How much time do you spend refreshing?

[ucf_knight]

You don't even have to go back and forth between those screens, just keep clicking the times at the top and the screen will refresh.

That’s correct as long as times are available to choose from. I’m sure there’s a YouTube video on it that probably can show it better than any of us are explaining it.

 

[Little E]

We haven't been in the WDW parks since 2017, and refreshing and getting FPs beyond three wasn't really a thing then. So, I'm anxious to try this refreshing stuff to get us a few more FPs for our March trip. However, I want to balance getting a few more FPs with being present for my family and enjoying all the little details that I love about Disney. I think it will be tough to strike that balance!

Also, I have an old iPhone, and my phone's battery is sketchy at best. I'm worried about my phone dying early in the day with any level of refreshing and searching for FPs. Does everyone simply walk with their phones plugged in to a portable charger at all times? Just curious to know what works best.

 

[dawnball]

It depends on my luck, my perfectionism and the ride we want. I just checked and it took me about 3 minutes to get FP for TSMM that are ready in 65 minutes. Current standby is 90 minutes. I spent another 5 minutes looking for a closer return time and saw several other (later) returns, then I called it good enough. I also saw earlier returns for AS2, RNR and ToT. SDD would have taken much more time. This was for a group of 3.

 

[dawnball]

We haven't been in the WDW parks since 2017, and refreshing and getting FPs beyond three wasn't really a thing then. So, I'm anxious to try this refreshing stuff to get us a few more FPs for our March trip. However, I want to balance getting a few more FPs with being present for my family and enjoying all the little details that I love about Disney. I think it will be tough to strike that balance!

Also, I have an old iPhone, and my phone's battery is sketchy at best. I'm worried about my phone dying early in the day with any level of refreshing and searching for FPs. Does everyone simply walk with their phones plugged in to a portable charger at all times? Just curious to know what works best.

Portable power packs are slightly more efficient if you leave them plugged in all the time. Phone batteries will be healthier if you keep the total charge closer to 85% than 100%, but hanging out at 100% and letting the power pack provide working power isn't awful either.

I usually wait until about 30-40%, then charge up to 80%, but I've certainly had phones and usage patterns where just staying plugged in was best.

 

[Remy is Up]

I would say we average around 10 FPs per day, and tend to visit during low/moderate times of year (all relative). So for people who go during peak times (such as school holidays) or with bigger groups (we are a group of only two), I’m sure it’s more difficult to get FPs than in my experience.

It usually takes me under 5 minutes in the early afternoon to refresh for moderately popular rides such as Soarin’, Space Mountain, Safari, etc. When basically everything good in HS was Tier 1 I could get immediate FPs for ToT/RnR for what felt like all day, but that may have changed since Tier 1 recently changed.

I can almost always get FoP, Frozen, 7DMT, etc. with under 10 minutes of straight refreshing. This changes if it’s later in the day such as after dinner time since there is less availability. Slinky seemed to be harder to get, followed by 7DMT. FoP popped up multiple times during my refreshing and Frozen also seems pretty easy to get these days.

I usually refresh right after scanning in while waiting in the FP queue since we often have to wait a bit even with a FP. Otherwise I also refresh on the bus or while waiting for food. I try not to do it when eating since I would rather socialize then and put my phone down.

Its actually easier on any busy day where Resident passholders gold and below are blacked out. So Christmas day...easy to get FPs on refresh..The key is how many people in the park know how to use the system. These boards are a micro sample of who is at WDW parks on any given day. Reality is less than 10% of the people at a park actually understand FP+, know they can get more than 3 or modify/change the 3, or understand drops, tier breaks, burners, etc. Now if resident passholders are in the park en masse, it gets a bit more difficult, but, still doable. We do it standing in a FP line or during snacks bathroom breaks whatever. It certainly doesnt take long depending on what we want to get.

 

[JETSDAD]

How do you actually physically refresh? In other words what screen are you on and what button do you keep pushing?

Here's a video I made for a different purpose that shows how to refresh. In this I just keep hitting 11:00 over and over to refresh. Being MK I was scrolling down to check for rides such as 7DMT or Space Mountain. When I wouldn't see anything I would scroll back up. If you are looking in a different park where there are tiers you can normally just keep hitting the time over and over without scrolling or with minimal scrolling. This is using the mobile site instead of the app because it is more user friendly when refreshing.

 

[mercuryvenus]

Wow, y'all are really helpful!

I'm a newbie to going to WDW as an adult (finished my first trip as an adult with the husband and 3 year old just yesterday) and this is really smart.

We will definitely do this on our next trip.

 

[katemusical]

Do you all have 3 fastpasses booked already before you go to the parks? I'm very confused right now with this thread.

 

[JETSDAD]

Do you all have 3 fastpasses booked already before you go to the parks? I'm very confused right now with this thread.

For me it depends. MK I will typically have 3 pre-selected though I often move the second and/or third up as I use the one before it.

AK I will try to have FOP and EE or Safari (I may choose all 3 but the last one will probably get moved up). How I proceed depends on whether FOP is in the 9-10 range or the 10-11 range. Usually we'll go ride EE a bunch of times then head to Pandora. From there take the back way over to ride Safari.

HS, who knows these days because it's ever changing. With the new tiers coming I'd probably start with 3 FP's because there will be good tier 2 options. As I use FP's I'll look to move the next one up.

Epcot normally just start with a tier 1. Use it first thing then grab a nearby tier 2, use or burn it, then grab another nearby tier 2 and quickly use it too. Within the first 30-40 minutes we'll be done with the first 3 and start making more tier 1 FP's.