“Refresh” is my new favorite strategy

[PrincessWithABlaster]

On a side note to this conversation, how is the park wi-fi in regards to refreshing? I have a work phone so my data plan is limited. If i'm planning on using park wi-fi only, will I still have success refreshing? The last time we visited was in 2015 and wi-fi was kind of crappy then...

I mostly used wifi but switched to cellular at times (often the afternoon) when it seemed to get bogged down. I think it's much improved from 2015 but still times that it's better to be on data if you can.

 

[WVFam4Disney]

Thank you for this information. Hoping to use it on our upcoming trip.

 

[mdmama76]

How useful is this strategy to get preferred times for hard-to-get FP's *before* going to the park? For example, let's say I can get SDD at 60+1 but not until 9 pm and I really want earlier in the day. Is it worth spending time trying for two months before the actual park day?

 

[Randomsoulshine]

This definitely has not been our experience. Usually we have our next FP booked in less than the time in takes us to get through the FP line.

Same here. I would have my family walk in front of me in the FP line while I got on the app and just followed their lead through the line. Yes some rides said none available but often I would snag what I wanted, refresh a couple of times and get a time slot very close to the actual time. We never waited in line more than 25 minutes and that was for just a few things. As Fp strategies become more well known I am not sure how easy it will be in the future.

 

[tiffne]

Say I have a FP+ for Soarin from 9-10 and Spaceship Earth from 10-11. Once we check in for Soarin can I try refreshing to modify SE for earlier than 10?

 

[JETSDAD]

Say I have a FP+ for Soarin from 9-10 and Spaceship Earth from 10-11. Once we check in for Soarin can I try refreshing to modify SE for earlier than 10?

Absolutely! At EPCOT we like to be through our first 3 FP's within the first hour of park open so we can get more tier 1 FP's.

 

[shanew21]

The first rule of refresh is you don’t talk about refresh.

The amount of people actually doing it is so minuscule compared to the amount of visitors to the parks that I doubt discussing it here matters.

Just don't tell the public.

 

[tiffne]

Absolutely! At EPCOT we like to be through our first 3 FP's within the first hour of park open so we can get more tier 1 FP's.

Awesome, thanks!

Actually we are post-PPO Breakfast rope-dropping Soarin and then our first FP+ is for Test Track. If TT is down, which I've heard it often is, how does that work with FP? It converts to an anytime FP? Can I then try for another Tier 1 FP?

 

[Roxyfire]

How useful is this strategy to get preferred times for hard-to-get FP's *before* going to the park? For example, let's say I can get SDD at 60+1 but not until 9 pm and I really want earlier in the day. Is it worth spending time trying for two months before the actual park day?

Yes. But random is random. We wanted to do AK on our arrival day but getting FoP is hard on day 60 right? Well, keep in mind it's only for 2 people, but I was able to get it that day just due to refreshing the times here and there. And it didn't take that long. It's like being in the right place at the right time. What's the harm in just checking randomly when you have time. Sitting waiting for a dental appointment or getting your car serviced, just pop the phone out and look for a few minutes. Also keeping an eye out on schedule changes helps too. If they extend hours, look for FP for those additional hours and you'll probably see it.

 

[Roxyfire]

Awesome, thanks!

Actually we are post-PPO Breakfast rope-dropping Soarin and then our first FP+ is for Test Track. If TT is down, which I've heard it often is, how does that work with FP? It converts to an anytime FP? Can I then try for another Tier 1 FP?

It'll convert to a Multiple Experience pass. At that point, if you're done with all three you can book another tier 1. At epcot is where it's most valuable to book your FP as early as possible. This time I had Living with the Land at 9:15. We were sure to tap in with that sucker right after Soarin' even though no one was actually in the line. The employees knew what was up, but they were just happy to see their first riders of the day!

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

The amount of people actually doing it is so minuscule compared to the amount of visitors to the parks that I doubt discussing it here matters.

Just don't tell the public.

True right now. But unlike other strategies, this one is very visible to the casual user. We were at Disney 2016 in May a few weeks after making your 4th FP on your phone went live. Even then (when there wasn't nearly the level of volitility there is now) it was obvious to me by the end of the trip that I could keep checking back and find new FPs. Anytime someone checks and happens to get a good FP that wasn't there when they checked a few minutes ago the lightbulb is likely to go off. Admittedly that's not the same as knowing to keep doing it over and over again or splitting your party but it's not much of a leap.

I fear this is the golden age for FPs and it won't be long before even casual Disney visitors will be refreshing with the best of them. Then either it just won't work as well or Disney will have to make changes. But for now I'm going to enjoy it for all it's worth.

 

[scard192]

It worked great for us in September. Also playing around with the times.

for sure. snagged what was available and then refresh, refresh until I got the times I really wanted. RnR, the 5 of us had individual FP+ that I finally got to overlap.

became a challenge to me to get what I wanted at the time I wanted; persistence pays off. My DD would just shake her head watching me.

 

[StacyStrong]

True right now. But unlike other strategies, this one is very visible to the casual user. We were at Disney 2016 in May a few weeks after making your 4th FP on your phone went live. Even then (when there wasn't nearly the level of volitility there is now) it was obvious to me by the end of the trip that I could keep checking back and find new FPs. Anytime someone checks and happens to get a good FP that wasn't there when they checked a few minutes ago the lightbulb is likely to go off. Admittedly that's not the same as knowing to keep doing it over and over again or splitting your party but it's not much of a leap.

I fear this is the golden age for FPs and it won't be long before even casual Disney visitors will be refreshing with the best of them. Then either it just won't work as well or Disney will have to make changes. But for now I'm going to enjoy it for all it's worth.

I disagree but maybe in naive.

I think that the casual Disney visitor barely knows how FP works to begin with.

I'm probably just overly hopeful.

 

[Randomsoulshine]

Say I have a FP+ for Soarin from 9-10 and Spaceship Earth from 10-11. Once we check in for Soarin can I try refreshing to modify SE for earlier than 10?

Yes you can try. I did try this last week but often for the big rides I couldn't get anything moved up. They day we were there was considered an 8 for crowd levels via Touring Plans.

 

[Randomsoulshine]

True right now. But unlike other strategies, this one is very visible to the casual user. We were at Disney 2016 in May a few weeks after making your 4th FP on your phone went live. Even then (when there wasn't nearly the level of volitility there is now) it was obvious to me by the end of the trip that I could keep checking back and find new FPs. Anytime someone checks and happens to get a good FP that wasn't there when they checked a few minutes ago the lightbulb is likely to go off. Admittedly that's not the same as knowing to keep doing it over and over again or splitting your party but it's not much of a leap.

I fear this is the golden age for FPs and it won't be long before even casual Disney visitors will be refreshing with the best of them. Then either it just won't work as well or Disney will have to make changes. But for now I'm going to enjoy it for all it's worth.

I agree. I believe over time more return visitors will have learned about additional fast passes and refresh etc. with social media and you tube etc it is hard to not know these things. I won't be back for a couple of years and I suspect it will be a whole new ballgame by then.

 

[Klayfish]

I don't know what the future holds, but it works like a charm for now and we're going to use the daylights out of it.

And yes, you can move existing FP+ up...we often go through our first 3 prebooked ones within an hour.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I disagree but maybe in naive.

I think that the casual Disney visitor barely knows how FP works to begin with.

I'm probably just overly hopeful.

You definitely have that subset of people. Maybe they're a large enough group that the system will be able to continue on like this. I would love to trend data for Disney. It would be so interesting to look at these types of things.

 

[Mome Rath]

Anecdotally it is "easier" to move up a FP than to get a whole new FP. So, if you want to ride something specific, snag a time and try to move it up vs. trying to snag that time without the ride already in hand. (To add another anecdote to the count, that was true for Slinky for me.) Also, I've seen some confusion; it is easier to do refresh and find something the day of instead of say, 20 days out. Refresh can still work 20 days out, but it isn't as "quick" as the day of (if it is going to work at all).

 

[KelNChrisKYDis]

I will echo a previous poster's experience that I felt like I spent a good deal of time with my face down in my phone screen, refreshing while we walked etc. We had a party of 6, and it was doubly difficult because I had to get our core party of 4 FP at 60 days, but the other 2 at about 25 days, and ended up having to take other attractions for them, and then try to match up ours after we'd used our first 3, etc. It was a lot to keep up with. When we got to Small World, I actually hadn't clicked on my name so I wasn't on the FP and then it wasn't available. The CM was understanding and did let me through, but she advised me to be more careful in the future about making sure my entire party was selected. I doubt a headline attraction would've been so easy.
I agree also that you should not let this replace your other opportunities to ride the headliners... rope drop, EMH, FP at 60 days, etc. On our recent trip we employed all of these tactics and rode every ride multiple times. The only ride we never got a FP for was Na'vi River Journey. But my husband and son got in line for FOP at 10:40 on an 11:00 park close night, and my daughter and I rode Na'vi 4x's straight through, they just let us stay on. It worked out as there was absolutely no line. (FOP still took an hour plus.)

 

[Stasieki]

This strategy worked good during Presidents Day weekend, except for FOP on the Tuesday after Presidents day. I literally refreshed the entire day (all at least 15 min straight before breaking) and could not get two FOP. I started searching 1 and couldn't get either.