Not sure what to think of RideMax

[AmyK]

I have a tour plan for at least my Disneyland portions roughed out so I plugged the rides into Ridemax to see how it compared. First it kept telling me I had too many rides. so I reduced the hours and just plugged in the rides for the morning to see if it helped. Had to still take a couple out. Fine, I can deal with the fact that mine may have been ambitious, although it's taken from what I've read on here and from advice from a friend who has been several times.

But when it finally generated, the order didn't make much sense to me and it didn't have me getting a FP for anything til at least 45 minutes into the morning. the FP part alone has me doubting the plan.

So, now I don't know what to think. Trying to figure out how best to utilize it since I paid for it but don't want to use the plans it's coming up with. I'll see how it helps with Ariel when it opens. Although I suspect I'll get as much or more info from this board!

 

[HydroGuy]

I have a tour plan for at least my Disneyland portions roughed out so I plugged the rides into Ridemax to see how it compared. First it kept telling me I had too many rides. so I reduced the hours and just plugged in the rides for the morning to see if it helped. Had to still take a couple out. Fine, I can deal with the fact that mine may have been ambitious, although it's taken from what I've read on here and from advice from a friend who has been several times.

But when it finally generated, the order didn't make much sense to me and it didn't have me getting a FP for anything til at least 45 minutes into the morning. the FP part alone has me doubting the plan.

So, now I don't know what to think. Trying to figure out how best to utilize it since I paid for it but don't want to use the plans it's coming up with. I'll see how it helps with Ariel when it opens. Although I suspect I'll get as much or more info from this board!

RideMax does things like that where it decides that the time benefit of FP is not as great as the benefit of getting to the Peter Pan or Dumbo line first. So it has you collecting FPs 30 or 60 minutes into the morning. The few times I have actually followed a RM itinerary I just got the FP anyways - which in the past was always for Space Mtn but this summer might be Star Tours.

Also, RM tends to be conservative on wait times to make sure your itinerary is something you can actually do. Often one runs ahead of the itinerary on time and then you can squeeze more in.

I would not worry about it too much. Use RM as a tool to guide you - not as a drill sargent which you need to obey at every turn. If you want to go on auto-pilot and just follow RM you can and for many people that reduces stress. Others get increased stress from feeling like they have to follow RM slavishly and can be more relaxed if they do not follow RM 100%. I fall into the second group.

HTH

 

[Jazziered]

I realy found Ridemax to be great. I used it a year before this in Feb. Off season, right? Well the park jammed up, they were making sure we got stamped and they added another showing of Fanstamic. (It was a Friday.) It was crazy busy, and yet with Ridemax we were still able to ride all the rides we wanted and take our breaks. And get in a few extra rides we wanted. We even had rides break down and we just adjusted our schedule a litte. I feel it's more of a guide.. We too pick up a fast as soon as possible. Usually Space Mountain or Indy. Unless of course you are doing the walking fast dash to PP when rope drop happens.

 

[ArchOwl]

I have a tour plan for at least my Disneyland portions roughed out so I plugged the rides into Ridemax to see how it compared. First it kept telling me I had too many rides. so I reduced the hours and just plugged in the rides for the morning to see if it helped. Had to still take a couple out. Fine, I can deal with the fact that mine may have been ambitious, although it's taken from what I've read on here and from advice from a friend who has been several times.

But when it finally generated, the order didn't make much sense to me and it didn't have me getting a FP for anything til at least 45 minutes into the morning. the FP part alone has me doubting the plan.

So, now I don't know what to think. Trying to figure out how best to utilize it since I paid for it but don't want to use the plans it's coming up with. I'll see how it helps with Ariel when it opens. Although I suspect I'll get as much or more info from this board!

It really depends on what rides you are plugging in and the options you select. If Fantasyland is on the agenda, you may head there right away and forgo FP for first 30 minutes or so. Also, make sure you don't have the slow option selected as your pace. I think the regular pace is fine for almost any group. You can also use a runner if that is part of the plan, this may get you FP earlier. But if Peter Pan is a must do and you don't have MM, then it would be wise to forget about getting a FP until you have done at least Peter Pan and Dumbo and possibly Alice and Matterhorn. This may set you back on FP collection a bit, but you can still hold several sets by noon and you won't have waited for Peter Pan for 45 minutes.

A lot of the advice on here about FP collection is for those who either have MM and will use that for Fantasyland or for those who don't care to ride Fantasyland rides. Then it makes sense to start collecting FPs ASAP. But I don't think anyone here would tell you to grab a FP first if your goal is to ride PP that day.

 

[AmyK]

Thanks everyone. I'll play with it more this weekend and see what I can do with it.

ArchOwl, actually for the day I was playing with I was skipping FL because it's not a MM and I'm saving FL for the next day when we do have MM. I think I just need to re run it and see if I can really understand WHY it's putting things in the order it is. I'm a why kind of girl because then I'll know how to adjust when things break down.

Question, if I want to ride and FP for a ride later, I need to put it in twice, right?

 

[ArchOwl]

Thanks everyone. I'll play with it more this weekend and see what I can do with it.

ArchOwl, actually for the day I was playing with I was skipping FL because it's not a MM and I'm saving FL for the next day when we do have MM. I think I just need to re run it and see if I can really understand WHY it's putting things in the order it is. I'm a why kind of girl because then I'll know how to adjust when things break down.

Question, if I want to ride and FP for a ride later, I need to put it in twice, right?

Interesting! A lot depends on the day and the rides, because it is basically going through all the statistical data for that day and ordering the rides based on average wait time. There is a thread around here that explained the math and someone mined the data and made a spreadsheet of each ride with wait times every half hour or something like that. It was pretty cool.

So I think when we give at advice on the board it is to maximize FP usage for big rides. But Ridemax is date and time and attraction specific. But there is room to improvise if FP maximization is your goal. Normally after about the first hour I am way ahead of my Ridemax goals. What ride did it have you do first?

And I wouldn't necessarily put in the same ride twice. One, because RM can't distinguish between standby waiting and picking up a FP. Two, because during the large free time on the schedule I have time to either pick up a FP or do standby. RM tends to schedule rides back to back when you put them in to the itinerary.

 

[AmyK]

o.k. so here is my plan as it stands (June 22, Wed, no MM)

FPV SM
meet up at Indy and ride
Pooh (because I'm headed to FP Splash next)
FP Splash
HM
PoTC
BTMRR
FP BTMRR
Tom Sawyer Island
FP Splash again
eat (Hungry Bear?)
ride train to Toontown
FP Roger Rabbit
Small World
FPV Autopia
SM using FP
shop, silhouettes, see Mr Lincoln?, take pix
use remaining FPs and see Tiki Room
Leave for night (4:00 or 5:00?) not coming back tonight.

Ridemax plan for same day

SM
Autopia
FPV Indy
Small world
FPV Splash
Indy with FP
PoTC
HM
Splash (with FP)
Pooh
lunch
FPV BTMRR
Tom Sawyer
FPV Roger Rabbit
free time
BTMRR with FP
Roger Rabbit with FP
done at 4:10.

So, it has me start in Tomorrowland basically but my FPV will be running more. I didn't necessarily want DH or I to run to opposite side of park each time. hmmm, still pondering.