So my extended family (6 adults, 5 kids of varying heights) is taking a DLR trip the week after Easter, 2020. It’s supposed to be “pretty darn crowded” so we’re definitely springing for MaxPass. We’re doing 4.5 days in the parks (2 DCA / 2.5 DL). Many of us have been as recently as 3 years ago, but my brother in law and his clan has never been to ANY amusement park.
How do y’all experts order/prioritize your MaxPass bookings? I know RSR is a super high priority booking, but should I get it first, even if there’s something with a window opening in 5 minutes? etc. etc.
I would keep a very close eye on RSR. You can typically time it so you could get one other MP first, then immediately get the RSR while you’re waiting in the FP return line for the first attraction. But they go fast, so keep an eye on the FP return times leading up to your trip. With 4.5 days, you’ll have time to get the hang of this while you’re there. I just checked the TP app and FP is already gone for the day (11:42am with 7/10 CL).
Here is how I would prioritize FP:
DCA
RSR
TSMM
Soarin’
GotG (higher priority with holiday overlay)
GRR (keep an eye on this if you want to ride during the heat of the afternoon, which you should - easy to get in the morning but return times jump quickly around lunch)
Incredicoaster (harder to get in the evening but usually available immediately in the morning - afternoon)
Goofy’s Sky School (why are you riding this?)
DLR
RotR (if available during your trip)
MFSR (if available during your trip)
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain (if during afternoon)
Matterhorn (right now I would get this first thing due to one of the tracks being down - should be fixed by the time you go)
Indiana Jones
BTMRR
Haunted Mansion (higher priority during holiday overlay)
Star Tours
Buzz Lightyear
IaSW (higher priority during holiday overlay)
Roger Rabit (why are you riding this?)
This is just based on experience and my personal preference and generally how fast they run out.
Any thoughts on attractions which don’t have FP and command long lines? I’m noticing Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan, Gadget’s Go Coaster, and Smuggler’s Run (and RotR presumably) are missing from FastPass. Should some of these be top priority for rope drop/last ride of the night? Are there other dark rides (Alice) that have to be rope dropped?
Jungle Cruise rarely commands the waits that WDW’s version seems to. If you wait around long enough, a short wait will present itself. Don’t wait more than 20-30 minutes.
I’ve never waited more than 5 minutes for Gadget’s Go Coaster, and it isn’t worth more than that. Don’t believe the app or the signs - walk in and see for yourself. Usually short wait in the first hour Toontown is open, which is later than the rest of the park.
MFSR has been averaging a very quick feeling 35 minute wait since it opened. I actually hope they don’t add FP because I’m sure the waits will double if they do.
RotR should be your #1 priority regardless of whether it has FP or not
ETA: Storybookland is the worst line to wait in. Not a lot of shade a deceptively compact. Ride during EMH or evening when it’s cooler.
Alice has a tendency to build a pesky line. I wouldn’t “rope drop” Alice per se, but try to ride during EMH in the morning.
Peter Pan is impossible to rope drop in my experience, and you don’t save much time even if you are lucky enough to be first in line. Better to just ride any time during the day that the line is around 30 min. The line is rarely more or less than that.
None of the other dark rides usually have a line - usually walk on or 5-10 minutes at most. If there is a line, come back another time.
Monsters’ Inc. has lines at seemingly random times, but usually walk on
Mater and Luigi lines fluctuate between 15 min to 35 min - seems random to me but maybe TP has found a pattern
Carousel and Inside Out are newer so hard to say what the pattern will be next year
Pixar Pal-Around has the longest of the boardwalk rides. The rest often have very short waits except on busy days.
In general, on 9 / 10 busy days, even the rides with typically low waits get long lines. Really frustrating and so I try to avoid holiday weeks / weekends.
We’re going the week after Easter, so I’m anxious about rides like Pal Around, Mater, Luigi, and Monster’s Inc. I definitely don’t want to miss those rides as they’re rather unique, but I also don’t know if I’m willing to wait 45 minutes for them.
I have waited 45 minutes for each of those before. Probably not worth it, especially if you don’t have young kids, but if you’re there multiple days you can usually time it so you are riding these popular non-Fastpass rides early or late and trying to snag Fastpass or ride low wait lines the rest of the day.
I don’t really have anything that could add to what @Jeff_AZ has said. He’s so helpful!
Maxpass was so pleasant to use. I used an alarm on my phone to ping every 90 minutes.
4.5 days seems to me that you will have to make some choices of what maybe not to do? We did five full days WITH Pixar Pier not yet open, and there were things we couldn’t fit in last June.
Will you do nighttime shows? If not - that opens up some time to ride.
Are your kids into meeting Avengers?
If you are like me and don’t realize how long the Frozen show is - “hey - did you know the Frozen show is REALLY long?” We actually had to leave mid-way to get to a MaxPass. BUT we were so impressed with what we saw that we went back the NEXT day to catch it fully.
I’m surprised to hear that you don’t think 4.5 days is enough. We did a trip of 4 days and one of 2.75 before MaxPass and felt like we did “everything” and “almost everything” respectively. We have seen the Frozen show and will almost certainly see it again.
I think it depends on what your definition of “everything” is. Personally I think 4-5 days is enough to see everything worth seeing - certainly all the rides (yes, even all the minor ones) and major shows. But probably not all the minor shows, street performers, and meet and greets. And of course there is dining, shopping, and snacks to account for.
But that’s why you’ve got to come back every year! More than 5 days IMO starts to get a little much at DLR.
I need to make a correction. We only went four days. I had to go back and look at my blog. Sorry. There were things we couldn’t fit in, and Pixar Pier was closed. We did a lot of meet and greets and did reride some favorites. Only one of our days was what I’d call super crowded.
The fact that you’ve been there before gives you a lot of insight on what you want to prioritize. And MaxPass is worth every penny IMO (and it did cost me an good chunk of pennies for my group of 9).
Yes. Before our fourth day I made a list of what was still left and I spent our fourth day laboring over whether we should scrap our rest day and add a fifth for $10pp. I really wanted to add that day but my boys (16 & 18) were really over Disney. And my mom was getting tired and her (pre-replacement) knee was bothering her. So we didn’t add it. I kick myself that we didn’t just leave them at te rental and the rest of us add another day, though. We missed the area with the Redwood Creek Challenge and the Grizzly Run and a handful of the Avengers and a few other things.
