Myself and hubby and our 8 month old will be going to D-land in a few weeks. Are we alowed to wait in line with Dad on the big rides then just do the baby pass off so that we can both ride??

I know they have the parent swap which is great and I know that there are some rides that that would just not work on as the que and the loading area are different. But lets say. Indian Jones??

Half the fun is standing in line together and talking and I don't want to miss out??

Has anyone asked this question or had this happend to them???

Thanks
S

That's a good question - I hope someone who knows replies! My husband and I will be in a similar situtation in March, so I'm anxious to hear from the experts here too.
Do we all stand in line together then Dad goes on and mom and baby wait in a special area, then Dad gets off, takes baby and Mom rides? Where do mom and baby wait?

When we were having to do the baby swap, we were made to leave the line at the first point where the CM measured the child. (i.e. Indiana Jones at the beginning, SM at the barn, Matterhorn where you enter the cottage thing.) I also thought that it would be nice having somebody to talk to in line but I think they do it as to prevent the argument (from parents who have kids close to the height requirement) that the child made the requirement when he was measured by the first CM. Also I think it would slow down the line if you had guests not riding that were in line. Just my theories anyway.

For child swap, you and the child who can't go, wait by or near the exit of the ride. When your party finishes riding, you switch kids and enter either the fastpass entrance or the exit (the card tells you what to do). The child swap card is good for up to two people so we always let my husband and son ride, then I'd go and take my son again while my husband stayed with the baby. Fastpass is great for child swap rides because it does make the amount of time you are waiting a lot less.

I know that at BTMRR last time I went, they weren't allowing guests to wait on the exit side of the tracks. They gave us an instant fastpass for two instead.

We tried at the Tower of Terror. But the CM at the entrance of the ride said that I wasn't allowed to wait in line with my husband. He gave me the child switch pass, and then I had to wait outside by myself. This is not really fair to the parent who has to wait in a long line all by themselves. I can understand with kids who are close to the height restrictions, but obviously those of us with infants would not be trying to take them on the rides.

I can understand with kids who are close to the height restrictions, but obviously those of us with infants would not be trying to take them on the rides.

But then at what age do you draw the line? It seems to me much more uniform to just say that it's not allowed at all rather than to have this argument multiple times over with various people. I can see how it's a difficult situation, but it's unfortunately something that parents have to deal with when there's no one else to watch the child.

He gave me the child switch pass, and then I had to wait outside by myself. This is not really fair to the parent who has to wait in a long line all by themselves. I can understand with kids who are close to the height restrictions, but obviously those of us with infants would not be trying to take them on the rides.

I use the time to change diapers, feed the baby, meet a character, go on a ride with just me and the baby, shop, etc. While the one parent is in line, the other parent can go grab a snack and have it waiting when the first parent gets off the ride, too.

Remember that child swap passes don't have time restrictions on them. For example- if the baby is asleep in the stroller, that might be a good time for Dad to sit with baby while Mom is in the long line. Then the baby wakes up, you can all ride a family ride together. When it's time for the baby to eat again, Dad can use the baby swap pass to go on the ride.

The only caveat is that if you get the swap pass on one day you have to use it that day.

Adrienne

I forgot to add that there are other logistical considerations:

At some rides, for example, the "Window" to get one group of riders unloaded and get the next group loaded is not very big. If they have lots of people who are only waiting in line with child swap, then to have to stop and get them out of the way while completing their loading procedure can cause a ride to go down while it resets. It's much more efficient and much fairer to the rest of the guests to avoid such breakdowns. Even if there's no breakdown, waiting for families to crawl over attraction vehicles slows down the loading process, again, unfair to other guests, including other families waiting with child-swap passes.

There isn't enough room at ride loading zones for families with child swaps to wait on the loading docks to do the swapping, either, so that option is out.

I think that "fair" is a really subjective concept. How does Disney decide which person's comfort ranks higher than another guest's? They're in business of running attractions with the maximum capacity possible for the maximum safety of guests.

Adrienne

Pet peeve: "not fair" should be reserved for "some people have to do it, other people in the same circumstances don't." The phrase I think you are searching for is "it's a bummer that one parent has to wait in line by themselves."

True, but that's the way it is. IMO, this system is much better than the "old" way, where everyone had to wait together. Then, Jr. had to wait in a line for a ride that he will never board. Now that's a bummer.

Then again, I'm the kind of parent that doesn't ride anything unless one or more of my kids rides with me. All too soon, my kids will be "too cool" to ride with Dad. Until then, I'd rather ride Small World (shudder) with my kids than anything else without.

Thanks guys for all the information. We are not to worried about it as its little mans first trip so we will only do what he can ride. But I just wanted to know for my own info so I didn't get stopped or spoken to about being in the wrong line.

I am so excited about taking my son. My hubby and I have talked about this trip for years and years and now we have a little guy to share the magic with

S