Our Experience Using the "Refresh Method"

[Tiggerlover91]

I'll be banking on refreshing next week. We've decided to head down for one day but have no idea yet what park(s) we will be doing. I'll probably add something night before and then just wing it.

Was it modify, pick people in party to modify, then choose a time in Android to refresh?

 

[samsteele]

I might add that if you don't travel with a data pkg this will be hit and miss. I tried this technique just using WDW free wifi in the parks and zeros. While it may be a no brainer for US guests or locals to travel with data, some international guests find their home country/tethered cell phone company's roaming pkgs to be wildly prohibitive. Just a FYI for international guests to either 1) keep their expectations in check or 2) really do some pre-trip research to see if they can find an affordable data pkg that works for them. One tip I would offer is to try this in your WDW hotel room before leaving for the park. Wifi in room is stronger than in park. Must be the traffic.

 

[JETSDAD]

Was it modify, pick people in party to modify, then choose a time in Android to refresh?

If you already have one that you are trying to change, yes. Then just keep hitting the same time over and over. If you don't have any (or less than 3 if making your first selections) just go search for FP as normal....then refresh by hitting the time.

 

[cakebaker]

If you find a fp for the ride you want, but not the time, is it better to grab and modify or just keep searching?

 

[ninafeliz]

If you find a fp for the ride you want, but not the time, is it better to grab and modify or just keep searching?

I think it's better to grab any time for what you want and try to modify. Then the times come right up at the top of the screen for that attraction.

 

[JETSDAD]

If you find a fp for the ride you want, but not the time, is it better to grab and modify or just keep searching?

It depends on the ride but usually yes. For something like FOP it makes no difference because it will be top of the list either way. For something like 7DMT is a huge help to be modifying rather than having to scroll.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

For those reading this post who have not used refresh before, just be careful. It does not work this easily for everyone in every circumstance. Do not chuck your 60 day FPs and your RD strategy until you have tried this in the parks. A lot of people cannot get headliners in 3 refreshes. Some people cannot get headliners in 300 refreshes. I love refreshing, but I never depend on it for getting headliners - those are pixie dust for me. It took me a half hour of constant refreshing to get FEA for a party of 2 last year. Definitely try it out, definitely appreciate all it can get for you, but don't depend on it being easy until you know that's how it works for you.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

For those reading this post who have not used refresh before, just be careful. It does not work this easily for everyone in every circumstance. Do not chuck your 60 day FPs and your RD strategy until you have tried this in the parks. A lot of people cannot get headliners in 3 refreshes. Some people cannot get headliners in 300 refreshes. I love refreshing, but I never depend on it for getting headliners - those are pixie dust for me. It took me a half hour of constant refreshing to get FEA for a party of 2 last year. Definitely try it out, definitely appreciate all it can get for you, but don't depend on it being easy until you know that's how it works for you.

I wouldn't understand why anyone would NOT do their 60 day FPs first and then work on refreshes for moving up rides and maybe grabbing that headliner again. That's how I intend on using it. I also don't want my nose in the phone the whole time so that's why I plan on getting the headliners at 60 days and only using refresh to move those originals up to earlier times.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I wouldn't understand why anyone would NOT do their 60 day FPs first and then work on refreshes for moving up rides and maybe grabbing that headliner again. That's how I intend on using it. I also don't want my nose in the phone the whole time so that's why I plan on getting the headliners at 60 days and only using refresh to move those originals up to earlier times.

I believe it’s because The Refresh Method sounds “Official,” compared to “keep looking over and over and over and over until you find something that someone has Canceled and that you like, or, just give up.”

Basic “Refresh” (keep looking) steps have been added to the FP FAQ ADDENDUM.

 

[mamamelody2]

Thanks for sharing, OP!
Out of curiousity, did you use Disney's wifi or were you using data?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

I wouldn't understand why anyone would NOT do their 60 day FPs first and then work on refreshes for moving up rides and maybe grabbing that headliner again. That's how I intend on using it. I also don't want my nose in the phone the whole time so that's why I plan on getting the headliners at 60 days and only using refresh to move those originals up to earlier times.

Because two people in this thread have said they arrived or are going to arrive without having made FPs at 60/30 days. Which is totally fine for some circumstances. But new people may get the idea that it's not necessary or desirable to get their FPs at 60. They may think that if they didn't get FOP at 60 days that refresh will save the day and not plan on RD or another plan B. It may totally work for them. But it also may not. I just want to temper the 'refresh works any time all the time with hardly any effort' expectation that these threads sometimes create. That can lead to very disappointing experiences for some.

 

[cakebaker]

Since I have an AP, I’ve been playing around with the refresh method for a couple of weeks. I’ve been to WDW many times for many years, but never tried refreshing to grab extra FP’s. We’d look for something, take whatever showed up and that was that. I have been surprised how often I see rides pop up, but the headliners, especially FOP, is rare for me. I have seen them, but not often. I haven’t tried modify because I don’t want to grab up FP’s I’m not going to use, even if I’m dropping them.

At any rate, it seems to be working well, but it’s definitely no replacement for those first 3 unless you’re happy with secondary rides.

 

[Tiggerlover91]

Because two people in this thread have said they arrived or are going to arrive without having made FPs at 60/30 days. Which is totally fine for some circumstances. But new people may get the idea that it's not necessary or desirable to get their FPs at 60. They may think that if they didn't get FOP at 60 days that refresh will save the day and not plan on RD or another plan B. It may totally work for them. But it also may not. I just want to temper the 'refresh works any time all the time with hardly any effort' expectation that these threads sometimes create. That can lead to very disappointing experiences for some.

I absolutely understand!

I believe it’s because The Refresh Method sounds “Official,” compared to “keep looking over and over and over and over until you find something that someone has Canceled and that you like, or, just give up.”

Basic “Refresh” (keep looking) steps have been added to the FP FAQ ADDENDUM.

I can understand that logic. I just have it in my head I may not get 7DMT and have rope drop strategy ready to use for that. FEA I plan on doing at RD also. TT I'll FP. Those are the only headliners I'm concerned with.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Stop blabbing about it! The less people who know the trick the better!

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Stop blabbing about it! The less people who know the trick the better!

Every time I see one of these threads I wonder how long it will be until “Refresh” or “Tap, grab, modify” become moot due to too many people In The Know.

Kind of like how mobile order was amazing when it was released and not many folks were using it AND they didn’t take dining credits. Ahhhhh November 2017. The good old days

 

[lisa cameron]

We (me, my husband, and almost 5 y/o little guy) just finished the week (Monday, 2/4 - Friday, 2/8) at the parks and I thought I would share our experience using the "refresh method" for obtaining FP+. Maybe this might help someone?

• We became Annual Passholders again after a six month lapse- we activated our passes on Monday, 2/4- the day after the Super Bowl, at Magic Kingdom. We had ZERO FP+ booked when we arrived at MK. Despite this, I once again was very, very successful in scoring FP+ for every headliner ride, including SDMT, by using the "refresh" method. While the crowds were a bit intense at times, I never had a problem getting us on any ride, even multiple times.
• We went to AK on Tuesday, 2/5. Around 7:30a that morning, using the MDE app, I scored a FoP FP for 10a by doing just two refreshes! By using the refresh method, I scored another FoP FP in the afternoon.
• We went to HS on Wednesday, 2/6. By using the refresh method, we went on every ride (except for RRC) and I scored a SDD FP at 2p! I am a bit of a fanatic for TSM and rode that 6 times
• We went to Epcot on Thursday, 2/7. By using the refresh method, I easily found multiple FP for FEA and FP for the other headliner rides were abundant.
• We went to MK again on Friday, 2/8. Despite arriving at 3:30p and leaving at 9:30p, we rode almost every attraction, including SDMT and Peter Pan's Flight by using the refresh method.

So even though we arrived with no FP+ booked and felt the crowd levels were a bit more intense than what they had been in previous years at the same time of year, we were still able to ride all the "hard to get/impossible to get rides" by using the refresh method. Yes, it does take some effort to use this method, but the payoff is huge. We've been coming to Disney multiple times a year since our son was born and the refresh method has allowed us the luxury of never (not even once) waiting in line for a ride.

I know a lot of people here on the DIS worry about getting their FP+ booked during their 30 or 60 day window, especially the hard to get attractions like FoP, SDD, or SDMT. Trust me when I say that the refresh method works like a charm! If you are not successful in getting the attraction you wanted during your window, using the refresh method should get you what you want .

I read here that the MDE app was not working for some people- it worked flawlessly for me this trip and 100% contributed to my success in using the refresh method.

This was a fantastic trip! The weather was gorgeous, we all got to ride some new rides (my little guy just hit 44 inches so we experienced together SM, FoP, and EE), and the crowds while busy, were still manageable.

Nice work! Crowd levels have a big impact on success of getting headliners for day of FP. Looking at the reported crowd levels in TP, looks like you picked a great week for going as some of those days were CL 3 and 4! On CL 8-10 days, headliners are much more difficult to come by, I haven’t had any luck for headliners for party of 4 if CL is 8 or above, and this is using the grab/modify strategy and hours of refreshing. If below a CL 8, much easier for headliners!

 

[Klayfish]

But new people may get the idea that it's not necessary or desirable to get their FPs at 60.

I understand what you're say. I'd agree that it is desirable to get them at 60 (or 30...or even 7 like we're forced to sometimes), but it's not necessary. That's been proven repeatedly. I'd agree that there's no reason NOT to get your FP+ as early as you can, but if you don't, all isn't lost.

Every time I see one of these threads I wonder how long it will be until “Refresh” or “Tap, grab, modify” become moot due to too many people In The Know.

Kind of like how mobile order was amazing when it was released and not many folks were using it AND they didn’t take dining credits. Ahhhhh November 2017. The good old days

Nah, I doubt it'll be an issue, at least not anytime soon. Remember, those who read these boards are a very small percentage of WDW visitors. So many people don't even know FP+ exists.

 

[capegirl]

I was one who did not believe in the refresh method until I tried it out last summer. We broke all the FP+ rules and we purchased our military discount tickets at SOG when we arrived, so we were really winging it! My family was amazed at our success. Of course a great deal of persistence was involved, but I took advantage of every line, and less exciting attractions to refresh. I will attempt to repeat my success this August, so fingers crossed!

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

I was one who did not believe in the refresh method until I tried it out last summer. We broke all the FP+ rules and we purchased our military discount tickets at SOG when we arrived, so we were really winging it! My family was amazed at our success. Of course a great deal of persistence was involved, but I took advantage of every line, and less exciting attractions to refresh. I will attempt to repeat my success this August, so fingers crossed!

You are aware you can purchase in advance from SOG and book your 3 FP per day in advance?
I realize last visit was last minute, but for this August trip I encourage you to book your 3!

 

[capegirl]

You are aware you can purchase in advance from SOG and book your 3 FP per day in advance?
I realize last visit was last minute, but for this August trip I encourage you to book your 3!

Thank you. We do usually purchase the tickets in advance, but there are occasions when our trip is sort of 'up in the air', and we would not want to take the chance that we would not be able to use the discount tickets before the expiration date. So while it's not the ideal situation , it's good to know we can use the refresh strategy for our less predictable Disney vacations.