Child Swap Question

We have utilized the child swap at attractions where our daughter did not meet the height requirement. When we did this, we were given a rider switch pass where the parent that waited with our daughter used the pass to go through the fast pass que. When we were there on our last visit we encountered a different situation. Our son is 9 years old and meets the height requirement on all attractions at the 4 parks. He has autism, and we get a GAC for him. There are some rides that he could ride but does not want to ride, such as Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. When we went to ride Space Mtn we explained to the cast member about our son not wanting to ride and thought we might could get a Rider Switch Pass. The cast member explained how the switch pass was just for a child that did not meet the height requirement. However, he instructed us to go through the que together, and then once we got to the loading area, inform the cast member that our son did not want to ride and say we wanted switch out. My wife was then told to wait with our son in an area while I rode with our daughter. Then once we had ridden, my daughter then went to where my wife was, and she then rode with our daughter while I waited with our son.

Is this a normal practice in a situation where a child meets the height requirement but does not want to ride, or did they just make an exception in this case?

We use the Fast Pass system for a lot of our "baby swap" as our 11 year old does meet the height requirements BUT she is not a coaster rider. So as a family of 4, we get 4 passes, then my older daughter gets to ride with Dad, then we get back in FP line and she then rides with Mom. The other parent finds something to do outside of the queue (mostly shop and snack) with the 11 year old.

Your situation is different and I find it odd that you would have to go through the queue and wait at the end.

I'm curious about other people's experiences.

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Originally Posted by dntccc

Is this a normal practice in a situation where a child meets the height requirement but does not want to ride, or did they just make an exception in this case?

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It's not uncommon.

Some CM's will do things differently than others.
Next time you go, the CM at the front of the Space queue might issue you a Rider Swap ticket instead.

"Officially" the Rider Swap is for kids who don't meet the minimum height, but as I said, some CM's can be "creative."

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Originally Posted by JMTStone

Your situation is different and I find it odd that you would have to go through the queue and wait at the end.

I'm curious about other people's experiences.

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Well, at Space Mountain, it's a little unique in that the load and unload areas are separated (load is upstairs, unload and the "parent swap" waiting area are downstairs).

The original poster didn't say that they had to go all the way out through the exit (which, by the way, is the LOOOOONG way around), and back through the queue *again* for the second ride. They should have just been able to go back up the ramp from the downstairs waiting area to the load area, and let the CM know they were doing a rider swap.

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The cast member explained how the switch pass was just for a child that did not meet the height requirement. However, he instructed us to go through the queue together, and then once we got to the loading area, inform the cast member that our son did not want to ride and say we wanted switch out.

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Not true, and your situation proves that. If you had the GAC card with you and presented it to the CM out front (at either the Stand-by *or* the FastPass Return entrance), they should have given you a "switch pass".

But, like JMTStone says, you are permitted to use the FastPasses themselves as your own "rider switch passes". If you have four in your group, and one doesn't want to ride (or, is unable to), get all four FastPasses anyways, and let someone ride twice.

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Originally Posted by Main Street Jim

Well, at Space Mountain, it's a little unique in that the load and unload areas are separated (load is upstairs, unload and the "parent swap" waiting area are downstairs).

The original poster didn't say that they had to go all the way out through the exit (which, by the way, is the LOOOOONG way around), and back through the queue *again* for the second ride. They should have just been able to go back up the ramp from the downstairs waiting area to the load area, and let the CM know they were doing a rider swanp.

Not true, and your situation proves that. If yuou had the GAC card with you and presented it to the CM out front (at either the Stand-by *or* the FastPass Return entrance), they should have given you a "switch pass".

But, like JMTStone says, you are permitted to use the FastPasses themselves as your own "rider switch passes". If you have four in your group, and one doesn't want to ride (or, is unable to), get all four FastPasses anyways, and let someone ride twice.

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To try to explain a little better - to use Space Mountain as an example, before our daughter met the height requirement, we would go to the ride que attendent and ask for a rider switch pass since our daughter did not meet the height requirement which we were given. After one parent rode while the other waited with the kids, the other parent would then use the switch pass to go through the fast pass line. The last time we went, our daughter and son both met the height requirement. However, our son does not like roller coaster type rides. We told the ride que attendent how our son did not want to ride and asked for a switch pass. He said that the passes were only for situations where a child did not meet the height requirement. He then told us to go through the line together (which was the fast pass lane since we had a GAC), and when we got to the next attendent, tell him that our son did not want to ride and say we wanted to switch out. My wfe was then directed to an area to wait with our son while I rode with our daughter. Then when we were done, my daughter and I went to where my wife and son were waiting, and then my wife and daughter rode.

We encountered the same situation at Splash Mountain (our son basically does not like rides with fast drops).

There is a reason why it is called a "Rider Switch Pass", not a "Child Switch Pass". Most CMs will give guests the pass for reasons other than not meeting a height requirement. Personally, I will always issue the pass to families needing to leave someone behind to wait with another family member. It could be a child not wanting to ride, or even a senior that the family does not want to leave alone. No problem.

Unfortunately, this is one of those grey areas that is often not covered well in the CM training process. So you may encounter CMs who believe (or have been told) that the pass is only for children that don't meet the height requirement. If you are refused a pass for this reason you can always request (nicely please) to speak with a Coordinator or Manager. I'm betting that they will issue you the pass along with an apology.

^^^ Yep - what Ron said. It's a "RIDER switch pass - not a "my kid don't make the height and the rest of us wanna ride" pass. Again, like Ron said, it's all in the training - and a lot of times, it's not consistent.

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before our daughter met the height requirement, we would go to the ride que attendent and ask for a rider switch pass since our daughter did not meet the height requirement which we were given. After one parent rode while the other waited with the kids, the other parent would then use the switch pass to go through the fast pass line.

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So, using Space as the example again, *where* did you wait for the "other group" (or parent)? They should have sent you downstairs to the Unload area to wait, so you could switch out there and just come back up the ramp - not wait outside and go all the way back through the FP line.

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Originally Posted by Main Street Jim

^^^ Yep - what Ron said. It's a "RIDER switch pass - not a "my kid don't make the height and the rest of us wanna ride" pass. Again, like Ron said, it's all in the training - and a lot of times, it's not consistent.

So, using Space as the example again, *where* did you wait for the "other group" (or parent)? They should have sent you downstairs to the Unload area to wait, so you could switch out there and just come back up the ramp - not wait outside and go all the way back through the FP line.

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In situations where our daughter did not meet the height requirement, we were given a rider switch pass at the que entrance. We were not told where we had to wait. We were basically told that once the first parent finished the ride, the other parent should then show the switch pass to the attendent at the FP que, and then that parent would go through that line to ride. This is how it was all the time - Space Mountain, Soarin, Expedition Everest, etc. We were never, until our last visit this past May, given the option to go through the line together where one parent could then wait at the boarding area or unloading area.