Rides w/ family of 5

[NYEmomma]

All of our previous trips we have had grandparents and aunts/uncles with us, which evened out the adult to kid ratio but next week it's our first trip with just our family of 5. It will be myself, DH and 3 daughters - ages 9, 6 and 6.

Are there any rides aside from the obvious that we won't be able to fit 3 across in?

For roller coasters, one of the twins is scared of them, but the two who aren't, will only ride of DH is sitting with them... i.e., the 9yo is NOT going to be ok riding by herself while DH is with the 6yo. My plan for that is for DH to take the 9yo and ride with FPs. Then DH will come out, take my magic band (which will also have a FP for the ride) and go again with the 6yo and her FP. Or is there a better option??

 

[Mousefan mom]

I think you might want to explore rider switch. I just posted a question about how to best use it. In our case we have family of 5--4 of which like to ride the thrill rides and a younger one who does not. However, I think your situation is similar.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

For rollercoasters, Barnstormer, Slinky Dog, SDMT, BTM, EE, and RnR are all 2 seaters. Splash you can fit 3, but it may be a little tight. Space MTN has 3 per car, but it's 1 in front of another, not side by side. ToT, Soarin, and FOP you can do 3 side by side. ToT and Soarin are actual seats right next to each other, FOP is separate ride vehicles side by side, but you are close enough to reach out and touch. Test Track can also fit 3 per seat.

If everyone is tall enough to ride, you're not likely going to be able to get a rider swap pass. They will allow you to do a swap at boarding, though it would require everyone to wait in the queue together and if you use FP, everyone would need them, including the non-rider.

 

[ramee]

They will allow you to do a swap at boarding, though it would require everyone to wait in the queue together and if you use FP, everyone would need them, including the non-rider.

Would they let the 9 year old wait in the que by herself?

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Would they let the 9 year old wait in the que by herself?

Yes. Anyone 7 or older is permitted to enter a line/ride alone.

 

[NYEmomma]

If everyone is tall enough to ride, you're not likely going to be able to get a rider swap pass. They will allow you to do a swap at boarding, though it would require everyone to wait in the queue together and if you use FP, everyone would need them, including the non-rider.

Could you explain this more to me? All 5 of us have FP for the same rides but one twin and I have no interest in the thrill rides It's just DH 9yo and twin 2. They just don't want to ride w/o being able to sit next to DH.

 

[NYEmomma]

Are there any regular rides - not thrill rides - that won't fit 3 across? If there are any, what seating scenarios are we looking at?

 

[Mousefan mom]

Could you explain this more to me? All 5 of us have FP for the same rides but one twin and I have no interest in the thrill rides It's just DH 9yo and twin 2. They just don't want to ride w/o being able to sit next to DH.

I think there is some confusion on the rider swap--check with Disney--I do intend to do this, but its my understanding you can use rider swap for anyone who is either too short or too intimidated to ride, and I believe you could get the rider swap scanned on your magic band and if you didn't want to ride with the other twin, your spouse could use your band and reride with them--from what I've heard today Disney doesn't care who rides, just how many butts are riding in the seat. We are in the situation where we have a younger one (and older teens) and the younger one is too afraid to ride. Some on here are telling me they won't do rider swap for that--but I do not believe that is the case from the research I've found. You can only do 2 to a seat for 7Ds, Big Thunder, etc.

 

[ramee]

Could you explain this more to me? All 5 of us have FP for the same rides but one

I think the scenario would be DH, 9 yo, twin get FP for thrill rides. Dh and twin ride first while 9 yo waits in the queue. During this time, you and other twin could FP for something else while they ride. The only issue is what is 6 yo going to do after her turn? I don’t think she’ll be allowed to wait without you or maybe she could leave the ride and meet you at the exit which wouldn’t leave you and other twin time to FP something else.

You could give your MB to DH to ride again but that leaves a FP on 6yo MB and she wouldn’t be allowed to ride anything alone. It could go to you or DH or 9yo to ride something alone.

I think I’d plan for rider switch but if it’s not allowed, the girls could take turns FPing with DH on certain rides and alternate doing standby. And I see 9yo not wanting to ride by herself all the time but maybe she could do it a couple times to help make things less complicated. She’d be experiencing the same ride at the same time and then regroup and share in how fun it was afterwards.

All that to say I see your problem. Good luck!

 

[NYEmomma]

You could give your MB to DH to ride again but that leaves a FP on 6yo MB and she wouldn’t be allowed to ride anything alone. It could go to you or DH or 9yo to ride something alone.

Oh! You've pointed out a flaw in my plan... because if DH uses my magic band for my FP, when we use all 3 of our FPs and are eligible to get a new one, DD will still have that one FP left on hers and won't be able to get a new one.

Right?

 

[ramee]

I think they eventually time out if not used. Or you could tap it but not get in line. Or just go in and change it to something else.

 

[blackpearl77]

We are a family of 3 - these are the rides where we can't fit 3 across and I get stuck riding by myself: Buzz Lightyear, Mine Train, Barnstormer (those are the only 2 roller coasters we went on since my son and I are whimps hehe but I'm guessing they are all 2 seaters except is it space mountain that is one seater? not sure since I'm not a coaster person), Spaceship Earth, Toy story. And when we eat at Sci-Fi Dine In I have to sit in my own row in the car. Other than those we can cram the 3 of us into the row.

Rider swap can definitely be used if someone is too scared too ride. And if you don't use the fast pass you can just let it run past the time and it will disappear and you can then book another. Or just modify it to something else.

 

[Kippa-Dee-Do-Dah]

For most of the "any height" rides (ex. Peter Pan, Little Mermaid, Haunted Mansion), I have found that you can get 2-4 people (if you have two adults, the kids would have to be really little). We were a party of 5 on our trip and we would do groups of 2 and 3. So no one ever had to sit alone, except me on SDD. (We skipped Big Thunder and Space). Even on Splash you can do 3 across.

Youtube is a great resource for this. There are tons of videos of basically every ride at WDW, and they show you the seats as well.

 

[wilbret]

Family of 5 here. We usually pair the 2 littles with a grown-up, and have the oldest (10 now, but he has been doing it for a couple years) OR one of the adults rides alone. We just meet at the end of the ride for things like space mountain. Others, you are in the same car at least.

We’ve allowed our 10 and 8 year old (current age) to buddy up and ride together without us. It’s scary at first, but it’s also strange to remember I was riding all over my hometown on a bike at those ages...

It is doable... we are theme park nerds, and hit every one we are near.

 

[sullyfam]

Family of 5 here. For those rides with occupancy of 2, someone is out of luck and that someone is usually my husband and he'll just sit alone in a row behind us. For rides with an occupancy of 3, usually we split and he'll ride with one of the kids and I'll ride with the other 2. Our last trip we just started letting the older 2 ride together in some situations. Anyone that is 8 and older can ride independently so we'd let the 11 and 9 year old ride together and we'd stick with our youngest. They loved it! Some rides everyone can squeeze in (Pirates, It's a Small World, Frozen, and Teacups come to mind). We just get in line and by the time we reach the ride entrance, we've figured out who was riding with who.

 

[NYEmomma]

Family of 5 here. For those rides with occupancy of 2, someone is out of luck and that someone is usually my husband and he'll just sit alone in a row behind us. For rides with an occupancy of 3, usually we split and he'll ride with one of the kids and I'll ride with the other 2. Our last trip we just started letting the older 2 ride together in some situations. Anyone that is 8 and older can ride independently so we'd let the 11 and 9 year old ride together and we'd stick with our youngest. They loved it! Some rides everyone can squeeze in (Pirates, It's a Small World, Frozen, and Teacups come to mind). We just get in line and by the time we reach the ride entrance, we've figured out who was riding with who.

So basically what it comes down to is that my 9yo daughter has to ride by herself for every 2 person ride there is.

 

[MainMom]

Oh! You've pointed out a flaw in my plan... because if DH uses my magic band for my FP, when we use all 3 of our FPs and are eligible to get a new one, DD will still have that one FP left on hers and won't be able to get a new one.

Right?

If you are sure she won’t ride it don’t make her a FP.

 

[Lurkerin]

Family of 5 here with a 9,6, and 4. Just back from MK and HS. 9 year old and 6 year old can ride together on SDMT and SDD together because of the locking system. That could mean Parent could ride alone. Barnstormer we had to rider swap. Everything else you can generally squeeze three (1 parent 2 kids) into a ride vehicle. We didn't do Space or Rockin' as all 5 because the rest of the party wasn't up for it. So we booked separate FP+.

 

[epcotfortmama]

We went on the Barnstormer last Spring Break for the first time and it was a day when only myself and at the time 6 year old and 3 year old were at the park (husband and youngest stayed at the hotel for a nap). For Barnstormer each of them had to ride with an adult with them and it wasn't mentioned to me until we were about to get on the ride, just a heads up. Not sure if your 9 year old would be considered old enough to ride alone or would want to. We've been many many times and that is the only ride I remember having an issue with but we don't really do thrill rides.

 

[LongLiveRafiki]

Could you explain this more to me? All 5 of us have FP for the same rides but one twin and I have no interest in the thrill rides It's just DH 9yo and twin 2. They just don't want to ride w/o being able to sit next to DH.

This was kind of hit on by a previous poster, but I'll try to explain it more. Generally, the rider swap pass that's loaded onto magic bands is granted when there is someone in the party who is too short to ride/enter the queue. They also offer a rider swap for those who are tall enough but too scared to ride, but it's typically handled at boarding.

To do that, everyone would get in line and when you get to the boarding area, you say that 6 yo is too scared to ride, so you'd like to perform a swap. Typically, what would happen then is dad and 6 yo would sit together and 9 yo would sit alone or with a stranger. When they returned, then you could ride, potentially with the 9 yo (sitting alone or with a stranger) and 6 yo (sitting with you), giving them a second ride. Since you don't wish to ride either and the 9 yo is technically old enough to ride alone, they may or may not allow dad to ride with one kid, come back and then ride with the other kid. Or they could just say no swap is needed since the 9 yo is old enough to ride alone when dad and 6 yo ride. It'll be up to the CM. They may allow it, they may not.

You could switch bands since you all have the same FPs. Dad takes 1 kid, returns and takes your band and takes another kid. This would leave the other 6 yo with a FP they can't use. You could either swipe their MB for the ride and not have them ride which would clear the FP or let it time out. Other than these two scenarios, the only other option is for the 9 yo to ride alone at the same time dad and 6 yo ride together, and then you and the other 6 yo could get a FP for a different ride.

Are there any regular rides - not thrill rides - that won't fit 3 across? If there are any, what seating scenarios are we looking at?

For non-thrill rides, these can fit 3 in a seat:
Pirates
iasm
Jungle Cruise
Mad Tea Party
Peter Pan
Gran Fiesta Tour
Frozen Ever After
Living with the Land
Journey into Imagination
Dinosaur
Safari
Primeval Whirl
Navi River

These can fit 3, but it may be a little tight depending on everyone's size:
Haunted Mansion
Little Mermaid ride
Dumbo
Magic Carpets
Pooh
Peoplemover
Astro Orbiter (seating is one in front of the other, but basically sitting between each other's legs-standard is 2 per vehicle, but they may allow 3)
Buzz (only 2 guns though)
Speedway (only one person can drive though)
Nemo ride
TSMM (only 2 blasters though)
Alien Swirling Saucers
Triceratops Spin

Only fit 2 per row:
Spaceship Earth
Kali River Rapids (12 seats total on raft, split into groups of 2 together)