Your actual experiences with child swap

[Dallas_Lady]

If you have done this on any rides, please post and tell us about it. Which rides did you use it on? What was the procedure? Were the CMs helpful? Did you have a fastpass?

Any tips would be greatly appreciated!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

We only did this on one ride, the Rock n Roller Coaster at MGM. My family went to the first CM at the ride and she noticed that my DS6 was too short. She gave my DH a child swap ticket and he waited outside the line with DS6 while my other two sons and I rode. When we were finished, we came out and the child swap ticket was valid for my DH and two other riders. My DH rode and my two sons got to ride again. They just entered the fastpass line with their child swap ticket. I know that's not a lot of information, but I hope it helps!

 

[Jenn Lynn]

We did it once on Splash Mountain. We went to the first CM we saw at the ride and asked about the child swap. She actually gave us FP's that we could use any time for SM. She asked us how many we wanted. We took two. First DH and MIL rode, regular line, while I stayed with DD in the Splash play area. Then DH and I rode, FP line, while MIL stayed with DD. (The play area is great for little ones!)

 

[tinkamom]

We used the rider switch quite a bit. I'm pretty sure that any ride that has a height requirement will give you one if you need it. Just tell the CM at the ride entrance that you want a rider switch. They will ask to see the child and the person who is not riding and give a rider switch to that person. It is like a fastpass but has no time on it, you can use it at any time and it is good for up to three riders. We used it on SplasM, BTM, SpaceM, RRC, TOT, MS, Soarin, and EE.

 

[tinkamom]

Sometimes we used it with the regular line and sometimes with fast pass. (For the original ride) It works the same way on either line, the person who rides second using the rider switch always returns through the fast pass line.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We have used the swap/switch before and thought it was great! We did it on Tot, RnRC, SpaceM, SplashM & Test Track. Some we had FP's for and some we didn't-still worked the same. I'd highly recommend taking advange of it!

 

[susykt4]

We did this on Soarin' and hated it enough that we didn't try on anything else. DS was 2 at the time and we spent FOREVER going up and down the escalators, doing the KidCot stop, watching the characters at the revolving restaurant, etc. The food court was closed during our trip or that might have been a good time waster. We had fastpasses and the swap took well over an hour. DD LOVED that she got to go on the ride twice and I was certainly glad DH and I both got to go. If I had to do it over again, I'd take the non-riding child to The Seas or Imagination pavillion and go back for the second ride later in the day.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

bump

 

[desireech]

We did it on Dinosaur... worked great. Hubby got a "kidswap fastpass" that he was able to use as soon as I came back, with no wait at all. It can be used for a total of 3 people.

We requested to do Kid Swap on Soarin, but the CM said my hubby would just have to "wait over there" until I returned. He didn't get a fastpass or anything. It took a pretty long time for both of us to get to ride it, but as popular as this ride is, it could've been much worse. Maybe they would have given out a "kidswap fastpass" if if were busier that day (just about all of rides were 20 min wait time or less).

Desiree

 

[EllaDisney]

We used it on Soarin and it was a horrible experience. My mom got to go first while I waited on a bench for about an hour. Then she finally got off of the ride and I used my child swap ticket to get back in line. It was the most ridiculous thing ever I think. Made NO sense at all. I thought that I would have been saved a space in possibly the fast past line, but NO I had to wait in the regular line.

 

[tlivgstn]

We did the child swap on several rides. On EE, we asked the CM as we entered and were told to tell them when we got to the ride. The CM at the loading zone said we needed a pass from the first CM we talked to. I think he saw my frustration and gave me a used comp ticket (which had been given to a disgruntled visitor allowing a fastpass on the ride). It was just a matter of minutes that I was on the ride. We had a similar problem where we were told the child could stay with us up to the ride. Same problem... we needed a child swap pass but they let me ride anyway. My advice would be not to ask what to do (because we always waited in line together) but to make sure you get the pass in hand.

 

[TravelinGal]

Good heavens - people stood in line for a hour to ride?!?! Use fastpass! It's free! That's not the fault of the baby swap that y'all waited in line for a hour! Fastpass first riders - baby swap second riders. Easy enough.

We fastpassed all the rides and used baby swap with them as well. We never had a long wait. It took longer to walk through the long queues than it did to wait before getting on the ride.

 

[tjmw2727]

We have used baby swap (rider switch) on every ride during one trip or another. Most recently in Oct 2006, Feb and April of 07 with my 2yo neice and 4yo nephew and 9 & 11yo dds.

My first advice on baby swap is to tell the CM at the attraction before you enter the line (either Fastpass or Standby) that you want to use the swap and find out how they handle it. Do not wait until you are boarding!

The baby/child unable to ride must be with you to do a swap so everyone must approach the line together. You all go to the entrance of the standby line or use a FP in the FP line and ask to use parent swap. The CM will give you a rider switch pass and the parent riding second and the baby (or young child) can then leave to do something else while the first party rides. The child who dosen't meet the restricion must be with you to get the rider swap pass!! The second parent then returns to ride via the FP line with the rider switch pass and can ride with 2 others (3 max) if they like.

The one exception is Star Tours where entire party waits the line then they do the switch at the exit.

Hope this is helpful!
TJ

 

[tjmw2727]

We used it on Soarin and it was a horrible experience. My mom got to go first while I waited on a bench for about an hour. Then she finally got off of the ride and I used my child swap ticket to get back in line. It was the most ridiculous thing ever I think. Made NO sense at all. I thought that I would have been saved a space in possibly the fast past line, but NO I had to wait in the regular line.

The child swap pass (rider switch) works just like a fast pass anytime that day. Just show it to the CM at the entrance like a regular FP and the second CM will collect it. In fact its printed right on the pass to enter via the FP line and that it is good for up to 3 people with an expiration date.

TJ

 

[Mean Queen]

We've used the rider switch many times and it seems to be different each time. For the most part, we go to the fast pass line and ask for a baby swap pass. DH or I and DD7 get in line, while the other parent and the baby take the swap pass and do something else. When the first set get off the ride, the second set goes on. Sometimes we'll use the baby swap later because the baby tends to fall asleep while waiting. When we were there Memorial Day weekend, the CM at Test Track gave the one going in the FP line (with a FP) the pass to give to the other set on the way out. At Soarin' last time, the CM made sure it was time for our FP before giving us a baby swap pass. Other CM's just wanted to see the baby before handing out the pass. No matter what, baby swap has always helped us both ride... and DD7 loves getting to ride twice. For the person waiting, there's always something else to keep you busy.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

Soarin' and EE are the rides I really want to do this with. They are the only ones I haven't ridden yet that I would like to ride this trip. I'm sorry to hear that Soarin' seems to be the most complicated. Hopefully the fact that we will be there in Sept. will help.

 

[tjmw2727]

Soarin' and EE are the rides I really want to do this with. They are the only ones I haven't ridden yet that I would like to ride this trip. I'm sorry to hear that Soarin' seems to be the most complicated. Hopefully the fact that we will be there in Sept. will help.

Don't worry its going to be fine and easy We have used Rider Swap on Soarin many many times without any problems. The only issue can be that the CM has to see the child who doesn't meet the height restriction. Since they don't allow strollers in the land this can be a problem with a small or sleeping baby. Otherwise just go to the CM with the child, get the swap pass and then have the first party ride. Meanwhile the other parent and baby/toddler can do something else. It does take a while to ride Soarin in general because of the pre show and the loading process.

I usually take my neice to ride the imagination ride next door and then we hit the kidcot for a while before waiting in the food area with a snack. Then I can return to ride via FP anytime that day while the others do something else fun. We always have cellphones in case one of us is running late to the meeting point.

EE is easy - just get the swap pass at the entrance to the line and again one party rides while the other parent takes the child to do something else.

FWIW - EE also has a singles line so if there are two parents and only one child this is the way to go. It can be faster than FP!

RnRC, TT and EE all have single rider lines.

HTH
TJ

 

[BarbWB]

I think we've used baby-swap on every single attraction that has a height req't or that could be scary for a young kid. You just go up the CM and tell them you want to do child swap and get a swap ticket. It allows you to go back in with 2 (or sometimes 3 -- depends on the attraction) other riders and you go back in through the FP line. NO BIG DEAL at all. The first set of your group goes through the regular line (or through the fast pass line if you have fast passes -- good strategy!!), but the "swapping set" goes through the FastPass line at every single ride.

Our other kids love the baby swap b/c they get to ride twice with the other adult!!! It does slow us down, but you should count on being slow with a baby anyway!

Check with the CM at each attraction, but every single one of them knows about the swap and is armed with tons of swap tickets. There are slightly different procedures on some rides (on some, you all go through the line with the baby and just wait at the exit and then do the swap, but that's not very many -- Body Wars is the only one I can think of, but there may be a few others).

 

[GoingtoWDWagain]

Always ask before getting in line about the parent swap. So many rides have a different procedure of doing the parent swap. For example the new coaster at AK (Yeti) tells you, you must all get in line together and at the ride they will place the child and one parent in a holding/waiting area while the other parent rides. I did not like this since my little one was sleeping, the CM said, I'd have to carry the little one in and wait on line holding him , it was much too long of a wait to stand in line with two little ones, one asleep and the other asking why can't I ride?. So, we took turns on the singles line and that saved us some time and frustration. I was surprised the CM could not give me a pass seeing as the child was sleeping in the stroller All of the rest of the rides we had no problem.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

Always ask before getting in line about the parent swap. So many rides have a different procedure of doing the parent swap. For example the new coaster at AK (Yeti) tells you, you must all get in line together and at the ride they will place the child and one parent in a holding/waiting area while the other parent rides.

See, now we LOVE it when they do it this way. We don't like splitting up and we seem to all be able to do the ride/attraction a lot quicker. When we last did the swap out though, this was the only way they handled it. Hmmmm...now I am nervous for when we go back with DN2.