Disney MaxPass reviews

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Yes and no.


"Instant" FastPass is still happening. You can no longer stack them- Disney has implemented a "soft" 30min rule that apply to FP return times less than 30mins out.

Example:

You pull a Fast Pass for California Screamin at 1:00pm with a return of 1:05-2:05. The earliest you can get another FastPass is 1:30pm. HOWEVER if you USE your Fastpass prior to 1:30pm you can get a new Fastpass immediately after checking into one of the touch points.



If your return time is under 30mins: you must either USE your Fastpass OR wait 30mins before you can get a new Fastpass.

If your return time is more than 30mins: you must wait until your return window opens or a maximum of 2 hours before you can get a new FastPass- which ever comes first.


Thanks for the run down. So essentially the real benefit hasn't changed. Running around stacking for the sake of stacking didn't appeal to me anyway. It could of worked nicely for two FP attractions in close proximity though.
 

IMDREW

Well-Known Member
Don't know if this has been anwsered yet, but I'm from overseas and cannot use this service without wifi. So does anybody know if there's wifi in the parks? I couldn't find an anwser on the disneyland website.
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
Don't know if this has been anwsered yet, but I'm from overseas and cannot use this service without wifi. So does anybody know if there's wifi in the parks? I couldn't find an anwser on the disneyland website.
There are hot spots in the parks. Look on the app under guest services.
 

LongLiveTheKing

Well-Known Member
Now that Max Pass has been up and running for a few days, I am interested in how it is affecting people's ability to get paper fast passes. Are they harder to get? I go in 4 weeks for what is probably my last trip ever to DL. I have already spent a fortune on our CA trip and I am having trouble justifying another $160 (4 people, 4 days) for Max Pass. I have done Fast Pass Plus at WDW so I know the system and how it works. Anyone notice any difference in availability of paper fast passes?
I'm wondering about how easy paper fps are to get as well
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
I'm wondering about how easy paper fps are to get as well

I was there on Saturday and nothing seemed too different to me. I don't think a ton of people are using MaxPass just yet, it's going to take some time for that to gain traction.

I'm sure this has been mentioned already, but one thing that kind of makes the new system lame is the inability to give unused FPs to others. I often would do that if I had to head out before my FP window or if my plans didn't allow for me to use them. Now they're wasted and if I'm using paper FPs, I can't even cancel them to put them back up for grabs.
 

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the run down. So essentially the real benefit hasn't changed. Running around stacking for the sake of stacking didn't appeal to me anyway. It could of worked nicely for two FP attractions in close proximity though.

Thank you for the clarification! I am going next month and want to take advantage of the new system the 3 days i'm in the parks :) Overall, it sounds like it will be better than FP+ at WDW (where you'll actually have a chance at major attractions the day of and not have to "worry" about planning your day months in advance).
 

Brenthodge

Well-Known Member
so if a party of say 5 has 4 people WITH max pass and one without - if all the tickets are linked to one phone, could any 4 people use the passes as long as one had the phone with all the passes to scan? So if Grammie, who doesn't ride many fastness rides wants to ride TSMMania with the kids, could I make a FP for 4 and let her "be my wife" for that ride to ride with me and the kids? Later maybe get a second for that ride and 4 others could ride? What do they use to ID the actual ticket holder is the one using the FP?
 

Ryan120420

Well-Known Member
so if a party of say 5 has 4 people WITH max pass and one without - if all the tickets are linked to one phone, could any 4 people use the passes as long as one had the phone with all the passes to scan? So if Grammie, who doesn't ride many fastness rides wants to ride TSMMania with the kids, could I make a FP for 4 and let her "be my wife" for that ride to ride with me and the kids? Later maybe get a second for that ride and 4 others could ride? What do they use to ID the actual ticket holder is the one using the FP?


1. Yes- one person can be in charge of all the FastPasses on one phone and can scan all FastPasses with one phone.

2. Currently they do not check ID at the FP touch points. So if someone in your party dose not want to ride- you can give that FastPass to someone else within your party. The person you are giving the FP to has to have either the park ticket of the person who is not riding OR the electronic in-app FastPass.
 

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
I have a couple Maxpass questions (as i'm going to DL soon and was curious):

1. When does MaxPass activate- is it when you enter the park or when the park is open?
2. Is "open" when it is open for ALL guests or just when people can enter the park (Extra Magic Hour/Magic Morning Hour vs normal park hours).
3. Can I reserve a FP for Disneyland while i'm in DCA and vice versa?
 

drizgirl

Well-Known Member
I have a couple Maxpass questions (as i'm going to DL soon and was curious):

1. When does MaxPass activate- is it when you enter the park or when the park is open?
2. Is "open" when it is open for ALL guests or just when people can enter the park (Extra Magic Hour/Magic Morning Hour vs normal park hours).
3. Can I reserve a FP for Disneyland while i'm in DCA and vice versa?
My understanding is that you can only activate it after you have scanned your ticket at the turnstiles.

And yes, you can reserve for the other park.
 

Witchy Chick

Well-Known Member
I have a couple Maxpass questions (as i'm going to DL soon and was curious):

1. When does MaxPass activate- is it when you enter the park or when the park is open?
2. Is "open" when it is open for ALL guests or just when people can enter the park (Extra Magic Hour/Magic Morning Hour vs normal park hours).
3. Can I reserve a FP for Disneyland while i'm in DCA and vice versa?

Just returned last week from our DL trip, and we used MaxPass each day.

You cannot even purchase MaxPass until your park ticket is activated (each day). I tried one morning purchasing while we were in the Security line on the Esplanade -- no go. The first time you purchase your MaxPass, you will have to input your credit card info. Each subsequent day, I only had to input my CVV to purchase MaxPass.

Once you enter the turnstiles, you can then purchase MaxPass and make your first FP selection. You can make FP selections for DL if you're in DCA and vice versa. Also, there is no way for MaxPass to "know" you have left the park(s), so once purchased you can even make FP selections if you are not in either park. We took midday breaks back at our Good Neighbor hotel for lunch and pool time. And I was still able to make MaxPass selections (for late afternoon/evening) while at the hotel.

Re: the photos, we were able to link ride photos well after the day they were taken (i.e. once we returned home). I was worried I had to link them each day, but I did not.
 

JoFu

Well-Known Member
I've now used MaxPass for the first time, so I'll add some thoughts. First, I loved it, I actually felt a little guilty like I was cheating or something. Especially on a light day I was able to line up back to back attractions such that I had fastpass after fastpass after fastpass. The interface is a little clunky, especially surrounding building your party and having to do this weird AP exchange dance to get your entire party able to see and make selections for the entire party.

One thing I thought was incorrect and that I expect them to "fix" in the future was that I was able to make a selection as soon as I entered the park prior to actual park opening. In this case I entered DCA prior to rope drop and while I was getting Starbucks I got fastpasses for RSR for 25 minutes after rope drop. I assume the not quite immediately at opening time meant others were doing the same thing.

The biggest thing that's a let down for it was that I thought I had read that photopass photos would be automatically shared with your FP party. Similarly to how they are automagically available to friends with Walt Disney World's My Disney Experience. As of yet I have not seen this work. Taking photo pass photos with friends the photos are only available to the one who's photopass was scanned. Similarly for ride photos we all have to enter the code to get the photo, otherwise only the people who do enter it get it.

They definitely have a long way to go before they get to the magical, "it just works" WDW MDE experience, but the convenience of the FP getting was definitely cool. I'm not sure I'd buy it separately, but since I have a premier pass it comes with it and is nice.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
I used Maxpass last Wednesday. I loved it. When a ride breaks down during your return time, you automatically become eligible for a new maxpass, and the current fastpass becomes valid for the rest of the day, for any fastpass compatible ride.

Here's the trick: Haunted Mansion went down for about 2 hrs. But, while it's down, they don't prevent you from getting Maxpass for it. So I got one, 15-20 minutes later that became a multi experience pass, and I became eligible for a new maxpass so I got another haunted pass. Repeat. I had 5 multiple experience passes that were good for the rest of the day because of this, in addition to normal fastpass for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder. So we had 7 active at once, 5 of which were good for the rest of the day - we didn't even use all of them.
 
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Curious Constance

Well-Known Member
I used Maxpass last Wednesday. I loved it. When a ride breaks down during your return time, you automatically become eligible for a new maxpass, and the current fastpass becomes valid for the rest of the day, for any fastpass compatible ride.

Here's the trick: Haunted Mansion went down for about 2 hrs. But, while it's down, they don't prevent you from getting Maxpass for it. So I got one, 15-20 minutes later that became a multi experience pass, and I became eligible for a new maxpass so I got another haunted pass. Repeat. I had 5 multiple experience passes that were good for the rest of the day because of this, in addition to normal fastpass for Splash Mountain and Big Thunder. So we had 7 active at once, 5 of which were good for the rest of the day - we didn't even use all of them.

You sly dog!

I bet that doesn't last long though. I bet soon they update to only allow you to book a Maxpass if the ride is open.
 

Phroobar

Well-Known Member
So MaxPass is too popular now so they have to up the price. How high will it go? I guess SWGE will be treated the same as Magic Mountain does for their go karting and slingshot rides by charging more money to ride them. I can see it now. A two hour line for the Battle Escape ride comprised entirely of MaxPass holders.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Thank you for the clarification! I am going next month and want to take advantage of the new system the 3 days i'm in the parks :) Overall, it sounds like it will be better than FP+ at WDW (where you'll actually have a chance at major attractions the day of and not have to "worry" about planning your day months in advance).

Most rides you CAN get day of at WDW. I know it's a popular misconception. MaxPass is a better version of FP+ at WDW but a lot of the features and things people like are the same and many of those features seem to be knocked, like the ability to change your time, cancel and pick up new FP's. Sure, there are three attractions that day of are still hard to come by (Flight of Passage, Seven Dwarfs and Frozen but the latter two aren't impossible. I checked yesterday at 3pm and a Frozen FP for 3:50 popped up. You just have to look).
 

mikenatcity1

Well-Known Member
Most rides you CAN get day of at WDW. I know it's a popular misconception. MaxPass is a better version of FP+ at WDW but a lot of the features and things people like are the same and many of those features seem to be knocked, like the ability to change your time, cancel and pick up new FP's. Sure, there are three attractions that day of are still hard to come by (Flight of Passage, Seven Dwarfs and Frozen but the latter two aren't impossible. I checked yesterday at 3pm and a Frozen FP for 3:50 popped up. You just have to look).

I've used FP+ so many times. I hate that in order to get something I would have to keep checking and changing. The biggest issue I ran into was having FP at 1 park and switching parks and waiting until the 3rd FP expired before I could use 1 more...the system isn't the greatest for that.

I'm excited to see how MaxxPass works- it seems like it could be a better fit for DL and those of us that don't want to plan months in advance and go attraction by attraction (and get free photopass)!
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
I've used FP+ so many times. I hate that in order to get something I would have to keep checking and changing. The biggest issue I ran into was having FP at 1 park and switching parks and waiting until the 3rd FP expired before I could use 1 more...the system isn't the greatest for that.

I'm excited to see how MaxxPass works- it seems like it could be a better fit for DL and those of us that don't want to plan months in advance and go attraction by attraction (and get free photopass)!

It has it's flaws. I don't like they give the option to book so far in advance. It should be day of only. I'm looking forward to trying out MaxPass whenever I can get my behind back to Disneyland. (I agree about waiting out the 3rd FP in order to get another one as well). But to be fair it seems like you have to check the app for Disneyland as well if you want something else. I get not wanting to always check your phone but it's what you have to do in order to find what you want. I don't love it but I make it work for me. I'm also someone who isn't keen on having my phone out all the time in the parks but it's really not so bad. I take a break, check the app and off I go. But I'd like to see some changes to the FP+ system.

Not trying to veer this too off topic but it's interesting to compare the two.
 

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