Setting MaxPass Expectations

[DavidNYC]

Been to DW many many times and consider myself a FP expert. May try to do a 1-day Disneyland trip Thursday, June 6 myself while having a free day on business trip. Have not been there in over 40 years ....

With SW opening not long before and it being after many schools are out, it wouldn’t have been my fist choice of when to go but my free day is when it is.

Really need to start doing some research on MaxPass and best practices on using it but as a solo traveller, what can I expect to be able to get in a day? I know it’s more like old FP when times are assigned rather than chosen but you may be able to grab cancellations

But in general, should I expect to be able to get most things with a little perseverance like at DW or should I expect I’ll get a few early but will find by early afternoon that most are gone or for much later in day? I know at DW being a solo makes it much easier - not sure if it. Sitters maxed on how MP works).

(And if there are any great threads or sites with strategy for a first time MP user would love a recommendation).

Thanks.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Start here: https://www.disboards.com/threads/m...view-and-some-strategy.3726246/#post-60074882

In terms of how many FPs you can get with Maxpass in a day, it really, really depends how crowded it is - but as a solo visitor, between Maxpass and single rider, you should be able to hit all of the headliners if you so choose. Obviously a single day just scratches the surface of what the parks have to offer, so what you choose to do will depend on your priorities.

 

[Geemo]

Been to DW many many times and consider myself a FP expert. May try to do a 1-day Disneyland trip Thursday, June 6 myself while having a free day on business trip. Have not been there in over 40 years ....

With SW opening not long before and it being after many schools are out, it wouldn’t have been my fist choice of when to go but my free day is when it is.

Really need to start doing some research on MaxPass and best practices on using it but as a solo traveller, what can I expect to be able to get in a day? I know it’s more like old FP when times are assigned rather than chosen but you may be able to grab cancellations

But in general, should I expect to be able to get most things with a little perseverance like at DW or should I expect I’ll get a few early but will find by early afternoon that most are gone or for much later in day? I know at DW being a solo makes it much easier - not sure if it. Sitters maxed on how MP works).

(And if there are any great threads or sites with strategy for a first time MP user would love a recommendation).

Thanks.

Along with MaxPass the rides having a "Single Rider" line will be your friend.

I go solo often and can get several rides in with MP and SR.
At least June 6th isn't a weekend or a Monday.

Have fun!!
Geemo

 

[wench]

It will obviously depend on crowds, but I would expect to pull many more quality FP in a day than you would with FP+. On our last trip I even told my son that I didn’t feel like I’d had enough downtime for shopping & such. As a seasoned Disney traveler I’m conditioned to get as many FP as possible, as quickly as possible. And MP just makes that so easy. It really is possible to keep going from one FP to the next pretty consistently. On my upcoming trip I’ve actually prescheduled time for things like shopping, so I don’t get too caught up again.

 

[HydroGuy]

Agree with the PPs. Single Rider and MP will let you do anything you want.

See https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/single-rider-line

 

[sharksfinatic17]

I just went to DCA for a day. We went on 17 rides - Guardians x4, Incredicoaster x3, Racers x2, Toy Story x2 plus other rides that don't have MP/FP. We didn't plan at all...we just showed up. I have never done a single day and have never gone without planning. It was a very successful day. I was also able to make dinner reservations at 11 through the app. I would recommend going for sure. Getting there early helps you to maximize your day.

 

[DavidNYC]

Agree with the PPs. Single Rider and MP will let you do anything you want.

See https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/#/single-rider-line

Thanks. A lot more single rider lines than I expected! Feeling better about being able to avoid a lot of lines. Clearly in 1 day will have to prioritize and will likely try to hit as much as possible if things that aren’t exact duplicates from DW.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks. A lot more single rider lines than I expected! Feeling better about being able to avoid a lot of lines. Clearly in 1 day will have to prioritize and will likely try to hit as much as possible if things that aren’t exact duplicates from DW.

Yah, there are a lot more SR rides at DLR than WDW.

 

[Michele King]

I just returned from WDW and found their fast pass system really frustrating. I think you will love our (DLR) system. There is so much freedom and flexibility with it. If you get to the parks early, using max pass and single rider, you should have no problem riding all the rides you want. I don't wait in lines more than 20 minutes and when I do a day at DLR, I can easily ride 10 to 15 rides depending on the crowds. No way you can just walk into WDW and do that without significant planning way way in advance (not sure if you can do that even with the planning).
There are a lot of rides you should plan to hit that are different than WDW or unique to DLR. Space Mountain here is way better as is Pirates of the Caribbean and Small World. Radiator Springs Racers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Indiana Jones, and Incridicoaster are unique to DLR and are must dos, imo. Other rides that are unique to DLR include Matterhorn (I personally don't like this ride, but it is iconic for DLR), Alice in Wonderland and most of the fantasyland dark rides, and Roger Rabbit.
I hope you enjoy your trip. I think you will love DLR.

 

[Mike_M]

It’s been a while since I’ve done a single day trip, but it’s totally possible to do a large amount of rides, especially if you’re just doing DL itself. Maxpass will definitely make it easy to hit all the rides that use it in one day. It’s then just about which standby only rides you want to do

On a single day trip, I’ll usually skip Peter Pan and only do Space Mtn once since the FPs for it seem to run out the fastest, plus that standby line can get big, especially as the day rolls on. Indy will be the next priority as that one can also run out quick.

If rides and versions unique to DL are what you’re looking for, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is a must, but be warned, it’s line can be as long as Peter Pan’s so expect that one to eat up a little time. I also love Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin. That one has FP, but it also has one of the best themed queues in the park that you won’t see if you use FP, so I’m sometimes on the fence about whether or not I’m willing to bite the bullet and take the long way around just because I like the queue. If it has a short standby time, I say take the long way and use your next FP on Indy, Matterhorn, or BTMRR instead.

I find I’m in the minority on this one, but I love the subs and it’s something definitely unique to DL. It can be another one though to take up some time since it has no FP. I’ve found that it’s shortest queue times are in the morning.

I like the food in the counter service restaurants, especially in NOS and Frontierland so it’s easy to grab a quick bite and still have an enjoyable meal. If experiencing Blue Bayou is something important to you, I’d say lunch only on a single day trip if the slot is available. Another thing that is fairly new is the ability at some of the counter service restaurants to preorder your food from the app. It took me a couple days of my last trip to get used to it, but once I did, it was a big time saver.

Aside from that, I play the rest by ear and have a great time.

 

[caylene44]

It will obviously depend on crowds, but I would expect to pull many more quality FP in a day than you would with FP+. On our last trip I even told my son that I didn’t feel like I’d had enough downtime for shopping & such. As a seasoned Disney traveler I’m conditioned to get as many FP as possible, as quickly as possible. And MP just makes that so easy. It really is possible to keep going from one FP to the next pretty consistently. On my upcoming trip I’ve actually prescheduled time for things like shopping, so I don’t get too caught up again.

Main Street is open until 12 am and WoD is open until 2 am so I usually do my shopping when I'm dead tired after the park has closed

 

[agamble]

A lot of schools are actually still in session that week, but that also means school groups. Not a big deal though as they're not likely to be using Max Pass or single rider. Also, one important thing to remember is that many rides at DL do not have FP. No FP for Peter Pan (which gets a long line fast) or Winnie the Pooh (doesn't need one). The only Fantasyland rides with FP are Small World (maybe only at Christmas?) and Matterhorn. Several other rides that have FP at WDW do not like Pirates and Jungle Cruise. Just something to keep in mind.

Are you doing both parks or just DL?

 

[DavidNYC]

Undecided - I hadn’t even looked at the price of a 1 day / 2 park ticket and was surprised! May look to see how much more a 2-day is and try to get an extra half day. I don’t think I’ll be back for a while so would like to try both parks prioritizing the things that are different.

 

[ktlm]

We go to both WDW and DLR and Max Pass is SOOOOO much easier than FP+. There is so much more availability with everyone only able to book only one at a time instead of 3 in advance. It is lower stress, more flexible, and we use more FPs at DLR. As a solo, I don't think you will have any issues getting everything done that you want to do. One morning when DH forgot something and had to go back to the resort right after we got to DL, DD and I just starting grabbing any FP in the area that started immediately, and we would scan into that ride and then immediately book the next one nearby that started almost immediately. We had a great time! We wanted to go over to CA and ride either GOTG or RSR (I can't remember which) in a while, so we just kept an eye on what was available for that, and as it started getting to the time we figured we would switch parks, we went ahead and booked that one and then had our waiting period before we could get another FP at DL.

In our experience, there is usually still decent availability in the afternoons, unlike at WDW.

If you used the old FP system at WDW much, you will have no trouble with Max Pass. It is pretty much just like the old system, but with the wonderful bonus that you can book from your phone instead of running from machine to machine.

 

[agamble]

Undecided - I hadn’t even looked at the price of a 1 day / 2 park ticket and was surprised! May look to see how much more a 2-day is and try to get an extra half day. I don’t think I’ll be back for a while so would like to try both parks prioritizing the things that are different.

If you buy 2 day 1 park per day the ticket should be about $200. So not much more than a one day hopper. I love DCA. You could hit the highlights as a single rider in half a day for sure. RSR is the hot FP to get, but has a single rider line. So does Incredicoaster. That would allow you to save FP for Guardians, Grizzly, and Toy Story. We enjoy DCA.