Disney MaxPass reviews

[Daveeeeed]

Pardon me, but I don't quite follow. Can you expand on what this means for regular fastpass?

Disneyland's Fastpass system will remain the same except electronically. Instead of scanning your park ticket to receive a Fastpass that is turned in at the ride, you receive a Fastpass "reminder". The Fastpass is actually built into your park ticket instead now and functions as a Fastpass. There is no difference than before other than the Fastpass system is done with your park ticket instead of a printed Fastpass. MaxPass will start in mid-July which will be a $10 per day per person program (it includes PhotoPass) which has the same function as FastPass except you can get a return time from the Disneyland app insead of at the attraction itself.

MaxPass will be useful for most people who are tourists as it includes PhotoPass and is very useful (and BTW it is very different than WDW as there is no limit to the Fastpass amount or tiering... it's just the old system with quicker back to back fastpasses and it will allow you to enjoy the park a bit more calmly), but for locals it definitely will not be worth it unless you can say buy a MaxPass ticket for $100 for the whole year, but even then it will not be worth it to most.

 

[vancee]

So whats the point if they still give you a paper WITH your ticket barcode, and you still have to use your actual pass? This is so weird. I'm guessing they're slowly doing this to get a head start for something in the future? This system is definitely not going to be permanent because they wouldn't still print you a fast pass "reminder" which still is scannable. Probably to get ready for a bigger revamp coming before SWL.

 

[JoFu]

Disneyland's Fastpass system will remain the same except electronically. Instead of scanning your park ticket to receive a Fastpass that is turned in at the ride, you receive a Fastpass "reminder". The Fastpass is actually built into your park ticket instead now and functions as a Fastpass. There is no difference than before other than the Fastpass system is done with your park ticket instead of a printed Fastpass. MaxPass will start in mid-July which will be a $10 per day per person program (it includes PhotoPass) which has the same function as FastPass except you can get a return time from the Disneyland app insead of at the attraction itself.

MaxPass will be useful for most people who are tourists as it includes PhotoPass and is very useful (and BTW it is very different than WDW as there is no limit to the Fastpass amount or tiering... it's just the old system with quicker back to back fastpasses and it will allow you to enjoy the park a bit more calmly), but for locals it definitely will not be worth it unless you can say buy a MaxPass ticket for $100 for the whole year, but even then it will not be worth it to most.

Please excuse me if I’m repeating or asking something already asked, but I thought I’d read in one of the many articles on this that the top AP would include maxpass. Do we know anything about that or do we explicitly know it isn’t the case?

 

[Deleted member 107043]

Theme Park Insider posted a good article reviewing the new system. Apparently it's creating a few headaches as guests acclimate to the new procedures.

"The Fastpass machines still dispense those paper tickets, printed with your return time, but now they are intended simply as reminders, rather than valid readmission media to the Fastpass line.

The switch has led to long lines at Fastpass return points throughout the park, as guests now need to pull out their park tickets instead of simply showing their paper Fastpasses. That's a change of nearly 18 years' practice, and although Disney appears to have trained its operations staff in anticipation of the change, it's done pretty much nothing to prepare guests in advance of today's switch."

http://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/201706/5621/

 

[disneygeek90]

Isn't this the same as the "old" system- where you can get a new FP as long as the current FP return window start time has passed? Since the FP returns times immediate, the start time has already passed making you eligible for another FP

Are the return times only immediate because of the Maxpass? What is normal FP looking like?

If you don't get Maxpass, do you get no Fastpasses?

 

[mickEblu]

Are the return times only immediate because of the Maxpass? What is normal FP looking like?

If you don't get Maxpass, do you get no Fastpasses?

No it works the same way for paper FPs. As far as I know Max pass hasn't even started yet.

No, as far as we know so far (free) paper FPs will be around for the foreseeable future.

 

[disneygeek90]

No it works the same way for paper FPs. As far as I know Max pass hasn't even started yet.

No, as far as we know so far (free) paper FPs will be around for the foreseeable future.

So what is the real Maxpass benefit? Being able to grab a fastpass via app rather than kios?

 

[mickEblu]

So what is the real Maxpass benefit? Being able to grab a fastpass via app rather than kios?

Yeah that's about it. Which is great if your an out of town guest trying to maximize your day. If you have a one day park hopper, running back and forth in a mad dash to collect FPs isn't very fun. It was especially "bad" when the two parks weren't linked.

It seems that a new benefit of the FP system in general ( Fast pass and Max pass included) is that they removed the 35 minute delay to obtain a FP that apparently existed before. Meaning in the morning (or whenever attractions have immediate return times) you can stack multiple FPs (you can't have two for the same attraction though). Of course, unless one feels like running around the park and depending on if the CMs are enforcing return times it's not a very practical approach. Aside from the fact that most attractions in the early morning will be walk ons anyway. It's a nice perk for a couple attractions in the same vicinity though.Now with Maxpass, I could see how the removal of the 35 minute delay is a real benefit since your not physically running around to stack the FPs.

I think the approach to "maximize" ones day with the new system or just to see how many FPs they can collect at one time would be to get there at rope drop and immediately get an FP for Space Mountain then run to Indy and get another FP since those Return times move the fastest. From there you can probably walk to the rest of the 7 DL FP rides and have a total of 9 FPs at the same time.

 

[mickEblu]

I wonder if they removed the 35 minute delay to adjust for the increase in FP demand that will be coming with Maxpass? Of course, as long as capacity remains the same, all that means is more FPs will be handed out and FP wait times will be longer as well as stand by lines.

 

[disneygeek90]

Yeah that's about it. Which is great if your an out of town guest trying to maximize your day. If you have a one day park hopper, running back and forth in a mad dash to collect FPs isn't very fun. It was especially "bad" when the two parks weren't linked.

It seems that a new benefit of the FP system in general ( Fast pass and Max pass included) is that they removed the 35 minute delay to obtain a FP that apparently existed before. Meaning in the morning (or whenever attractions have immediate return times) you can stack multiple FPs (you can't have two for the same attraction though). Of course, unless one feels like running around the park and depending on if the CMs are enforcing return times it's not a very practical approach. Aside from the fact that most attractions in the early morning will be walk ons anyway. It's a nice perk for a couple attractions in the same vicinity though.Now with Maxpass, I could see how the removal of the 35 minute delay is a real benefit since your not physically running around to stack the FPs.

I think the approach to "maximize" ones day with the new system or just to see how many FPs they can collect at one time would be to get there at rope drop and immediately get an FP for Space Mountain then run to Indy and get another FP since those Return times move the fastest. From there you can probably walk to the rest of the 7 DL FP rides and have a total of 9 FPs at the same time.

Sounds good, I'm going to be making a 2 day visit in November and $10/day would absolutely be worth it, imo.

 

[Disney Analyst]

So what is the real Maxpass benefit? Being able to grab a fastpass via app rather than kios?

Not only booking on the app from anywhere, but also the fact that you connect your ticket media to the app so you'd be scanning your phone. No need to get tickets or AP's out, no paper trail. Just book, pull phone out, scan and go.

 

[mickEblu]

Not only booking on the app from anywhere, but also the fact that you connect your ticket media to the app so you'd be scanning your phone. No need to get tickets or AP's out, no paper trail. Just book, pull phone out, scan and go.

Ehh. Pull out phone / open app or pulling ticket out. It's comparable.

 

[jocarol]

They've added bluetooth access to the app, so I think ultimately you won't have to pull out your phone and scan a barcode -- you'll just tap your phone. Basically using your phone like a magic band.

 

[mickEblu]

They've added bluetooth access to the app, so I think ultimately you won't have to pull out your phone and scan a barcode -- you'll just tap your phone. Basically using your phone like a magic band.

Well that's a game changer. I wonder if Magic bands are on the way.

 

[Texas84]

Shouldn't be that big of a deal to link to a MagicBand. Might wear mine on my next trip just to annoy people.

 

[vancee]

I always hoped Magicbands come, but I've seen many "insiders" say they will not be coming at all. I just don't believe it. There are touch points, or RFID readers, on the new fastpass scanners just like WDW. They even have Magicband reader on the food carts.

 

[mickEblu]

I hope they start doing magic bands at DL so I can get a GOTG:MB one.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Ehh. Pull out phone / open app or pulling ticket out. It's comparable.

I don't agree fully. Much faster for me to get my phone out. I would most likely put my ticket in a wallet which would be in a backpack or something, so I don't lose it. If they could make it so your fastpass can get added to Apple wallet then it will be even faster, just double click, bring up pass, and boom.

 

[vancee]

I hope they start doing magic bands at DL so I can get a GOTG:MB one.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

I always hoped Magicbands come, but I've seen many "insiders" say they will not be coming at all. I just don't believe it. There are touch points, or RFID readers, on the new fastpass scanners just like WDW. They even have Magicband reader on the food carts.

MagicBands don't make sense for DLR. The touch points are for future use with phones/Apple Watches, not MagicBands.