Trying to decide if you want to get the MaxPass for your upcoming Disneyland Vacation?
If you’re headed to Disneyland, you want to make sure that you are well informed on the FastPass system! The FastPass is offered for free to all guests with a park entry ticket, but in addition to the free FastPass, Disney now offers the MaxPass for guess to add on to their park tickets for a fee.
Taking a trip to Disneyland is a big deal for most families and you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck by experiencing as many rides and attractions as you can. The FastPass certainly helps you to do that, but I’ll show you how adding the MaxPass can be worth the extra cost!
First, let’s go over what the FastPass system is because, if you purchase the MaxPass, it will build upon the FastPass system. On my last visit to the parks, I noticed that there weren’t any signs with the FastPass information up, like there was on previous visits. This can be a double-edged sword, on one hand, it can mean fewer people using the system, so there are more time slots available for those that are FastPass pros; but on the other hand, it’s sad for guests to miss out on such a great perk, simply because they weren’t aware that they had it. Well, that won’t be you!
INCREDICOASTER AT PIXAR PIER (ANAHEIM, Calif.) Photo Cred Disneyland News
The FastPass allows guest to obtain a ticket for select rides and attractions at either Disneyland Park or California Adventure, with the FastPass ticket, guests can bypass the regular line and wait in a much shorter line. For example, instead of physically waiting in line for the Matterhorn, the ticket will give you a return time and you can go explore other parts of the park and then return to the ride at your given time and board in just minutes. (FastPass lines are usually about 20 minutes.) It’s a placeholder!
FastPass works on a same-day schedule. So, if you’re familiar with Disney World’s FastPass+ system, please note that it is very different from Disneyland and you’ll want to familiarize yourself with this one. Disney World allows you to book your passes, via its app, months in advance and they are then linked to your MagicBand.
For the FastPass at Disneyland, you obtain a paper FastPass from the designated kiosks once inside the park. This means that many people feel the need to get to the parks, well before they open, to line up and be the first to get to the FastPass kiosks for the most popular rides. There are a limited amount of FastPass for the day, so if you aren’t quick enough in the morning, you may have return time for much later, say 8 PM.
You are also are limited to one FastPass at a time. Once you get a FastPass ticket for a ride, you will be given a return time window (usually one hour) and a time printed on the bottom indicating when you are eligible to get another FastPass. The window of return time varies but it’s usually about 2 hours from the time you selected it, The wait time for your next FastPass is up to 2 hours from the time you got the previous FastPass or when the “return time” window for the previous FastPass begins.
The FastPass systems for both parks are linked, so the wait time applies even if you use a Park Hopper. Once you return to the ride, you will need your park entry ticket to be admitted in the FastPass line, the paper ticket is just a time reminder and DOES NOT grant you entry to the line. Please remember this if one person in your party typically holds the park tickets. If you used your phone for your tickets, that will be scanned so make sure to have plenty of battery to last for the whole day!
photo cred Disneyland News
Now, the FastPass is an amazing perk that Disney offers for no charge, many theme parks charge a substantial amount for similar systems, but it can be a little time consuming having to physically obtain a FastPass. This is where the MaxPass comes in! For just $15 per person per day, you can add this upgraded version of the FastPass to your park ticket. If you have multi-day tickets, the MaxPass must be added to all days.
The huge difference between the FastPass and MaxPass is that the MaxPass allows you to use the free Disneyland mobile app to select your FastPass without having to physically go to the kiosks! That means as soon as your ticket is scanned at the park entrance, you may begin choosing your first FastPass.
If you are using a Park Hopper, you don’t have to physically be in the park for the ride or attraction you are selecting a FastPass for. You don’t have to spend any time walking to the kiosks and waiting for your turn to pull a ticket. You will have a return window for the ride and be able to spend the time before taking selfies in front of Sleeping Beauty’s castle or grabbing a Mickey pretzel! Once your park entry ticket is scanned for the day, you can make FastPass reservations on the app from anywhere. You don’t have to be in the parks, you can make it from your hotel, a restaurant or Downtown Disney!
The wait time between FastPass selections that we talked about earlier is reduced with the MaxPass. Instead of the full 2-hour wait, the max return time for the rides and attractions is 90 minutes! You can imagine how having the MaxPass on heavy crowd days can be an advantage.
Not having to walk to find FastPass kiosks, wait in line with others to pull a ticket and having a reduced wait time to get on the rides, means that you’ll have more valuable park time to spend in other ways. You can download the Disneyland app to see ride and attraction waits in real time. This will give you an idea on which ones would be worth a use of a FastPass on.
You wouldn’t want to waste a FastPass on It’s a Small World if the regular wait time is only 20 minutes. If you keep track of times and reserve your next FastPass as soon as you are able to, you can potentially get about 5 more FastPass using the MaxPass then you normally would get with the paper tickets! You can choose your next FastPass as soon as your ticket is scanned for a FastPass return line! For many people, this convenience is well worth $15.
In addition to better FastPass selection chances and wait times, the MaxPass also comes with Disney PhotoPass. The PhotoPass is a way to keep all your photos that are taken by a Disney photographer together. This includes pictures that they take of you in popular photo spots, photos were taken of you at character dining meals, and attraction photos captured on select rides.
You will have one week to download the digital photos to keep and share with loved ones. Once the picture is taken, the photographer will scan your park ticket and the photo will be instantly available to view in the Disneyland app if you have it linked to your Disney account.
photo cred Disneyland News
The Photopass also has “Magic Shots”. This allows you to pose for the photo and a Disney Character of your choice will magically be added to the image. We have an adorable shot of my daughter “holding” Tinker Bell in her hand! “Animated Magic Shots” work similarly, a character of your choice “walks” across your image and usually does something funny or cute before walking away.
The rides that participate in PhotoPass are:
Disneyland Park
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
California Adventure
- Radiator Springs
- Incredicoaster
- Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: BREAKOUT!
At the exit of the rides, you can link the 8 character attraction ID number to your Disney account, via the app, to ensure that you get to keep these images. Please ask a cast member if you need help, they’re so friendly and more than willing to lend a hand. You really don’t want to miss out of a picture of your party holding on tight and screaming with delight on these rides!
I am so excited that you can now purchase MaxPasses through Get Away Today when you book your Disneyland Vacation! –>Book HERE<–
MaxPass is available on all of their 2 – 5 day Park Hopper and 1-Park per Day Disneyland tickets, including their Extra Day Free tickets!
While the cost for MaxPass is the same as if you purchase at the park, by ordering them through Get Away Today when you book your vacation through them you have the convenience of having it already tied to your tickets.
Additionally, You will save money on their Disneyland tickets upfront with our discounted rates. –> Book HERE <–
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Note: If MaxPass is added to a ticket, it must be added for each day of the ticket. If you do not want to upgrade all of your park days with the MaxPass, or aren’t sure if they want to add MaxPass yet, it can be added easily once you are at the Disneyland Resort.
If you’ve decided that you want to give the MaxPass a try on your next visit, please be sure to stop back here and let us know your thoughts. We’re always willing to hear tips and helpful hints from our readers’ Disneyland adventures!
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