Can someone explain rider switch to me please.

[sublimesting]

I searched this and am not getting the answers I want. Basically what I am learning is that for rider switch, parent #1 waits outside the line while the parent #2 gets in line and rides the ride then the other parent gets in line while parent #2 waits outside.

How is this a rider switch? How is this a service? How does it make it easier on a family. I can do that myself without "rider switch" if it is basically just waiting outside the line.

This is very important to us because we want to take an 18 month old BUT if we can't WAIT IN LINE TOGETHER then it is not worth it to us to even bother going.

My DW and I find it absolutlely unbeliveable that rider switch is does not allow parents to wait in line together!?!?!

 

[chaggy102]

For rides with fast pass options, like Splash, Space, Thunder, Coaster, Tower, party #1 goes through the regular line, or the fast pass line if the party has fast passes. If the child doesn't meet the min height requirement then they cannot even enter the line.

Party #2 (Up to three people only) will then take the rider swap card from party #1 and take that through the fast pass line.

So unfortunately I guess it's not worth going in your case due to how the system works.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Not too sure how that works BUT it seems like you are looking for some advice as well. IMO wait another year and a half (torture I know!) until the kiddo is around three. Having kids that young is tough at Disney, I know there are tons of folks who would dispute this but I am only talking from personal experience.We visited WDW with friends who had a one year old when we were kid-free. Watching them get worn down to a nub was tough and it taught me to wait until our DD was old enough to enjoy the experience with us and not just go along for the ride. Good luck with whatever you decide and have a great time!

 

[sublimesting]

For rides with fast pass options, like Splash, Space, Thunder, Coaster, Tower, party #1 goes through the regular line, or the fast pass line if the party has fast passes. If the child doesn't meet the min height requirement then they cannot even enter the line.

Party #2 (Up to three people only) will then take the rider swap card from party #1 and take that through the fast pass line.

So unfortunately I guess it's not worth going in your case due to how the system works.

There is nothing special about that and doesn't. in any way, make naything easier for us as parents! We can do that ourselves. And yes since the majority of our day at Disney is waiting in lines, doing that alone is boring. Furthermore, it will be boring for a small child to have to sit and wait for each parent to ride a ride.

 

[bradandsarabr]

I think the parent swap works well. When you get to the line, ask the CM how the swap works on the ride. The CM will give you a parent swap pass. One parent then waits in line while the other can enjoy the park with the child. When the riding parent gets off the ride, that parent then gives the pass to the other parent who gets in the Fastpass line. My 4 year old was never bored waiting for me to ride. I was never bored in line either.

 

[chaggy102]

There is nothing special about that and doesn't. in any way, make naything easier for us as parents! We can do that ourselves. And yes since the majority of our day at Disney is waiting in lines, doing that alone is boring. Furthermore, it will be boring for a small child to have to sit and wait for each parent to ride a ride.

Then do it yourself then...there are plenty of things for a small child to do while waiting. There are countless play areas around rides where you need to be a certain height to ride. It's done this way because there aren't places to wait, many of these rides do not begin and end at the same point so it's not like you can be put right onto the ride. Unfortunately height rules are for the child's safety and the child just isn't allowed to enter the line if they aren't tall enough.

 

[sublimesting]

Doesn't Universal allow parents to wait together? I know my wife and I and we will be bored standing there by ourselves. The one with the baby will have fun but standing in line alone is NOT fun.

 

[chaggy102]

I'm pretty sure that Uni is the exact same way.

 

[Pioneer Hall]

There is nothing special about that and doesn't. in any way, make naything easier for us as parents! We can do that ourselves. And yes since the majority of our day at Disney is waiting in lines, doing that alone is boring. Furthermore, it will be boring for a small child to have to sit and wait for each parent to ride a ride.

It actually does provide a service and keep your waiting time down. One parent has to wait in line and the other is then given the opportunity to ride by going through the fastpass line. This allows the second person to get on the ride with basically no wait. You also have to remember that this is only for a handful of attractions that have height requirements. You are going to be able to ride a number of the attractions as a family.

 

[sublimesting]

Well, for a family destination that particular feature is not done very well at all. For one a child can be measured prior to boarding or DInsye could measure a kid at the gates of the park and if they are tall enough to ride ceratin rides they are given a wrist band of a certain color. A for borading at the same place the rides should be set up so that families with kids are coralled into a certain area and escorted to the nd of the ride when parent #1 boards then they switch and CM brings them back so parent #2 can board. It can be done groups of 5 o 10 parents so that one CM isn't escorting one prent back and forth.

See, there are solutions if Disney cared.

Sorry, this just kind of has me upset today as it chages the entire complexion of the trip we were planning. A huge part of our fun is talking to each others and spending family time. It's almost more fun to wait in line with my wife than ride the rides, so without that WDW isn't as fun for us. We expected WDW would be different with a baby but not to the extent that we would be spending the majority of the day alone.

 

[sublimesting]

It actually does provide a service and keep your waiting time down. One parent has to wait in line and the other is then given the opportunity to ride by going through the fastpass line. This allows the second person to get on the ride with basically no wait. You also have to remember that this is only for a handful of attractions that have height requirements. You are going to be able to ride a number of the attractions as a family.

That "service" is no different than if we got a FP as we normally would and then I go through FP line come back and my wife goes through. It is NOTHING that Disny is doing. It's not a service.
When I list all the attractions with height requirements it is vast and includes the best rides. It's basically the same list I made when DW was pregnant.

 

[Lee]

Sorry, this just kind of has me upset today as it chages the entire complexion of the trip we were planning. A huge part of our fun is talking to each others and spending family time. It's almost more fun to wait in line with my wife than ride the rides, so without that WDW isn't as fun for us. We expected WDW would be different with a baby but not to the extent that we would be spending the majority of the day alone.

Honest to god, that's a major reason the Mrs. and I decided not to have kids. It would interfere too much with our Disney park trips. Totally serious.

That "service" is no different than if we got a FP as we normally would and then I go through FP line come back and my wife goes through. It's not a service.

Actually it is different. A child swap can be used at any time simply by going to the CM at the queue entrance. No getting a fastpass and waiting on it to come due, or waiting an hour or two to get another one. It's very simple, very fast and should keep your time apart to a minimum.
And it is a service. They could force you to use fastpass or stand in the stand-by line alone. They don't. They give you a good alternative.
It's not perfect, but given the large number of small children brought to the park on a daily basis, there is not another system that would work as well.

 

[chaggy102]

Well, for a family destination that particular feature is not done very well at all. For one a child can be measured prior to boarding or DInsye could measure a kid at the gates of the park and if they are tall enough to ride ceratin rides they are given a wrist band of a certain color. A for borading at the same place the rides should be set up so that families with kids are coralled into a certain area and escorted to the nd of the ride when parent #1 boards then they switch and CM brings them back so parent #2 can board. It can be done groups of 5 o 10 parents so that one CM isn't escorting one prent back and forth.

See, there are solutions if Disney cared.

Sorry, this just kind of has me upset today as it chages the entire complexion of the trip we were planning. A huge part of our fun is talking to each others and spending family time. It's almost more fun to wait in line with my wife than ride the rides, so without that WDW isn't as fun for us. We expected WDW would be different with a baby but not to the extent that we would be spending the majority of the day alone.

They did this once upon a time and then people were able to buy the same color wrist bands or slip them off one kid and place it on the other...It's a shame that Disney cares about safety more than you do.

 

[sublimesting]

Honest to god, that's a major reason the Mrs. and I decided not to have kids. It would interfere too much with our Disney park trips. Totally serious.

Yeah, we had that talk. I kid you not rider swap was part of the decision as we thought we could at least wait in line together. Every time we go to WDW it made us want a kid to share it with. If we couldn't have a baby for some reason then we were going to get DVC.

 

[mike10]

This was one of the main reasons why I thought my 5 year old DD would be better staying with her Grammy than coming with my wife and I last year.

While I was off of the height and age think I did have the right mind set since both the myself and my wife never had been to Disney so we wanted to ride EVERYTHING we could.

This year my DD is 6 and she is about 42" so there will be very little she can't do so I think this will be better for her and it doesn't stop us since I don't mind riding behind DW and DD so we parent swap is not an issue now.

 

[sublimesting]

They did this once upon a time and then people were able to buy the same color wrist bands or slip them off one kid and place it on the other...It's a shame that Disney cares about safety more than you do.

Oh give me a break. People can always try to beat the system if they want to. Kids can also wear shoes with big soles or put lifts in them as I know people do. Or parents can lie about their age for a discount. People can ride rides with injuries or while pregnant or infirm. Disney can only do so much and go so far. My idea was a good one. And if that is the reason they don't do it then kids should also have to remove their shoes for height check if Disney cares about safety.

 

[chaggy102]

Oh give me a break. People can always try to beat the system if they want to. Kids can also wear shoes with big soles or put lifts in them as I know people do. Or parents can lie about their age for a discount. People can ride rides with injuries or while pregnant or infirm. Disney can only do so much and go so far. My idea was a good one. And if that is the reason they don't do it then kids should also have to remove their shoes for height check if Disney cares about safety.

Actually there are times when this is done...if a cast member can clearly see that a child is wearing high heels or have duel sandle bottoms (one sandle glued to the bottom of another) then they are asked to stand barefoot.