*No longer relevant* (Maxpass/Fastpass: an overview and some strategy)

So we are flying into la and are expected to land at 12:20, I figure we may be in the parks by 2 or 3? (Earlier if we can). If we get in at that time is max pass still worth it for the day? We have another 3 days after this arrival day.

I was just coming here to ask the same exact question. We are arriving earlier than you but if we got there (DCA) around noon on a Tues. next month I didn't know if it would be worth it either. I would like to have everything purchased (maxpass) ahead of time to make it easier on me.
 
So we are flying into la and are expected to land at 12:20, I figure we may be in the parks by 2 or 3? (Earlier if we can). If we get in at that time is max pass still worth it for the day? We have another 3 days after this arrival day.
Sounds very similar to our situation 2 weeks ago. The other advantage of getting MP on that 1st day is you have a chance to learn how the system works before you hit a busy day, there is a learning curve if you've never used it before.

I was just coming here to ask the same exact question. We are arriving earlier than you but if we got there (DCA) around noon on a Tues. next month I didn't know if it would be worth it either. I would like to have everything purchased (maxpass) ahead of time to make it easier on me.
Same here, and honestly depending on your party size I'd say just do it, for the ease of the system I wish they would just include it.
 
Probably depends on what day you are visiting. For example this past Mon at DL I continued to book Fps up until 8p for a party of 4 for Star Tours, Hyperspace MTN, Small World, BTMRR, HM. Lines were long enough that it made it worth it for us so we didn't miss Fireworks.
 
The plus to having a few people manage your MaxPass is the app will suck your battery dry, so you want to have a back up person.
Makes sense. I use a fuel rod @ WDW, did read that there should be kiosks in DL too. So handy to swap them out that way.
The other thing to know/learn is once you pull up the first fast pass and you insert your phone in the reader, you can leave it in the reader and just swipe. Each new barcode will be read and chime, so you don't need to pull out the phone and swipe and reinsert. This will save you some time and hassle.
Ok, makes sense. I’m assuming ‘the reader’ is positioned at each ride with FP, clearly marked.
And if you only want ride photos and PP, buy MP for only one in your group (yourself?) just for that perk.
I’m finding myself more clueless than I Realized. So much has changed since last visit a few years ago.

RE: PP, never used it on past trips there.

Do we need to have photographer swipe our pass/app?

Are there ride photos? Do they automatically load onto the app?
 


Are there ride photos? Do they automatically load onto the app?
DL/DCA do not have guest-tracking via Magic Bands ... so ride photos do NOT automatically load into the app. Instead you have to capture the photo # and enter it manually. So, we are back, once again, to taking photos of a photo after the ride!
 
...

RE: PP, never used it on past trips there.

Do we need to have photographer swipe our pass/app?

Are there ride photos? Do they automatically load onto the app?
PP CMs are very friendly and helpful. You have options: they can give you a PP card which you can use for all your photos. The CM will scan the code on the card before taking your photos. Some people take a photo of this card, use it as their lock screen, and show that to the CM every time -- this can be easier than hunting for the card every time. If you have the app downloaded and have purchased MP, tell the PP CM upfront -- the CM can show you the QR code in your app which will be scanned for photos. Both the cards and the code work -- and you can load the card numbers into your PP account if you have members of your group who got photos on their own. As the pp said, ride photos do not load automatically. You will take a photo of your photo with the number, then enter the number into your PP account later. A CM can show you how to do this.
 
Ok, thanks all, good to know there are various options with the PP.

Not to whine but it’s such a disconnect from what comes as 2nd nature @ WDW. I’m sure you guys feel exactly the same when heading East lol
 


Would it be worth it to buy max pass if I'm not planning on buying a US sim card and will be reliant on Disney's park wifi?
 
Would it be worth it to buy max pass if I'm not planning on buying a US sim card and will be reliant on Disney's park wifi?
The WiFi inthe parks really isn’t good!
Last year I thought it can’t be „that bad“... but it is indeed pretty lousy...
It is really hit or miss and you would need to be close to the WiFi locations so it would save you some but not all walking for new FPs. Some DIS users reported that it worked for them when I asked last year in preparation of my trip. I tried it out a couple of times when I was there but it was pretty annoying honestly and not worth my sanity. I turned my phone’s WiFi off after only a couple minutes because it wasn’t working properly...

I „splurged“ for a US SIM card just for maxpass actually... bought it on my local amazon website for (I think) about 19€ (4gb Data) a couple of weeks before my trip...( I‘ll do it for our next trip as well)
 
Would it be worth it to buy max pass if I'm not planning on buying a US sim card and will be reliant on Disney's park wifi?
Depends - even without data or wifi access, you can still use the FP kiosks using the same rules for MaxPass if you've purchased. That is, your eligibility for a new FP will be 90 minutes max, rather than 2 hours. So you can book FPs by phone when you have access, but you still have the increased FP eligibility. That can be pretty big on really busy days.
 
Been through all 20 pages and haven't found anything that answered this specific question lol, so here goes. I'm sure this is possible but just needed to clarify.

Assuming the FP return windows and wait times work out this way (I realise it may be difficult to get it to work out like this), could you spend a morning at DL, stacking some FPs for the evening (for popular attractions probably, if the return times are such that they start getting into the evening), hop to CA, get some FPs for use in the afternoon there, then go back to DL to use the FPs you've stacked for the evening?
 
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Been through all 20 pages and haven't found anything that answered this specific question lol, so here goes. I'm sure this is possible but just needed to clarify.

Assuming the FP return windows and wait times work out this way (I realise it may be difficult to get it to work out like this), could you spend a morning at DL, stacking some FPs for the evening (for popular attractions probably, if the return times are such that they start getting into the evening), hop to CA, get some FPs for use in the afternoon there, then go back to DL to use the FPs you've stacked for the evening?
I’m guessing you’re talking about physically pulling FPs, not using Maxpass? If so, yes, you can do that - but as you noted, you’re unlikely to have many DL rides hit evening return times in the morning (unless it’s really crowded). Note that you can also send a “runner” from one park to the other with all of your tickets to grab FPs from a park you’re not in. Once you’re in either park, your tickets will work at all the FP machines. So if riding Big Thunder at night is important to you, and you’re over at DCA and see that the return times have hit nighttime, someone could walk over and grab those FPs for your whole group.

If you are talking Maxpass, you can book FPs for either park once you’ve scanned into either park for the day. So you could do what you’ve said, but more likely (what I usually do) is start in DL, make afternoon FPs for DCA, head over there and use them, making evening DL FPs while in DCA...
 
I’m guessing you’re talking about physically pulling FPs, not using Maxpass?

Thank you for the reply, this answers my question perfectly! I was thinking about Maxpass actually as there's a group of one! But I see that it all works the same way anyway.
 

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