Idyllmouse, you should have a fabulous stay at the GC. It has its own entrance into DCA so you can hit
DL early in the morning pick up some fastpasses and then cross over into DCA pick up some fastpasses and head into your hotel for a break. As far as fastpasses go, please take note that attractions that have FPs at
WDW may not have them here. No FP for Peter Pan or Toy Story Mania for example. Also know that the Roger Rabbit Ride in Toontown(
DL) is not connected to the rest of the fast pass system in that park. You can pull a fast pass for another ride and immediately pull one for this ride too. Same thing with Grizzy River Run in DCA- not connected with the rest of the system. Your original post asked about RideMax. I have heard good things about that program for
DL/DCA. I don't think that you need to buy it to have a sucessful trip, but it also isn't very expensive. Most posters seem pretty happy with it. If you want the 30 day moneyback guarantee to mean anything though, you need to wait and purchase it so that the 30 days expires after you return from your trip. Another suggestion for research is to get an Unofficial Guide from your library. While his touring plans are pretty commando (especially if you have a six year old in tow) he gives great information about the loading speed of the various rides. The rides with limited capacity and slow loading speeds develop long agonizing lines(e.g. Dumbo, Nemo Submarines). So while PotC is an extremely popular ride with many age groups, it is a fast loader with a large capacity and can handle a crowd much better than Dumbo which has limited appeal. As there are several rides in
DL (especially Fantasyland) that are not in
WDW, it might help you make better decisions as to which ride to do first. If you love the planning aspect of your Disney trips and can't find anough things to plan for your trip to
DL/DCA remember that
DL is a park with a long history and that Walt has his fingerprints all over this park. Research some of the history of the park, you will enjoy your trip there all the more.