Q: Hopping without a Park Hopper?

[MFMMTM]

Scanning ticket prices made us see that it's possible to purchase a BASE ticket for a few days longer than you really need, and perhaps use whatever amount of "extra" days for times when you need to hop (assuming you're not hopping every day). I assume this would be allowed. For ex: Our stay is 7 days, but with a 10 day BASE, we could technically "hop" on 3 separate occasions, and have it count against our ticket as using a full day. This scenario is cheaper than a 7-day hopper. Does anybody know if we would encounter a problem at the ticket gate doing this?

 

[**eeyore**]

If I recall correctly, the tickets are set up so that you can only use one day, each day, so for example if you left MK and then went to MGM, your ticket would not work at MGM if you didn't have park-hopping added.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I remember looking into this myself - also thinking it would make more sense for the budget

 

[luvindisneyworld]

You are correct it can only be used in 1 park per day unless you have the hopping option.

 

[Hannathy]

You can not do what you are saying. If you want to go to more than 1 park a day you must buy the hopper feature.

If you can't believe it think about it this way an extra day is $2 a hopper is $40 would Disney EVER do something that would cost them money? No one would buy a hopper.

 

[Angel A]

I thnk it would work. They would just charge another day towards the hopper.

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

I thnk it would work. They would just charge another day towards the hopper.

No. It definitely will not work.

When you use the ticket at the gate, the scanner will read the info on the magnetic strip. Disney's computers can tell when the ticket was purchased, how many days were originally on it, when it was used, where it was used and the time that it was used. It knows if the ticket is a hopper or just a base ticket.

The computer will not allow the turnstile to release if a base ticket has been used that same day for entrance into another park. The greeter at the turnstile will be able to see that you are using a non-hopper pass to enter a second park for the day. They will politely suggest that you go to guest services to add the hopping option to your pass if you wish to visit the second park that day.

 

[eliza61]

I thnk it would work. They would just charge another day towards the hopper.

Lisa is right. I just returned last month from the world and a gentleman was at guest services cursing the air blue because he could not do this very thing. He had 2 days left on his park pass and wanted to get into epcot but since he had already been to MK, they would not let him use his pass. Go for the hopper.

 

[WillCAD]

This question comes up on the DIS almost every day.

The answer is no, you cannot get into more than one park per day with the same ticket unless it has the hopper option.

Somebody really ought to make one of these threads a sticky...

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

This question comes up on the DIS almost every day.

The answer is no, you cannot get into more than one park per day with the same ticket unless it has the hopper option.

Somebody really ought to make one of these threads a sticky...

It is in a sticky (on the TP&A Board):

Everything you always wanted to know about MAGIC YOUR WAY admission

My vacation is 5 days long. Can I just buy a 7 day ticket and use the extra days to park hop?

No - you won't be able to that. If you want to know why read on.

The ATS ticketing system is designed to look at your admission in terms of number of days, and whether or not your ticket has park-hopping. It does NOT look at your admission as number of times through a turnstile. For example, if on Monday you went to the Magic Kingdom with a non-park-hopping ticket, and later on Monday evening decided to go to Epcot: when you put your ticket in the turnstile at Epcot, the computer's internal monologue would read something like: "This ticket has been used today. This ticket has NOT been used at Epcot today. This ticket does not allow park-hopping." It then would not release the turnstile.

 

[WillCAD]

It is in a sticky (on the TP&A Board):

Everything you always wanted to know about MAGIC YOUR WAY admission

I figured it was in there, but you know how people think; they come looking for a specific answer and it never occurs to them to look in a FAQ or basic outline of their subject.

This one particular, very specific question comes up so often I wonder if it might not be a good idea to break it out of the MYW sticky and give the question its own sticky.

Of course, people would still miss the sticky and ask the question anyway, but it might help 50% of the people looking for the answer.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The system is set up in such a way that you cannot use a base ticket that does not have the hopper option in more than one major park (AK, EC, MGM, MK) on one day. Also, either a base or hopper cannot be used in a minor park (BB, DQ, PI, TL, WWS) without the Water Parks Fun and More option.

If you have been to one park and attempt to use your ticket in another park on the same day, when you put it in the turnstile several things will happen.

1. The display on the Guest side will show "ACCESS DENIED".

2. The turnstile will not unlock.

3. The two line display on the Greeter side will show information about the ticket's entitlements on the top line, and on the lower line it will say "CROSSOVER NOT PERMITTED". (If a minor park without WPF&M it will say "ACCESS NOT PERMITTED".)

If the Greeter wishes, by pushing a button he can see exactly when and where the ticket was used last.

Depending on the Greeter, and how crowded it is, you will either be told your options at that time or told to go to either Guest Relations or any ticket window for further explanation.

If I have the time, or when I am in a booth, I will explain the options as follows:

1. Upgrade the ticket to a hopper (currently $45 whether one day or ten day and adult or child).

2. Go back to original park, as unlimited same day re-entry is permitted.

3. Just go away and don't bother me (actually I wouldn't say that).

If at a Water Park I would explain that for $50 you could upgrade a ticket to include between 3 and 6 minor park entries, depending on the number of base days on the ticket. Or if you plan on only one day at a minor park that you purchase one-day tickets (currently $36 adult, $30 child 3-9).

Since Disney charges only $2 per additional day over five, $45 for a hopper and $50 for WPF&M, it does not make economic sense for Disney to allow use of an extra day on a non-hopping ticket to hop.

 

[MFMMTM]

With how sure these above feedbacks are, I thought I'd ask as long as I was already on the phone with a Disney rep today about purchasing our tickets...And the rep said "yes" - that is something you could do. Go figure! I'm completely hesitant now, but your experience says lots, so I'm going to just assume the safer bet, and go with the hopper. But since I'm a stickler for details and being precise, I really like to know. Thank you all for your comments! Your experiences weighs more than the Disney agent's in this one.

 

[KarenAylwood]

With how sure these above feedbacks are, I thought I'd ask as long as I was already on the phone with a Disney rep today about purchasing our tickets...And the rep said "yes" - that is something you could do. Go figure! I'm completely hesitant now, but your experience says lots, so I'm going to just assume the safer bet, and go with the hopper. But since I'm a stickler for details and being precise, I really like to know. Thank you all for your comments! Your experiences weighs more than the Disney agent's in this one.

Never hurts to ask! Some CM's are just not that knowledgable

You'll see a lot of threads on here that say "a CM told me I could do [ ]" but it's something that's against Disney policy.


Add the park hopper- we don't go to Disney without it!!

 

[taximomfor4]

welcome to the DISBOARDS!!

About asking a CM on the phone while buying your tickets, those are not PARK CMs, they work at a reservations office, and are most likely not even in Orlando! So take what Cheshire said above to heart -- the Cheshires know what they are talking about, and the info comes directly FROM a park CM!

Have a magical trip!

Beth

p.s. Since we are a family of 6, we often do NOT get Hopper option put on our tickets (that's a LOT of extra money!!) Then, when we are on vacation, if we have a day that we really want/need to hop, we add it at that time. It costs the same price whether you do it in advance or add it later. We budget in the cost to add hopping,and sometimes we never need to add it!