SDD with 2 kids under 7

twoolle

DIS Veteran
Joined
Mar 10, 2014
Hey everyone! We have 4 kids, ages 9,7,5 and 3. Ordinarily we would be fine on SDD as the 2 older ones could ride together and DH and I could each sit with one of the younger kids. However, I can't ride SDD because I am pregnant. So, any recent experiences with how the CM's might handle this? Even though all the kids are tall enough could we get a rider switch so DH could take turns taking the 2 littles? Or is it similar to 7DMT in that they sometimes consider the "car" that holds 4 people as one and therefore can place an under 7 child in front of the parent if needed. This has happened with us several times. I know personal experiences are going to vary, but I just am wondering what our expectations should be. Thanks all!
 
They were pretty strict with us when we were there a few weeks ago and pretty much always required our DS5 to ride with an adult and not DD8 (the kids asked at a lot of rides if they could sit together). We didnt' ask at SDD at all so I can't give you any info on that, but I'm pretty sure my daughter asked at 7DMT and was told no. Maybe because they saw them with 2 adults though? They might make exceptions if there's only one adult?
 
Hey everyone! We have 4 kids, ages 9,7,5 and 3. Ordinarily we would be fine on SDD as the 2 older ones could ride together and DH and I could each sit with one of the younger kids. However, I can't ride SDD because I am pregnant. So, any recent experiences with how the CM's might handle this? Even though all the kids are tall enough could we get a rider switch so DH could take turns taking the 2 littles? Or is it similar to 7DMT in that they sometimes consider the "car" that holds 4 people as one and therefore can place an under 7 child in front of the parent if needed. This has happened with us several times. I know personal experiences are going to vary, but I just am wondering what our expectations should be. Thanks all!
make sure all of you including you have FPs. then DH can take one little with older two. then he uses your band and FP and FP of other little and rides again while you wait with rest of group. this would work with all of the problem coasters. this why you do not ride and you do not need a CM to grant you a Rider Swap. we have done this so know it does work
 
make sure all of you including you have FPs. then DH can take one little with older two. then he uses your band and FP and FP of other little and rides again while you wait with rest of group. this would work with all of the problem coasters. this why you do not ride and you do not need a CM to grant you a Rider Swap. we have done this so know it does work

Yes we might be able to do this but we are staying offsite so cant book until 30 days. We also want to either rope drop or get in line right before closing and in those cases wont have a FP.
 
Yes we might be able to do this but we are staying offsite so cant book until 30 days. We also want to either rope drop or get in line right before closing and in those cases wont have a FP.
getting a Rider Swap would most likely be up to the CM you get and getting in line at end of night will not work unless first group has time to ride and then get in line before closing with second child. you could try same at Rope Drop but again unless CM is willing to give you a Rider Swap the line is going to be long by time rest get off. with staying off site you might also try for FPs for 4 then another set of 2 a little later. just make sure you and DH are on different times
 
One thing you could try (if they wont give you a rider swap) is going through the line with your family (even though you’re not riding) and ask if you can wait with one of the littles while your husband takes the rest of the kids, and then let that child ride again with your husband. It would be an internal switch, of sorts, instead of a traditional rider swap.
 
I would recommend going to Disney’s Early Morning Magic Toy Story Land. You could take the younger kids to meet characters, ride TSM( if it’s allowed for expectant mothers) or Alien Saucers while hubby rides Slinky Dog as many times as he wants with different kid configurations. SO worth the extra $$!
It might be difficult to get fastpasses at 30 days otherwise. And it includes breakfast !
PS I’m never one to advise spending extra for anything, but this is the one exception!
And congratulations, little mama!
 


One thing you could try (if they wont give you a rider swap) is going through the line with your family (even though you’re not riding) and ask if you can wait with one of the littles while your husband takes the rest of the kids, and then let that child ride again with your husband. It would be an internal switch, of sorts, instead of a traditional rider swap.

I thought of this too! Might just have to ask and see!

I would recommend going to Disney’s Early Morning Magic Toy Story Land. You could take the younger kids to meet characters, ride TSM( if it’s allowed for expectant mothers) or Alien Saucers while hubby rides Slinky Dog as many times as he wants with different kid configurations. SO worth the extra $$!
It might be difficult to get fastpasses at 30 days otherwise. And it includes breakfast !
PS I’m never one to advise spending extra for anything, but this is the one exception!
And congratulations, little mama!

Oh I wish we could do EMM...but it would cost our family around $500 which is not really in the budget for this trip! And thank you! :)
 
I'm traveling with 2 adults and 3 five year olds, so I've been trying to confirm this is well. One person in one of my multiples groups said that they treated it like SDMT and let her "accompany" an extra under-7 from the row behind, so I'm hopeful, but that's all I've seen.

I do know on Barnstormer, if you don't have the right adult to under 7 ratio, they will issue the adult rider swaps sufficient for all of the kids to ride. So, at the very least, that should be a viable option.

My trip is in 9 days (!!!!!) and I have SDD FPs on two days, so I will have two more data points for you soon. Tag me after 3/6 if I don't remember to reply back.
 
I'm traveling with 2 adults and 3 five year olds, so I've been trying to confirm this is well. One person in one of my multiples groups said that they treated it like SDMT and let her "accompany" an extra under-7 from the row behind, so I'm hopeful, but that's all I've seen.

I do know on Barnstormer, if you don't have the right adult to under 7 ratio, they will issue the adult rider swaps sufficient for all of the kids to ride. So, at the very least, that should be a viable option.

My trip is in 9 days (!!!!!) and I have SDD FPs on two days, so I will have two more data points for you soon. Tag me after 3/6 if I don't remember to reply back.

Thank you, that is encouraging. We had a similar experience on Barnstormer when we had all 4 kids under 7. The baby couldn't ride so i stayed with him and DH had to go 3 times in a row with a RS pass. I want sure if that was standard procedure or not.

Enjoy your trip and I look forward to hearing about it!
 
I took my under-7 twins once to Disney World and on Barnstormer where they required one adult per kid, they were very strict and would not let me go through with both and do a swap at the ride boarding. I did ask the families lined up behind me at the FP entrance if any of them had an over-14 year old who wouldn't mind riding with one of my sons, and right away a very nice teenage girl volunteered. If you are comfortable doing the same, I generally find people are very nice and happy to pitch in. I know I'd certainly be happy to accompany another child if the situation were reversed. I could see the two of them sitting right in front me the whole ride so it's not like we were really separated after all.

That said, I also knew that my very sociable roller-coaster-loving older twin son would be more than happy to ride with someone else; my younger twin son is very shy and I knew he'd have to ride by me and wouldn't want a stranger. So this depends on the kid too as well.
 
I took my under-7 twins once to Disney World and on Barnstormer where they required one adult per kid, they were very strict and would not let me go through with both and do a swap at the ride boarding. I did ask the families lined up behind me at the FP entrance if any of them had an over-14 year old who wouldn't mind riding with one of my sons, and right away a very nice teenage girl volunteered. If you are comfortable doing the same, I generally find people are very nice and happy to pitch in. I know I'd certainly be happy to accompany another child if the situation were reversed. I could see the two of them sitting right in front me the whole ride so it's not like we were really separated after all.

That said, I also knew that my very sociable roller-coaster-loving older twin son would be more than happy to ride with someone else; my younger twin son is very shy and I knew he'd have to ride by me and wouldn't want a stranger. So this depends on the kid too as well.

My kids do make a lot of "line friends" at our local amusement rides so that we can get through a ride that requires accompaniment with fewer waiting turns. However, they always want to ride with a parent the first time, which will be everything at Disney.

In your case, there was no 2nd adult to supervise while you were riding, correct? I think mine and OPs situation will be easier because we can leave non riders with the second adult and do a series of swaps.
 
Update: SDD definitely allows the adult to accompany from behind, so the 5 and 3 year old can ride one next to and one immediately in front of hubby.

The only complication is that the adult must be behind the under 7s and, when CMs are filling the coaster, they want the odd member of the party to be toward the front of your group so that the next odd member party will still be in consecutive rows. For us, that mean that I couldn't let me two five year olds ride in front with me behind, the wanted the single to be in the front and they wanted the adult in the back, thus forcing one of the kids to ride with a stranger instead of the sisters riding together and me with a stranger. I would prep either your 9 or 7 year old (whoever is more willing) that they will be riding in a separate car with a stranger and that Dad, 5, 3, and other older kid will be in a car together.
 
Update: SDD definitely allows the adult to accompany from behind, so the 5 and 3 year old can ride one next to and one immediately in front of hubby.

The only complication is that the adult must be behind the under 7s and, when CMs are filling the coaster, they want the odd member of the party to be toward the front of your group so that the next odd member party will still be in consecutive rows. For us, that mean that I couldn't let me two five year olds ride in front with me behind, the wanted the single to be in the front and they wanted the adult in the back, thus forcing one of the kids to ride with a stranger instead of the sisters riding together and me with a stranger. I would prep either your 9 or 7 year old (whoever is more willing) that they will be riding in a separate car with a stranger and that Dad, 5, 3, and other older kid will be in a car together.
I’ve been following your trip report to find this out. Good to know my DS6 can ride in front and DH and I can each take a twin. But I hate that he has to ride with a stranger. How did your girls do? Wondering if we should stil ask for the swap at boarding and see what the CM says.
 
I’ve been following your trip report to find this out. Good to know my DS6 can ride in front and DH and I can each take a twin. But I hate that he has to ride with a stranger. How did your girls do? Wondering if we should stil ask for the swap at boarding and see what the CM says.

Maybe you’ll be able to chat up another family in line. We are an odd numbered family (just 1 child), and my son always wants to sit with my husband. I’d be happy to sit with another family’s child, if asked.
 
I’ve been following your trip report to find this out. Good to know my DS6 can ride in front and DH and I can each take a twin. But I hate that he has to ride with a stranger. How did your girls do? Wondering if we should stil ask for the swap at boarding and see what the CM says.

Maybe you’ll be able to chat up another family in line. We are an odd numbered family (just 1 child), and my son always wants to sit with my husband. I’d be happy to sit with another family’s child, if asked.

We rode twice. The first time, we happened to be behind an odd numbered party with a girl my trio's age. We chatted a bit and one of mine was happy to sit with the mom, so we told the CM we were a party of 8 and situated ourselves accordingly.

The second time, two of mine wanted to sit together so I didn't bother trying to suss out the other parties near us. I was fine with sitting with whomever was assigned. When we got to the rows, the CM said two on 9, two on 8, one on 7. I said I had to do the single on 8, as I was accompanying from behind, and she said that, no, the single had to be on 7 so that the next odd numbered party could fit in. As you know, once you are assigned a row, everything happens quickly and my girls immediately started fighting over who got to sit with me. I was so focused on negotiating with them and simultaneously asking the CM again couldn't they just go together and give me the single that it didn't occur to me to just ask the odd rider they put in our car to go back the row with me. He was a preteen boy who likely wouldn't have cared but also didn't think to volunteer that option on his own. Eventually, one of mine agreed to go in the front with the boy and all was well.

All of that is to say that, if I had known about the possibility that they would have been so particular about the odd rider being in front, I would have chatted with the line ahead of time to find an odd party willing to fill in with us in a way that would have let the girls ride together.
 
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They were pretty strict with us when we were there a few weeks ago and pretty much always required our DS5 to ride with an adult and not DD8 (the kids asked at a lot of rides if they could sit together). We didnt' ask at SDD at all so I can't give you any info on that, but I'm pretty sure my daughter asked at 7DMT and was told no. Maybe because they saw them with 2 adults though? They might make exceptions if there's only one adult?

They were strict with us too. We rode it twice on two different days. My DD6 was told she had to sit with me and could not ride with DD9. No worries, I knew the age requirement so we were fine with it
 

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