Rider Swap Question

[wvdisneyfamily]

I did a search on this but couldn't find what I wanted to know. When you do rider swap, can both parents go through the line together and then just swap the child out at load/unload area? My husband and I like to go through the lines together (as strange as that may sound).

 

[mwbrown]

I think that depends very much on the ride. Most Disney rides with parent swap don't have the unload and load areas in the same place. When we did a parent swap at Rock n Roller Coaster, my wife waited outside and then went through the fast pass line after I returned. You might be able to do a parent swap by going through the line together, and then one of you taking the 'chicken out' exit before getting on the ride.

The problem is that if your child doesn't meet the height for the ride, the first CM at the entrance to the queue might not let them pass....I seem to remember that the unofficial guide to Disney World has a section on parent swapping for more info too...

 

[Batphobic]

This is how the child swap works:

You walk up the the CM standing guard at the fast-pass entrance. The whole family has to be there (they want to ensure you really are doing a valid child swap and not getting free "fast passes"). You tell that CM you need child swap pass/es. One parent (parent A) stays outside of the ride with the kid/s while the other parent (parent B) waits in line normally with the kid/s who meet the height requirements. Parent B and kids (if applicable) go on the ride. When they are off, the children who meet the requirements "swap" parents. Those kids and Parent A go through the fast-pass line using the child swap pass.

It's cool because the kids who meet the height requirement get to go on the ride two times for the price of one wait in line.

And we like it 'cause we're older and can't go go go at that pace anyway, so when we're stuck outside of the attraction with the littler kids it's a-ok.

Sometimes there are things for the littler ones to do - like outside Splash Mountain is a fun padded play area with a slide that my daughter loved. And I like the break to just sit there and watch her.

But yeah - unfortunately, you don't go through the line together.