Child Swap

[tjkraz]

How does the Child Swap work on Space Mountain?

It seems like most of the times we've asked (RnR, TT) CMs have indicated that one parent must wait outside with the kids while the other rides. Then when the first parent is though, the second is allowed through the FastPass line.

I was stunned when they wanted us to do that on Test Track. We all know it can easily take 30 minutes to get through the pre-show and ride on Test Track, even on a slow day. There's no way we were going to give-up an hour of our time just to ride TT in two groups.

Are there any thrill rides where the family can walk through the queue together and separate on the loading platform?

[TW1]

Good question.

Its been a few years, but I recall doing the queue together and one of us waiting on the loading platform for the hand-off on Splash Mt, the Dino ride in AK, and Test Track.

ToT is different since you get left off in the gift shop, not sure what happens there.

[Stimpy]

Having done this many times recently (last time in Oct), I can tell you that most of the rides are now doing this. You get a child-swap/fastpass to return. Space Mountain does this too now. We did this on most of the thrill rides (except ToT and R&RC) and the second parent had to wait outside until the other one exited. I know Splash Mtn, BTMRR, SM, Test Track, Soarin' do it.

The only one I remember walking through the line with the baby was Star Tours. We had to walk through the simulator and wait on the other side.

The good thing about the child-swap/fastpass is that it's good for 3 (maybe 4?) people. When we went , DS got to ride all his favorites twice. You can also combine them with regular FP's.

For example, we got 3 FP's for Soarin. When we came back for our FP time, DH and DS went on line and we asked for the child swap. I waited with DD. When DH and DS came off, DS and I used the CS to go right on again. A little time consuming but we didn't have to wait for another FP for DS to ride again. DS was excited to ride twice!

[DarthGoofy]

Are there any thrill rides where the family can walk through the queue together and separate on the loading platform?

I don't know if it would be called a thrill ride, but you can do this on Primeval Whirl. They have a "holding pen" right beside the load area. My wife and DS have waited there before after going through the line with me.

[TW1]

For example, we got 3 FP's for Soarin. When we came back for our FP time, DH and DS went on line and we asked for the child swap. I waited with DD. When DH and DS came off, DS and I used the CS to go right on again. A little time consuming but we didn't have to wait for another FP for DS to ride again. DS was excited to ride twice!
Nice use of the CS! Can I borrow your kids for my next trip?

[lllovell]

We had issues when I had to be in a wheelchair last May at the parks with Test Track. I wasn't going to ride because I was expecting, but once we got up there, they basically told me I HAD to ride because there was no exit there. I would have had to negotiated back down the fast pass line (in a wheelchair no less). The CM was ummmm well - a bioux to use my Uncle's word. I ended up deciding to ride after hubby gave me a full description of the ride (my first time) and I decided it was no big deal really and it wasn't. My bone of contention with this whole scene was that if they could get my wheelchair across to the exit side, then they could have gotten ME across to the exit side. I could walk, only short distances, so if they needed to fold the chair to move it, I could have walked that short distance and told them so.

Also, on our last trip (in Dec) we were told by the CM in front of the indy cars that "most people just take their babies on that ride and we didn't NEED to child swap". I said ummm no - that can't be. The sign RIGHT behind you says no children under X and at 7 weeks, PJ was definately under X. So then we were told to go through the line to child swap. So we did and guess what? We were supposed to be let into the wheelchair access of this ride to make it work. Luckily, we had a great CM at the loading area that worked it out and the boys got to ride twice (Chuck and I switched and the boys took turns driving). This is the first time I have written a letter griping about a CM. How that woman could be encouraging someone to take an INFANT on those cars was beyond me.

My experience has been that it is going to depend on the CM at the front (and you might get told something else when you actually GET to the ride). Very frustrating.

[Stimpy]

Nice use of the CS! Can I borrow your kids for my next trip?
Sure but we may not be too willing to take them back right away! LOL

[lllovell]

Sure but we may not be too willing to take them back right away! LOL


lol Ransom of the Red Chief eh?

[DSNY FN]

We have used this many times and it wors great especially in conjunction with fast pass. You return to the ride when your fastpass time comes up you ask teh CM at the entrance for your kid switch pass and those with teh FP go in to ride while those waiting with teh kids go to the exit and wait for the others to come out. You go up the exit of the ride well at TT you do anyhow then you get on teh ride right away while still holding fast passes for others. You then go back and use your remaining fast passes and get anotehr kid switch pass and repeat. This allows multiple rides in a very short period of time.

[tjkraz]

You return to the ride when your fastpass time comes up you ask teh CM at the entrance for your kid switch pass and those with teh FP go in to ride while those waiting with teh kids go to the exit and wait for the others to come out. You go up the exit of the ride well at TT you do anyhow then you get on teh ride right away while still holding fast passes for others.

If I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that those staying with the kids went to the EXIT of TT and waited there. Then when the first group of riders finished, those with the kid swap pass walked in the EXIT and boarded there without going through the pre-show. Is that right?

If so, we must have run into a real moron CM. I've often existed TT and saw people waiting at the exit. The process I described above is how I thought things would work for that ride. But, as we were about to board on a recent trip, the CM at the FastPass line said that BOTH groups needed to go through the FastPass line...separately, of course. After he explained this to me, I even repeated it back to him to make sure that I understood, and he maintained that you couldn't just go through the exit.

[jnrrt]

Frankly, I've been frustrated by child swap as well, and I think it's getting a bit worse because of all the FP lines. Now they're having everyone use them, and I think the practice used to be more of what you described, TJ, before they had the option of FP. It takes longer to go though, if you all do the FP line. For example, on the last trip, we went to Soarin' and it took over a half an hour to get through the ride and then swap, and then another half an hour or more for the second group. So the baby is just hanging out in a lobby for an hour, and that's no fun. I wish they'd let you walk in together and wait only through the actual ride, and then your family could go on the next one. Maybe it's too hard logistically, I don't know.l

[johnb]

We never wait around to use the child swap pass while the rest of the family is on the ride. The pass may or may not be stamped with an expiration date. As long as you use it by that date, it doesn't matter when the pass is used.

We needed the child swap passes for just about all of the big rides. While DW took my boys on a ride, DD and I would grab a snack, shop for pins, go on a "kiddie" ride, etc. Later in the day (or even a few days later if we were back in the same park) I'd use the swap pass and the boys would ride with me.

[DSNY FN]

If I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that those staying with the kids went to the EXIT of TT and waited there. Then when the first group of riders finished, those with the kid swap pass walked in the EXIT and boarded there without going through the pre-show. Is that right?

If so, we must have run into a real moron CM. I've often existed TT and saw people waiting at the exit. The process I described above is how I thought things would work for that ride. But, as we were about to board on a recent trip, the CM at the FastPass line said that BOTH groups needed to go through the FastPass line...separately, of course. After he explained this to me, I even repeated it back to him to make sure that I understood, and he maintained that you couldn't just go through the exit.


That is exactly how we did it we waited at teh exit with teh kid switch pass and when teh first group came out we entered the ride up the exit ramp and were seated right away by the CM waiting there. This is how we have done it every time we use it.

[CRSNDSNY]

This May will be the first time we try the CS. This sounds so confusing! How do you know where to go and what to do? What if FP isn't open for a ride?

[Stimpy]

There's almost always a CM standing near the entrance of the ride line. Just ask them. They are the ones with the Child Swap/Fastpasses and can tell you what to do. Once you do it, it's really easy.

Not all rides have child swap. Usually it's just the Thrill-rides and I'm pretty sure they all have fast pass lines. We never actually used CS without the fastpass lines being open. Since they only close the FP line if there are really short lines anyway, you really don't need CS either. You can just get on line again when you are ready.

[CRSNDSNY]

good point
thanks for clarifying that!

[CRSNDSNY]

double post...sorry!

[mamaprincess]

All I can say is I will truly miss CS when my youngest is tall enough to ride the big rides. We love it and the twins get to ride everything they love twice with no real wait. CS is great!:bouncingp