs wouldn't mind making an exception.

I was wondering how I could make this possibe because I will not leave DS10 standing by himself while we wait in line forever.

What you could do is have him wait in line with you, take the exit next to the loading zones, and then wait next to the general ride exit for you to get off of the ride. Does he have a cell phone? If not, I would lend him yours, just in case.

 

[tjmw2727]

Couldn't the 12 year old act just like another adult in childswap, so you could both wait in line together, the twelve year old could ride while you wait and then he could wait at the exit with the little one while you ride. Then your 12 year old only has to babysit for the duration of your ride? I haven't ever done child swap, but this would work if I understand it correctly.

If the 6yo is tall enough to ride then they aren't eligible for child swap - and it doesn't work that way anymore (you get a pass and the child to small can't wait the line!).

However they can do this very same thing by using fastpass, or as a PP mentioned using the chicken exit.

I think the issue was more that the OP is trying to decide if she is comfortable leaving the 12 yo with the 6yo and IMHO that is something only she can decide. Can you do some test runs at home? Is the 12 yo responsible, is the 6yo mature enough to listen to the 12yo?

 

[tjmw2727]

Sorry to hijack, but I have a similar problem.

I'm a single mother too going with my DS10 & DS7.

My DS7 is more adventurous than his older brother. He wants to ride Space Mountain with me as well as Splash Mountain.

I was wondering how I could make this possibe because I will not leave DS10 standing by himself while we wait in line forever.

Is it possible that DS10 can wait next to a CM that is working the ride while we are on it? Do they do this at all?

The 10yo can wait but the CM will not watch him and its possible that there will be a shift change during the ride. If your 10yo is pretty comfortable waiting alone then knowing where a CM will be if he needs help is a good idea but the CM will not watch a child or be responsible for them in any way.

The CM is as you said "working the ride" and has a responsiblity to his/her job.

I am a single parent and I have taken my girls many times over the years and I know it can be tought. Our rule until they were old enough to ride/wait alone was all or none! Yes, my older dd missed a few rides until younger dd was big enough but she still got to enjoy so much!! All in all there is so much to do that missing a ride or two never really was an issue.

My oldest choose to ride TOT simply as a favor to her younger sister who wanted to try despite being very afraid and it became her favorite ride.

 

[nchulka]

Don't stress about it, it's not a big deal. I think people tend to over-think these things and freak themselves out. You all go through the line together (since DS 6 is tall enough) when you get to the loading area if he wants to try it you all ride, if not he goes out the chicken exit and waits in the store while you and DS12 ride. You'll be back with DS6 within minutes. I did this with my DS who was 6 and turned 7 on our trip. He did like Space but didn't want to ride Expedition Everest the first time, he did ride it later when we told him how much fun we had on it I think your DS12 would be pretty hacked that he had to miss the ride to babysit. DS6 will be fine alone for a few minutes

 

[queenreen]

If the 6yo is tall enough to ride then they aren't eligible for child swap - and it doesn't work that way anymore (you get a pass and the child to small can't wait the line!).

However they can do this very same thing by using fastpass, or as a PP mentioned using the chicken exit.

I think the issue was more that the OP is trying to decide if she is comfortable leaving the 12 yo with the 6yo and IMHO that is something only she can decide. Can you do some test runs at home? Is the 12 yo responsible, is the 6yo mature enough to listen to the 12yo?

I just took my 9 year old, who is plently tall enough to ride all rides, and we had no problem getting a rider swap, Disney isn't going to punish you cause your kid is still too scared to ride even though they are tall enough.

OP, I recommend getting a FP if you feel comfortable and letting your kids play in the arcade with the "rule" they stay in there until you come and find them. But again only you can determine that your oldest is mature enough.

Have Fun!

 

[tjmw2727]

I just took my 9 year old, who is plently tall enough to ride all rides, and we had no problem getting a rider swap, Disney isn't going to punish you cause your kid is still too scared to ride even though they are tall enough.

OP, I recommend getting a FP if you feel comfortable and letting your kids play in the arcade with the "rule" they stay in there until you come and find them. But again only you can determine that your oldest is mature enough.

Have Fun!

Well in my experience you were lucky and we haven't ever had that same luck. Just this past April 5yo neice was terrified of TOT - wouldn't even wait the queue but because she was tall enough to ride we were denied the rider swap pass.

This wasn't the first time either, so IMHO folks should be aware that using rider swap for children eligible to ride is not usually an option.

(Unless its a ride that you can switch at the exit which isn't exactly "rider swap").

 

[nchulka]

I just took my 9 year old, who is plently tall enough to ride all rides, and we had no problem getting a rider swap, Disney isn't going to punish you cause your kid is still too scared to ride even though they are tall enough.

OP, I recommend getting a FP if you feel comfortable and letting your kids play in the arcade with the "rule" they stay in there until you come and find them. But again only you can determine that your oldest is mature enough.

Have Fun!

I think this must have been a fluke or a nice case of Disney Magic for you that day This is not the norm. Child swap is for children too short to ride NOT too scared to ride. Where would they cut if off??? There is no reason a 9 year old could not wait in the line and use the chicken exit alone while everyone else rode together. That's what you do with kids (and adults) who don't want to ride due to any variety of reasons. I can just see someone wanting a rider swap 'cause grandma doesn't want to get wet on splash

Again your 6 year old will be just fine to go through the chicken exit and meet you after you ride, have fun on your trip

 

[Reddy]

I would have these kids watch the you tube videos of this ride -- there are several with lights on so make sure you watch both & they understand that it should be with the lights off.

if they know what they are getting into then they can decide better if they think they can handle it - knowing you are in the seat behind them & you are strapped in good (is there a picture of this seat so they can see this too??)