Parent swap differences between BGW and BGT

[mikes]

Hello all, I'm not sure how many of you this will apply to, but I have 2 young children. One is nearing the 48 inch mark so we can keep her happy at BGW and the other is only going to be 2. Parent swap is a great program. BGW is my home park so I have a little more experience with the process and after being at BGT earlier this month I must say BGW is quite bad at this. BGW like KD requires the person swapping to be on the ride platform when the rider is getting on (Not always convenient with a toddler, whom may be napping in a stroller).

BGT on the other hand does a virtual queue system which is awesome. The exit/quick queue attendant gives a return time card for the first party and then they get to use the quick queue. The 2nd party can go after they are done or anytime later in the day.

Why don't both parks have similar approaches to parent swap?? Has anyone approached management about this?

Then there are issues per ride. We had confusion of how it works at Invadr, which was our first go. The guy at that exist never said my wife had to be ON the platform and how the system works on a ride like apollo's chariot is just mind boggling and had one of the employees get extremely rude with me and my family on the platform. I knew there was a single rider line and it was just my wife and I as riders. I asked the quick queue attendant if I can actually do single rider (because that was what I was) and still do the parent swap. She said no problem, but the rider operator on the platform went off on a rant which was incredibly rude and just pointless, especially since I offered to do things how SHE wanted. I say it was pointless because there was only a 15 min or so regular line wait and ZERO single riders/quick queue. I said to the one being rude, well my wife can just do single rider when I'm done since this is a problem which she then proceeded to tell me that's not how it works.... I could have went on and on with this girl but it was clear she didn't want to be there and I once worked a roller coaster in my young days so I get how "annoying" the gp can be, so I let it slide. My point I guess is the inconsistency throughout even BGW shouldn't be there.

I will say the quality of employees at BGW is much higher than KD. This was the first year we didn't do passes at KD, and that decision is much easier to maintain even though I'm an extra hour away.

 

[warfelg]

I don't have a kid, but as someone who's normally there alone, in a train alone, and usually have an extra seat open next to me, I'm more than happy to invite the parent in the swap to sit with me.

Even from that end, it's a complete crapshoot as to when it happens. I've seen a few times on InvadR them do something similar to what you are explaining. I got in (busy day) there were parents waiting for the swap. I saw one of the dads waiting with his wife, and I invited him to sit with me. The ride attendant went off on me how that wasn't my call. She started calling down the line for a single, and finally about 4 minutes later someone came up out of the queue to sit next to me. I thought is was so rude and frankly insulting to do that to a family (3 kids with 2 too small for InvadR) that had clearly gotten annoyed by waiting, as I saw the wife get off with the biggest kid, then the dad wait at least 3 dispatches for a single seat to be open.

I do think that parent-swap, single riders is one place that Disney and Universal absolutely crush every other park in how it operates.

 

[Nicole]

For what it is worth, I have had many terrible experiences with QQ at Apollo. The staff seem to resent people entering from that side. I generally try to use the regular line for it, in fact.

 

[netdvn]

When I worked at the park, child swap was easy. One parent waits outside with the child while the other rides. When the parent gets off, they swap and the parent who didn't ride goes either up the exit or through Quick Queue depending on the ride. No need to wait on the platform or get a return time. Guess that's changed.

 

[mikes]

BGW wants the first rider to be on the platform, which is also what Kings dominion does. The return time is what Tampa does and it was awesome as it makes it all less stressful. No one has to wait in a long line as they utilize a virtual queue.