Is MaxPass Worth the Cost at Disneyland?

On my recent trip to Disneyland, I was fortunate enough to have complimentary MaxPass added to my ticket. So of course, totally worth the (no) cost! But would I do it if I had to pay for it myself?

Answer as usual with me is “it depends.” It costs $10/per person/per day. If money isn’t a huge concern to you, then I’d say no question at all - get it. If you have just a couple of people, then the price is reasonable also. But if you’re like me and have a family of 5, MaxPass will run you $50/per day and if you do 3 days at Disneyland, that’s an additional $150.

Now as cheap as I am, I’d probably still do it. The thing about Disneyland is that FastPasses aren’t included at all like at Disney World. So without MaxPass, you’ll be waiting in every line. If it’s not a crowded day, this might not be a big deal.

Here’s how it works… Once you are in a park (your ticket must have been scanned at the entrance), you go on the mobile app and pick your FastPass time. When I was there, I was able to do this every few minutes. As soon as you enter the queue for your time, you can pick a new FastPass.

Keep in mind that not all rides have FastPass. I sadly didn’t get to ride Peter Pan this trip since the line was always over 45 minutes and I had limited time due to training. But on the rides that offer FastPass, I didn’t wait more than 5 minutes. That’s huge on Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster and some of the more popular rides.

Also as a bonus, you receive downloads of all of your PhotoPass pics for each day that you get MaxPass!! I LOVE the pics that Disney photographers capture and that alone may be worth the price. Check out just a few of the pics I downloaded…

One difference on the pics is that on the in-ride photos you have to be sure to record the number of your picture as you leave the ride and attach it to your account through the app. Simple process but it is a step more than just having it automatically added via your MagicBand at Disney World.

One advantage of MaxPass is that you don’t really have to decide ahead of time. Once you’re at Disneyland, it’s a simple process to purchase MaxPass on your app (be sure you’ve already downloaded the Disneyland app before you get there!).

There are a lot of differences between the Land and the World and on a future post, I’ll go through them. The main difference here is that MaxPass makes Disneyland seem much more spontaneous. Even though you have to spend some time on your phone picking your FastPasses throughout the day, you don’t have to spend any time before your trip deciding what to do. For a planner like me, I thought I would hate that. But it was a nice change to do things on the fly!!

Please give me a call if you’re thinking of heading to any Disney or Universal Destination. I can help you understand what you need to do ahead of time or wait until you are there and can save you stress and headaches!! And best of all, it’s free to book with me!!

** The $10/per person/per day price is considered the “introductory price” of MaxPass. I haven’t heard of a price increase but keep in mind that the price may have changed if you are reading this post at a future time.

Be One of the First to Enjoy Disney World's Toy Story Land!

This Summer, Get Ready to Play Big in a New Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Toy Story Land opens in just 95 days people!!  Want to be one of the first to check it out?  Call me!  I'll get you set up with reservations and tickets.  And if you want to be one of the first to enjoy the new rides in the new land, you'll definitely want a FastPass.  The new attractions will be the most popular at the parks this summer and you don't want to waste your time standing in line! Disney hasn't released information yet on when FastPasses will be available, but based on past new attractions, I'd expect them at the 60-day out mark.  So you've got about 35 days to get booked and then we'll be able to get that FastPass!

Here's a glimpse at all of the fun to be had in the new land...

Attractions:

Slinky Dog Dash - 

Andy’s assembled his Mega Coaster Play Kit—and Slinky Dog is gonna take you on a wild, toy-filled adventure as you stretch Slinky Dog’s coils to the limit across Andy’s backyard! Come along for a roller-coaster-style ride as he bends and twists and stretches his way all throughout this new land.  Make no mistake, it’s one wacky attraction… and fun for the entire family!

Alien Swirling Saucers - 

Blast off on an interstellar romp, set to an out-of-this-world beat!  Inside a play set that Andy won at Pizza Planet, the Aliens have powered up their flying saucers—and they’re ready to spin you on a wild ride into space! Hold on for some wild fun as your toy rocket takes off, all while electronic space music provides an intergalactic soundtrack.  And if you’re really lucky, you might just get “chosen” by the claw. Oooooo!

Toy Story Midway Mania - 

Step inside Andy’s room and wind your way through a toy treasure chest of classic playthings. Pass a Candyland® game box, Viewmaster® discs, crayon drawings and a Scrabble board before picking up a pair of special 3D glasses for the fun to come.  Climb aboard an early 20th-century-inspired Carnival Ride Tram and grab your spring-action shooter. With 3D glasses on, glide into the Toy Story Midway Games Play Set and take aim at stationary and moving 3D objects in a variety of fast-paced games.  This popular ride may not be new but it never gets old!

Food:

Woody's Lunch Box - 

Lasso your hunger with a meal from Woody’s Lunch Box!  During your upcoming Toy Story Land adventures, be sure to drop by this food stop for a toy-riffic meal! Dishing out all sorts of tasty treats for “honorary toys,” Woody’s Lunch Box features classic American fare, old-fashioned soda floats and other Toy Story-themed specialties.

Character Encounters:

Inside this new land, you’ll have the chance to encounter some of your favorite characters from the Disney•Pixar “Toy Story” films, including Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl!  And keep an eye out for the Green Army Men - one of the most fun character encounters out there!

Thinking of going to Disney World later in the summer or even this fall/winter?  Now's the time to firm up your plans so that you can have me get the dining reservations you'd like.  Remember those are available 6 months out.  Contact me today!!!

 

Let Me Explain the Basics of Walt Disney World

I sometimes take for granted that everyone is like me and is Disney obsessed. Truth is I might be a little special in that area. :)
So I want to give a "basics of Disney World” lesson for those of you that haven't been properly sprinkled with enough pixie dust yet.

First - Disney and Universal Studios are not the same. They are, in fact, competitors. Check out my past blog post for details on universal by clicking here. In short, Universal is about a 15 minute drive from Disney. If you love Harry Potter or huge thrill rides, take a day and check it out.  Again, it is NOT a Disney park so don't head that way with your Disney park hopper ticket expecting to get in. 

Speaking of Park Hoppers... 
There are 4 Disney World theme parks:
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios
Animal Kingdom

If you've never been before, you should for sure get the park hopper ticket. It's an added benefit (with an added cost) that allows you to go to any park - or every park - on each day that your ticket is valid. If you don't do the park hopper, you can only go to one park per day - although you can exit and enter that park as many times as you want that day for naps or breaks. 
Everyone seems to have their favorite park (mine is Magic kingdom!).  And the best part of the park hopper is that we can go to each park in the morning and stay until we've done all we want.  Then if we decide to go to a different park for dinner or fireworks (or just hit the Magic Kingdom each night for Dole Whip), we are free to do so. Especially in the winter months, the parks have earlier closing times but there's usually at least one open late. I like knowing I'm squeezing every single moment out of my trip by staying late each night!

The four parks each have a general theme.  Magic Kingdom is what most people think of when they envision Disney World.  Cinderella’s castle is the focal point and the park is geared towards fantasy and adventure.
Epcot is the one with the “giant silver golf ball” which is actually called Spaceship Earth.  Half of Epcot is Future World and the other half is the World Showcase which has many different countries represented.
Hollywood Studios is where some people get confused.  I guess with Studios in the name, this is the one confused with Universal.  It focuses on movies and glamour.  It will be the site of the new Star Wars land and Toy Story land once completed.
Animal Kingdom is pretty easy to figure out - focus is on animals and the environment.  The newest land of Pandora is opening THIS WEEK!

One more thing that tends to overwhelm first time visitors is the FastPass situation.  In short, everyone that has a ticket to Disney World is allowed 3 FastPasses.  Those allow you to basically skip the standard line and go ahead of everyone in the FastPass line.  You are able to choose an hour window in which to use your pass.  Once your FastPasses have been used, you’re able to get another one (based on availability) and you can continue to do that for the rest of the day.

One reason to stay on site at a Walt Disney World Resort is that you can request FastPasses 60 days in advance.  If you don’t stay on site, you can request them 30 days in advance.  Some of the more popular ones may be gone by that 30 day mark.  If you book with me, one of the services I provide is to get up at 6am and get those FastPasses for you the moment they are available!

Disney-Fast-Pass.jpg

Dining is another area that trips some people up.  Disney offers several different dining plans.  I won’t go into details here since if you’re not interested you will surely doze off, but PLEASE let me know if you want more info.  I have tons of it to tell you!!  One thing to know, though - you can make dining reservations 180 days in advance.  That’s 6 months people!!  So if you want to eat at Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, don’t wait to book until the month of travel.  It still might be possible but will be easy to get for sure at 6 months out.

I know that’s a lot of info in a short space so if you have questions, please give me a shout.  Most of you know that I can talk Disney all day, every day, and I love it.

An update to this post!! You’ve probably heard, but all of the lands I mentioned previously in this post are now open! Pandora is amazing, Toy Story Land is so fun and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is truly out of this world.