Child swap question

Status
Not open for further replies.
Because they're not supposed to. As I pointed out earlier, there is a different procedure for that situation.

First, DAS is not equivalent to RS. Nor is DAS meant as an alternative to RS.

Second, if RS is never meant to be given to kids too afraid to ride, why does FEA (always) offer rider switch? I don't know the "truth" and what WDW corporate intends. And unless you are WDW corporate, I doubt you do either (I do not mean that in a negative manner, but even their CMs usually have incorrect facts/data on nearly everything).

To me, the mere existence of RS at Frozen Ever After, with zero height restriction, means that WDW doesn't outright think RS is only for those too short to ride...
 
Last edited:
I rider swapped at FEA so that my 85 year old wheelchair bound mother didn't have to wait alone.

And we were not provided that privilege with my mother in law in April so those reading along should be aware this isn't always the case.

I always advise people that unless you have a child who "can not" ride due to a height restriction don't count on getting a paper rider swap pass - if you do it's a bonus. Regardless of what the website says or what has happened in the past the ride CM makes the decision - and guest relations will back them up so its best to be prepared. There are alternate arrangements that can be made for other situations but they don't involved the rider swap pass.
 


That is why you need to take the child (or children) to the ride entrance and ask for a rider swap pass before
getting into the waiting line.

Oh Lord. I've never even heard of this. Looks like I need to do some reading. I really hate the thought of half the group waiting for the first half to get through the ride, and then the 2nd half of the group waiting again to get to go. So families with small kids have to wait double the amount of time as anyone else?
 
There are very few rides that the little ones can't go on.

Magic Kingdom

  • Barnstormer (35")
  • Big Thunder (40")
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38")
  • Space Mountain (44")
  • Splash Mountain (40")
  • Stitch's Great Escape (40")
  • Tomorrowland Speedway (32" minimum to ride, 54" minimum to drive)

So we can take a 6 week old, in our arms, on POTC?
 


Oh Lord. I've never even heard of this. Looks like I need to do some reading. I really hate the thought of half the group waiting for the first half to get through the ride, and then the 2nd half of the group waiting again to get to go. So families with small kids have to wait double the amount of time as anyone else?
You're thinking about this the wrong way.
The point is that the MAJORITY of the TIME is spent waiting in LINE.
(Most of the durations of the RIDES are very short. Figure 3-10 minutes.)
The Rider Swap Pass, eliminates the need for the "2nd half of the group" to wait in the line.
That 2nd group can use the RS Pass to skip (most of) the wait and just ride the ride (nearly immediately.)

That's the purpose of the RS Pass...
If the 2nd group had to wait in the line again, there'd be no need fo the Rider Swap Pass.

Also, the RS Pass does not have to be used as soon as the 1st group has finished the ride.
The Pass can be used later in that same day, if that's what's preferred.
 
And we were not provided that privilege with my mother in law in April so those reading along should be aware this isn't always the case.

I always advise people that unless you have a child who "can not" ride due to a height restriction don't count on getting a paper rider swap pass - if you do it's a bonus. Regardless of what the website says or what has happened in the past the ride CM makes the decision - and guest relations will back them up so its best to be prepared. There are alternate arrangements that can be made for other situations but they don't involved the rider swap pass.
So rider swap doesn't effect me now and I've only used it once but I find it interesting how easily it is dismissed as 'that's just what the website says'. It is their website. I have bought a few items at Costco online (and a ton in store) and their website says you can return online purchases in store. If I brought something into the store to return and they said "you have to get a form and mail that back' I'm not going to just "ok sure, silly website'.
 
So rider swap doesn't effect me now and I've only used it once but I find it interesting how easily it is dismissed as 'that's just what the website says'. It is their website. I have bought a few items at Costco online (and a ton in store) and their website says you can return online purchases in store. If I brought something into the store to return and they said "you have to get a form and mail that back' I'm not going to just "ok sure, silly website'.

The WDW site has much demonstrably bad info.
 
So rider swap doesn't effect me now and I've only used it once but I find it interesting how easily it is dismissed as 'that's just what the website says'. It is their website. I have bought a few items at Costco online (and a ton in store) and their website says you can return online purchases in store. If I brought something into the store to return and they said "you have to get a form and mail that back' I'm not going to just "ok sure, silly website'.

This issue with riders swap/child swap is twofold, mainly because they do offer a switch for those who can ride but choose not to but it isn't a "rider swap pass". People assume they are going to get the paper pass good via the FP line for 3 guests and that is generally only issued when a rider is too short.

The other issue is what are you going to do about it at Disney? Guest relations will back up the CM at the attraction so the question then becomes how much effort do you put into this during your vacation. How much time would you spend, where would you go who would you speak to because you didn't get your way when your 4yo nephew was just barely tall enough to ride TOT but too afraid for example? We were offered an alternative way for everyone to ride without waiting the line twice but my nephew was also afraid of the queue. Sure we could have stormed over to Guest Relations and escalated it up the ladder but at that point it would have aggravated everyone and wasted vacation time. Instead we just split up, one party for ice cream and the other rode TOT.

Personally I don't feel like I am dismissing the website errors or apologizing for them, I just feel like making folks aware that the in park practice may be different can be helpful in their planning.
 
Oh Lord. I've never even heard of this. Looks like I need to do some reading. I really hate the thought of half the group waiting for the first half to get through the ride, and then the 2nd half of the group waiting again to get to go. So families with small kids have to wait double the amount of time as anyone else?

We don't sit around and wait. We go ride something else nearby with a short wait, have a snack, see a show or streetmosphere, etc. while waiting for the rest of the party to ride. This is why we like the way Disney's rider swap works because you don't all have to wait together while each group rides. Also, in our previous experience (which admittedly was 2016 and prior), the RS passes were good until the end of the month, so we would actually sometimes hold on to them until another day of the trip. I have seen here and there in Facebook groups that sometimes they are only good until the end of the day. However, they still don't need to be used immediately after the first group has gone on the ride.
 
Magic Kingdom

  • Barnstormer (35")
  • Big Thunder (40")
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38")
  • Space Mountain (44")
  • Splash Mountain (40")
  • Stitch's Great Escape (40")
  • Tomorrowland Speedway (32" minimum to ride, 54" minimum to drive)

So we can take a 6 week old, in our arms, on POTC?

Yes, Pirates, as well as anything else without a height requirement.
 
This issue with riders swap/child swap is twofold, mainly because they do offer a switch for those who can ride but choose not to but it isn't a "rider swap pass". People assume they are going to get the paper pass good via the FP line for 3 guests and that is generally only issued when a rider is too short.

The other issue is what are you going to do about it at Disney? Guest relations will back up the CM at the attraction so the question then becomes how much effort do you put into this during your vacation. How much time would you spend, where would you go who would you speak to because you didn't get your way when your 4yo nephew was just barely tall enough to ride TOT but too afraid for example? We were offered an alternative way for everyone to ride without waiting the line twice but my nephew was also afraid of the queue. Sure we could have stormed over to Guest Relations and escalated it up the ladder but at that point it would have aggravated everyone and wasted vacation time. Instead we just split up, one party for ice cream and the other rode TOT.

Personally I don't feel like I am dismissing the website errors or apologizing for them, I just feel like making folks aware that the in park practice may be different can be helpful in their planning.
I'm neither criticizing those who dismiss it as just what the website says or offering a solution. I myself am not into complaining to try and get something for nothing (which I believe can work at Disney) but if this issue effected me I imagine I would follow up after the trip. In my Costco example I'd say I'll wait until I'm coming back to the store and if the website where changed in between I'd mail it back otherwise there is no way I'm leaving that store with both my item and membership.
 
Oh Lord. I've never even heard of this. Looks like I need to do some reading. I really hate the thought of half the group waiting for the first half to get through the ride, and then the 2nd half of the group waiting again to get to go. So families with small kids have to wait double the amount of time as anyone else?

You have to go to the ride with the child but then are free to do other things. We typically split up after getting the RS ticket or lanyard and one of us takes shorty to meet a character or have a snack. Sometimes we come back right away for the ride, sometimes we go back later. Even without waiting in line it can still take some time to go through the FP queue and actually go on the ride (ToT is an example).
 
I'm neither criticizing those who dismiss it as just what the website says or offering a solution. I myself am not into complaining to try and get something for nothing (which I believe can work at Disney) but if this issue effected me I imagine I would follow up after the trip. In my Costco example I'd say I'll wait until I'm coming back to the store and if the website where changed in between I'd mail it back otherwise there is no way I'm leaving that store with both my item and membership.

Then follow up. But this has been an issue for many years, and Disney doesn’t care about it as much as you do.
 
While there's nothing in any rule (real or imagined) that would distinguish between the two situations, all those factors (as well as what side of the bed they woke up on that morning) will likely play into how a CM handles it.

The difference is that the 9 year old can go wait somewhere while the rest of the group rides, and the 4 year old can’t.

The conflict is one of Disney's own making. Although the website explicitly states that "Rider Switch" is available for "a Guest (that) does not wish to board a particular attraction", this is not always honored in the real world. Conflicts will continue until CM's actions consistently match the website's Rider Switch description.

Conflicts will continue until the website matches what the park rules are.

Some years back as the website slowly and painfully started changing to gontowards MDE, some web person changed the stated rules for switch. And never told the parks.

It’s a website issue, not a parks issue.

Oh Lord. I've never even heard of this. Looks like I need to do some reading. I really hate the thought of half the group waiting for the first half to get through the ride, and then the 2nd half of the group waiting again to get to go. So families with small kids have to wait double the amount of time as anyone else?

Robo explained the main aspect, but I say...don’t *wait*. Go do something else! Learn from those of us silly enough to sit and wait while the first group went on the ride. Don’t do that. :)


Magic Kingdom

  • Barnstormer (35")
  • Big Thunder (40")
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (38")
  • Space Mountain (44")
  • Splash Mountain (40")
  • Stitch's Great Escape (40")
  • Tomorrowland Speedway (32" minimum to ride, 54" minimum to drive)

So we can take a 6 week old, in our arms, on POTC?

Of course.

I won’t take a baby or little toddler on the tea cups, but Pirates is no issue. Just a litttle loud, but then Disney is loud.

So rider swap doesn't effect me now and I've only used it once but I find it interesting how easily it is dismissed as 'that's just what the website says'. It is their website. I have bought a few items at Costco online (and a ton in store) and their website says you can return online purchases in store. If I brought something into the store to return and they said "you have to get a form and mail that back' I'm not going to just "ok sure, silly website'.

But that’s it IS a dummy website issue. Costco the store and Costco the website do the same thing. They sell items. Disney the place and Disney the website don’t do the same thing. They are different divisions and at one point the website division literally changed the written rules.

if this issue effected me I imagine I would follow up after the trip.

Please do. I have a feeling that few have done so. Which is why it has persisted since around 2013.
 
This issue with riders swap/child swap is twofold, mainly because they do offer a switch for those who can ride but choose not to but it isn't a "rider swap pass". People assume they are going to get the paper pass good via the FP line for 3 guests and that is generally only issued when a rider is too short.

The other issue is what are you going to do about it at Disney? Guest relations will back up the CM at the attraction so the question then becomes how much effort do you put into this during your vacation. How much time would you spend, where would you go who would you speak to because you didn't get your way when your 4yo nephew was just barely tall enough to ride TOT but too afraid for example? We were offered an alternative way for everyone to ride without waiting the line twice but my nephew was also afraid of the queue. Sure we could have stormed over to Guest Relations and escalated it up the ladder but at that point it would have aggravated everyone and wasted vacation time. Instead we just split up, one party for ice cream and the other rode TOT.

Personally I don't feel like I am dismissing the website errors or apologizing for them, I just feel like making folks aware that the in park practice may be different can be helpful in their planning.
I took a screenshot of the policy on the Disney site and showed cm and said "this is your written policy. Is there a reason you choose not to follow it? " got swap pass.
Disney training is not consistent then there are those with ego power trip. Not sure which is case each time but showing written policy should help.
 
I took a screenshot of the policy on the Disney site and showed cm and said "this is your written policy. Is there a reason you choose not to follow it? " got swap pass.
Disney training is not consistent then there are those with ego power trip. Not sure which is case each time but showing written policy should help.

The CMs’ training and the website do not agree. Some CMs will stick to their training when challenged, others won’t. You got one that didn’t.
 
I took a screenshot of the policy on the Disney site and showed cm and said "this is your written policy. Is there a reason you choose not to follow it? " got swap pass.
Disney training is not consistent then there are those with ego power trip. Not sure which is case each time but showing written policy should help.

I don't think it's an ego power trip. I think the CMs see it as a matter of fairness because they are the ones who actually have to deal with the crowds. I imagine they get tired of people they think are trying to game a system (whether they are or not) and asking for special* treatment. Because they probably see people who have a kid who is "scared" to ride so they get the RS and then come back and use it.

*I know it's allowed. I'm just saying that's how the CMs may see it.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top