MaxPass / Digital Fastpass - Discussion Thread

[Khokhonutt]

I think once you buy MaxPass, you are locked into using that all day. You can't use the paper version as well.

Can I ask where this comes from? I've seen it mentioned a couple of times but I haven't found anything in the wording that points to that. I guess the true test will be someone willing to pony up $10 and give it a try.

Yeah, I'm not sure why they would do this. It would really suck if you paid the $10, then had issues with your phone and ultimately paid $10 per person to lock yourself out of FastPasses.

 

[mom2rtk]

Yeah, I'm not sure why they would do this. It would really suck if you paid the $10, then had issues with your phone and ultimately paid $10 per person to lock yourself out of FastPasses.

Or issues with Disney's less than reliable wifi.

 

[AC7179]

I don't like the idea of not being able to set it up until once I'm in the parks. We will probably go in around one on arrival day, but I can see if being a detriment to usage if people have to add it and pay once they enter the parks. Who wants to stop and do that at rope drop your first morning?

 

[mom2rtk]

I am really curious who the target demographics are for Maxpass. I just don't see it appealing to the average guest but I could be wrong. I think the average guest can't even figure out the current FP system! I can see it appealing to elite quests (those who don't have any budget constraints), or those in small groups going for short visits (5 days or less). I feel like I understand the current FP system very well and use it as much as possible, but I'm not sure the cost of MP is worth it, even at the AP rate. If I were going for just a few days with just DH, I would totally do it though. For a family of 6 it doesn't make much sense.

Not sure what their target is, but isn't pretty much anyone without an AP going for 5 days or less since that's the longest ticket they sell?

Adding MaxPass (at least at this "introductory price") is a no brainer for us since we stay for 5 days and usually buy Photopass already anyway.

And I don't think this is about what's right in the parks today. I think this is about a longer range plan and how they will handle the Star Wars Land crowds. And them wanting to milk as much as they can out of that addition.

 

[mom2rtk]

I don't like the idea of not being able to set it up until once I'm in the parks. We will probably go in around one on arrival day, but I can see if being a detriment to usage if people have to add it and pay once they enter the parks. Who wants to stop and do that at rope drop your first morning?

I've wondered how on Earth Disney's IT systems will be able to handle all the hits on their system every morning at rope drop. Maybe they are hoping this will space things out just a bit? But honestly, I think it's a huge marketing mistake. If people get into the park and get a lot done in the first couple hours without MaxPass, I can see a fair number of them deciding to just let it go for that day.

 

[wenrob]

Your tickets don't have to be linked, you'd just have to get on and pull your FPs at the same time. Assuming that MP return times and free FP return times will be the same.

Yeah, I misunderstood that part. Still if you want to make sure you have the same return it would seem the odds would be better pulling at the same time with the same method. It's going to be interesting to watch it all play out.

 

[Canadian Harmony]

And this MP is only available via credit card, correct? If I were there for 5 days, I'd have to renew each morning? Saving $50 against the full price of PP+ is a good incentive, but charging my card 5 separate times just adds more exchange fees onto it and may end up being that much anyway!

I'll probably stick with the free FP in order for all three of us to get the same return time and just pay once for the PP+.

 

[jrjankowski8]

In regards to switching from Paper to MP (Phone) FPs...

With the new roll out, even to get paper FPs, don't you need to have your park ticket? If you are already linking your ticket to your app, then the app should also be monitoring your FPs, whether you get paper or MP. So it would know if you already had a FP either way.

So to me, if you have MP (which requires you to link your park ticket to your phone) and you decide to switch to paper, which is linked to your ticket/phone, then it would still know that you got that paper FP. Correct?

 

[jrjankowski8]

We are going to DL Sept. 9- Sept. 13 so the only crowded days would be Saturday and Sunday (maybe). I'm debating about MP for a few days. We have a 5 day hopper and there are two of us, so getting MP would only be $100 extra. Since PhotoPass is already $78 for the week, it's not much difference. But looking at crowd calendars for the second week of September, it's one of the slowest times of the year... like 3 of 10. If anything, it'll save us walking! haha

 

[Lesley Wake]

If anything, it'll save us walking! haha

That's really what is key for me. Every time I go to DLR even if I plan on doing a low-key day I end up walking around 15,000 steps, a good portion of that would be backtracking to get/use FPs. If I could book them from another area of the parks that would be very very nice!

I sort of feel guilty about reading this thread because for me it works out fine. This year I upgraded from Signature to Premiere. Once I considered the cost of WDW tickets, food/merch discounts there, free photos, and an eventual $100 resort room savings I came out ahead. Now that MaxPass will be included means another $75 I saved (I probably would have bought the year pass anyways). My sister and her bf are about to get new APs (they let their previous ones expire around Halloween). I'm considering offering to pay for the MaxPass for them for early Christmas presents (partially so I don't have to worry about them not having it when we go together)

 

[STLstone]

We are going to DL Sept. 9- Sept. 13 so the only crowded days would be Saturday and Sunday (maybe). I'm debating about MP for a few days. We have a 5 day hopper and there are two of us, so getting MP would only be $100 extra. Since PhotoPass is already $78 for the week, it's not much difference. But looking at crowd calendars for the second week of September, it's one of the slowest times of the year... like 3 of 10. If anything, it'll save us walking! haha

To me, this seems like the perfect scenario to get MaxPass. For a family of 5 going for 5 days - not as much.

 

[Winnowill]

I don't like the idea of not being able to set it up until once I'm in the parks. We will probably go in around one on arrival day, but I can see if being a detriment to usage if people have to add it and pay once they enter the parks. Who wants to stop and do that at rope drop your first morning?

Actually, the ten-fifteen minutes spent standing around waiting for the rope to drop would be the ideal time to set it up.

 

[onlyoneash]

I don't like the idea of not being able to set it up until once I'm in the parks. We will probably go in around one on arrival day, but I can see if being a detriment to usage if people have to add it and pay once they enter the parks. Who wants to stop and do that at rope drop your first morning?

My thoughts exactly. That would totally ruin the magic + add to the stress. It would be so much nicer to buy maxpass before hand and then it "activates" automatically once your ticket is scanned in the park. It makes so much more sense that way than to have wait and buy maxpass AFTER entering the park. And hoping the WIFI is decent enough to be a quick transaction. And THEN book a fast pass.

 

[Davin_Felth]

I saw somewhere yesterday saying that you can add it to your ticket at the checkin desk at the resort and good neighbor hotels. Trying to find where I saw that, though.

 

[22Tink]

My thoughts exactly. That would totally ruin the magic + add to the stress. It would be so much nicer to buy maxpass before hand and then it "activates" automatically once your ticket is scanned in the park. It makes so much more sense that way than to have wait and buy maxpass AFTER entering the park. And hoping the WIFI is decent enough to be a quick transaction. And THEN book a fast pass.

This is what I'm hoping for rather than scrambling to purchase it as soon as you enter the parks.

 

[az4boys]

Not sure what their target is, but isn't pretty much anyone without an AP going for 5 days or less since that's the longest ticket they sell?

Adding MaxPass (at least at this "introductory price") is a no brainer for us since we stay for 5 days and usually buy Photopass already anyway.

And I don't think this is about what's right in the parks today. I think this is about a longer range plan and how they will handle the Star Wars Land crowds. And them wanting to milk as much as they can out of that addition.

Yes, anyone without an AP is going for 5 days or less, but out of those people, I think people with budget considerations and those coming in larger groups will not be interested. (I consider my family of 6 to be a larger group. I would not pay $60/day for my family, but I might pay $20/day for me and DH if we came alone. It does make more sense for people who already buy photo pass though.) The pool of people that is left doesn't seem to be a very big to me. I'm hoping this service affects me in the same way VIP tours or Club 33 affects me, as in not at all. I know it is there and I know other people can afford it, but other than taking a picture near the old Club 33 door, it doesn't impact me at all. My experience isn't diminished because other people can afford those services. However, if the availability of Maxpass diminishes my experience in the parks, then we'll have to re-think our plans for the next year and consider adding it to our passes.

I completely agree that this is about planning for the future, Star Wars land, and any possible expansion/renovation of DCA for Marvel. I think they will keep adjusting the system over the next few years to make it more efficient and profitable for them.

 

[ktlm]

I don't think they can get rid of the paper fastpasses altogether. Some guests just don't have smartphones. Crazy but true. And without the paper fastpass how are they supposed to remember their ride times? Bring a seperate piece of paper and write it down?

Oh, they definitely can- that is exactly what happened at WDW. If you can't remember what time your FP is for, you better have written it down, or have your phone.

As far as using both the app and machines-- or using the machines when your phone dies, here is how I suspect it will operate. You have to have your ticket linked to the app to use Max Pass. When you book on your phone, that FP should go ON your ticket and your ticket should be able to be scanned at the ride (if it is like WDW, they don't scan phones- you have to have your magic band or ticket). That means that if you put your ticket into the machine it should recognize whether you are available for a FP and if you do not have one booked on MaxPass already with a window not opened for the next, you should be able to get one booked on the machine. I could be wrong, but I would be surprised if this is not how it works. That is consistent with the system at WDW where you can book on the app/phone- or at the kiosks (they no longer have machines at the ride)- and then you show your ticket or magicband to enter the ride.

 

[mom2rtk]

Oh, they definitely can- that is exactly what happened at WDW. If you can't remember what time your FP is for, you better have written it down, or have your phone.

As far as using both the app and machines-- or using the machines when your phone dies, here is how I suspect it will operate. You have to have your ticket linked to the app to use Max Pass. When you book on your phone, that FP should go ON your ticket and your ticket should be able to be scanned at the ride (if it is like WDW, they don't scan phones- you have to have your magic band or ticket). That means that if you put your ticket into the machine it should recognize whether you are available for a FP and if you do not have one booked on MaxPass already with a window not opened for the next, you should be able to get one booked on the machine. I could be wrong, but I would be surprised if this is not how it works. That is consistent with the system at WDW where you can book on the app/phone- or at the kiosks (they no longer have machines at the ride)- and then you show your ticket or magicband to enter the ride.

I think the scanners will scan from a phone. And I believe even the "paper" system now puts the FP on your ticket. Even though the system doesn't start until next week, they have already switched over to scanning tickets to redeem any FP. For now at least, they FP kiosks are spitting out FP time reminders, but you need your ticket for redemption.

 

[alvernon90]

I bought tickets from LMT for a trip next week, and just yesterday found out that Maxpass will be live during our trip. However, there is no way to use the Disneyland app to link third party tickets. You can link an annual pass, or you can link tickets bought through the app, but not third party tickets. This means that Maxpass will not work with LMT tickets. I called LMT and they confirmed this.

So if you want to use Maxpass for any days of your trip, getting discount tickets from a third party seller is out the window. It's too late for me now, but anyone thinking about a future trip should keep this in mind.

 

[Royals]

Thank you for the information! I've been holding out on more Maxpass information before we bought tickets from LMT. However, we'd save $50 a ticket getting them from LMT. Maxpass was a no brainer for us when it would be $100 for the two of us for 5 days and would include photopass that we'd buy anyway. But if we can't buy the tickets from LMT that essentially makes the price of Maxpass $200 for the two of us. Then I'm not so sure it's worth it. Eeeek, tough decision.