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There are other changes as well.
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Really crazy question, but I have to ask. Do they do child swap for teens.? My youngest hates coasters, but we love them. Curious if this would be allowed.
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Is the teen, the youngest kid? If so, and they haven't a developmental issue, then I wouldn't expect Disney to do the child-swap for them. Thirteen or fourteen is old enough to be on their own, in a Disney park. Disney will let kids as young as 14 enter alone, unsupervised and unaccompanied by any adult, into their theme parks.
If it would be you, and your teen, taking turns watching a younger child while the other rides ... I see no reason they would not permit this. A fifteen or sixteen year old could take their ten year old sibling into the parks, and no adults need be within five miles of them the entire day ... Disney would be fine with that.
Well, I am not comfortable with a 14 year old being by himself. That is just me. If you think that is weird, well, I have just seen too many bad things happen to kids left on their own.
i am not sure about Universal, but I think that Disney parks will allow a swap (that is, allow one adult to wait near the ride and then board almost immediately after the other adult finishes) only if the first adult is waiting with a child who is unable to ride. Sometimes a child who is just large enough but still young would be allowed in the swap. However, it would be unlikely to get a swap for a teen who is clearly able and just not willing to ride.
Of course, if you have 2 adults in your group, you could all get FastPasses (or equivalent) and one could stay with the teen while the other rides, then the first adult could go on the ride while the other adult waits with the teen. You would not have the ability for a sibling to ride once with each adult, though, if that's what you were asking about.
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I don't recall seeing "rider swap" areas at the big coasters. I know they have them at Gringotts and Forbidden Journey. I would expect you could ask the TMs at the ride entrances if you could leave your teen in the swap area while you rode the rides, though I don't know what the answer would be.
My DH doesn't like the coasters. He finds a seat outside at CS a restaurant to sit while we ride. For Rip Ride Rocket, he sits at Monster Cafe; at Hulk there is a restaurant right at the entrance to the area (I don't know it's name) and he sits there; at Dragons Challenge he actually sits down on a wall near the exit (on restaurant with outside seating nearby). I'd feel comfortable leaving a 14 yr old to do the same thing....especially if they had a phone or device to keep them busy.
(My DD was 14 when I let her leave MK and take a bus back to our resort (Swan) on her own while I stayed with my sister and her 5yr old a bit longer. I think at that age they can been given some leeway to be by themselves for a bit, unless there are other factors you haven't mentioned that would cause concern).
As a mother of grown children, I can tell you my kids were left alone in parks at around 13. They also did school trip starting at 14 (high school trips up to a week at a time with their peers). My DD and her best friend did a week long trip by themselves at 17. (both very responsible kids and seasoned WDW travelers)
If you really don't feel comfortable leaving your 14 year old, can your party split up so your child is doing something else.
.... and I only now realise you're talking about Universal, not Disney. Brain-lapse on my part (originally got to the thread in the "new posts" list).
Other than that, I'm going to go with Huntermom. I, personally, think that at fourteen, a kid should be fine on their own for at least brief stretches. But, if you disagree? You're the parent, not me, so your opinion on the matter carries 10x the weight of mine.
We used rider swap at many of the Universal rides. Their process is a little different than Disney's. At most of the rides, we all went through the line together, then right near the boarding area there was a child swap room where one of us would wait with the little one. I don't see why they wouldn't allow your son to go through the line with you, then wait in that area. I would just ask when you enter the line if that will be permissible.
ONe other option-your son could walk with you to the chicken exit and then wait for you in the gift shop. Most of the coasters are only a few minutes and the walk from the chicken exit is usually a few minutes.
Once my son turned 13 we let him and his 11 year old brother wait for us on the bench outside rock n roller coaster or TOT. They knew if they had any problem to walk together into the store at the end of the ride and wait for us in there (they knew the way in)...never a problem. Now they are 15 and 13 and riding rverything...but we had two trips where they wouldn't ride either of those rides. Each of us had a phone which also helps
I wondered a little if ok, but then my husband reminded me...I went to.wdw for.senior week with friends...so if I could do an entire Disney trip alone by 18....they should be ok for 20min at 13.
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Last edited by Happymommy; 08-30-2015 at 05:02 PM..
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