rider swap/ last minute ride ditches

Burgermom

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 22, 2015
DH and I are taking DS(almost 6) to wdw soon (so just the 3 of us).

It's hard to know what my son will be willing to ride and what will scare him.

DS is tall for his age (has just reached the 48" mark) so is technically tall enough for all rides but is in no way developmentally ready for many of the big ones. The list of things that scare him are long and variable (some days heights are scary; next day not at all...etc)

My questions are:
1) If he waits in line with us for a ride and at the last minute is too scared to ride what happens? Can DH wait with him while I ride and then switch places so DH can ride?
2) If DS is sure he does not want to ride before entering the ride can we ask a CM for a child swap even though my son is tall enough (but a total scaredy cat...jk)
3)What is FOP like from a scariness standpoint? There's not a lot of info about it but I get the sense that it is too scary for a 6 year old. Sounds more like an 8 years old and up kind of ride.

Any help would be great :)
 
DH and I are taking DS(almost 6) to wdw soon (so just the 3 of us).

It's hard to know what my son will be willing to ride and what will scare him.

DS is tall for his age (has just reached the 48" mark) so is technically tall enough for all rides but is in no way developmentally ready for many of the big ones. The list of things that scare him are long and variable (some days heights are scary; next day not at all...etc)

My questions are:
1) If he waits in line with us for a ride and at the last minute is too scared to ride what happens? Can DH wait with him while I ride and then switch places so DH can ride?
2) If DS is sure he does not want to ride before entering the ride can we ask a CM for a child swap even though my son is tall enough (but a total scaredy cat...jk)
3)What is FOP like from a scariness standpoint? There's not a lot of info about it but I get the sense that it is too scary for a 6 year old. Sounds more like an 8 years old and up kind of ride.

Any help would be great :)
You will get varying responses on here regarding Rider Swap.

1) I won’t comment because I have no personal experience with this.

2) It does no harm to ask for a Rider Swap if your DS does not want to ride. Many will say it’s intended only for children that are too short to ride. My personal experience as recent as last week was this is simply not true. We requested, and were given, Rider Swap passes for both Frozen Ever After and Buzz because our toddler was sleeping in his stroller. Like I said, in the end, there’s no harm in requesting one. Like us though, be prepared for a “No” and if by chance you get a “Yes” consider it to be Pixie Dust.

3) I wouldn’t give FoP “scary status” at all. I would use the words (mostly)calm and beautiful to describe it. Our, normally cautious and hesitant, 9 year-old rode it multiple times and loved each time more than the last. I would say if you “sell it” to your DS as simply a ride where you sit in a stationary seat and pretend to fly it might help to calm any nervousness he might get when the ride begins. Of course, I don’t know your DS and I’m only sharing our experience with our 9 year-old that worked great for us. Also, for what it’s worth, at any point during the ride you will be able to reach over and touch/calm him down if he becomes scared.
 
You will get varying responses on here regarding Rider Swap.

1) I won’t comment because I have no personal experience with this.

2) It does no harm to ask for a Rider Swap if your DS does not want to ride. Many will say it’s intended only for children that are too short to ride. My personal experience as recent as last week was this is simply not true. We requested, and were given, Rider Swap passes for both Frozen Ever After and Buzz because our toddler was sleeping in his stroller. Like I said, in the end, there’s no harm in requesting one. Like us though, be prepared for a “No” and if by chance you get a “Yes” consider it to be Pixie Dust.

3) I wouldn’t give FoP “scary status” at all. I would use the words (mostly)calm and beautiful to describe it. Our, normally cautious and hesitant, 9 year-old rode it multiple times and loved each time more than the last. I would say if you “sell it” to your DS as simply a ride where you sit in a stationary seat and pretend to fly it might help to calm any nervousness he might get when the ride begins. Of course, I don’t know your DS and I’m only sharing our experience with our 9 year-old that worked great for us. Also, for what it’s worth, at any point during the ride you will be able to reach over and touch/calm him down if he becomes scared.

Party.of.4, Thanks so much for this. It helps to know that he will be within arms reach in case he gets scared. Would it be helpful to coach him to just close his eyes if he gets scared. My experience with most VR-type rides is that without the visual there's not much scare factor, but I know that FOP is a VR-type ride in it's own class.
 
Party.of.4, Thanks so much for this. It helps to know that he will be within arms reach in case he gets scared. Would it be helpful to coach him to just close his eyes if he gets scared. My experience with most VR-type rides is that without the visual there's not much scare factor, but I know that FOP is a VR-type ride in it's own class.
I’ve read reports from those that are prone to motion sickness that closing their eyes helped if they began to feel a little queasy so I’m gueesing that might be good advice to give to your DS if he begins to get a little scared. Would it cause any anxiety though if you told him this beforehand? For our DD9 we found that waiting to cross that bridge when we came to it was the preferred course of action because we didn’t want to spawn any ideas that would cause her to think she should be worried. Also, if by any chance your DS is familiar with, and likes, video games you could work that angle too and describe it as one big video game. Good luck and I really hope your whole family loves FoP!
 
What about last minute jitters, though? So for example if my son, DH and I get all the way to the ride and my son decides he is too scared, what happens? Can one of us wait to the side with him while the other rides and switch off?
 
Would it be helpful to coach him to just close his eyes if he gets scared.

This may be fine advice on many rides but DO NOT do this on Mission Space Orange. I have really bad reflux. The way Disney does the warnings on Orange Side I thought I couldn't do it. Then my niece wanted to, and someone had to ride with her. Guess who? I had read enough to know the "way to do it" and it really works. Look at the screen at ALL times during the ride. Do NOT look from side to side. Do NOT close your eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply.
While this advice will probably not help everyone, I am now convinced that many people who have had trouble with this ride have failed to follow all parts of this advice. I actually prefer Orange to Green now. In fact, on my last trip I wanted to do one trip on Green side to see the new movie. It was a real disappointment. It just isn't as much fun.
 
What about last minute jitters, though? So for example if my son, DH and I get all the way to the ride and my son decides he is too scared, what happens? Can one of us wait to the side with him while the other rides and switch off?

The best you can do is ask. They may allow a swap/wait right there at boarding, with one parent riding and the other remaining with your son, then switch. Rider Swap seems to vary at different rides, different CMs, different time of day (maybe depending how busy?) -- so I don't think anyone here can give you definite answer. Have you tried letting your son watch some youtube videos of various rides? That way he'd know what to expect and it might avoid some last minute jitters.

Enjoy your vacation!
 


My son is 7, so a year older than your son, but he is able to wait by himself right outside the ride for us. We just ask a CM right before we board where he can wait for us, and they always have a spot right where you get off the ride. You may not feel comfortable leaving your little guy alone yet, but just wanted to let other people know that cast members are very accommodating to scared kiddos. My son has waited for us outside Everest, Flight of Passage and Soarin with no problems.
 
What about last minute jitters, though? So for example if my son, DH and I get all the way to the ride and my son decides he is too scared, what happens? Can one of us wait to the side with him while the other rides and switch off?

They will definitely work something out. Weather they have you just stand right there and hop on after your DH or give you a fastpass to come back later will totally depend on the CM, the ride, and who knows what else. But I'm confident they'll make sure both you and your husband can ride after you've waited in line.
 
Anybody have experience on Flight of Passage specifically?
We have a somewhat narrow window of time that day because of Rivers of Light and 8pm park closing so I am concerned that if my DS decides not to ride that either DH or I will miss Rivers of Light or not make it on FOP before the end of the night
FOP FPP is 6:15pm
ROL is 7:15pm (we have a dining package so we don't have to be there super early, but still)
Park close is 8pm

6:15 was the only time available (other than even later FPs). I am going to try for an earlier time but no luck so far.
Any advice? I think that if all of us ride FOP or we are able to child swap at the loading area we can just make it to ROL in time. Otherwise either DH or I will need to miss ROL if we are given a voucher to return.
Also, this is our only AK day and no park hoppers so that's not an option.
 
We have a somewhat narrow window of time that day because of Rivers of Light and 8pm park closing so I am concerned that if my DS decides not to ride that either DH or I will miss Rivers of Light or not make it on FOP before the end of the night

I feel for you. I only have experience with Child Swap, not with opting out. I do suggest, after doing both, that if you MUST choose between FOP and ROL, definitely choose FOP. I saw the ROL show. I enjoyed it. It is a very nice way to end the day at AK. I would see it again. I have ridden FOP a total of five times between October and November. It is the most amazing experience I have ever had at ANY theme park.
 
They will definitely work something out. Weather they have you just stand right there and hop on after your DH or give you a fastpass to come back later will totally depend on the CM, the ride, and who knows what else. But I'm confident they'll make sure both you and your husband can ride after you've waited in line.

That is a very good answer as I am traveling with a 2 and 5 yearold and was wondering the same thing...they will let us switch and one of us stand with my child while one of us rides and vice versa... and we wont have to go all the way to the back of the line??... Anyone experience this yet or success with it?
 
That is a very good answer as I am traveling with a 2 and 5 yearold and was wondering the same thing...they will let us switch and one of us stand with my child while one of us rides and vice versa... and we wont have to go all the way to the back of the line??... Anyone experience this yet or success with it?

The 2 year old is likely not tall enough to ride most of the rides with height restrictions, so he/she won’t even be able to enter the line.
 
That is a very good answer as I am traveling with a 2 and 5 yearold and was wondering the same thing...they will let us switch and one of us stand with my child while one of us rides and vice versa... and we wont have to go all the way to the back of the line??... Anyone experience this yet or success with it?

The OP in this thread was specifically asking about a child who is tall enough for the ride.
I'm guessing your 2 year old is too short for the rides in question, so you would use the regular baby swap/child swap procedures. They won't let a too-short-child even get in the line to begin with.

Here's how the baby swap works, in a nutshell:
The whole family approaches the entrance to the ride. Find the case member at the entrance and tell them that you need to do baby swap. They'll usually ask to see the too-small-child. (I've even had them measure my daughter once in a while when she was nearing the height limit).
The people who are going to ride first (for example, dad and 5 year old) get in line. The people who aren't riding (mom and toddler) get a physical piece of paper that is the "baby swap pass"
The non-riders can go do whatever else they want - get ice cream, ride a kids ride, whatever.
Later on up to 3 people (in this example, mom and big kid) go back and use the baby swap pass to get into the fast pass line.

A few notes:
1. The baby swap pass usually expires at the end of the month, so you don't need to use it right after the first group rides.
2. The baby swap pass is good for any 3 people to get in the fast pass line. So big kids can usually ride twice (once with mom and once with dad, for example)
3. The first group gets in whatever line they normally would - so in the example above, if dad and big kid have fastpasses, they would get in the fastpass line. If they don't, they would get in the regular line. The first group having fastpasses or not has *nothing* to do with baby swap. The second group *does not* need a fastpass for the ride to get in the fastpass line, as they use the baby swap as their pass.

Hope this helps!
 
So the only time we have had issues with rider swap is seven dwarfs. I have a 12 year old that hates big rides. They wouldn't let us swap, had him wait in line then stand to the side. Every other ride we've been able to rider swap without even being present. I am usually already sitting somewhere when my husband takes the first set of kids.
 
Can one of us wait to the side with him while the other rides and switch off?

That isn’t generally how Disney rides work. But if there’s a last minute fear factor, talk to the CMs and explain the problem, and they’ll give you the solution that makes sense at that time.


I exited dinosaur with my then 6.5 year old who was starting to panic. The cm standing at a side door had watched me and DH argue over it and as I finally asked if we could leave through that door, she handed me a swap pass and thanked me sincerely for not making DS go on it.

(Please note that I have made my son go on peter pan when his worry was due to being tired or hungry, because he knew the ride and was just being goofy, so I’m not a person who never insists, but this was all of our first time there)

My son is 7, so a year older than your son, but he is able to wait by himself right outside the ride for us. We just ask a CM right before we board where he can wait for us, and they always have a spot right where you get off the ride. You may not feel comfortable leaving your little guy alone yet, but just wanted to let other people know that cast members are very accommodating to scared kiddos. My son has waited for us outside Everest, Flight of Passage and Soarin with no problems.

A brave 7+ year old that meets the height requirement (and with brave parents) could go all the way through the line and then exit and wait at that spot. No need to be separated the whole time for the line.

That is a very good answer as I am traveling with a 2 and 5 yearold and was wondering the same thing...they will let us switch and one of us stand with my child while one of us rides and vice versa... and we wont have to go all the way to the back of the line??... Anyone experience this yet or success with it?

You’ll just follow normal swap rules. The too small one won’t be allowed in line.

So the only time we have had issues with rider swap is seven dwarfs. I have a 12 year old that hates big rides. They wouldn't let us swap, had him wait in line then stand to the side. Every other ride we've been able to rider swap without even being present. I am usually already sitting somewhere when my husband takes the first set of kids.

I think you’ve been very lucky so far. Or the CMs have seen your family from afar. They generally need to see the too small kids.
 
So the only time we have had issues with rider swap is seven dwarfs. I have a 12 year old that hates big rides. They wouldn't let us swap, had him wait in line then stand to the side. Every other ride we've been able to rider swap without even being present. I am usually already sitting somewhere when my husband takes the first set of kids.

You've been extremely lucky - they are not supposed to do rider swap without presenting the too-small child, and they don't have to give out a rider swap for a child tall enough to enter the queue.
 
That seems rather silly. So if my 6 year old is tall enough I'm supposed to leave him while I ride the ride?
 
That seems rather silly. So if my 6 year old is tall enough I'm supposed to leave him while I ride the ride?

Well, what else would you do with him? If he doesn't want to ride, and you do, you have to leave him someplace, don't you? If he's tall enough to be in the queue, what they do is have one person wait with him, and one ride, then they switch so the other adult rides and the first one waits with the kid. It's actually faster that way.
 

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