Best last minute strategy/in park tip: App refreshing

[JH50]

This is for those that are new to Disney planning and haven't read through all the threads yet (welcome aboard...lol). The worst part about a Disney vacation is the need for planning. If you book early enough, FP and dining reservations usually aren't problem but missing the 30 or 60 day window can cause a lot of frustration and anxiety.

We were at DW the week before Memorial Day, and I had great success booking FP's on the fly. As a matter of fact, on our Day 2 we decided to skip MK in the afternoon because we did so much of it on our Day 1 (we had a 5 am flight and did more than I had anticipated). We instead went to AK in the afternoon, and I was able to book FOP, Everest and Kiliminjaro. The FOP took numerous attempts of refreshing, but I was eventually able to get one.

My advice to keep modifying and looking for the ride you want (even if it isn't at the time you want). From there you can modify the time, if necessary. Granted, a lot of it depends on how busy the parks are, but the more adept you are at the MDE, the better your chances at getting what you want when you want. This was also a good way at passing time waiting in the lines.

Our trip was greatly enhanced by using MDE (the only FP I couldn't get on the fly was TOT and SDD), so make sure you have it downloaded on your phone and are comfortable with it before you go!

 

[hiroMYhero]

And for those who need steps for “Refresh,” this is from the FP FAQ ADDENDUM Sticky Refresh section:

The REFRESH Method
When in the park, Modify FPs by using Refresh:

• Choose a pre-booked FP and Select Modify
• Select a time and read the selections that are available
• Select a new time and again read the selections that are available
• Continue until you choose a new FP

When searching for a new FP:

• Select the “+,” date, and park
• Select a time and read the available selections
• Select a different time and read the available selections
• Continue until you select a FP

Remember to grab a chosen ride’s available FP and then “Modify + Refresh” to find other available times.

 

[Kbosch]

There's no way to practice doing this ahead of time, right? You need to be in the park for it to work? I just know that trying to figure out something new while also keeping my 3 young kids entertained at the same time is always a challenge lol

 

[jbehr12]

There's no way to practice doing this ahead of time, right? You need to be in the park for it to work? I just know that trying to figure out something new while also keeping my 3 young kids entertained at the same time is always a challenge lol

You don’t really need to practice, you’re literally just pulling down on your screen or tapping new times back and forth.

 

[dreynolds1982]

I've never had a need to use it before but plan on putting this method to HEAVY use for our trip in November. Going to book what I can at my 60+ window and then go from there.

For Refresh Method experts, do you find that there's more choices in the morning, evening, etc? Or just varies/depends? In other words, if I snag a 1:30 p.m. FP for FOP at my 60 day, but day of, want to try and snag one in the a.m., what are my chances? Some of my ADR lunch bookings are built around stuff like that.

 

[hiroMYhero]

In other words, if I snag a 1:30 p.m. FP for FOP at my 60 day, but day of, want to try and snag one in the a.m., what are my chances?

Depends on if FoP rope drop people decide to Cancel FPs or if Disney throws out a random drop of FPs.

If you have time to Modify - Refresh, it doesn’t hurt to check but there’s no guarantee of any type of availability.

 

[Remy is Up]

I have sat at my desk on a day and just looked at what is available and done refresh. I just did it at 1PM this afternoon and for AK found FoP, found TT at Epcot, etc. It does take some practice in the park and takes a lot of patience if you look for something Tier1 type that is usually hard to find.
Some other tips:
Do it early and often. As the day goes on, the pool gets smaller so by 3 or 4 the tier 1s are hard to come by, but not impossible
The top of the hour appears to be the time when a ton drop. Im not sure if thats how their system works, but, there is def a drop at the top of each hour, particularly 12 and 1PM.
It works best in smaller groups. 2-4 seem to be good. Larger than that, split your party and overlap times.

This comes from 30 days plus doing this over the past 18 months. We live by refresh, havent made 30/60 day FPs in forever, and dont wait in standby lines. We dont worry about RD or EMH so we dont have to stay on property if we dont want to. Our days at parks have become relaxed and very versatile. AM park no more than 3-4 hours, Break, PM park. Or sleep in and hit a park midday and just refresh away until dinner. If we want to do an attraction centric as much as possible burst in a park, we can do that. On Sunday in less than 4 hours we used FPs for POC, HM, JC, BTMRR, Splash, Pan, Space, Buzz, and 7DMT and then left the park when we pulled an FoP for AK at 2PM. We went into the park at 905 with ZERO Fps and pulled all of those day of. It just takes patience and being willing to do some extra walking based on whats available.
We pulled a FoP every day we wanted one last week Day of. Easier to grab afternoon ones because thats mainly what comes up, but, its def doable. Personally, SDD and TT are harder to pull than 7DMT or FoP.

 

[Remy is Up]

I've never had a need to use it before but plan on putting this method to HEAVY use for our trip in November. Going to book what I can at my 60+ window and then go from there.

For Refresh Method experts, do you find that there's more choices in the morning, evening, etc? Or just varies/depends? In other words, if I snag a 1:30 p.m. FP for FOP at my 60 day, but day of, want to try and snag one in the a.m., what are my chances? Some of my ADR lunch bookings are built around stuff like that.

Most of the FoP drops are for afternoon. Ive only pulled a morning one day of a couple of times. I can pull an afternoon any day. Mornings are a bit more difficult. And personally, I prefer to do Safari, Everest, etc in the early AM while everyone else RDs FoP and stands in a long line. Ill either come back to the park later or do it on a day I do AM in another park and after I clear the FPs in that park, on the midday break Ill pull an FoP for the late afternoon early evening.

 

[teach22180]

Just logged into MDE and there's FOP at 425 for a party of one. Lol I'm gonna enjoy this in October!

 

[dreynolds1982]

Most of the FoP drops are for afternoon. Ive only pulled a morning one day of a couple of times. I can pull an afternoon any day. Mornings are a bit more difficult. And personally, I prefer to do Safari, Everest, etc in the early AM while everyone else RDs FoP and stands in a long line. Ill either come back to the park later or do it on a day I do AM in another park and after I clear the FPs in that park, on the midday break Ill pull an FoP for the late afternoon early evening.

Yeah right now we're doing AK in the morning one day (EMH) and in the mid-to-late afternoon another day, so unless I'm able to snag an early (pre-noon) FOP page on my 60+ that first day, I'll probably just do the refresh method the day we do AK in the afternoon and see if I can snag a later one. Worst comes to worst and there's nada left in the afternoon that day, we'll just do the "get in line right before park close" method for FOP.

 

[a11ie]

I have sat at my desk on a day and just looked at what is available and done refresh. I just did it at 1PM this afternoon and for AK found FoP, found TT at Epcot, etc. It does take some practice in the park and takes a lot of patience if you look for something Tier1 type that is usually hard to find.
Some other tips:
Do it early and often. As the day goes on, the pool gets smaller so by 3 or 4 the tier 1s are hard to come by, but not impossible
The top of the hour appears to be the time when a ton drop. Im not sure if thats how their system works, but, there is def a drop at the top of each hour, particularly 12 and 1PM.
It works best in smaller groups. 2-4 seem to be good. Larger than that, split your party and overlap times.

This comes from 30 days plus doing this over the past 18 months. We live by refresh, havent made 30/60 day FPs in forever, and dont wait in standby lines. We dont worry about RD or EMH so we dont have to stay on property if we dont want to. Our days at parks have become relaxed and very versatile. AM park no more than 3-4 hours, Break, PM park. Or sleep in and hit a park midday and just refresh away until dinner. If we want to do an attraction centric as much as possible burst in a park, we can do that. On Sunday in less than 4 hours we used FPs for POC, HM, JC, BTMRR, Splash, Pan, Space, Buzz, and 7DMT and then left the park when we pulled an FoP for AK at 2PM. We went into the park at 905 with ZERO Fps and pulled all of those day of. It just takes patience and being willing to do some extra walking based on whats available.
We pulled a FoP every day we wanted one last week Day of. Easier to grab afternoon ones because thats mainly what comes up, but, its def doable. Personally, SDD and TT are harder to pull than 7DMT or FoP.

I have been to Disney about 2 dozen times.. However, I've been ZERO since FPP started... We're going in September and my boyfriend has never been and his son went for the first time over Spring break (for two days so he rode all of 6 rides). I am FREAKING OUT hoping to get all these fast passes you are talking about. How likely is it that I can learn the refresh process like yours on the fly?? We have a party of 4 and plan to do RD and morning EMH. When my 60 days come up, July 10th, should I go for anything and plan to modify or try to get the best ones and plan around them?

 

[hiroMYhero]

try to get the best ones

Don’t randomly pre-book FPs. Plan on 3 must do rides and then search for FP#4 as soon as you tap into FP#3.

If you are park hopping, read the tips for park hopping in the FP FAQ ADDENDUM Sticky.

 

[poohfriend77]

We’re here now and have had great luck with refreshing so far. Now, we’re not trying to get any of the super hard-to-get ones on the fly, but I had 12 total yesterday (3 pre-planned at DHS, plus 9 more at MK between 5:30-10 pm, including BTMR, JC and PP, all of which had standby times of 60+ minutes)

I also swapped HM for BTMR this morning, and I grabbed a 6 pm Soarin as a 4th after our break at the resort.

I am so thankful to everyone who shared refresh tips! Just a bit of persistence has such a big payoff.