Ridemax?

[kurt90]

My trip is coming up in about a week, and I just heard of a touring plan program called Ridemax. Has anyone else heard of this, or was I just totally clued out? If you have heard of it or have used it before, what do you think about it? Is it worth the $15 for 90 days?

 

[HydroGuy]

My trip is coming up in about a week, and I just heard of a touring plan program called Ridemax. Has anyone else heard of this, or was I just totally clued out? If you have heard of it or have used it before, what do you think about it? Is it worth the $15 for 90 days?

I have used it extensively. It is not for everyone because some people cannot stand to be on a schedule. But if you want help getting rides in, it will help you.

We have never followed RideMax all day. When we have used it, we usually follow the itinerary for a few hours in the morning and then transition to a more spontaneous approach for the rest of the day.

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

 

[Amy&Dan]

I have used Ridemax before and thought it was well worth the money. I agree with Hydroguy (as usual), many people might not like it because its basically a step by step schedule of each ride you put in and maybe that makes them feel like its a scheudule for work not play. I didn't think that but I am a planning nut! We always printed out several different scenarios (it allows you to factor in commando type touring vs. a relaxed type style of touring) and followed them as needed. However the process of compiling all that information was helpful and actually kind of fun to do and gave us some good ideas and tips about the best way to maximize your day(s). Given what one spends on any Disney vacation, be it one day or one week, spending $15 to heighten the experience is a good idea in my book. Give it a try!

 

[HydroGuy]

However the process of compiling all that information was helpful and actually kind of fun to do and gave us some good ideas and tips about the best way to maximize your day(s).

Yes I agree here too, it gave me a much better feel of how the lines progressed throughout the day and to "test drive" scenarios. So even if we were being spontaneous, the RideMax info and philosophy I gathered was always in the back of my mind. I too agree that the $15 is nothing compared to the cost of a DLR trip - so that should not be the deciding factor. Plus they have a money back guarantee which you can use after your trip if you were not happy with it. If you decide to buy it, just do not make the mistake of thinking that just because you have an all day itinerary you have to follow it like a slave. RideMax is there to make your trip more enjoyable, not less. If you get to a point where you want to depart from what RideMax tells you, then do it.

 

[mAlien13]

I used RideMax to help plan our trip in April. I have also used the guides in the Unofficial Guide at all our past trips to WDW. I think that if you are going at a time of year when crowds are an issue, and it sounds like you are, a plan to follow can help make sure everyone in your group has the chance to see what is important to them. It also gets rid of that overwhelming feeling that can happen with large crowds. That being said, you want to always remain flexable. I also look at the plans and whatever rides are put very early or very late I try to stick to, because we don't like mid-day lines at the big attractions. We follow the plan and keep up a fast pace for the first two hours or so and then chill a little. I will also add in our favorite rides at least twice, so if there is a hitch we have back-up. I always say though, if you get there and the crowd is mellow, don't worry about rushing from place to place.

A huge plus on RideMax...we followed their EE plan and we had been on every open ride in Fantasy Land and were in line for IASW when it opened. We were in line for our second ride on the Matterhorn before there was any sign of a crowd filling the park.

 

[imjen]

I've wondered about RideMax too. Do you guys think that late October is crowded enough that it would be a good idea to use RideMax? We are going Oct 25-27. Thanks!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I've wondered about RideMax too. Do you guys think that late October is crowded enough that it would be a good idea to use RideMax? We are going Oct 25-27. Thanks!

It can't hurt! Again, its $15 and has a money back guarantee. Given that that is a Mickey's Halloween Treat weekend, it could be a bit crowded. Also, many schools around the country (mine included) have a Fall Break around that time. I wouldn't think it would be packed but having a plan in place can never be a bad thing.

 

[kurt90]

Thanks for all of your responses. I bought the program a couple of hours ago and have been creating some different plans for each day. I hope it will work out for my family but like some people said, it's not the end of the world if you go away from the plan.

The only problems I have the program is that it doesn't include Sundays which is annoying because then you have to use Saturday and one would think that the crowd patters would be different considering there is no EE on Sunday. Also, another problem I have is that there is no spot to enter attractions such as shows and parades (Snow White, etc..), or restaurants. For now I have just been using by break times for eating and such.

Thanks again for all of your advice!

 

[mAlien13]

The only problems I have the program is that it doesn't include Sundays which is annoying because then you have to use Saturday and one would think that the crowd patters would be different considering there is no EE on Sunday.

I was worried about the same thing, but since crowds are lighter on Sunday than Saturday, this actually worked to our advantage. We had a little more 'extra' time.

Also, another problem I have is that there is no spot to enter attractions such as shows and parades (Snow White, etc..), or restaurants. For now I have just been using by break times for eating and such.

I did the same thing, I just plotted long breaks for parades and shows. I also put a ride that was very near where I wanted to watch the parade so RideMax plotted how long it would take to get there.