Child Swap Lightening Lane

[Bolto6]

Originally Posted by LondonFlorida

Hi all,

Apologies for my lack of knowledge on this but the last time we went to Florida was 2016 and we were childless!

We go this summer and we will have a 22 month old and a 6 month old. There will be 5 adults.

So my question is, when using the child swap system, it is my understanding that a maximum number of people that could be in "group 2" that could get the "fastpass/lightening Lane" is 2 people. So could those that are in group 1 (3 people in our circumstance) purchase a normal lightening lane so technically we could all go through lightening lane but in two groups via the child swap system? Such as, we go to entrance and ask to use child swap. We say 3 adult will be group 1 and 2 adults will be group 2 with the two babies and get a lightening lane. Thoss in group one then purchase a lightening lane each for the ride and goes on and then the second group goes on with their childswap lightening lane.

My worry is having a toddler and baby and waiting around a lot. Ideally would like to reduce this as much as possibly.

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If you’ve all got LL, I wouldn’t worry about child swap. Group 1 can go ride while group 2 entertain the children and vice versa.

For example, in EPCOT, we child swapped Soarin’ I queued while DH took DD on Living with the Land. When we did Test Track we used the single rider queue, as we were advised it would be quicker, so DH rode and I took DD to the play ground, and then we swapped. We got to do what we wanted and DD got to have a play as well.

Have a look at the parks maps and identify the play areas, for example, there’s one in the middle of the Dumbo queue. Group 1 can go to the ride, group 2 go to an area the kids can be entertained/let off some steam, then group 1 meets back there and group 2 go off to the ride.

In the old system I used child swap to maximise my fast passes (some rides were happy and others weren’t, but I managed to get what I wanted, don’t think it would happen now,) but now if everyone is paying for LL, and the children are under 3, I don’t think you’ll need to utilise it as much, unless you’re using a standby queue.

[LondonFlorida]

Originally Posted by Bolto6

If you’ve all got LL, I wouldn’t worry about child swap. Group 1 can go ride while group 2 entertain the children and vice versa.

For example, in EPCOT, we child swapped Soarin’ I queued while DH took DD on Living with the Land. When we did Test Track we used the single rider queue, as we were advised it would be quicker, so DH rode and I took DD to the play ground, and then we swapped. We got to do what we wanted and DD got to have a play as well.

Have a look at the parks maps and identify the play areas, for example, there’s one in the middle of the Dumbo queue. Group 1 can go to the ride, group 2 go to an area the kids can be entertained/let off some steam, then group 1 meets back there and group 2 go off to the ride.

In the old system I used child swap to maximise my fast passes (some rides were happy and others weren’t, but I managed to get what I wanted, don’t think it would happen now,) but now if everyone is paying for LL, and the children are under 3, I don’t think you’ll need to utilise it as much, unless you’re using a standby queue.

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Me and my husband wouldn't be paying for lightening lane but my parents and sister will be so that's what I was trying to clarify if that would affect us. If we all went to the entrance and said we wanted to use child swap due to the two babies, me and my husband being in group 2 and waiting outside would each get a lightening lane scanned onto our pass, would that be affected if my parents and sister have each paid for a lightening lane for that ride?

[vhm672]

Originally Posted by LondonFlorida

Me and my husband wouldn't be paying for lightening lane but my parents and sister will be so that's what I was trying to clarify if that would affect us. If we all went to the entrance and said we wanted to use child swap due to the two babies, me and my husband being in group 2 and waiting outside would each get a lightening lane scanned onto our pass, would that be affected if my parents and sister have each paid for a lightening lane for that ride?

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Yes the idea is that the non riders in the second group get the LL because they notionally queued with the first group. It is not meant to give people free LL ( there did used to be a loophole on the old system but believe this was closed).

[LondonFlorida]

Originally Posted by vhm672

Yes the idea is that the non riders in the second group get the LL because they notionally queued with the first group. It is not meant to give people free LL ( there did used to be a loophole on the old system but believe this was closed).

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So do you not get a LL pass for the second group now?

[miked1e]

Can’t confirm, as our situation was different.

But we did have an experience at ToT where they gave us a LL entry (as child swap) taking into account the standby time + ride attraction time or similar.

We then explained that we both had LL anyhow and only wanted DS to be scanned so he could go on with both DW and I.

But expect in your situation if the whole party does not have LL then they will just provide a LL / child swap time for the standby time.

[vhm672]

Originally Posted by LondonFlorida

So do you not get a LL pass for the second group now?

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Yes if party 1 enter the regular queue

No if party 1 have a lightening lane for the attraction and therefore bypass the regular queue.

There have been reports on those rides where lightening lane is part of Genie + that cast members have allowed party 2 into the LL queue notwithstanding that they don’t have Genie+ but that shouldn’t be expected.

[Pascaltimon]

Hoping I can shed some light on this as I was there 3 weeks ago.

The crux was with the bought individual lightening lane anyone wanting to ride had to have one. So for example I me oh and dd had paid for lightening lane for seven dwarfs little one didn’t want to ride so i didn’t buy one for her and I waited with her. Then dh and older dd came off I could ride and dd could ride again with me.

We were told if I hadn’t of had an individual lightening lane mine and dd return time would have been for the end of the standby queue so 90 mins.

The only exception to this was flight of passage, where my youngest dd who was tall enough but didn’t want to ride didn’t have individual lightening lane so we bought 3 but all 4 of us were told to go through the queue together and my younger dd (8) was looked after by the lovely cast member outside ride room while 3 of us rode together.

Guardians I got all four of us a boarding group but youngest didn’t ride so older dd got to ride again with me in the lightening lane after previously her and dh being in standby line.

[Guest]

My experience of child swap in May is that every time we went up to the CM to arrange the child swap out they either checked both our magic bands for LL or asked if we had LL.

When you get the child swap registered on your mb/ticket MDE will show you the return time which is the exact time after of the posted stand by queue. There’s no way round it, they’re wise to trying to trick the system sadly!