Ridemax - worth it if you'll be there for 4 days?

[DisneyMDman]

We'll be at DL for 4 days in August. Would anyone recommend getting ridemax?

I know it's not expensive, but I would think 4 days is ample time to get rides/shows done without extra help.....

of course this is our first trip to DL, so what do i know? I do have the Unofficial guide to DL '07 book, so there are touring plans we could go off of.

 

[thedarksyde]

Ok what is ridemax, I have seen posts about it but never clicked on them, now I am curious.

 

[starwood]

It is a personalized program telling you what time to do each attraction and how long your wait will be. We used it 2 years ago when we were only going to be there for 2 days and had to fit everything in. It is really very good. The times we received in the plan were very close to the wait time we experienced. I would say you probably wouldn't need it for 4 days there but less than that it is very helpful.

 

[WDWLinda]

Its software you download for a set timeframe (I got the 90 day subscription). You select which rides you want to hit, enter when you expect to enter the park and a few other options, then it gives you an itinerary with exactly what order you should go in, when to get Fast Passes, etc. It uses an algorithm based on historical ride wait times for the day/time you'll be there. It tries to cut down on the walking and wait times. A lot of people here recommend it. I'm happy with it and can't wait to use it in July. The tech support is very helpful too.

Check it out!

~Linda

 

[stagemomx3]

Ridemax is awesome! August will be crowded. Do you like standing in lines? If not then give Ridemax a try. Wait no, don't, I prefer fewer people knowing about it so it will worker better for ME!

 

[HydroGuy]

I am a RideMax user. We have never used it for an entire day, only parts of days. I like running scenarios to see what RideMax suggests, even if we do not plan to follow the itineraries.

Four days is a lot of time, but using RideMax depends on your group. When I made a first trip to WDW last year RideMax was very helpful to give me a feel for how lines build on different rides. If it is your first trip to DLR, I would recommend getting RideMax ($15) and experimenting.

For the previous poster, here is their link www.ridemax.com

Here is a thread I wrotre a couple years ago:

"RideMax Critique Plus Conventional and Unconventional Usage on August 1-4 Trip"
www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=885134

 

[Amy&Dan]

I think for your first trip, during what will be a busy time, Ridemax would be a good thing. As you say, its only $15 and given the total amount you are spending, its a small price to pay to maximize your experience. This will be my 11th trip to DL and I am planning on getting it (again). With the Finding Nemo ride open, I feel like I will need all the help I can get! Four days is enough time to "get it all done" but Ridemax will help you get it all done in a more logical manner. Believe it or not there is a science to the order of which rides/lands to do first. And Ridemax will figure that out for you so you'll be quite ahead of thousands of other people.

 

[princess@heart]

We just got back yesterday from a 4 day trip to DL, and let me tell you, RideMax is SO worth it. DH wasn't convinced when I first bought it. But we ended up ahead of schedule and with lots of extra free time in between for bathroom breaks and snack attacks! We got everything done we wanted and so many of the rides we did had little or no wait. I think the longest waits we had were Space Mountain about 30 minutes and the Sun Wheel, about 40 minutes. Everthing else was 15 minutes or less.

 

[DisneyMDman]

thanks for the replies everyone.. for me this comes down to "do i want to wait in line".. and of course the answer is NO.

Certainly, it seems 4 days is plenty of time to see everything, the question is do i want 4 days of waiting in line, or 4 days of multiple attraction viewing/experience.

i think ride max will be useful

 

[princess@heart]

thanks for the replies everyone.. for me this comes down to "do i want to wait in line".. and of course the answer is NO.

Certainly, it seems 4 days is plenty of time to see everything, the question is do i want 4 days of waiting in line, or 4 days of multiple attraction viewing/experience.

i think ride max will be useful

Having time for a Mickey Premium is my choice over waiting in line!

 

[DarthVader92]

I actually spoke to Mark at ridemax and told him about our recent dilema at WDW, that the wait times were higher than expected. He was saying 150mins for Soarin when it only got up to 55-65mins! But, anyway Mark gave me a free subscription for Disneyland and I plan on using it in August, not as a plan, but as a guide to how crowded it may be.

It also really works in the morning hours than it does between noon- closing.

 

[DisneyFanatik]

I definitely want to get RideMax for our July trip. Can anyone suggest when to actually subscribe so that the new Nemo ride is included in the plans? I am assuming that around a week or two after the ride opens would be enough time for them to get that info in Thanks!

 

[stagemomx3]

It doesn't matter when you purchase it, once he has the info on the Nemo ride you will get an update on your Ridemax account.

 

[DarthVader92]

Yeah. If you really want your money back if it doesn't work use his 30 day money back guarrentee. If you purchase it today, then from now till 30 days he can give you your money back!

 

[HydroGuy]

If you are thinking about the 90 day subscription, I would get RideMax now because you are within the 90 days. July data is not yet posted - probably will be over the next couple weeks. You can experiment with late June data. I fully expect RideMax to get updated PLATSI and Nemo data in June and update the software. Which means you should run your itineraries as close to your departure date as possible. Until just experiment, even when July data is available.

 

[mv1175]

HydroGuy,

I like what you did with excel/ridemax. That was a stroke of genius. Too bad ridemax doesn't do this for us. This way you don't have to follow a hard schedule. Since I am going with a large group this is a big plus. I am thinking about getting the ridemax and making a chart with excel like you. My only concern is we are going on june 18-20th, and nemo will just be opened. Will the ridemax data be still be realiable?

Thanks,
matt

 

[HydroGuy]

HydroGuy,

I like what you did with excel/ridemax. That was a stroke of genius. Too bad ridemax doesn't do this for us. This way you don't have to follow a hard schedule. Since I am going with a large group this is a big plus. I am thinking about getting the ridemax and making a chart with excel like you. My only concern is we are going on june 18-20th, and nemo will just be opened. Will the ridemax data be still be realiable?

Thanks,
matt

Do you mean the data for Nemo, or for other rides? If for other rides I would say yes. RideMax has been around for several years, and they have worked thru things like the POTC refurb opening and Space Mtn refurb opening. So they can estimate how other rides will or will not be affected.

If you are asking about their estimates for the Nemo line, frankly I do not think it matters very much. Everyone knows with the low Nemo capacity of 900 an hour (only a little more than Peter Pan) that the Nemo lines will be 3-4 hours mid-day especially in June. I bet the lines will reduce in July/August, but still be 2+ hours mid-day. Unless you plan to wait in a 3-4 hour line in June, it doesn't matter whether RideMax is correct or not. If you were to run an itinerary with Nemo (I have done this) then Nemo will always be the first ride of the day or last ride of the night.

Finally, I suspect RideMax will have someone at DL the week of the Nemo opening to gather data. So rerun RideMax before June 18 and read their updated tips which I suspect will be available sometime the week if June 11.

RideMax has considered offering data in some kind of format along the lines of how I use it, but are concerned that the data will be less protected. To date they have decided not to do this.

 

[dxwwf3]

I am a RideMax user. We have never used it for an entire day, only parts of days. I like running scenarios to see what RideMax suggests, even if we do not plan to follow the itineraries.

I just subscribed to help plan out our first DL trip a little better and I immediately found myself doing the same thing. I tried out a full day plan and I knew that there is no way I would want to try to follow that out completely. I've never stepped foot in the park and just with my experience at WDW, I could see that there are better ways. For example, going out of my way to see Tarzan's Treehouse during a time where the lines are still short is not something I would ever do (and it was suggested in one plan).

I have tried doing some limited time scenarios and I think that is where I'll get the benefit from the program. Actually just seeing what the projected wait times throughout the day at certain attractions is great info. And from what I've read, the wait time projections are pretty accurate.

And to be honest, I think just playing around with the program and becoming more familiar with the wait times is worth the money. I would never use a full day plan, but I think it will still help me.

 

[mv1175]

Hydroguy,

Thanks for the info. Thanks for the hotel rule too. Is there any way to port or transfer the ridemax data into excel without manually punching it in? or maybe a shortcut?

 

[jacobsmommy]

Does ridemax work with Vista?