“Refresh” is my new favorite strategy

[paradesintherain]

Mophie is my favorite, but now that I have Away luggage the power source with it is amazing

 

[LiveToTravelNicely]

Refreshing works amazingly well. I have been doing it for a year or so and you can pretty much get anything (except FOP). It may seem like a pain, but really it only takes 5 mins of constant effort to get nearly any FP on demand (usually for a near immediate time too).

Sometimes I do not even pre book 3 FPs because it’s more efficient to book one and then just grab them one after another.

This isn’t my video and I have posted this elsewhere, but this is a good overview for people who don’t already do this:

This is a great idea especially at Epcot. Can book one tier 1 and maybe one tier 2, then book my next FP at another park, etc etc. And everyone go subscribe to "the wdw couple" on youtube! They are my new favorite Disney vloggers. Seem like genuinely nice people, as are most WDW fanatics! (I don't know them, but I hope to run into them in September to say hello!) Anyone know if they are on the DIS?

You'd be very surprised at how little the average Disney World guest knows about Fastpasses. I helped a family plan a Disneyland trip and emphasized probably 10 different times the value of Fastpasses. I checked in with them after day 2 and they hadn't even made a single one.

So true. I helped a family, coached them on FP and the idea of having a "first hour" plan of one or two things they were going to do at a minimum. They were from the start reluctant to have "the entire day scheduled," so my idea was okay we'll go with that, but have a plan for arrival....arrive at MK, head straight to Peter Pan, etc etc. And of course use the FP+ system. They didn't do either, and complained to me about how they didn't know why I liked WDW so much with all of hte people and waiting. blah blah blah. btw they went in September last year the week of the hurricane. lol Good luck finding less people!

This refresh strategy is fascinating!

Yes! One could say the refreshing strategy is so refreshing!

I've found the best options pop up the night before, usually right around park close or later. My guess is that people are looking over their plans for the next day and tweaking them.

But I won't lie - it is tedious, may take a bit of time, and does disengage you from the people you're with. Sometimes it's worth it (esp if it's just me and DH) but other times, I am enjoying Disney with people I love and am fine waiting ~20-30 minutes in standby and be present instead.

(I also hope this doesn't become public knowledge LOL)

Good points! And thanks for the night before tip.

I offered to do that for family who thought buying tickets when they got there was a good idea. I said I'd keep lining them up with FP's all day. They declined.

Why make things easier? We'll "wing it."

Here they are again. My favorite vloggers at WDW. the WDW couple on youtube

So is this method mostly useful while in park that same day? Not 15 plus days out etc

Exactly!

 

[HookPan]

If I control everyone on my MDE account and we are traveling with 6 people can I somehow give my husband control too so he can be refreshing and modifying at the same time for everyone?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

If I control everyone on my MDE account and we are traveling with 6 people can I somehow give my husband control too so he can be refreshing and modifying at the same time for everyone?

Just give him the password to your MDE account. You can both be signed in.

I feel like I should have some snarky comment about trust or true love but nothing's coming.

 

[LandonDunes]

Sorry everyone. I read through the first page or two but had a quick question. I tried to do a trial run this morning on the “refresh” strategy. My question is;

Is there a way to stay on one ride and keep refreshing for the times? Or, do you just have to keep refreshing the times and just scroll down to find the ride you want?

Assuming refresh means, just continuing to go back and forth between times. Thanks!!!

 

[paradesintherain]

Sorry everyone. I read through the first page or two but had a quick question. I tried to do a trial run this morning on the “refresh” strategy. My question is;

Is there a way to stay on one ride and keep refreshing for the times? Or, do you just have to keep refreshing the times and just scroll down to find the ride you want?

Assuming refresh means, just continuing to go back and forth between times. Thanks!!!

Select a FP for that ride, even if it’s not the time you want, then modify

 

[Nathan C]

Refresh is the strangest thing. I could get FPs for rides like TSM and RRC with ease but on my trip in February, I was refreshing all day long for a KS FP and didn’t ever get one.

 

[LandonDunes]

Select a FP for that ride, even if it’s not the time you want, then modify

Ok but how do you modify?

Edit: oh. Do you actually book the fast pass and then modify? I wasn’t confirming the actual fast pass.

 

[LSUmiss]

Refreshing is the only way to go! When I was in AK last year I got to ride FOP three times before 1pm with the FPs I got

Until everyone knows how to do it!

 

[paradesintherain]

Ok but how do you modify?

Edit: oh. Do you actually book the fast pass and then modify? I wasn’t confirming the actual fast pass.

Yes actually book it and then modify that reservation!

 

[LandonDunes]

Yes actually book it and then modify that reservation!

Thank you. Sorry for the multiple questions.

 

[LSUmiss]

There are just so many people that aren't technologically saavy or are used to the "old way". Then there are people who think it's an upcharge or that 3 is all you can get.

We have to remember that most visitors don't stalk boards like this the same way we do.

I also think it depends on when you go. I’ve been at crowded times like NYE & still had no problems refreshing except on actual NYE. However, during Mardi Gras week this yr, I had no luck. But I knew tons of families were also there who go once a yr or more & know most of the strategies. My theory is some crowds are more tech saavy are in the know about strategies than others. I think as more ppl catch on this will no longer work that well.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Kenny the Pirate has included steps for this strategy with his Character Locator subscription. Yes, people are most definitely catching on.

 

[LSUmiss]

Think of it this way. How many people do you see in the parks just staring at a park map with an utterly confused look on their faces? Sometimes I'll see them in a queue and you can hear them talking, they don't even know what the ride is. You can bet they likely don't know much, if anything, about FP+. Or what about people who just walk up to the FP+ tap point and try to walk through only to have to have the CM explain to them what FP+ is...I think some of those people are just pretending and hoping CMs let them in, but many seem to truly not understand. I do think that right now, this is still a bit of a "secret". But I do have concerns that word will spread and/or WDW will notice more people doing it and change the system.

However, that's out of my control and it'll be what it'll be. In the meantime, I'm hitting RnR next week at least 6 or 7 times!!!!! I honestly don't think I've ever done the standby line for that ride...

I once heard a family discussing not going on Tom Sawyer island b/c it was a rapid river type ride & you get “soaked”. Then they asked me how much I paid for FP.

 

[cindyfan]

Yes it works well but it also takes way to much time. There were times I would be staring at my phone the whole time, while walking, while waiting. It took away from my experience staring at that screen hoping to get something.. I did that 60 days before fast pass. I am not going to do it again when I get to the park.

In the end I need it to be a vacation also and not a equation I need to solve and stare at for long periods of time

Totally agree with you! Staring at the phone is a waste and you are missing the experience!
However..... if you are in a situation that someone in your party only wants to do that one particular attraction for a second time... it's worth it.
Or.... if you are just waiting for the rest of your party to finish up in the restroom.... or waiting for them to get their snacks, etc.
It's a good strategy to be familiar with for those occasions!

 

[Klayfish]

I'm here now so I'll be able to report back on how it works. We've only had 3 park days so far, and have had mixed results. First night was MK, and we had some success, but didn't try for too much. Second was AK, and we got what we wanted (except for FoP of course). Last night was HS and that was not very successful...but we weren't expecting it to be. TSMM is closed right now, and when we got there ToT was down for a solid hour. Therefore, there weren't a lot of options...I tried and tried for an extra RnR and didn't get one. But not surprising. I didn't start trying until we tapped into our final pre-planned FP+, which was at 7:05pm. So we had a very narrow window and there were limited rides.

A few minutes ago, I was trying to "move" a FP+ for a party of 3 (our kids) for Space Mountain. They had it for 4:40pm and I was trying for 7:30pm, because we have a date night tonight . I got it to 8:30pm, but that's as close as I've come so far.

We'll see what the rest of the trip brings...

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I'm here now so I'll be able to report back on how it works. We've only had 3 park days so far, and have had mixed results. First night was MK, and we had some success, but didn't try for too much. Second was AK, and we got what we wanted (except for FoP of course). Last night was HS and that was not very successful...but we weren't expecting it to be. TSMM is closed right now, and when we got there ToT was down for a solid hour. Therefore, there weren't a lot of options...I tried and tried for an extra RnR and didn't get one. But not surprising. I didn't start trying until we tapped into our final pre-planned FP+, which was at 7:05pm. So we had a very narrow window and there were limited rides.

A few minutes ago, I was trying to "move" a FP+ for a party of 3 (our kids) for Space Mountain. They had it for 4:40pm and I was trying for 7:30pm, because we have a date night tonight . I got it to 8:30pm, but that's as close as I've come so far.

We'll see what the rest of the trip brings...

Interesting. Haven't you had it work very well for to in busy times before? It does get to be narrow at night but I also feel like a lot of people will get tired and cancel their last FPs when they leave the park. I've had some good luck then. But maybe DHS just had too little too FP options at all right now and over half of them (the shows) end at 6 pm so maybe that would be as expected.

Glad you're enjoying your trip.

 

[Klayfish]

Yes, we have had tons of success, even during Xmas to New Years. Like I said, we've only been here a few days. We've definitely had success, it's working fine. Just not quite as easy as it was last summer. Last night was definitely trying for a needle in a haystack...we were shooting for a tight window in a park that had very limited rides open, so we weren't surprised. On a related note, right now HS is a bit of a mess. Walkways closed everywhere, you have to follow zig zag paths to get around. It's strange...

As an update, I was just able to move the Space Mountain FP+ to the exact time I wanted. Didn't take too long...I was refreshing while I was on a phone call.

 

[anomamatt]

I’ve been at crowded times like NYE & still had no problems refreshing except on actual NYE.

Agreed. We did it over Xmas/NYE last year and it worked perfectly. The only hitch that we have encountered is that on VERY busy days (10/10 crowds), sometimes the FP+ distribution ends (park-wide) earlier than I would have wanted. Sometimes by 7-8pm, all FP+ are gone for the day, even with 11pm closure. But up until that point, it worked like a charm.

 

[123SA]

From experience, I know that my daughter and I cannot both be in my MDE account at the same time. It kicks once of us out. So I need a different account for her to check from and that's where I get lost.

I have an account with me DH and kids. It has the tickets, resort, FP linked in it.

My husband has an account with some ADR in it and nothing else. No other people, no other reservations, no tickets. I can go into his account and add me, kids and also DH from my MDE account as friends? He friends himself? And then my daughter can look for FP in that account while I look in mine. Is that correct?