Eeek Leave in 2WKS..Is it Worth Getting RideMax?

[shaycamp21]

We will be at DLR on Aug 5th for 2 nights / 3days and I am wondering if it is worth getting Ridemax now to help with our touring. I am really stressing as this DL trip is just a mini trip before our Hawaiian cruise and I have been so busy planning Hawaii that I haven't really started my touring plans (though I've been reading this board for months and have read all of Hydro Guy's tips). For all of our trips to WDW I used Tour Guide Mike which I found so helpful in planning (esp. his best days charts)and there does not seem to be anything similar for DLR. I guess the closest thing is RideMax though I am not sure if there is enough time to use RideMax now? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated as I am really running out of time.

 

[Queenbillabong]

I wouldn't bother with it - just get there early and know what you want to do. If you have a Magic Morning, make use of that. Have fun!!

 

[nutshell]

Absolutely get it!

It's a lot more than get their early and use Hydro's tips. It uses mathmatical formulas to calculate your absolute shortest waiting times. Is it perfect? No. Can you get on without it? Yes. But is it a big planning help that will cut down on ride times? Yes. And, it can take advantage of the "tricks" like certain rides not being connecte to the FP system.

I love it.

 

[Gena]

If you have the time before your trip to plan a little bit... sure, get it! It´s fun! and it helps to make things easier in the park.

 

[shaycamp21]

Does RideMax also provide you with tips for the best place(s) to view fireworks and parades?

 

[quest4dl]

Since you are already accustomed to using a touring plan then you would probably find Ridemax beneficial. I did subscribe for three months, played around with it a bit but ulimately did not use the touring plans. We did fairly well, during a very busy time, with arriving early and using a fastpass runner to maximize our fastpass use. Also, my younger ds (7) often wanted to repeat a ride so that would have thrown off the schedule. In addition you can't schedule in magic mornings, shows, or parades so that throws off the schedule a bit too. One of our days went astray when one of the Aladdin shows was cancelled - apparently this is not all that uncommon.

 

[avalon451]

I found Ridemax didn't use FP to the best advantage (i.e., it would have you go on a ride or even 2 before collecting your first FP... not always right on top of the FP next available window, either). Also, it's hard to get it to schedule around your breaks, meals, parades and shows. (I mean, technically you can, becaus they allow two different breaks to be scheduled in, but it's... complicated and doesn't always work out the way you like) You have to make a couple of plans a day, one for morning, one for evening. But in that case, it doesn't take into account that you have collected FPs to use when you come back in the evening. You can't plan for hopping over to DCA to get a Soarin' and GRR FP for later... etc.

If you're familiar with Hydroguy's tips, and you get there before opening, and you have a runner to collect FPs as soon as they're available, and you hit the rides that build long lines first thing in the morning, saving FPs for later... you'll do fine. Write your own itinerary.

If you really don't have time to work on an itinerary, and you want a pre-printed one that works pretty well, you could get the Unofficial Guide at a bookstore. It has touring plans in the back of the book. There again, it doesn't maximize use of FPs, but it does give touring plans that let you see most of the stuff at DL in 2 days, and most of the stuff at CA in one day. It doesn't allow for multiple rides, but it'll work pretty good for you if you don't want to fuss. It doesn't allow for parkhopping; instead, you spend 2 days just in DL and 1 day just in CA, but at least that's sort of a simple plan.

Hope that helps! You'll have a great time, regardless, I'm sure.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

Does RideMax also provide you with tips for the best place(s) to view fireworks and parades?

Yes, RM recommends his favorite viewing location for the fireworks and DL's parade.

Much of TGM's advice for MK will be helpful for DL. At DL, the four rides in Fantasyland that you want to get to first are:

Peter Pan
Dumbo
Alice in Wonderland
Matterhorn

 

[Leofoenget]

Does RideMax also provide you with tips for the best place(s) to view fireworks and parades?

Yes there is a whole area Tips and Hints. I used it end of June and by noon I was 2 hours ahead of plan.. I keep messing with it until I find a plan I like and copy and paste it into a Word document. that way I can add my own notes and some edits to the plan. Where it says "free time" I might note See Parade then go to DCA or whatever.

 

[S. S. Columbia]

... I used Tour Guide Mike which I found so helpful in planning (esp. his best days charts)and there does not seem to be anything similar for DLR. ...

At DLR you don't need a best days chart. Every day is a great day to be in DL!

At DL it's much easier.

Start each morning in DL.

If it's a Magic Morning, and you have the MM privilege, then go straight to Fantasyland (or maybe Finding Nemo in Tomorrowland).

If it's a Magic Morning, and you don't have the MM privilege, then steer clear of FL or TL, and start at the left side of DL.

If it isn't a Magic Morning, then go anywhere you want!

People "in the know" park hop to DCA pretty much every day. In HydroGuy's sticky, be sure to check out Hound 109's thread about Park Hopping.

"Why I ParkHop at DLR" by Hound 109 www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1491961

HTH