Parents Ride Swap?

[maceeight]

I've been a regular visitor to the parks since I was 7 but this spring I'll be making my first trip with both of my kids. My son is 3 and my daughter will be turning 1 for our trip. I'm guessing that there will be some rides that the 3 year old will want to go on that that we may want my daughter to sit out for. When I was a kid I remember some sort of parent swapping for rides that my little sister couldn't ride yet where each parent would get a turn riding with me but only had to stand in line once. Having not been in this situation yet I'm curious if this still happens and if so if there is anything special that needs to be done in advance.

Has anyone had any experience with this?

[doconeill]

Plenty If you follow the Rider Switch link in my signature, there is a whole description of the process. Note that most of the time it only applies to attractions that have Fastpass and a height restriction, and the child doesn't meet the restriction. At other attractions, you will need to ask what they might be able to do for you.

[Chrissy&Tayen]

at dinosaur they gave us like a rider switch fastpass.. so once brent and his dad got done riding.. his dad sat with bug and then me and brent showed our pass and went thru the fast pass line and rode..

[HauntedGabe]

We did the switch for years with my children being 5 years apart. The bonus for my DS, the oldest, he was able to ride each attraction twice that his sister wasn't ready for yet.

We would take the younger one to story time, character greets etc. during the down time. This is where cell phones come in handy, so the adult leaving the attraction knows where to find the swap parent.

[eighthave]

I can't imagine anyone would give you a hard time about doing that. That said, I also can't imagine any ride a three year old would go on that wouldn't be ok for the baby to go on with a parent. I went with a 1 year old a few years ago, and I think she ended up riding more rides than my son, who is 4 years older, did. The only one I can think of that she didn't ride is the Tomorrowland speedway, and that was because she didn't like the engine noise.

Dave

[TXTaylors5]

We have been doing Rider Switch for years. Great way to tour a park with little ones and you still get to do some of the adventurous attractions without both adults having to wait in a long line.

Our Rider Switch Experience:
Your whole party goes to a ride entrance and tells the CM you want to do a Rider Switch.
The CM gives the non-riding adult a FP-type ticket with the words Rider Switch Pass on it.
(The Rider Switch pass is dated and can only be used on the date issued.)
The riding adult and child head into the stand-by queue
(or if you obtained a FP earlier for all first-time riders, you can go into the FP line).
The non-riding adult and child do NOT go into the queue. They go somewhere and wait. Some height restriction attractions have a play area nearby for the non-riding child to play (Ex: Laughin' Place near Splash Mountain & BTMRR, Inside play area at the exit of Mission:Space, Hanes sponsored kiosk in front of RNR). Sometimes, I took this down time for a diaper change or to take the little one on a mild attraction. (EX: Living With the Land while the others ride Soarin'.)
After meeting back up with the riding party, the first non-riding adult and up to two additional guests takes the Rider Switch Pass to the CM at the Fastpass entrance to the attraction. I like this option, because I didn't have to ride by myself and it gives both parents a chance to experience the attraction with their child(ren). From there, you are treated like the other Fastpass riders.

Like mentioned, usually it is for height restriction attractions. However, dark rides like POTC and HM list on the WDW site that you may switch. For attractions without a height restriction or FP line, you need to ask the CM at the attraction how they handle the switch.

Have a magical trip!