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

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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.