Experience with RideMax anyone?

[Maus]

Hi everybody,
has anyone bought RideMax and has experience with it? Is it worth the money? Can I use it even so I am not familiar with the parks. We will be traveling with three year old and will be a day in each park, two in MK. We do most dining outside of the park and I want to get the best out of each park.

Thank you

 

[drdes]

Used it once - very useful especially for first timer with 3yr old.

Thumbs up from me!

 

[patink]

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2118681

You may find this thread helpful...
(You may also find it overwhelming. )

I have purchased RideMax and I LOVE it!! I think it is a great planning tool, but I have only used it with adults. No children in my travel parties.

 

[Nala83]

I found it to be invaluable for my first trip. I had no idea how much time to allot for each attraction and how long it would take to get between things (not to mention the best order to avoid crowds).

My one suggestion if you aren't familiar with the parks: Get a map and have it next to you as you make your plans. That way you can see if the plans make sense for your group and tweak them if needed.

 

[baler31]

We love it and have found it to be highly accurate. You have to be willing to follow the plan though or it may not work, works well for anyone who does not mind a structured plan. We just plan enough free time into each day so we don't feel overly planned.

 

[Missyrose]

Used it on our last trip and LOVED it! Totally accurate and we got to do everything what we wanted to do

 

[TJSchulte1]

Our family used RideMax for first time on our recent trip to DisneyWorld. I built a plan for all 4 parks (used Touring Plans to determine which days we would be in each of the parks, based on "per park crowd calendars"). And although my husband was skeptical of the "comando" mentality that the RideMax itinerary suggests, he is now a total believer. We thought "How on earth would RideMax know the suggested wait times for an attraction??" But it did!! If it said that we would arrive at a particular attraction at 11:32 and have a 12 minute wait...it had exactly a 12 minute wait! It was amazing!
I set the mode to "normal" when building itineraries, and we did not really feel rushed at all. It gave us enough built in time for restroom breaks, popping in and out of the shops quickly, so kids could check out the cast member pin lanyards for trading, etc.. But most importantly, it helped us avoid standing around after a ride, "trying to decide what to do next". We had a plan for our entire day and it worked great! I will use RideMax for every trip!

 

[E&K's Dad]

Used it last year for the first time and loved it with just DW and me. We skipped it this year for our DSs first trip and I regret it. We were able to accomplish only some of what we wanted to. In hindsight, I should have used it and just planned in extra breaks because we were traveling with the kids.

We will use it next August when we head back.

 

[JLR]

It is cheap - I think I paid less than $20 for our one trip (I didn't buy the whole year version). I liked it quite a bit and was glad I got it. Don't bother buying it until about a month before you leave because the hours for those dates will not be available. I had never been before and put together things I learned from DIS, UG (Unofficial guide), and RideMax to develop my plan and I pretty much knew what I was going to do each day, where I was going to go, and had a back up plan and THAT was invaluable. I had maps of the parks and great plans for everything except DHS, and I really felt the difference that day.

Now will you feel it was worth it? Hard to say. Really the best advice is to go first thing in the morning and tour before the crowds get there. With a three year old, unless you are doing rider swap you will not be as concerned about the big headliners. The other thing is that sometimes Ride Max makes you go all over the place and you may not want to do that - so be sure to change the options to allow for slow pace and not a lot of backtracking.

I personally felt it was worth the money and remember in Disney time is money, spending a bit more to have a good flexible plan which ensures a great time by all is essential.

The only other unsolicited advice I would give is make sure your child gets the sleep he or she is accustomed to. Those middle of the day breaks are life (and trip) savers.

Enjoy!

 

[kay1864]

I have purchased RideMax and I LOVE it!! I think it is a great planning tool, but I have only used it with adults. No children in my travel parties.

We traveled with a 5yo and did great. You want to try the 'slow' walking speed instead of 'normal'. Saved us at least two hours a day waiting in line.

My one suggestion if you aren't familiar with the parks: Get a map and have it next to you as you make your plans. That way you can see if the plans make sense for your group and tweak them if needed.

wdwinfo has maps of all the parks. Useful if you're taking two days to see MK. You can see the 'left half' on one day and the right half on the other.

In RideMax you can sort by "land" in the MK, to make your choices easier.

 

[kay1864]

had a back up plan and THAT was invaluable.

Ditto. I had a 9am plan for each park (assuming we would get to the bus in time) and a 10am (in case we overslept). Fortunately we were there at rope drop each day.

Now will you feel it was worth it? Hard to say.

If not, RideMax will refund your money, no questions asked. Hard to believe, but true.

Really the best advice is to go first thing in the morning and tour before the crowds get there.

YES YES YES. Get out of bed by 7, on the bus (or in your car) by 8, and be waiting by 15-30 minutes before the park opens. Makes a HUGE difference in the number of rides you can see in a day. And in your line waiting times.