Refresh method for fastpasses, better chance same day than a day before?

[DWeav]

So my fastpass window opened and I wanted to try and schedule fastpasses for late morning so that we could take our break around noon and come back in the evening to MK (we have a 1 year old, we must break in the day when possible).

I wasn't able to get 7DMT in the morning. Earliest was 1:45 PM or so. So at the time, I scheduled it as our 3rd fastpass, but to use it when we returned from the break, around 5-6 PM.

But of course I can't help myself, I get in and keep refreshing for a different time (we're at 59 days out now) and despite there not being anything around 12 PM multiple times I refresh (for a party of 3), suddenly 12:25 PM shows up. That's close enough, would rather it be 11:45, but better then 1:30-2 PM. Would really like to do it before we break so that we can line up a 4th FP for our return to the park in the evening. Better chance of finding something at noon then at 6 PM, obviously.

I'm going to continue to refresh and hope to move it up, so I guess my question is, does this technique have better success the day of or days leading up? I know to mess with it while we are there for 4th FP, but I was just curious.

 

[glassslippergirl]

My rule of thumb is to check my FPs once a day after I've made them. I look for better times on FPs that I already have and for FPs that I was not initially able to get. Of course, I make my FP reservations 30 days out, so I have a lot fewer days to fiddle with the plans than you do. I usually don't have success with this method until about one to two weeks out, and then I'm picking up the hard-to-get attractions but not always at the best times. For what you are trying to do, OP, I've had the best success the day of or day before.

 

[DWeav]

My rule of thumb is to check my FPs once a day after I've made them. I look for better times on FPs that I already have and for FPs that I was not initially able to get. Of course, I make my FP reservations 30 days out, so I have a lot fewer days to fiddle with the plans than you do. I usually don't have success with this method until about one to two weeks out, and then I'm picking up the hard-to-get attractions but not always at the best times. For what you are trying to do, OP, I've had the best success the day of or day before.

Thanks!

 

[disneynanacat]

I'm in the same boat as you although I don't have a little one that needs a break, just me.lol I could only get 7DMT late afternoon which messes up getting additional FPs that afternoon. I'm going to keep checking too.

 

[Lizziekris]

We keep checking ours daily to make changes. Just today I was able to change my Mine Train from 5:15-6:15 to 1:55 - 2:55 which will allow us to get more fast pass+ later in the day. I will keep checking until our trip over Memorial Day weekend to see if I can push it a little earlier.

 

[shanew21]

I've always had a lot of success on the day of. The trick is to move your fastpasses up once you start using them. So if you have a 9-10am, then a 10-11am, go on the 9am one early, then try to move the 10am to 9:25 or something, then repeat for your third.

This of course works significantly better if you have SDMT during the first hour, since it's much easier to move other rides up than SDMT.

 

[ITALIANNYC]

As you get closer to the date things open up. I’m always on the app at Disney. I’d like to change that this time because you become obsessed with it. Not cool

 

[disneynanacat]

Unfortunately the 7dmt is out 3rd fp of the day with about a 2 hour gap in between it and our 2nd one.lol I'll keep checking up until we ride it. It's the only one I was able to get this day and we've never ridden it before. It's not our only MK day though. Tempted to let it go and just ride it during evening EMH on another day just so we can get more done, and, er, head back to the pool once it gets hot.

 

[DavidNYC]

Far better success day of. No question. A recent example, I was in Orlando for work and though I was going to get to the park at about 2pm. Turned out a meeting got cancelled and I went over at start of day. The day before - could not change a single afternoon FP to earlier in the day (although there were a bunch of options for later). Woke up at 8am and was able to change every single FP (Toy Story, Tower, Star Tours) to between 9 am - 12:30pm. I know that availability changes a lot through the day but I'm also convinced that in the morning some extra availability is released for same day (at least for most rides - wouldn't count on FoP that way!)

 

[ChristineOH]

They don't release more FP. What happens is people get up and decide not to go to a park, decide to go to a different park, or are running late and reschedule the FP they made for the morning for later times. (I think the last one is the most common!) There is definitely more availability on the day of, because that's when people tend to change their plans.

But, since you are looking for 7DMT... I wouldn't hold out a ton of hope for changing it, though I did manage to get two sets of two FoP at less than 30 days out, so anything is possible. It does not hurt to try-- so definitely try!

What I would do is keep a very close eye on park hours. If they would happen to move your MK day open to 8:00 am, then within a day or two, they will add those FP to the system. That's how I was able to get a morning 7DMT on our recent trip when it was originally for the afternoon. Unfortunately, last June didn't have a lot of 8:00 am MK opens, but it's still worth keeping an eye out.