Baby/Child Swap
Baby swap, sometimes called child swap, is a way for parents to ride when a child can't. For example, a baby or toddler can't ride Indiana Jones, but it is a favorite of many older kids and adults. With baby swap both adults can enjoy the ride at different times. This is Disney's way of making it fun for 'kids' of all ages.
When you would like to use baby swap, simply go to the attraction you would like to ride and tell the first Cast Member you see for that attraction. Let the Cast Member know you would like to baby swap.
You will be given a child swap pass. Now it is important that all people involved talk to this Cast Member. One family member cannot pick up a baby swap pass. Your pass will be good for the whole day on that attraction.
Now, after you pick up the baby swap pass, one person will get in line for the attraction. The other will stay out with the child. If you happen to have more than one child, two people can use a baby swap pass. This means that if you also have an older child, that child can ride with the first adult, and again with the second adult.
When you pick up your pass, be sure to ask the Cast Member how you go back. They will let you know if you are to go through the exit, or the fast pass queue. Different attractions handle baby swap differently.
You will find baby swap offered on every attraction that has a height requirement:
At Disneyland:
Splash Mountain
Indiana Jones Adventure
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Matterhorn
Space Mountain
Star Tours
At Disney's California Adventure:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Soarin' Over California
Grizzly River Run
California Screamin'
Maliboomer
Silly Symphony Swings
Goofy's Sky School (Maliboomer)
When you are using baby swap, that doesn't mean that the first adult must wait in the whole line. You can combine fastpass with baby swap to skip a good portion of the queue for the first passenger as well as the second. So if you are using baby swap on a fast pass attraction you will just need a fastpass for the person or people who would be waiting in the line, but not one for the adult with the baby swap pass.
Fastpass is available on the following:
At Disneyland:
Splash Mountain
Indiana Jones Adventure
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Space Mountain
At Disney's California Adventure:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Soarin' Over California
Grizzly River Run (seasonally)
California Screamin'
We personally have never used baby/child swap. We have found the combination of single rider and fastpasses so easy to use. For us, it works well to use a fastpass for an attraction such as Indiana Jones while one of us takes our son on another ride. And often we simply did single rider while the other either took our son on a ride or let him sleep in the stroller.
Single Rider
Single rider is a second option for the parents who want to enjoy attraction that a child cannot ride. Unlike baby/child swap, single rider is not offered on every attraction.
Attractions that offer Single Rider at Disneyland
Splash Mountain - to use the single rider option on this attraction, you will go through the exit. You will take the stairs over the water and next to the regular line at the loading area, will be a single rider line. Anytime they need 1 person to fill a log, they will pull from the single rider line. You must pick up a single rider pass from the Cast Member collecting fastpass tickets as the queue enters the building.
Indiana Jones Adventure is now offering single rider. You will pick up a single rider pass from the first cast member you see at the Indiana Jones adventure fastpass return. you will be directed where to go, and when a single rider is needed the Cast Members call for a single from the single rider queue.
Disney's California Adventure has four attractions that have the single rider option.
Grizzly River Run - this attraction only offers the single rider option when there is a long wait for the normal queue. To use single rider here, check with the Cast Member at the beginning of the line. This person will let you know if single rider is available at that time, and if so, give you a pass. Once you get your single rider pass, you go up the stairs at the exit. Continue heading through the exit until you reach the boarding area. When you are needed, the loading Cast Member will give you a raft color or number and you are all set. For the parent who is not riding at this time, Grizzly River Run happens to be very close to Redwood Creek Challenge Trail and the seating area where the Miner 49'ers play. Either place are great options to wait for your partner to return.
Soarin' Over California - for single rider, check with the Cast Member at the entrance of the Fastpass queue for a single rider pass. Once obtained you use the FastPass entrance. Some people recommend using FastPass instead of single rider on this very popular attraction. Then there are others who recommend single rider over both fastpass and baby swap.
Maliboomer - for this attraction, you will find a special line to the left of the main queue entrance.
California Screamin’ – for single rider you get a pass from the Cast Member in the Fastpass distribution area. You will then go through the exit to the Elevator. Once again, when a single is needed the Cast Member will pull from the single rider line.
Goofy's Sky School (Mulholland Madness) - there is a special queue for single riders here. You need to let the Cast Member by the queue know that you are a single and they will let you into the queue. No pass is needed here.
Whichever works for your family is the option you should choose. For some, baby/child swap will work. That will especial work if you are not just two adults with a small child. But if you are a little family of three with just one who can't ride, single rider is a viable option and can be much faster since the single rider doesn't have to wait in the queue, be it the whole queue or the fastpass queue.