Ridemax

[conniehar90]

Experience with Ridemax at DL? I just signed up and have to say I am a bit disappointed. I have been to WDW a million times and know how to tour so we never wait in any lines - even during summer and holidays. I was expecting a similar plan from Ridemax. I really don't feel like I have that many attractions on my list but I am waiting 26 minutes for my second ride of the day and and hour later, I am waiting 54 minutes for another ride.

 

[SugarQuill]

I haven't purchased Ridemax, and although Touring Plans has options to customize your own plan, I'm skeptical of the order it has us doing.

So I guess I'm in the same boat as you- I'd love it if anyone who has had experience with either of these kinds of things would weigh in.

 

[NiceOneSimba]

Did you click the preference to use fastpasses? If not, that could be part of the problem.

Also, the issue could be the number of breaks, and when they're timed. It will try to minimize your time in line, but if you've said you want water rides between 10-4, and you have a long lunch and aren't using fastpasses, I could see how you would end up with a long wait.

We've had plans with 20 minute waits before, and maybe even 30 minutes, but never anything longer than that.

It does sometimes take adding and removing rides, or changing break times to come up with a perfect plan.

The plans DO work, though, and have worked very well in my three trips.

 

[momof6princesses]

We use it and love it. You mentioned you don't think you have a lot of rides, that could be the problem. If you don't have many rides then it doesn't have much to work with and wait times could be longer.

 

[momof4fans]

We used Ridemax and loved it!

What time are you starting? Being there at park opening is crucial to shorter wait times.

 

[sharona]

Am having the same issue. Ridemax has us waiting 60 minutes for Indy! I know our time is limited (our fault) and we have most of the big hitters on our list but still that doesn't seem right. I tweaked the end time (which is really when we'll hop to the other park) and also tweaked the ride choices and the new plan has us waiting 40+ minutes for Matterhorn and then immediately after that waiting 40+ for BTMRR. I just subscribed so I think I need to play around with it some more and see if I can get a workable plan.

I think we're forever ruined from the previous 2 trips to WDW when FP window end times were not enforced. We really worked that system. Between that and arriving for RD, we never waited more than 15-20 minutes for anything.

 

[NiceOneSimba]

In all honesty, unless you're there at rope drop, I don't think 40 minutes is out of line for Matterhorn. We were there at the end of January, and it was slow in the parks, but the line was always 45 minutes or more all three days we were there. Ride single rider if you can. You can select that as an option in Ridemax. That should help with Indy, too.

With the FP enforcement, there are only so many FPs you can get and use in one day. Getting there at rope drop helps a lot, especially on days with a 7 am MM or 8 am start. Single rider also helps a lot on Matterhorn, which doesn't have a FP and on Indy, so you can get a FP for another ride instead.

It definitely impacted the way we tour, too. But the Ridemax plans we made DID work. The software doesn't eliminate waiting, it just minimizes it. And even though 40 minute waits seem long, they are likely shorter than the standby line would be at other times of they day or shorter than the standby line would be for the rides it has you getting and using FPs for.

 

[sharona]

Yes, our start time is the issue. We're going to DCA first then hopping to DL just before lunchtime so getting in there at the busiest time. Not sure if Ride max is the way to go if we plan to hop back and forth. I didn't see any option for that so was making several small touring plans.

 

[conniehar90]

My issue appears to be DCA. I put in our DL plan and it seems to work with only small waits. In DCA, I have us arriving at RD and staying until closure but we have a 3 hour break in the afternoon - we like to go back to our hotel for a swim and rest.

It has me waiting for Toy Story at 9:30 for 54 minutes! I don't have it in front of me, but it says to go to RSR first and then the next ride is Luigi's with a 26 minute wait. It just doesn't seem right. I even eliminated Soarin and TOT. I did not check the box for FP runner as we haven't been to DL in 20 years and I wasn't sure I wanted to be a runner.

As I mentioned, we have been to WDW a million times and learned how to tour via Tour Guide Mike (RIP). Even after they started enforcing FP's we knew how to tour and would get our favorites in multiple times with no wait. I feel like with this plan I can only get on these rides one time and I am still waiting for that first ride.

I will keep playing with it and hopefully can get it to work but just not impressed. At least it wasn't too expensive.

 

[sharona]

My issue appears to be DCA. I put in our DL plan and it seems to work with only small waits. In DCA, I have us arriving at RD and staying until closure but we have a 3 hour break in the afternoon - we like to go back to our hotel for a swim and rest.

It has me waiting for Toy Story at 9:30 for 54 minutes! I don't have it in front of me, but it says to go to RSR first and then the next ride is Luigi's with a 26 minute wait. It just doesn't seem right. I even eliminated Soarin and TOT. I did not check the box for FP runner as we haven't been to DL in 20 years and I wasn't sure I wanted to be a runner.

As I mentioned, we have been to WDW a million times and learned how to tour via Tour Guide Mike (RIP). Even after they started enforcing FP's we knew how to tour and would get our favorites in multiple times with no wait. I feel like with this plan I can only get on these rides one time and I am still waiting for that first ride.

I will keep playing with it and hopefully can get it to work but just not impressed. At least it wasn't too expensive.

We also used TGM our first couple of visits to WDW. I hope your RIP just means that the site is no longer kept updated (which I noticed the last time I used it) and not a real RIP!

 

[conniehar90]

No, sorry - not a real RIP! The site still exists but does not accept new members and nothing is kept up - even the least crowded parks. Not sure what Mike is doing now as he went silent a long time ago.

 

[sharona]

No, sorry - not a real RIP! The site still exists but does not accept new members and nothing is kept up - even the least crowded parks. Not sure what Mike is doing now as he went silent a long time ago.

Last time we used it, we basically used the forum experts to plan our trip. I did feel like we had paid for outdated info. That was in 2010 or 2011.

Back on topic - I've been playing around with Ridemax and have managed to tweak our lunch and end times to reduce the waits. Still not sure about using it as it has getting a RSR FP at DCA right at rope drop and I don't see the point of waiting 30 minutes for RD then 30 minutes for a FP. Seems like a waste of getting there early.

 

[momof4fans]

My issue appears to be DCA. I put in our DL plan and it seems to work with only small waits. In DCA, I have us arriving at RD and staying until closure but we have a 3 hour break in the afternoon - we like to go back to our hotel for a swim and rest.

It has me waiting for Toy Story at 9:30 for 54 minutes! I don't have it in front of me, but it says to go to RSR first and then the next ride is Luigi's with a 26 minute wait. It just doesn't seem right. I even eliminated Soarin and TOT. I did not check the box for FP runner as we haven't been to DL in 20 years and I wasn't sure I wanted to be a runner.

As I mentioned, we have been to WDW a million times and learned how to tour via Tour Guide Mike (RIP). Even after they started enforcing FP's we knew how to tour and would get our favorites in multiple times with no wait. I feel like with this plan I can only get on these rides one time and I am still waiting for that first ride.

I will keep playing with it and hopefully can get it to work but just not impressed. At least it wasn't too expensive.

This is how I used Ridemax for DCA: Don't put TSMM on the schedule at all. This will totally change your plan. Be there at rope drop and hustle right to TSMM at park opening. Ride a couple times, then ride screamn or the carousel or both then send someone for RSR fastpasses and Soarin fastpasses while the rest of the group heads somewhere else. Our experience in August 2013 was that we never needed Screamin FP's. Meet group and continue having fun! Also, don't use the Fastpass runner option on the program. You should have someone run for FP's but don't put it in the program. This plan worked good for us because I don't ride certain rides because of motion sickness so I was usually the runner.

 

[conniehar90]

This is how I used Ridemax for DCA: Don't put TSMM on the schedule at all. This will totally change your plan. Be there at rope drop and hustle right to TSMM at park opening. Ride a couple times, then ride screamn or the carousel or both then send someone for RSR fastpasses and Soarin fastpasses while the rest of the group heads somewhere else. Our experience in August 2013 was that we never needed Screamin FP's. Meet group and continue having fun! Also, don't use the Fastpass runner option on the program. You should have someone run for FP's but don't put it in the program. This plan worked good for us because I don't ride certain rides because of motion sickness so I was usually the runner.

Just wanted to say that I finally got back to playing around with this and this suggestion is the key! Leave TSMM out and your plan will have minimal waits!

 

[Blue32]

IMO Ridemax is grossly overestimating the waits for Luigis and Mater. Wait times have really cooled off on these rides and while Luigis loads quite slow the wait times still have not been bad at times because of the popularity. BTW, during the Pixar parade is a great time to try to catch a ride on these with shorter waits.