RideMax Users Thread (FAQs Linked in First Post!)

[MOM POPPINS]

I do not believe it does work with any of the partys. It will help you from 4:00 until the park closes for non party goers.

Ridemax does factor in crowd levels but again it does not include the party parades that I am aware of.

Pixie Hollow again is a tough one. If this is your only MK day and you are not there at rope drop then I am not sure how to advise you. I have told my little ones that we will catch it next time. They would rather ride then wait in line for Tinker so that is what we did.

The normal pace seems to work for most people reporting back. The plan does add in free time if you don't have to many attractions listed.

All and All I really love trying ridemax this time around. We are taking our 16th trip next week and I decided to try Ridemax since it is going to be crowded. I also don't like riding a ride and thinking ok what and where are we going/doing next. Ridemax is doing that for me ahead of time. I think it will give me more time to really relax and really enjoy the rides more.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

Anyone have advice on how to include time for character greetings even though you don't know ahead of time when and where which characters will be out? This is as important to me as hitting the headliner rides so help is much appreciated!

 

[DaveStroem]

Anyone have advice on how to include time for character greetings even though you don't know ahead of time when and where which characters will be out? This is as important to me as hitting the headliner rides so help is much appreciated!

This is a tough one as the characters are not on a strict schedule. You can be in line and just as you get close, the handler wisks them away and tells you they will be back in 5 minutes. This often turns into 10-15 minutes and sometimes they don't come back at all.

I asked my girls if they were interested in chatacters or autographs. They both said no. When we got down there guess who fell in love with meeting the characters.
ME

Now for our September trip I am going to get autographs.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I was wondering if I can get some advice from those of you who enter Epcot via the International Gateway entrance...we are staying at the YC so that is the entrance we come into. Since this entrance is a bit further from the headliner attractions, should I change my start time from 9:00 to a little later? I just want to make sure I have enough time to get to my first item on my list, which is getting a FP for Soarin at 9:05. Will I be able to make it there from the other entrance in time, so that I don't throw off my touring plan times from RideMax for the rest of the day?

 

[DaveStroem]

I think that maybe you should put in a break for 1 minute at Canada.

 

[sandym718]

I completely agree with the general "forget the times, just follow the order" thinking, that's basically what we did. We may have done a couple rides out of order (Fantasyland for example), but minor ones and still the same general flow. Also, using FP's where it said - it was a no-brainer. Doing TT at RD then meant using FP's for Soarin' obviously.

 

[jamstew]

I felt a bit rushed with the Normal mode. Next time I will be using the slow mode. What really worked well for us, but is not in anyway guaranteed to work for anyone else is to throw away the times for anything other than shows. Just do things in the order that Ridemax has them in. I tell the princesses that for the first couple of hours we ride and not shop or dilly dally, the rest of the day we just do it in the order that is listed.

Every touring plan I've used so far have worked that way -- as long as you stay on schedule for the first 2-3 hours, you should be good because, for the most part, you will have avoided the logjams and done your priority attractions.

 

[WDW Princess 71]

I’ve only had my RideMax for 3 days and already I’ve created several really good plans for my upcoming trip! I love this program, I just wish I didn’t have to work all week because I’d rather be at home playing with it and making more plans!

I do have one issue though, and I’m hoping some of you experts can chime in with some advice. So far I’ve gotten good plans for AK, MK, and EP…but I can’t seem to get a good one for Hollywood Studios. First of all, on the RM calendar of recommended/avoid parks for each specific day, in my 7 day trip HS is only recommended on one day, and the other 6 days of my trip it is in the Avoid section. Also, when I try to make a plan for HS for any of the days, even the recommended one, arriving at rope drop to just to TT, TSM, and RnRC, the plan is giving me 15 min and 37 min wait times for the rides. What can I do to change this? Is this one instance when maybe going on the EMH morning day would be helpful to get at least one of those 3 rides done before my RM plan starts an hour later? Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[MamaCrush]

I’ve only had my RideMax for 3 days and already I’ve created several really good plans for my upcoming trip! I love this program, I just wish I didn’t have to work all week because I’d rather be at home playing with it and making more plans!

I do have one issue though, and I’m hoping some of you experts can chime in with some advice. So far I’ve gotten good plans for AK, MK, and EP…but I can’t seem to get a good one for Hollywood Studios. First of all, on the RM calendar of recommended/avoid parks for each specific day, in my 7 day trip HS is only recommended on one day, and the other 6 days of my trip it is in the Avoid section. Also, when I try to make a plan for HS for any of the days, even the recommended one, arriving at rope drop to just to TT, TSM, and RnRC, the plan is giving me 15 min and 37 min wait times for the rides. What can I do to change this? Is this one instance when maybe going on the EMH morning day would be helpful to get at least one of those 3 rides done before my RM plan starts an hour later? Thanks in advance for the advice!

Maybe try running a plan assuming you did ride 2-3 of those rides EMH, and start you plan with the other attractions on RM at rope drop. See if that helps. I have heard that you can get quite a bit done during morning EMH hours, but TSM may be the exception unless you hustle there right after the park opens. I'm sure this doesn't answer your question, but maybe by running RM assuming you made those rides during EMH could shed some light. Good luck!

 

[DaveStroem]

DHS has become a tough park to judge since they started doing Fantasmic! on a limited schedule. Between this and the EMHs is why they only recommend one day a week. I personally would choose a Fantasmic! day over an EMH. It is my personal feeling that a lot of people hop over to do nothing but F!.

From looking at your ticker, you are going over the Memorial Day week & the start of Star Wars Weekends. With this in mind, I don't think those wait times seem to bad.

If you want to see what the lowest estimated wait times will be put in the same attraction 12-15 or so times with nothing else. This will show you what the wait times are going to be like at different times of the day.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

Can someone please help me figure out which day to plug in for 5/17 at DHS? It's a Sunday, and I can't figure out how to plan it.

 

[DaveStroem]

I would use Wednesday the 20th. I normally go with a Saturday but since that is an EMH it won't work. The 17th and the 20th both have two Fantasmic! shows and the same hours.

 

[KidaniMom]

Can you actually get a FP for one ride before you use FP's got earlier? RM has me get a FP for BuzzLight Year first - then get one for Jungle Cruise before using the Buzz one. Can you do this? Is Jungle Cruise separate? Feel like I read that somewhere. Is there a way to save your set up page for the plan? Say you save a plan and few days later want to go back and change one thing - do you have to reenter all your attractions?
So far love this RM - going June so I am doing some heavy planning. Thanks!

 

[jamstew]

Can you actually get a FP for one ride before you use FP's got earlier? RM has me get a FP for BuzzLight Year first - then get one for Jungle Cruise before using the Buzz one. Can you do this?

Yes, you can.

 

[Ariel Wanna-be]

I would use Wednesday the 20th. I normally go with a Saturday but since that is an EMH it won't work. The 17th and the 20th both have two Fantasmic! shows and the same hours.

Thanks!

 

[DaveStroem]

Can you actually get a FP for one ride before you use FP's got earlier? Yes you can. RM has me get a FP for BuzzLight Year first - then get one for Jungle Cruise before using the Buzz one. Can you do this? Sure can Is Jungle Cruise separate? The FP system for all rides with in a park are connected. Feel like I read that somewhere. Is there a way to save your set up page for the plan? Not that I know of Say you save a plan and few days later want to go back and change one thing - do you have to reenter all your attractions? Yep, but it really does not take that long. I use CutePDF so instead of printing out the list, I save them as a PDF.
So far love this RM - going June so I am doing some heavy planning. Thanks!

Have a Great Trip

 

[KidaniMom]

Another question - How can I get RM to send me to TestTrack first and get FP for Soarin'? Even the other way around would be okay. I want to do those two first. Did that last time and it worked out great. TIA

 

[DaveStroem]

I know that RM will almost always have you get a Soarin' FP first then send you to TT. The reason for doing this is that Soarin' is the most popular ride at EP. Because of this the FP return times will stretch out longer in the day and if you get one right from rope drop the return time will often be under 2 hours which will let you get your next FP in under 2 hours.

RideMax is all about creating a plan that optimizes wait times & walking distance. If you want to switch things up, do so. It is your vacation. RM is just a tool to help get more done.

 

[KidaniMom]

Thanks- that makes sense.

 

[sandym718]

I anticipated having to do a TT "break" right when we got to Epcot - kids had requested that first, but our Ridemax plan actually had us doing TT first (we actually did it twice, walking on both times) and then getting a FP for Soarin' later in the morning and using it after lunch, which is exactly what we did.