RideMax - What it is and why I love it.

Little Susie absolutely must ride Dumbo and it's a small world. Johnny must ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. Dad wants to see if Space Mountain was as fun as it was when he was a kid. Mom, who still feels a little guilty for taking the kids out of school, wants to make sure the Hall of Presidents is on the list. And did I mention that they must get to lunch at the Crystal Palace at 11:50, they all want to watch the parade, and they must head back to the resort by 3:45 for a little rest before dinner?

Sound familiar? Then it is time to call RideMax to the rescue!

What is RideMax?

RideMax is a downloadable internet software program that will create detailed custom itineraries based on user input. RideMax claims to save its users a lot of time by moving people through the more crowded attractions at off peak times as well as managing FastPass distributions. Based on my experience, I agree! RideMax programmers have studied the crowd calendars, wait times and touring patterns of the parks for many years and have come up with some fancy algorithms that will optimize your daily agenda - what ever it is. You simply input your wish list for the day and let RideMax do the rest. Once RideMax runs its calculations you will be presented with a minute by minute agenda that you can print out and tuck in your pocket.

Why I love RideMax

• I never over promise and under deliver. With kids, that is hands down the biggest benefit. RideMax will give you a very clear picture of what is feasible to do based on the day that you are trying to do it. This is also what makes RideMax invaluable for park novices.
• It ends the "What do you want to do next?"... "I don't know, what do YOU want to do next?" conversation for Mom and Dad while each child is lobbying for their own agenda. You already know what is next - it is right there on your list!
• You can accurately answer little Johnny's question, "When are we going to ride Splash Mountain?" (11:17, and then we will dry off and head to lunch!)
• You know how long of a wait you can expect on a particular attraction. Ideally, this wait will be much shorter than if you did not use RideMax, but it is helpful to know in advance if you should plan on giving little Susie some Cheerios to munch on while you wait.
• You can make sure that everyone's must do's are on the list, present and accounted for.

Cool RideMax Features

• FastPass Management - Will you send a runner to get your FastPasses? Are you OK with riding outside of the posted return time? (Disney does allow this, but does not post this information) When should you get your next FastPass? RideMax considers all of these variables when creating your plan.
• Touring Speed - Are you a family of speed walkers or does the stroller slow you down? Either way, RideMax has you covered.
• Includes Parades and Show times
• Customize your arrival and departure time as well as build in meal and rest breaks.
• What if scenarios - You can run multiple itineraries per day and choose which one suites your family best.

Tips and Tricks

• If there is an attraction you want to ride first and RideMax has it listed later in the day, simply do what you want to do first and begin have RideMax schedule itinerary for the rest of the day starting at attraction. (Otherwise your walking time will be calculated from the entrance.
• Get the best of both worlds. Use Ride Max to plan your morning and afternoon itinerary as this is when you will see the biggest benefit. Leave your evenings more open to wander and explore. Don't go "Commando Disney" the entire day or you will be exhausted, you will miss a lot of really cool stuff, and your family will hate you.
• If your plan is working - stick with it! The first morning we used the plan, my husband wanted to veer from the schedule. "Why don't we just do this now? I mean we are right here!" If we had done that minor attraction right then instead of later in the day we would have spent much more time in line overall, as the crowds tend to pick up as the day moves on. Trust them...they know what they are doing!

Thus ends my RideMax testimonial...and I did not even get paid by them - not even in a free month of software. If you want to check it out further go to RideMax. A 90 day subscription to the Disney World program costs only $18.95. With all that you have already planned to spend on hotel, ticket, and food you might as well spend an extra $20 to make sure you can enjoy it to its fullest!
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