Our Experience Using the "Refresh Method"

[Shughart]

I had no idea there were tiers....might have explained a couple things on our 2016 trip. Where can I find out which parks are tiered and what tier all the rides are?

 

[JETSDAD]

I had no idea there were tiers....might have explained a couple things on our 2016 trip. Where can I find out which parks are tiered and what tier all the rides are?

https://www.disboards.com/threads/fastpass-frequently-asked-questions.3491680/#post-55337506

 

[Laura527]

We were at MK today and, using refresh, were able to modify or get every FP we tried for except SDMT. I spent about 15 minutes during lunch trying to modify a late afternoon SDMT FP but nothing earlier came up.

 

[davish562]

Can't wait to use this on my March trip. Since I booked my fast passes over the phone due to technical issues, it would let me edit the fastpass right now, how can I fix that?

 

[cjnix29]

I keep reading this thread over and over and the explanations, and can not wrap my head around it. Normally, I'm a fairly intelligent person! Maybe I'll figure it out in practice! heading down the first week in April, so I have some time to figure it out.

 

[MousetersInc]

Can't wait to use this on my March trip. Since I booked my fast passes over the phone due to technical issues, it would let me edit the fastpass right now, how can I fix that?

I'd say call Disney again to see if they can fix the inability to edit? There are a number of technical problems people have been able to have fixed by calling, e.g. the day my MagicBands disappeared from the account.

 

[Mome Rath]

I keep reading this thread over and over and the explanations, and can not wrap my head around it. Normally, I'm a fairly intelligent person! Maybe I'll figure it out in practice! heading down the first week in April, so I have some time to figure it out.

You need a smartphone and the MDX ap. Say you search for Na'vi River Journey in AK and it says, "There are no more FastPass+ times for this experience, but standby may be available." In short, that is not permanently accurate. FP availability fluctuates. So, you just keep refreshing the page (on an android phone you do this by touching the "Search by Time" button of your choice, usually just hit morning or afternoon or evening and just let it load) to see what pops up. Lately I can sit and refresh and get NRJ to pop up in an average of, oh, five minutes or so on "the day of" (which is the current date). Refresh seems to work for everything except the biggest headliners, but it can work for them as well (for example, after 25 min of refreshing I could get FoP to pop up once and that was on a busy day with the ride having problems).

 

[wisblue]

That’s exactly what’s causing my hesitation about changing our standard rope drop using stand by in the am, park hop and FP’s for our evening park. I’m just not sure I’d actually like spending so much time hunting down FP’s. I’m attached to my phone every day, all day. I like not having to be on vacation so much.

I’ve also not noticed any current pattern for drops, the original reason for my interest in this. I’ll probably just stick with what we know, it’s worked well for many trips and if something pops up, consider it a happy accident.

I’m in the same boat. I just returned from a short trip in which two of my daughters ran the half marathon on Sunday. Usually we make FPs for the late afternoon/early evening and use standby in the morning at a different park. But on Saturday, the day before the run, my daughters didn’t want to be at a park too late, so we used rope drop at DHS to do SDD and the Alien Saucers and used our FPs from 10:30-12:30. We then went to Epcot after lunch with no real plans to do major rides. But, on the boat to the Yacht Club I was able to get FPs at 3:20 for FEA after a few refreshes. After that I was able to get FPs for Soarin at 4:10 on one refresh and while waiting to board at Soarin I got FPs for TT for 5:20 after a couple of minutes of refreshing. So, we ended up doing the 3 most popular attractions at Epcot with FPs, which we considered a bonus. My other experiences with refreshing tell me not to plan my day expecting to get those results.

On Monday, our departure day, I did some refreshing after using our FPs in late morning/early afternoon and never saw FPs for any of the major attractions except things that were much later than we had to leave. But, we could have had almost immediate returns for things like the teacups, Dumbo, Barnstormer, Under the Sea, etc. so, that would be a good way to get rides on those, which could be very useful for people with kids who would enjoy repeat rides on things like that.

 

[Dallas_Lady]

I don't see why you wouldn't. We got a ton of them during Xmas week, which is the busiest time of year. In fact, we had more success that week than we did in summer. I almost wonder if it's easier when the crowd is larger because there are more people using the system...i.e. changing plans.

As well as more of those people who aren't "in the know".

 

[FigmentSpark]

Sorry, can't find it here.... one question:

Do you have to have used (tapped) all 3 FPs to be able to book a fourth or can you book the fourth as soon as you've used the first?

 

[JETSDAD]

Sorry, can't find it here.... one question:

Do you have to have used (tapped) all 3 FPs to be able to book a fourth or can you book the fourth as soon as you've used the first?

You have to use all 3 before adding a 4th.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Thanks. My last one is the end of our day. No fourth for me, I guess.

 

[Mome Rath]

Thanks. My last one is the end of our day. No fourth for me, I guess.

Unless you can modify it to an earlier time, if that fits your plans and you can manage to find a FP for an earlier slot.

 

[JETSDAD]

Thanks. My last one is the end of our day. No fourth for me, I guess.

What FP are you saving for the end of the day and for how many people?

 

[FigmentSpark]

What FP are you saving for the end of the day and for how many people?

Not "saving", just the earliest I could get SDMT - 4:35, but we leave around dinner time. DH is done by then, as we do RD.

 

[JETSDAD]

Not "saving", just the earliest I could get SDMT - 4:35, but we leave around dinner time. DH is done by then, as we do RD.

Night before and throughout the day of I would keep looking to modify to an earlier time.

 

[FigmentSpark]

True and I will, but I expect my plan will be set by then.

 

[davish562]

So I have 3 fast passes booked for DHS for 5 pm on RNRC 6 at TSM and 7 on TOT. should I go to DHS that morning and just try to modify the first time to one say at 10 am and then just keep modifying them?

 

[anomamatt]

So I have 3 fast passes booked for DHS for 5 pm on RNRC 6 at TSM and 7 on TOT. should I go to DHS that morning and just try to modify the first time to one say at 10 am and then just keep modifying them?

You can. But if you are not going to use the 5, 6, and 7PM FPs you can also just cancel them and re-book 1-2 now with earlier times.

 

[davish562]

You can. But if you are not going to use the 5, 6, and 7PM FPs you can also just cancel them and re-book 1-2 now with earlier times.

Problem is for that day, those rides are all booked for FPs! Will that mean getting a day of fast pass with the refresh method will be easier since there is more people using fast pass?