Ridemax, MouseWaits, GotPlanS: Combination or just one?

[damaris13]

DH isn't convinced we need Ridemax and wants to just use Mousewaits and/or GotPlanS in the park to determine what we should do each day. We only have 2 1/2 days in the parks, have an idea of when we are going to be hopping from one to the other, know we will not be riding every ride (by choice), and have a general idea of where the rides are located. However, what I don't think he's figuring is that we are essentially going to be riding some rides twice because of ride swapping.

What are your suggestions, and how can I convince him we still need Ridemax, if needed?

Thank you!

 

[Jynxed]

I don't think a touring plan is worth it. I have toured WDW both with and without one and prefer going solo. I felt with a touring plan, I was playing beat the clock more then enjoying my day and the atmosphere in each land.
I don't like the feeling of stopping to enjoy something "unplanned" would screw up my whole day.

 

[furb & dez]

Touring plans are completely unnecessary at the Disneyland Resort. Even wandering around aimlessly, you can get nearly everything in both parks done in two days, with plenty of repeats.

 

[specialks]

I don't think a touring plan is worth it. I have toured WDW both with and without one and prefer going solo. I felt with a touring plan, I was playing beat the clock more then enjoying my day and the atmosphere in each land.
I don't like the feeling of stopping to enjoy something "unplanned" would screw up my whole day.

I agree with this PP completely. I tried a touring plan based on a travel guide once and my family (Me, DM, DH, DD5, DD2) were ready to throw me overboard halfway through Day 1. So, we stopped rushing and planning and going and just enjoyed our time. Did we get every attraction/ride at the perfect time? No. Did we recall things we missed at the end of our trip? Yes. But, did we have a great time enjoying the parks with each other? YES!! I also think touring plans don't account for crabby kids who get fevers or emergency bathroom breaks or tired/hot feet... As the previous person said, I would hate to feel like my whole day was thrown off because we ran into a character and decided to pose with them or if my daughters saw something they wanted to look at. Just my 2 cents...

 

[specialks]

I meant to also say, that we now take a list of rides/attractions we want to make sure to do and recreate our list each day with what we missed, what we want to do, and by the end of our trip we feel good about what we have done. You still have a sort of direction, just not out of control. The biggest time saver at DL is arriving early! It is amazing what you can get done before the late sleeper crowd hits.

 

[Dobie]

I buy Ridemax for the sole purpose of enhancing my pre-trip anticipation.

The other Dobies think I am nuts.

 

[PirateFish989]

I prefer to have a ride plan, at least for the first half of each day until I acquire enough fastpasses for the rest of the day. I also use MouseWaits and have found that to be very useful, especially during the afternoons when the parks are a little more crowded or you're waiting for your FP window to open. However, a lot of times we just play it by ear. You just can't take your ride plan too seriously because if you come across a ride that you suddenly really want to ride or the wait isn't long or whatever, and you skip over it just because it isn't in your plan, is it really worth it? A general outline of the day seems to work well as long as you know what you want to ride and take advantage of FP and possibly lower crowds during parades, meal times, when the park opens, etc.

 

[azdoughboy]

I prefer to have a ride plan, at least for the first half of each day until I acquire enough fastpasses for the rest of the day. You just can't take your ride plan too seriously because if you come across a ride that you suddenly really want to ride or the wait isn't long or whatever, and you skip over it just because it isn't in your plan, is it really worth it? A general outline of the day seems to work well as long as you know what you want to ride and take advantage of FP and possibly lower crowds during parades, meal times, when the park opens, etc.

This. RideMax was worth the price for their tips in early morning planning, meal times, etc. I print out 3-4 different itineraries when we go, and use them fairly strictly early in the day, more casually in the PM. Once noon rolls around, I've hit just about anything I want, and have a pocket full of FPs, allowing our schedule to be EXTREMELY wide open the rest of the day. This is the way to go with us, and we haven't looked back since. I've taken my parents, her parents, and friends of ours, and they're all believers of this system.


BC

 

[Mouse13]

I buy Ridemax for the sole purpose of enhancing my pre-trip anticipation.

The other Dobies think I am nuts.

Great minds think alike! I do the same thing!

 

[stubby]

If you have $20 bucks and like to be structured then buy it. If not then use the tips from Hydro and this board. I didn't buy Ridemax and used the tips from here and we managed to do not only everything we wanted but much more. IMO...this board knows of what it speaks and they were 100% when it came to planning and wait times.

 

[ArchOwl]

I like to use Ridemax for the first part of the day for time-sensitive rides and for helping me plan my FP collection. I also like that it lets me know which rides are time sensitive and which are not by using bold to highlight those attractions that I really should do at a particular time.

That said, I am a planner and I like knowing what I am doing during the morning time, which I consider to be the best time for getting rides done. Later in the afternoon, you can find me shopping and taking my time, having already ridden most everything I want to do until the evening. But I understand other people are different.

But one of the best things about Ridemax for me, is that by playing with it a lot, I have a really good understanding about what rides should be ridden at what times. That alone is pretty cool. The more you interact with it, the more you see what should be done at different times of the day. So it has taught me a lot. I can use that knowledge when we have free time and plug in the best rides for the time of day. My husband is amazed sometimes, but it is really just science. And I like science.

I would tell my husband that it is pretty cheap for something that can really save a trip. You are going to be spending hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. If you think Ridemax will help you have a really good trip, $14.95 is a small price to pay! And even if you only use it for a few hours and you decide you don't like it, Ridemax does offer a money back guarantee.

 

[Dobie]

Great minds think alike! I do the same thing!