1 parent and two kids <7. How to ride??

[abbycwell]

Hi everyone. I'm heading to WDW with my 2 girls aged 3 and 5. How does it work for rides that only fit 2 across like 7DMT or Barnstormer? I got tickets to EMM so I'm hoping there is a way to let one wait with the CM while I take the other and then switch?
Anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks!

 

[AFwifelife]

TPs has a blog post on which rides are possible with 1 adults/2 smaller kids. I don't think you can leave one with a CM but that would be awesome if you could! This May trip I'm going alone with my 4 and 3 year old so my 4 year old is going to miss out on a couple rides my 3 year old is too short to go on.

 

[abbycwell]

Oh man- thats too bad. I had booked EMM tickets- but if we cant go on SDMT then its probably not worth it. Maybe I can find someone in line who can help?

 

[windcriesamy]

Oh man- thats too bad. I had booked EMM tickets- but if we cant go on SDMT then its probably not worth it. Maybe I can find someone in line who can help?

By "help" I assume you mean ride with your other child? Would your child be comfortable sitting/riding with someone other than you?

Even if they are, it may be possible, but I don't think it would be very likely. There's no single rider line (AFAIK) and you would have to luck out with another odd-number party and someone willing to sit with your child.

Sorry for the disappointment

 

[AFwifelife]

Is your 3 year old tall enough for SDMT? It depends on the CM but I've seen some able to ride in the same car as their kids behind them.

 

[windcriesamy]

Here's the blog post @AFwifelife was referring to; it's a little outdated, but I hope it helps!

https://blog.touringplans.com/2014/...-vehicles-seating-faq-part-one-magic-kingdom/

 

[abbycwell]

Is your 3 year old tall enough for SDMT? It depends on the CM but I've seen some able to ride in the same car as their kids behind them.

yes- my 3 yo is tall enough. Its EMM so there will be no lines for an hour. I'm hoping that will make it more likely that it could work out. But who knows. Maybe I should just cancel it?

 

[windcriesamy]

Interesting. Here's what the blog post says about 7DMT:

• Note 2: This ride may be problematic for single parents with two small children. While a group of three can all be seated in the same train car, mom/dad cannot be directly next to both kids. Your options are to have the kids sit together and mom sits alone in the row behind, or have mom sit with one child and have the other child sit alone or with a stranger. This may be potentially frightening for a younger child on his first roller coaster. When deciding, questions to ask include: has one of the children already been on the ride, or one that’s similar, and is comfortable with it? Can the children reassure each other if scared? Does the child need to hold hands with or otherwise touch a parent to feel secure? In my family, the solution that worked was to seat mom with the younger or less experienced child in the row directly behind the older child. This way I could place my hands on the head or shoulders of the child in front of me if a comforting touch was required. If your child feels uneasy sitting next to a stranger, ask the load zone cast member to place the child in a row alone.

So I guess if your 5 year old is okay riding by him/herself in front of you, it could work!

 

[BrianL]

This is an eternal question and enforcement seems to be spotty and much debated here. The rule is that you should be able to ride in the same "ride vehicle" - which is a single car with no coupling between - with the child under 7, however on many rides the "same row" is enforced. 7DMT seems to be one where it is by row. Barnstormer is also a difficult one because there is only one row of two per vehicle. On other rides it seems to vary. Space Mountain is single file, but you should be fine since all three of you can be in one vehicle.

None of this has anything to do with height and be prepared for CMs to ask your kids directly how old they are. If you're comfortable with it, you may be able to ask a CM to group you with another odd-numbered party who is willing to sit in a row with one of the kids, or just chat with people in line and see if you can work something out. Most people are really nice about it if you ask. I've seen it many times. Anyway, best of luck and have fun!

 

[abbycwell]

Interesting. Here's what the blog post says about 7DMT:

• Note 2: This ride may be problematic for single parents with two small children. While a group of three can all be seated in the same train car, mom/dad cannot be directly next to both kids. Your options are to have the kids sit together and mom sits alone in the row behind, or have mom sit with one child and have the other child sit alone or with a stranger. This may be potentially frightening for a younger child on his first roller coaster. When deciding, questions to ask include: has one of the children already been on the ride, or one that’s similar, and is comfortable with it? Can the children reassure each other if scared? Does the child need to hold hands with or otherwise touch a parent to feel secure? In my family, the solution that worked was to seat mom with the younger or less experienced child in the row directly behind the older child. This way I could place my hands on the head or shoulders of the child in front of me if a comforting touch was required. If your child feels uneasy sitting next to a stranger, ask the load zone cast member to place the child in a row alone.

So I guess if your 5 year old is okay riding by him/herself in front of you, it could work!

I hope so! Thanks for a bit of hope!

 

[abbycwell]

This is an eternal question and enforcement seems to be spotty and much debated here. The rule is that you should be able to ride in the same "ride vehicle" - which is a single car with no coupling between - with the child under 7, however on many rides the "same row" is enforced. 7DMT seems to be one where it is by row. Barnstormer is also a difficult one because there is only one row of two per vehicle. On other rides it seems to vary. Space Mountain is single file, but you should be fine since all three of you can be in one vehicle.

None of this has anything to do with height and be prepared for CMs to ask your kids directly how old they are. If you're comfortable with it, you may be able to ask a CM to group you with another odd-numbered party who is willing to sit in a row with one of the kids, or just chat with people in line and see if you can work something out. Most people are really nice about it if you ask. I've seen it many times. Anyway, best of luck and have fun!

Thanks Brian- I am thinking since it is the ticketed EMM the CMs may be more inclined to fudge the definitions a little. I think I'll keep my tickets and hope for the best!

 

[mousefan73]

I would get in line and ask for help . I've ridden many times with little kids... I am a mom with 2 kids but they are 12 and 13... So I get stuck as single rider a lot.. .. If it's a little kid I smile and ask " been on this before?" and say excitely oh you will love it and tell them the secret where the camera is.. Sometimes, my DD or DS rides with single kids depending on the sex... little girls feel comfortable with my DD ( 12).. DD is a the type that dogs and kids gravitate to.

 

[Skippyboo]

Either you put the two kids together and then you ride behind them or you ride with one and the other rides with stranger or maybe solo. Depends on your kids. Probably the easiest is for the two kids to go together and you ride with stranger or solo. 7DMT isn’t a super long ride.

 

[abbycwell]

Either you put the two kids together and then you ride behind them or you ride with one and the other rides with stranger or maybe solo. Depends on your kids. Probably the easiest is for the two kids to go together and you ride with stranger or solo. 7DMT isn’t a super long ride.

This would be ideal- but wasn't sure if two rows of SDMT counted as "in the same car". Both of my girls are too young to ride alone.

 

[Skippyboo]

This would be ideal- but wasn't sure if two rows of SDMT counted as "in the same car". Both of my girls are too young to ride alone.

Two seats across a row in the car. They would ride together, you get the next row behind them. The CM will put you in adjacent rows. It’s not like you will be in row 2 and them in row 7

 

[BrianL]

Interesting. Here's what the blog post says about 7DMT:

• Note 2: This ride may be problematic for single parents with two small children. While a group of three can all be seated in the same train car, mom/dad cannot be directly next to both kids. Your options are to have the kids sit together and mom sits alone in the row behind, or have mom sit with one child and have the other child sit alone or with a stranger. This may be potentially frightening for a younger child on his first roller coaster. When deciding, questions to ask include: has one of the children already been on the ride, or one that’s similar, and is comfortable with it? Can the children reassure each other if scared? Does the child need to hold hands with or otherwise touch a parent to feel secure? In my family, the solution that worked was to seat mom with the younger or less experienced child in the row directly behind the older child. This way I could place my hands on the head or shoulders of the child in front of me if a comforting touch was required. If your child feels uneasy sitting next to a stranger, ask the load zone cast member to place the child in a row alone.

So I guess if your 5 year old is okay riding by him/herself in front of you, it could work!

That is supposed to be how it works, but enforcement on 7DMT in particular seems to defy this and they will enforce the "same row" rule. I do believe, for example, that on BTTMR they will allow a parent to be one row behind, as long as it is not across a coupling. I think it has to do with the amount of space between the rows, which on 7DMT is very large (i.e. you could not reach out and put a hand on a child's shoulder, where on BTTMR you could).

 

[BrianL]

Thanks Brian- I am thinking since it is the ticketed EMM the CMs may be more inclined to fudge the definitions a little. I think I'll keep my tickets and hope for the best!

I would not count on the CMs fudging anything. These rules are considered safety issues and they will likely enforce the rule as they know it to be (the issue being that some CMs seem to "know" a different rule, which is a training issue). It seems pretty established that the "by row" rule is enforced at 7DMT. CMs will try to help group you so you can ride, even if that means mixing with another party. You may have to wait an additional cycle or two depending on how that goes.

 

[Skippyboo]

Apparently on 7DMT, odd numbered groups are put in one line, even number in the other.

 

[BrianL]

Apparently on 7DMT, odd numbered groups are put in one line, even number in the other.

This is correct. There is a grouper who will ask a little before loading the number in your party and send you down the appropriate line. This is to help mesh the groups and fill every seat. It is advantageous since you would likely need another odd-numbered group to have someone sit with someone under 7. If you have made your own arrangements to mix with another party, tell this grouper the total number for the combined group.

 

[abbycwell]

This is correct. There is a grouper who will ask a little before loading the number in your party and send you down the appropriate line. This is to help mesh the groups and fill every seat. It is advantageous since you would likely need another odd-numbered group to have someone sit with someone under 7. If you have made your own arrangements to mix with another party, tell this grouper the total number for the combined group.

And again- this will be for the EMM ticketed event- so I assume there wont really be a line?