Baby Swap

[LeeAnn]

Is Baby Swap available throughout WDW? If not, where is it able? And how does it work?

 

[TLHB70]

Yes; it is a parent swap available at the rides. Throughout all of the parks one parent can ride without the child as the other parent sits out with that child. As the first parent exits the ride the other parent will then be seated in the first parent's spot without having the wait. It is generally used on the rides with height restrictions for the children that are too small to ride. However, I have seen it done on rides without height restrictions before with parents that had infants. I had to do it a couple of years ago when we brought my youngest daughter. She wasn't tall enough for some of the bigger rides. We were able to do the parent swap in every park.

 

[ZerasPride]

I've got a quick question. Is the baby swap only available for parents? My sister and I would like to use the baby swap (her daughters are 5 and 1). Since we are not techincally a couple or married to each other, would we be allowed to swap? I was just telling her today about this feature at the Disney parks and she was happy about it. I know this is probably a silly question but I just want to clarify who can use the baby swap. Thanks!!!!

 

[TLHB70]

I don't think it matters who the adults are. I have just always called it a parent swap because I thought that was the name of it. I am not sure of the "official" name. Really, I would assume that any adults watching the children could swap. I have done it with my parents when they took my family for Christmas and I have done it with my husband when just my immediate family went. I am sure that your sister and you would be fine.

 

[ZerasPride]

That's just what I wanted to know. Being the resident Disney expert, my sis is counting on me to have all the answers to her questions. I've never gone with small kids before so this is definitely unchartered territory for me. I'm looking forward to seeing my nieces faces light up when we visit Disney in August! And looking forward to being able to ride the big kid rides using the baby swap.

 

[Baloo]

LeeAnn welcome to the DIS!

Yes the Baby Swap is available all over WDW.Just tell the CM that is at the beginning of the line and they will tell you what to do.SpaceMt and Tower of Terror have the coolest BS IMHO!

Zeraspride it doesn't matter who does the swap as long as they're both adults.

I have a funny story about a BS when Erich was young.The BS was pretty new at WDW and I wasn't sure what rides were doing it at the time.We were going to ride ToT.I asked the CM standing at the front gate to ToT if we could do the BS.He said "Sure... you can swap him out for an 18 year old if you'd like!"

 

[momof2intx]

So if you have 2 children....one is able to ride and the other isn't, can you do the swap and therefore the child (who is tall enough) gets to ride twice (once with each parent)?

This has been explained to me and I am still confused...I don't want to look like an idiot when I get down there!

 

[Sue & Co.]

Last time we went in 2001 our twin daughters were too small for some things but we used BS and our older son got to ride lots of things twice, once with me and once with dad and it was never questioned.

 

[Scoootch]

The way that the child swap has worked so far has been this

1. tell the CM at the beginning of the ride you need to do the swap.

2. the CM will give you a ticket similar to a fast pass ticket - this ticket is usually good for the 2nd rider and up to 2 extra guests. (so yes, if you have 2 children riding and one infant who cannot for example, one parent waits with the infant and the 2 children can ride twice)

3. the first rider will go on the ride by waiting in the standby line.

4. when the first rider comes off the ride, the 2nd rider and up to 2 extra guests may ride via the fast pass lane.

Hope this helps!

 

[TLHB70]

There are a few rides where the swapping parent/adult doesn't even have to go through the fast pass line such as Star Tours. On that attraction you just sit on a bench outside of the doors and walk right on to the seat after the first parent steps off.

 

[NotUrsula]

We have done this as recently as last November, on Indiana Jones at DL. The whole party got FP, then when the time came up, we went to the FP return entrance, and traded my FP for a swap ticket that allowed me to enter the ride through the exit. I waited for DH just inside the ride exit, and as he came out, he took over kid duty and I went down the ramp in reverse. They put me right into a car.

Depending on how the ride's traffic flow is set up, the procedure may vary, but you can still do FP if you need to baby swap; you don't have to wait out the standby line while trying to ride herd on a smallfry.

We will occasionally attempt to cajole DS onto a ride that he doesn't feel brave about, but if he really doesn't want to ride (though he's tall enough), we swap. Lately he likes to forestall us on this. The minute we bring up one of those rides, he tends to sigh and say, "can't you just swap me?"

BTW, have they changed the swap procedure again on Space since Fastpass went in? Last time we used it (post-FP) the swapping parent had to wait in the arcade at the ride exit. There is no way in h*** I am ever doing that again! By the time it was my turn, I had a splitting headache from the noise, and from having to peel my toddler off of what seemed like hundreds of shiny flashing machines. I ended up not riding. I much preferred the old way, where they let you go through the ride line and wait by the chicken-exit door near the loading area.

 

[TLHB70]

I hate to say it, but I can't answer that one. I, too, am a chicken and don't ride that ride. Therefore, we have never had to switch there. I take the little one and ride the TTA. That gives us both something to do while dh and dd ride Space Mountain.

 

[Scoootch]

You don't have to wait in the arcade for swaping on Space Mntn. - just have to give the attendant your baby swap ticket when you go to enter through the FP line.

Good to know about the FP stuff though!! Thanks!!