WDW

To Park Hop or Not to Park Hop – That is the Question

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With so much that Disney has to see, do, and experience, a question many first time clients ask me is whether or not they should invest in park hopper tickets or just keep the base tickets that get them into one park per day. On the surface, it might seem like a simple answer, but there are a number of factors you should consider when making that decision. Let’s explore them.

The First Time Visit

Many of the clients I work with are first time visitors to Walt Disney World OR they haven’t visited in at least a decade or more. Walt Disney World has changed so much since even the early 2000’s, but even more so if you haven’t visited since the 1990’s. 40-square miles of property with over 40 resorts, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, 2 miniature golf parks, over 100 dining destinations, and an entertainment, dining, and shopping venue – it is literally IMPOSSIBLE to do it all in one visit. But, for many first-time visitors, they want to try.

So, it seems reasonable that a client may want to purchase a park-hopper. But, as my friend Matt likes to say, when at Walt Disney World, time is money. And, one of the pitfalls of park-hopping is that you do spend a considerable amount of time hopping from one park to the next. So, as much as I would love to sell that park-hopper to a first time client – I usually don’t recommend it. Why? Simply put – there is MORE than enough to keep you entertained at each park for one full day. Magic Kingdom is easily a two-day park, Epcot, easily a two-day park, and Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom are both full of enough entertainment that you’ll be entertained for the full day. Couple that with the “rest” factor that is needed if you’re going to try to visit all four parks – a park hopper just isn’t needed on your first go around.

It is my recommendation that first time visitors skip the park hoppers and use the extra money towards a great dinner or some souvenirs.

The Family with Children

A similar argument can be made for a trip with small children. Think – 8 or younger. When you travel with kids, your pace is going to be severely limited, to say nothing for the mid-day rest you’ll inevitably have to take to prevent that late-afternoon meltdown because your little didn’t get their nap. I always recommend to my clients one siimple truth: if your kids don’t go a full day sun-up to sun-down at home without a nap, what makes you think they’ll be able to do it at Disney when their senses are literally working on overload?

So, to that end, buying the park hopper with children 8 and younger, and maybe even 12 and under, just isn’t worth it – no matter whether this is your first trip or fifth. I’ve been to Walt Disney World on my own and with my partner, and I’ve also been with my niece and nephew. There is such an obvious difference and it’s important that you set your expectations differently when traveling with children – whether they are yours or someone else’s. The reality is that if you purchase a park hopper with children, you’re wasting good money.

It is my recommendation not to buy park hoppers when traveling with children under the age of 8 and to save that money for a special experience.

Trip Duration

Alright, now we get to some other factors that may change your thinking. The trip duration plays a huge factor here. Again, 4 theme parks. Let me say it louder for those of you in back – FOUR THEME PARKS. If your trip is only 3 days, and you only buy the base tickets, you won’t get to visit every park. So, the decision has to be made – which park will I not visit?

Is it possible to Disney in 3 days? Yes! But, you need park hoppers to do it. In my opinion, if your trip duration is 3 days or less, unless you’re traveling with children, you should invest in park hoppers. Even if it’s your first visit – make your choice. Either bump your duration to 4 park days or only do 3 park days but make your tickets hoppers. One important thing to point out here – I say PARK DAYS. That’s because arrival day and departure day often don’t count UNLESS you’re arriving super early. Otherwise, the days in between are what I consider true full park days.

Do I have any recommendations on how to do it? Yes, I sure do! In my opinion, Magic Kingdom is a full-day park. And frankly, if you like world culture and a ton of fun rides, so is EPCOT. Animal Kingodm closes early, so you can typically rope drop it and leave around 3pm and then park hop over to Hollywood Studios to enjoy what that park has to offer. In fact, if you play it smart, you can even stack your Genie+ reservations for Hollywood Studios throughout the day while at Animal Kingdom so you can knock out a ton of the “must-do’s” at Hollywood Studios.

You probably noticed that I only hopped on one of my days. Well, “dems the berries.” With tickets, you either are all-in on park hopping, or all-out. Yout can’t park hop on just one of your days. You pay for all of your days. But, in the grand scheme of things, I think it’s totally worth it if your park days are three or less.

A Solo or Couples Trip

If you’re traveling on your own or with just one other person, then yes, I do believe park hoppers are a must. Unless, of course, it’s your first trip. Then the rules above apply. But if you’re seasoned Disney veterans, than you know the ins and outs of the Disney Transportation System that include not only busses, but the Skyliner, the Monorail, the ferry boats, and so much more. You know how to maximize your time and so, that park hopper comes in very handy if you want to start in one park, go mid-day to another, and then end with a nighttime show in another.

It is my recommendation that if you are traveling solo or with one other person, you should get the hopper.

What Do You Want to Accomplish?

Lastly, and probably the most important consideration of all is – what do you want to accomplish? At the end of the day, a Disney vacation is ultimately what you make of it. It can be “go, go, go,” all day and for the entire duration of your park days. OR, it can be a relaxing trip of some rides, shopping, people watching, and eating of course. The park hopper option is not crazy expensive in the long run. A four-day add on runs about $75 to $100 more per person. But, for a family of 4 or 5 – that’s $400 to $500, which can add up pretty quickly.

It’s important to set expectations from the start. Work with your travel planner about what you truly want to accomplish. Set realistic goals. My advice to new clients is simple: everyone picks 3 to 5 things they want to accomplish on any given day. These can be rides, shows, shops, or food. We pool all that together and form a gameplan. From there, we can decide whether hoppers are needed or not. And, from there we can schedule around those things. Everything else is just an extra add-on, sometimes with a cherry on top.

What do you think?

So, what do you think? Am I wrong? Do you have a different perspective? It’s OK if you do. I’d love to hear it in the comments below.