Can someone explain Maxpass to me?

[friedela]

What is the difference between Maxpass and fastpass and how does it all work? I know at DW it's essentially appointments for the major rides you want to do, booked 30 or 60 days in advance and allows the use of the MDE ap on your phone to make and cancel fastpass reservations, all for free.

For Disneyland though how does the fastpass system work? And what part of it costs money? I've heard something about paper passes.. can someone fill me in or point me somewhere that explains it?

 

[BrianL]

The DLR FP system is essentially the same as the "old school" paper system that WDW once had where you scan your ticket at a kiosk to get a pass with a specific return time window. MaxPass basically just lets you pull FP times by using your phone instead of walking to the kiosks. The rules are the same as far as when you can pull your next one, but the time-saving convenience of it basically means you can get more in a day since you can start as soon as you scan into the park. You can also pull for both DL and CA regardless of the park you are in. It also comes with Memory Maker so you can get all of your photos too. All FP at DLR is same-day and there is no booking ahead as there is as WDW.

FastPass is free if you use the paper way, included with every ticket. MaxPass is an add-on, that I think is now $15 per day per person after the very recent increase (it was $10).

 

[Elk Grove Chris]

This thread has a lot of information, with several additional links regarding the two: https://www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/

 

[sherilaine]

The thread linked above is great and does explain it well. It can be confusing but once you are there and using it, wow, it's great!!

I just have a few additional comments:

There are no more paper fastpasses though - you get a "reminder" paper that spits out but it's of no value as all fast passes are now linked to your actual ticket. Before you used to actually hand over a fast pass to the cast member but now you would use your actual park pass. This means you can no longer give away your fast passes if you choose to not use them which used to be a fun thing to do I found.

If you use the max pass feature though you are able to book fast passes on your phone, through the Disneyland app, once you are in the parks and activated for the day. They are linked to your park pass and also can be scanned from your phone in the fast pass line. It's very quick and we found it didn't actually use a lot of data.

The last feature I love is, if you take breaks from the park, you can continue to book fast passes through max pass on your phone from your hotel or a restaurant. What we did last time is if we took an afternoon break, I'd set an alarm on my phone to know when I can book our next fast pass and then we'd return to the park and have several fast passes we could use once we arrived. It just keeps the ball rolling without you having to physically be there. You can also book fast passes in the other park - so if you are in Disneyland you can book a Radiator Springs fast pass without having to physically leave the park and walk all the way over to the machines. The only downside is that was a great way to get some exercise in!

 

[ironband74]

This means you can no longer give away your fast passes if you choose to not use them which used to be a fun thing to do I found.

However, the app does allow you to cancel fastpasses, and MaxPass allows you to pick up cancelled fast passes. This is sort of like 'giving them away', but you don't get to choose who gets them or see their delight (which is a bummer). Rest assured, though, that when some MaxPass user picks up your cancellation, they will likely whoop with joy and be thankful to you, whoever you are (I know I was!)

Of course, you can also pick up other people's canceled fast passes, and this can make for a spectacular evening especially at busy times.

 

[cmwade77]

Ok, let me try to break this down:

• "Traditional FP"
  • You go to a kiosk near the attraction and insert each ticket, you then get a return time associated with the ticket.
  • A paper reminder is printed, but this is not used for anything besides a reminder for you
  • You FP return time will be listed in your Disneyland app if you have associated your tickets with your account
  • You can cancel these FPs from the app in order to get another one at another kiosk, but you cannot schedule one from your phone
• MaxPass
  • You use the app to book FPs from the phone, but you can still use the kiosks as well if necessary
  • Advantages:
    • You can book your first FP from your phone the second your pass is scanned into the park, even if this is technically before the park opens.
    • You can book your next FP, as soon as the time listed in the app for booking the next FP OR after using the FP. NOTE: Using the FP means scanning at the first FP scanner at an attraction, so you can book your next FP while waiting in the FP return line for an attraction.
    • You get access to other people's canceled FPs, which "Traditional FP" does not
    • You get digital downloads of all Photopass and Ride Photos included
  • Disadvantages:
    • You need an Android or iPhone with a data plan to make good use of this as WiFi in the parks is spotty at best.
    • Using the app will consume more battery, so you may want to get a FuelRod, which costs $30, but can be swapped out forever for free in theme park locations for fully charged fuel rods
    • Costs $15 per day

 

[twodogs]

The DLR FP system is essentially the same as the "old school" paper system that WDW once had where you scan your ticket at a kiosk to get a pass with a specific return time window. MaxPass basically just lets you pull FP times by using your phone instead of walking to the kiosks. The rules are the same as far as when you can pull your next one, but the time-saving convenience of it basically means you can get more in a day since you can start as soon as you scan into the park. You can also pull for both DL and CA regardless of the park you are in. It also comes with Memory Maker so you can get all of your photos too. All FP at DLR is same-day and there is no booking ahead as there is as WDW.

FastPass is free if you use the paper way, included with every ticket. MaxPass is an add-on, that I think is now $15 per day per person after the very recent increase (it was $10).

Actually there is a time difference of when you can get your next one with MP versus "paper" FP. The link above explains it in detail, but the big advantage to MP is that you can get another one in 90 minutes instead of 120 minutes if your return time is far away.