Tour along with me as I share the Universal Studios’ Child Swap program–making it possible for you and your family to enjoy the rides for taller people with your little ones. My smallest never minded entering a Child Swap room and waiting while the rest of us rode the bigger roller coasters.
The Universal Studios’ Child Swap Details
Say you’re at Universal Studios, and you have a 40-inch cutie that can’t ride along on Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey, or a 38-inches who isn’t quite big enough for Transformers 3D, but, since I’m telling you these are two of the must-ride rides (list of must-rides to come in the coming weeks–I’ll link them here), you, your partner and your big kids are dying to go. Universal makes it easy!
Check in with the attendant at the entrance to the ride. He or she will measure your little and tell you that he or she is too small. (Usually, they do this in such a cool way–one attendant got down to Little’s eye-level and said, “you know, you’re not quite big enough to ride the Forbidden Journey, but you’ll love exploring the castle with your family and you can ride Flight of the Hippogriff after!” (She did. A lot. In the front row.) Another attendant said, “you’re not quite big enough for this ride, but if you go over to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®, you’ll have a great time!” (She was right. Little was just big enough and loved it.)
Tell the attendant that you’re going to use Child Swap. You’ll have to wait in line together, and just when you’re about to get on the ride, tell the attendant at the beginning of the ride that you’re splitting off for Child Swap. They’ll send the child (and one big person, if you have an extra) to the Child Swap room, which is usually just a few feet away from both the beginning and end of the ride.
The Child Swap room has plenty of benches and often has a baby-changing station and games for preschoolers. It’s themed to go along with the ride. At Harry Potter’s Forbidden Journey, you’ll feel like you’re waiting outside a professor’s office on benches, and scenes from the movie are playing. At Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls®, the room is straight out of the old cartoon–bright and colorful. (See video below).
When your family gets off the ride, they’ll come to find you in the Child Swap room and you and an alternate big person and switch places. You’ll have, virtually, no wait. Just take your riders (if you’re riding with anyone) up to the beginning of the ride, and they’ll let you right on. We never waited more than 3 minutes to jump on the ride after Child Swap!
And the best part? Your big kids can ride the ride with you twice–without a wait! Even the top rides, like Forbidden Journey and Transformers.
Here’s a video tour of the Child Swap room at Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure.
{Can’t view the embedded video? Click here to view it on YouTube. And don’t forget to subscribe to my channel!}
