Disneyland MaxPass, FastPass and More

There are a lot of “buzz words” thrown around when discussing Disneyland travel tips. While it’s great to hear about FastPass, MaxPass, PhotoPass, Park Hoppers or Magic Morning, what do these things actually mean?

With some help from my friends at Get Away Today, I’ll explain the difference between FastPass, MaxPass and PhotoPass. I’ll also provide tips on how to use these passes to maximize your Disneyland vacation.

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FastPass at Disneyland and California Adventure

FastPass is a completely free, optional Disneyland Resort service. With FastPass, you are able to request ride return times. That means you won’t have to wait in the regular line to ride. Instead, your FastPass tells you when to return to the ride or attraction so you can enter a separate line with a shorter wait.

Make your FastPass requests in person at kiosks located near the ride or attraction for which it’s eligible. There will be a return time posted at the kiosk, and if that works for you, simply insert your theme park ticket. A physical FastPass reminder will then be printed for you.

FastPass is available in both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park. It’s a great way to experience more rides, attractions and shows than you would without FastPass access. Here’s a look at what’s available for FastPass requests:

Disneyland Park

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
• Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters
• Fantasmic!
• Haunted Mansion/Haunted Mansion Holiday
• Indiana Jones™ Adventure
• “it’s a small world”/“it’s a small world” Holiday
• Matterhorn Bobsleds
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain
• Star Tours – The Adventures Continue

Disney California Adventure Park

• Goofy’s Sky School
• Grizzly River Run
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!/Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark
• Incredicoaster
• Radiator Springs Racers
• Soarin’ Around the World
• Toy Story Midway Mania!
• World of Color

FastPass requests are on a first-come, first served basis, so they can be used up by guests at any time during the day. You can only have one active FastPass request at a time.

Your Guide to MaxPass at Disneyland

MaxPass is an optional Disneyland Resort service that allows you to make electronic FastPass requests from your mobile device. MaxPass costs $15 per person per day. But it also includes unlimited PhotoPass downloads.

With MaxPass, you link as many members of your party as you’d like (up to ten) in the Disneyland app. Then one person can make requests for FastPass access to select rides, attractions or shows for the whole group.

Just like with regular FastPass, you can only have one request at a time, but you can conveniently makes those requests from anywhere inside Disneyland Park or Disney California Adventure Park. This means you can be enjoying a meal in Disneyland Park while utilizing MaxPass to request a FastPass for Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure Park.

When you’ve made your MaxPass selections, you’ll return to a ride or attraction at the designated time and insert your electronic device or physical theme park ticket into the FastPass scanner. You’ll flip through each barcode assigned to each member in your MaxPass party and will then enter the FastPass line to enjoy a shorter wait. If everyone in your party was responsible for purchasing their own MaxPax and linking it to their Disney account, each guest can scan their own mobile device or theme park ticket.

Get Away Today offers discount Disneyland tickets with or without Disney MaxPass. So for $15 per person per ticket, you can get a head start on linking your MaxPass party members with your Disney account. This can save you some time when you enter the Parks, so you can begin electronically requesting FastPass right away.

MaxPass Also Has Unlimited PhotoPass Downloads

The PhotoPass is a big bonus of purchasing MaxPass! Plus, only one member of your travel party needs to purchase MaxPass for you to access PhotoPass downloads. Of course, everyone needs to have MaxPass if you’d all like to take advantage of electronic FastPass selections and ride together.

If you’re just interested in spending a day taking advantage of professional PhotoPass photographers throughout both Parks, you only need one MaxPass account.

Use the Disneyland app to locate PhotoPass photographers to capture memories and download them to your Disney account. Several rides are linked to PhotoPass, too, so you can freeze those iconic moments! Here’s a look at what’s currently available:

Disneyland Park

• Space Mountain
• Splash Mountain

Disney California Adventure Park

• Radiator Springs Racers
• Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
• Incredicoaster

Money-saving Tips for Booking a Disneyland Vacation

With five kids and two adults, a family vacation to The Happiest Place on Earth can get expensive. Read my tips on ways to make a family vacation to Disneyland more affordable.

If you’re thinking about booking a Disneyland vacation, check out Disneyland packages at getawaytoday.com or call 855-GET-AWAY. Their travel experts will make sure you get the best price and best service, guaranteed. Plus, with a flexible Layaway Plan option, a vacation to The Happiest Place on Earth is more affordable than ever before.

Save $10 on any Southern California vacation package at Get Away Today when you use my exclusive coupon code: Carltonaut10.

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