HydroGuy
A Pirate's Life For Me
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- Jun 5, 2005
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March 2020 note: DLR recently increased the price of MP from $15 to $20 per person per day, which will impact some of the cost/benefits discussed below...
This thread is intended for folks either familiar with WDW FP+ (through MDE) and new to DLR MP, or vice versa. I am going to orient this to the person who is new to DLR.
Note that for several years now WDW's system has been called "FP+" to distinguish it from so-called "legacy FP" which was essentially equivalent to the paper FP system, through kiosks, still available at DLR. Some WDW folks are starting to just call their new system "FP" since it has been around for 5+ years now. When they talk about the old paper FP system, which is not very often these days, they sometimes call it "FP-" or "legacy FP".
In an attempt to be clear, I will use the following terminology in this thread:
MP - MaxPass, a paid system only at DLR to obtain Fastpasses.
FP+ - FastPass+, a free system only at WDW through MDE (My Disney Experience) accessed through a web browser and/or smartphone app.
Paper FP - Free kiosk based system at DLR, essentially equivalent to the one at WDW which was discontinued around year 2015. DLR still has this paper FP system in parallel with MP.
FP - FastPass, a system for reserving a ride at DLR and WDW. At DLR, FP can be obtained through MP or kiosks that dispense Paper FPs. At WDW FPs are only available through MDE.
A good review of the DLR MaxPass system by @Skyegirl1999 can be found here: "Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/
An excellent and very detailed discussion on WDW FP+ by @mesaboy2 can be found here: "FastPass+ Frequently Asked Questions" - https://www.disboards.com/threads/fastpass-frequently-asked-questions.3491680/
1. Cost for MP: Unlike the WDW FP+ system which is included in your park ticket cost (which means most people consider it free), the DLR MP system costs $20 per person, per day. This is in addition to the park ticket cost. If you get it, you do not have to get it every day of your trip. You do not have to get it for all people in your party. But any person who wants to be able to get a FP through MP must have a paid MP that day.
2. When you can start making FP reservations with MP: You cannot make FP reservations in advance of your visit like with FP+ 30 or 60 days in advance. You make FP reservations after entering a park that day. Your park ticket/AP has to be first scanned at a park. If you have MP for multiple days of a visit, you still cannot make FP reservations for a given day until you enter a park that day.
3. Quantity of FPs you can get with MP: There is no "3 FP" limit with MP like with FP+. You can get one at a time, just like the legacy paper FP system. There is thus no limit on how many FPs you can get. FP+ also does not have a limit, except you cannot reserve a new FP until you have used the first 3.
4. When your FP return windows will be with MP: Return windows function exactly like the legacy paper FP system. They are one hour long. In fact, since the legacy paper FP system works in parallel with MP, the return windows at the paper FP kiosks are essentially the same as you see in MP. Like legacy paper FPs, the return windows begin in the morning and then move out in time based on how many FPs have been given out for a ride. The popular rides with popular FPs will have return windows that move out faster than the less popular rides. You cannot choose your return window like with FP+. You have to take the current window offered or wait until the window moves later if you want something later.
5. Cancelling FPs: With MP you can cancel your FP and get something different if you choose. If you know you are not going to use FPs, it is cool but not required to cancel them. If you do that, then they become available for someone else using MP. Similar to FP+, if someone else cancels their FPs, they become available for you to get with MP. That is a huge advantage for MP over legacy paper FPs where you cannot pick up other folks' cancelled FPs.
Note that with legacy paper FP you can use the DL app to cancel the FP. But you cannot pickup other folks cancelled FPs. You need to have MP for that.
6. Using MP while you are outside the parks: Like FP+, where on the day you are visiting the parks and you use your "first 3 pre-booked FPs", you can make more FP+ reservations while outside the parks. For example, if you plan to park hop from DHS to Epcot and have used your 3 DHS FPs, you can make FP reservations, one at a time, for Epcot.
At DLR you can do something similar. Once you are scanned at the turnstiles in the morning, and paid for MP, you can leave the parks altogether, or while in DL, get a FP for DCA. The difference at DLR is that you cannot choose your FP window like you can with FP+. Unless someone cancels a FP (see #5 above).
Another critical difference is that FP+ at WDW only allows you to get a single FP while outside a park. You cannot get FP #5, for example, until you use FP #4 when at WDW. At DLR you can use MP to continue getting FPs while outside the parks just as if you were inside the parks. This is what people mean when they talk about "stacking FPs" at DLR when using MP. A common "stacking" strategy is to leave for an afternoon break, often back to your hotel, or maybe DTD. While away from the parks, you can continue to collect FPs using MP. If you know you will finish your break at 5PM, just choose FPs based on a window after 5PM. With this strategy, you can collect several FPs for your evening while you are on your break - so that when you return to the parks you have multiple FPs ready to use.
7. Paying for MP: If you buy your park tickets direct from Disney, you can add the MP option at time of purchase. You will need to buy MP for all days of the ticket when purchased in advance. If you do not do that, or buy park tickets from another provider, you can buy MP as soon as your park ticket is scanned on a day by day basis. In fact, you cannot buy MP in advance (except through Disney as just mentioned) so you have to wait until you get in the park. And you need to buy MP through the DLR app. This can be inconvenient if you want to start using MP right away, because after you scan your tickets and everyone wants to rush to the first ride of the day, you need to stop and buy MP. To do this you definitely want to have a credit card in your DLR app ahead of time. For AP holders, they can pay for MP in advance for the whole year for a fee. Or AP holders can buy MP day by day like normal park tickets.
8. Ride photos and photopass photos included: Unlike at WDW where you need to pay extra to get park photos, MP includes all these photos. But they do not go directly to your MDE account like they do if you have a Magic Band. For photographers, they can scan your park tickets like WDW photographers can scan your Magic Band. But for ride photos, you have to remember the ID number of the ride photo and then type that into the DL app or your browser to get the photos. It is thus a good idea to take a quick photo of each ride photo so you can keep track of the photo ID numbers. The photos stay accessible for at least 30 days after your visit. The fact that you get park photos included with MP is a good way to trade off costs vs. MDE at WDW. As of today, MemoryMaker (the program to get photos) at WDW costs $169 when purchased in advance (and $199 when purchased at WDW). That is equivalent to about 10 MPs at $20 each. Thus a family of four who visit DLR for three days would cost $240 for MP. From that perspective, MP may be a bargain just based on photos.
This thread is intended for folks either familiar with WDW FP+ (through MDE) and new to DLR MP, or vice versa. I am going to orient this to the person who is new to DLR.
Note that for several years now WDW's system has been called "FP+" to distinguish it from so-called "legacy FP" which was essentially equivalent to the paper FP system, through kiosks, still available at DLR. Some WDW folks are starting to just call their new system "FP" since it has been around for 5+ years now. When they talk about the old paper FP system, which is not very often these days, they sometimes call it "FP-" or "legacy FP".
In an attempt to be clear, I will use the following terminology in this thread:
MP - MaxPass, a paid system only at DLR to obtain Fastpasses.
FP+ - FastPass+, a free system only at WDW through MDE (My Disney Experience) accessed through a web browser and/or smartphone app.
Paper FP - Free kiosk based system at DLR, essentially equivalent to the one at WDW which was discontinued around year 2015. DLR still has this paper FP system in parallel with MP.
FP - FastPass, a system for reserving a ride at DLR and WDW. At DLR, FP can be obtained through MP or kiosks that dispense Paper FPs. At WDW FPs are only available through MDE.
A good review of the DLR MaxPass system by @Skyegirl1999 can be found here: "Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy" - www.disboards.com/threads/maxpass-fastpass-an-overview-and-some-strategy.3726246/
An excellent and very detailed discussion on WDW FP+ by @mesaboy2 can be found here: "FastPass+ Frequently Asked Questions" - https://www.disboards.com/threads/fastpass-frequently-asked-questions.3491680/
1. Cost for MP: Unlike the WDW FP+ system which is included in your park ticket cost (which means most people consider it free), the DLR MP system costs $20 per person, per day. This is in addition to the park ticket cost. If you get it, you do not have to get it every day of your trip. You do not have to get it for all people in your party. But any person who wants to be able to get a FP through MP must have a paid MP that day.
2. When you can start making FP reservations with MP: You cannot make FP reservations in advance of your visit like with FP+ 30 or 60 days in advance. You make FP reservations after entering a park that day. Your park ticket/AP has to be first scanned at a park. If you have MP for multiple days of a visit, you still cannot make FP reservations for a given day until you enter a park that day.
3. Quantity of FPs you can get with MP: There is no "3 FP" limit with MP like with FP+. You can get one at a time, just like the legacy paper FP system. There is thus no limit on how many FPs you can get. FP+ also does not have a limit, except you cannot reserve a new FP until you have used the first 3.
4. When your FP return windows will be with MP: Return windows function exactly like the legacy paper FP system. They are one hour long. In fact, since the legacy paper FP system works in parallel with MP, the return windows at the paper FP kiosks are essentially the same as you see in MP. Like legacy paper FPs, the return windows begin in the morning and then move out in time based on how many FPs have been given out for a ride. The popular rides with popular FPs will have return windows that move out faster than the less popular rides. You cannot choose your return window like with FP+. You have to take the current window offered or wait until the window moves later if you want something later.
5. Cancelling FPs: With MP you can cancel your FP and get something different if you choose. If you know you are not going to use FPs, it is cool but not required to cancel them. If you do that, then they become available for someone else using MP. Similar to FP+, if someone else cancels their FPs, they become available for you to get with MP. That is a huge advantage for MP over legacy paper FPs where you cannot pick up other folks' cancelled FPs.
Note that with legacy paper FP you can use the DL app to cancel the FP. But you cannot pickup other folks cancelled FPs. You need to have MP for that.
6. Using MP while you are outside the parks: Like FP+, where on the day you are visiting the parks and you use your "first 3 pre-booked FPs", you can make more FP+ reservations while outside the parks. For example, if you plan to park hop from DHS to Epcot and have used your 3 DHS FPs, you can make FP reservations, one at a time, for Epcot.
At DLR you can do something similar. Once you are scanned at the turnstiles in the morning, and paid for MP, you can leave the parks altogether, or while in DL, get a FP for DCA. The difference at DLR is that you cannot choose your FP window like you can with FP+. Unless someone cancels a FP (see #5 above).
Another critical difference is that FP+ at WDW only allows you to get a single FP while outside a park. You cannot get FP #5, for example, until you use FP #4 when at WDW. At DLR you can use MP to continue getting FPs while outside the parks just as if you were inside the parks. This is what people mean when they talk about "stacking FPs" at DLR when using MP. A common "stacking" strategy is to leave for an afternoon break, often back to your hotel, or maybe DTD. While away from the parks, you can continue to collect FPs using MP. If you know you will finish your break at 5PM, just choose FPs based on a window after 5PM. With this strategy, you can collect several FPs for your evening while you are on your break - so that when you return to the parks you have multiple FPs ready to use.
7. Paying for MP: If you buy your park tickets direct from Disney, you can add the MP option at time of purchase. You will need to buy MP for all days of the ticket when purchased in advance. If you do not do that, or buy park tickets from another provider, you can buy MP as soon as your park ticket is scanned on a day by day basis. In fact, you cannot buy MP in advance (except through Disney as just mentioned) so you have to wait until you get in the park. And you need to buy MP through the DLR app. This can be inconvenient if you want to start using MP right away, because after you scan your tickets and everyone wants to rush to the first ride of the day, you need to stop and buy MP. To do this you definitely want to have a credit card in your DLR app ahead of time. For AP holders, they can pay for MP in advance for the whole year for a fee. Or AP holders can buy MP day by day like normal park tickets.
8. Ride photos and photopass photos included: Unlike at WDW where you need to pay extra to get park photos, MP includes all these photos. But they do not go directly to your MDE account like they do if you have a Magic Band. For photographers, they can scan your park tickets like WDW photographers can scan your Magic Band. But for ride photos, you have to remember the ID number of the ride photo and then type that into the DL app or your browser to get the photos. It is thus a good idea to take a quick photo of each ride photo so you can keep track of the photo ID numbers. The photos stay accessible for at least 30 days after your visit. The fact that you get park photos included with MP is a good way to trade off costs vs. MDE at WDW. As of today, MemoryMaker (the program to get photos) at WDW costs $169 when purchased in advance (and $199 when purchased at WDW). That is equivalent to about 10 MPs at $20 each. Thus a family of four who visit DLR for three days would cost $240 for MP. From that perspective, MP may be a bargain just based on photos.
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