Fastpass/Baby Swap/Child Swap

[rebecca6438]

First, this is the best site on earth. My husband (you would say DH) thinks I'm crazy to be so thrilled about everything Disney! He can only handle one day--for me, every day should be a magical day! So I have actually invited my sister-in-law to join me for a 3 day trip, Aug 22-24, and my husband will join us on the last day.

Questions: we will be 2 adults and 3 kids, ages 11, 8 and 2. My almost 3 year old is tall, 41 inches--can she go on the rides you don't have to be 3 for without her own fastpass? Like Splash Mountain and Soarin (any other rides she can do that won't be too scary? Tower of Terror is out--we took my son when he was for and he wouldn't get into an elevator for weeks!) We will have enhanced fastpass through AAA so would like to use it alot!

To do the Baby Swap for other rides (where you need to be 3 or taller than 41 inches), do the adults take turns riding with one child? or do they let the 2 older kids ride twice, once with each adult? The latter would be so much more fun for the kids, especially on rides like space mountain and grizzly river run where it's not 2 in a seat. Do you wait at the front of the ride or outside? With a baby swap pass, do you wait on the fastpass line again when you go back withthe second adult?

Sorry for all the questions! thanks for the answers!

 

[DLR29]

FP- Since your almost 3 year old doesn't have a ticket, she does not need a FP.

AAA FP- I'd suggest one person go around the whole park and collect FPs for everything first thing when you enter the park. ALso when you go to use your FPs, pick up another when returning to ride.

Baby Swap- Go up to the ride entrance and ask the greeter where to go (stand-by, FP line). One parent boards the ride (with any other passengers) while the other parent waits next to the ride with the too young or too short child. The best situation would be when you board, one child can ride with one parent and the other can ride with the other. This would be better to avoid annoying other people standing in line. You can always ask if both can ride both times. Have fun!

 

[iceskatejen]

On most of those rides, I think they do require the child to be at least 3yo anyway. So, if she doesn't have a ticket to get a FP, they likely won't let her ride.

 

[mom2dzb]

Re: Baby Swap
When I was at DL/DCA in May we experienced baby swap differently. When we got into line with our baby we were handed a bright colored cardstock paper that we could use as a fast pass. It allowed two people to get on the ride through the fast pass line. One of us would take the baby with that card and do whatever while the rest of the family waited in line. Theoretically, when the riders were done they would find the other parent with the baby and switch off. Two people would then take the pass and use the fast pass line to ride. We seldom did that, though, because it separated our whole party for too long.

I'd never seen that before (we've baby swapped in WDW a few years ago) and I've never seen mention of it on the boards here. I've wondered if they are still handling it that way or if it was just a test run of the procedure.

 

[DLR29]

^^They actually will let them on. Expecially the more family friendly rides that have FP (BLAB, Autopia).

According to the official map the rides that have an age restriction are: Autopia-12 months. That's it.

Edit: Also Space and Splash have an age restriction. Under 8 must be accompanied by an adult.

 

[autumnbaby9]

When my family and I were in WDW last Nov that was how the baby swap was handled. I thought it was much nicer than making the young child wait in line with the rest of the family. My daughter was able to get an ice cream and play in the play area out of the sun instead. I hope they continue doing it this way.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

keep in mind though, even if your child is tall enough, if they start crying the CM wont usually let them on or if they cry while getting ready to go on the ride..same thing

 

[dletz]

For all rides at DL you must be 7 to ride alone, in some instances it is even to ride in a car alone. On Dumbo you need someone who is over 7 to ride, so if you have three kids under 7 and 1 adult, you all must fit in one dumbo, or you can not ride. Or you have to trust someone in line to ride with your kids. Some rides, you just must have an adult ride, On jumpin Jellyfish my daughter and her cousin were both 6. They rode next to each other and one adult had to ride the ride, but he wasn't sitting next to them.

We were at Disneyland the day before my daughter's 7th birthday, she was asked while going on a ride how old she was. She said 6, tomorrow I turn 7. The CM told her that she had to ride with an adult. I told her than when she is 7 she will be allowed to ride alone. The first time we went to DL after she turned 7, we went on Buzz Lightyear, I had told her that she could ride in the car by herself ahead of us, and me and her dad would ride behind her. The CM would not let her. He didn't even ask her age, just said that she couldn't ride if one of us didn't ride with her. She was so upset. To her it was a big thing to be able to ride alone in the car. When we got off the ride I asked the person closing up the FP machines what the age limit to ride alone was. He said 7. I explained the situation, and he asked my daughter if she wanted to try again. She said yes, so he took us up the exit and told the CMs to make sure that the little princess rides alone with her parents in the car behind. She was so thrilled and felt so grown up. Now she generally does ride with one of sitting with her, but she likes the fact that she is old enough to ride in a car alone.

If you have fast pass, you can combine it with child swap. Take fast pass to line, get child swap pass, have people ride with fast pass, when they come off, ride with child swap pass. It works out pretty good. Child swap is supposed to allow the person to ride with another passenger. In most cases this will be enforced to only 2 people, especially if it is on a ride with a car that only holds 2 people per seat (such as space mountian, if they allow 3 to ride, then you are taking up 2 seats not just 1).