3/22/14

Ode to Disneyland RideMax

Everybody knows Disneyland is the most crowded place on earth and that it’s a huge waste of money because you stand in lines all day and ride like three rides.

Well, not anymore!

(This is going to sound like a PSA and it is.  RideMax should hire me and all of my sisters.  We are in love with RideMax.)

Go to RideMax

Apparently some company has calculated algorithms to figure out when the lines for each ride are the shortest on which days.  It costs $15 to join the website (or just use mine, email me for code) and then you pre-plan you day by selecting the rides you want to go on, what time you’re willing to arrive, when and where you want to eat, and if you need to take any nap breaks.  And then it generates a schedule for you including the wait times for each ride.

Using RideMax on a pretty standardly crowded day we were able to ride 18 rides and do a total of 31 activities.  That is miraculous.

Here is our RideMax schedule:

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We had to arrive at 7:50am (I barfed on the way), and then we ran to the Peter Pan ride.  It was so much fun blitzing past everybody in a stampede with Silas crying behind.  It’s a total blast.  If you hit Peter Pan at exactly 8:05, as you get off you will see the line filling up as those poor schmucks line up for their day of lines.  Look at the rest of the schedule. Dumbo!  Even the wait times on there were longer than we waited, we just walked right on most rides.  Here’s proof:

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Peter Pan.  (why are these pictures blurry?  they weren’t on my phone!)

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Dumbo

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Snow White.  What’s missing from Snow White?  All the other people.  We didn’t even have time in line to get adequately scared by the line décor.  We went on most of the Fantasyland rides twice, because we could.

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This is what Toontown looks like WITH NO PEOPLE.

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We needed another adult to get Silas and Jude on the Gadget Go-coaster at the same time, so I asked an unsuspecting stranger.  Silas grabbed her hand and off they went.

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How long did you wait to meet Mickey so that your kid could cry just when you got there?  Yeah, we didn’t wait at all.  In fact, Mickey invited US in.

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You may not recognize Pirates of the Caribbean because it’s empty. 

After a few hours of riding everything to our heart’s content Disneyland started to get legitly crowded.  At this time RideMax doesn’t bother sending you to wait in a 40 minute line, rather it suggests that you just chill for a while.  We used this time to have an early lunch and go to the Tangled Show (where we sat in the first row, of course). 

My sister Val showed up around this time and took the kids for more Toontown while I did my own activity:

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Pulling a Jim in Toontown.

Later in the afternoon RideMax tells you to use the Fastpasses that you sent a runner for earlier that morning.  This got us on Star Tours, no problem (Space Mtn was closed).

Itinerary:

Peter Pan, Dumbo, Storybook boats, Mr. Toad’s, Pinocchio, Snow White, Casey Jr Train, Toontown roller coaster twice, Chip and Dale treehouse, Mickey house, Minnie house, Toontown spin cars, Pirates, ate beignets in New Orleans, Tarzan treehouse, Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, Lunch at the plaza inn, walked down Main Street, listened to Dapper Dan’s Barbershop Quartet, took the horse drawn carriage, Saw Tangled show, More toontown, napped, Roger Rabbit ride again, Jungle Cruise, Tiki Room, Star Tours, Teacups, Dinner in the Pinocchio attached restaurant through which ELSA AND ANNA walked, Parade front row.

That’s 31 things.

At 6:30 RideMax tells you exactly where to sit for the parade so that you have the best view with shade AND seating.  (It’s by the bathrooms behind Alice in Wonderland, next to the Matterhorn.)

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Waiting for the parade with Auntie Photobomber

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And this is pretty much how Disneyland was for us:  outrageously joyful.

Thanks to Celia for teaching us about RideMax.  Thanks to Val for meeting us there at just the right time.  It was the best Disney day I’ve ever had.  The weather was perfect (you could wear a light jacket and not die from heat) and my kids were the perfect age (nobody asked to be carried even once). The only things missing were Hush and our cousins. 

13 comments:

Mimi said...

This makes me want to go to Disneyland, like right now! I applaud you for going during pregnancy sickness. I had the chance about seven months ago and passed it up for a long nap and a nearby toilet. Thanks for the tips!

Rebekah Cummings said...

I had sworn off Disneyland due to the absurd lines. No way is Dumbo or It's a Small World worth a two hour wait. This gives me hope. Thank you for the PSA!

Jennie said...

Love it. We tried it once but it was in January and the park wasn't very busy. If we go back, and don't have Jackson's disability pass, we'll for sure try it. Thanks for the tip.

Circe said...

That sounds totally worth it! We're going to have to suck it up and pay the 1.5 million dollars it takes to get in when you have 7 kids, and just go. The poor littles don't know what they're missing!

Celia Fae said...

GIANT SHOUT OUT. seriously they should hire us. Glad I already have my trip planned. Going ultimate. Disneyland, then adventure, then disney in one day. I might barf and I'm not even pregnant ever again.

Anonymous said...

oh my gerrrrd! this Disney blog is amazing!! I would love to know how to work this ridemax that you are talking about!

email me!
erikav08@yahoo.com

Shanelle said...

This sounds awesome! I am going to Disneyland for my honeymoon in November and would love to use this!!!!! Email me shiura@hawaii.edu

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the information. I would really appreciate if you could email the information on the code as we going on Friday for 3 days with 3 kids and it seems a bit daunting to me: genmailer-info@yahoo.com. Thanks!

NBliss said...

I'm going to Disneyland next week! I would love a code to Ridemax if you're still offering it. Your blog made me decide to give it a shot, thanks for the great write up!

Bornxero said...

Would love to check out this software if you still subscribe...heading there in June with party of 4
bornxero@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

I'm going in a couple of days, if the offer still stands, please email me at nathanobrien0802@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

hi there! We will go to Disneyland next July, since it will be a very crowded day (3 days after 4th of July) would you mind to share the code into my email: natasha_ws@ymail.com if you still have that code? Thanks heaps! :)

SimplyVickyStyle said...

Hi Lenore! Thanks for an awesome read about your Disneyland experience with RideMax. I'm really interested in trying that app out, because I'm going to Disneyland and DCA in early June. Let me know if your offer to use your code is still on the table. My e-mail is vickyyoo111@gmail.com! Thanks :)