Newbie here...do we need a park hopper?

[rstanley]

My husband insists that we do not need to waste extra money on the park hopper option but I'm worried we'll regret it? Can we upgrade later if we need to?

...we're going the last week in October so the weather and crowds shouldn't be to bad
...we're planning to do one park per day (no afternoon breaks at hotel if possible)...it'll be 2 adults/2 kids-11 and 6
...we're not using EMH

...but we do have a few evenings open and a full day at the end of the trip to do whatever we want...I'm wondering if I will regret not getting the hopper option even if we only use it a couple days...

...should we just plan on spending the extra evenings at our hotel (poly), downtown disney, boardwalk, etc???

Please tell me your strategies

 

[suzybeezy]

With it being your first trip, and since you mentioned doing one park a day, I would agree with your husband and not spend the extra money for the hopper. You'll probably want a hopper pass on your next trip once you figure out what you like more. Like for my family we found we don't really like Animal Kingdom that much and Disneys Hollywood Studios is small enough, that we can actually do both parks in one day. Whereas we love Magic Kingdom and Epcot so we spend two full days at each of those parks.

Staying at the poly, you can take a break in the afternoon, go swimming and re-enter the same park on the same day. You'll find you want to be in the parks in the evenings for the fireworks shows.

Have fun!!!

 

[skier_pete]

You can always add the hopper option later...even on the last day you use your tickets (you can also add more days later). So don't buy it until you are 100% sure you need it. (We don't do it ourselves, good way to save about $140 for the three of us.)

The reason many people take breaks is that to go from 9 AM to 9 or 11 PM every day without breaks is exhausting. The morning is the least crowded with evening being still better than mid-day. Plus, the nighttime shows (especially wishes and spectromagic) are excellent. We take breaks more because our daughter would poop out by 5 PM if we didn't.

SkierPete

 

[tlriv5]

I'm kind of a newbie too, we've only been to WDW once and we did have the park hopper. I think we only went to two different parks once and that was just to see Fantasmic. We did get it again this year but mainly because of doing the dining plan. One day we are going to go eat at Crystal Palace really early and we'll probably hang out at MK for a little while and then go back to swim, but that night we are eating at Sci fi in HS. We are also eating at a few resorts this year, so we might want to pop in a park sometime. I think you can manage without it, I just like having the option, especially since we've been before. We didn't love AK last time and are planning to really explore more this year, but if we just don't love it then we may head over to another park. I didn't even compare how much we'd save if we didn't use it, it's better for me not to know.

 

[resol37]

I always prefer to get the park hopper option. We've always taken a mid-day break (and this is three adults - Disney will wear you out!) so if we change our minds about where we want to go after the nap, the hopper option lets us do that.

The big thing to remember is that you can add it on later. Don't pay for it now if you're not sure you're going to use it and if you decide you want it later on, you can add it!

Also, the crowds might be a bit busier than you expect. I almost always go in October and it's really not that bad, but you've also got the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at MK (which is a hard ticket event, but still).

I haven't stayed at the Poly and I've never been to the Boardwalk, but I love spending time at Downtown Disney. Even if you decide to stay at the parks late, you can still go to DD afterwards, assuming you have the energy.

 

[CampbellScot]

My family is a Park Hopper family! We love the freedom of being to go to any park we feel like going to...morning or evening...any combination...doing as we please!!

Some people are strictly "one park" per day people...it depends on your touring style.

We always do Animal kingdom in the day and usually Magic kingdom that evening. As AK closes early it's kind of a bummer to waste a whole day's ticket on that park. It's nice to have the options to do one park in the morning and another in the afternoon and even another in the evening! It gives you a lot more flexibility as far as restaurant reservations as well.

we personally would never do a trip without our Park Hoppers!

that's just one Diser's opinion!

 

[TLinden16]

Welcome to the DIS, rstanley!

As others have said, you can add the park hopper option later. I actually like to park hop. It's nice to have the option to switch to another park if the crowds are bad at the park I happen to choose that day. It's also nice to have the option to go to another park that is up later in the evenings.

I would definitely plan an evening at Downtown Disney. There are some great places to eat, and it's fun going in the shops. Pleasure Island is fun too for adults in the evening.

The Boardwalk is a nice place to spend a couple of hours in the evenings, and if you are without kids, Jellyrolls is a great place to spend a night. It's a dueling piano bar, and loads of fun.

Mini-golf is a blast too. I love the Fantasia Gardens course.

You could also spend an evening exploring the monorail hotels. And don't miss the Electric Light Parade.

 

[Snow Shoe]

Are you planning on eating at any of the park TS/CS restaurants for dinner? If so, you might want to add the parkhopper option that would allow you to go to another park that evening for dinner other than the park you were in that day.

 

[rstanley]

Thank you for all of your advice...I planned our eating based on the park we are going to...so hopefully that won't be a problem...

CRT, Chef Mickey's for one MK day and then LTT for the MNSSHP another day

Brown Derby/Fantasmic for DS

Princess Breakfast at Akershus, Teppan Edo and Biergarten for Epcot (split between 2 different days)

Cap n Jacks..for the day we go to AK (this is one of the days I was worried about since AK closes early)

I'm glad to hear we can add park hopper at any time...that lowers my stress level I'm an OCD planner and am second guessing everything...

 

[Grumpy_Disney_Dad]

I'm glad to hear we can add park hopper at any time...that lowers my stress level I'm an OCD planner and am second guessing everything...

Relax ...take a deep breath.. you will be on vacation

 

[suzicute20]

I think for your first time not having park hopper will be fine. It will actually probably allow you to relax more. Are you staying on sight? I would take advantage of some EMH if you are. My favorite is MK EMH. It's so much fun to do rides over and over again without a crowd - especially Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain.

 

[rie'smom]

We never park hopped until we bought APs when we became DVC members.
I did our planning and and scheduled ADRs, as you did, to coincide with our park of the day.
You probably won't have time to hop this time because you'll want to see everything and even at the Studios and AK, that will take a full day each.
We have never taken an afternoon break and with your kid's ages, you probably won't have to either.

 

[maj42169]

I've got the park hoppers eventhough I am planning on doing a park a day....just in case.........I also am OCD about planning, but with a 7 year old I know that things might change. I just like having that option.

 

[dioxide45]

The best advice is if you don't know, don't buy it now. upgrade to the hopper at the gate of a 2nd park for the day. That way if you never go to a 2nd park, you haven't spent the money. The time waiting in line to upgrade is usually minimal.

 

[BTown]

Personally, I would never even consider going to WDW without the park hopper. To me, the park hopper is worth every penny, because it allows you to get more from your day. Should you be at a park that closes early one night, you can spend the rest of your evening somewhere else. Some days, you may start your day at one park, realize it's too crowded, and move to another. Also, with my friends and I, we just get bored being in the same park all day and like to move around. Especially on the last day, the park hopper is great because it allows you to hit up all your favorite attractions one last time before you go.

Though I would highly recommend the park hopper, considering this is your first trip, I think you'll do fine without it. Remember, you can always add it on later. But regardless if your adding it on 5 days or 1 day, the option cost the same. So should you decide to add it, do it as early as possible so you get the most for your money.

 

[Melrosgirl]

Back when they had the "ultimate" parkhopper tickets to buy or back when we got annual passes, sure we park hopped. Now I don't want to pay the extra money for it, so we save the money each trip and don't miss parkhopping.

 

[goofyernmost]

Whenever someone asks me about park hopper vs. no park hopper for either a new, first time visitor, or someone that hasn't been in many years, I always, always say...don't waste your money. There is so much to see in each park that it can't even register in my mind why one would want to not spend the entire day in that park. One can still leave that park, take a nap, swim or whatever, and return to that same park later in the day anyway.

I get a PH because I have been so often that I know the attractions that I want to see again and the ones that do not particularly draw me in. I still usually only use the PH in conjunction with DAK or DHS. I spend time in either of those two and then go back later to MK or Epcot, depending on my mood. I don't feel that either one of those parks is a full day park, after the first visit, so I just combine it with the more established large parks to see it all and not use a whole day in just one.

Again, let me repeat, that is only after I had been a few times and pretty much knew what I wanted to see and not see. For the first timer...see it all. You don't want to take advise about what to see and what not to from someone whose tastes may be completely different from yours. Make you own decisions and experience the entire thing.

I know my first trip, I listened to well meaning friends that made a list of "must see's" that I took to heart. After spending the better part of the day crisscrossing the parks to go to the listed attractions, I finally realized that I was spending more time walking than enjoying. I altered my plan and just went door to door experiencing every attraction along the way and found so many that no one had listed that I thought were great.

So, to make a long story short. Don't bother with a Park Hopper up front. Go first, and like someone stated, you can always add it on later at the same cost as if you did it now.

 

[ReadingMama]

I agree with not getting the Park Hopper option, there will be more than enough to see at each park for the first time! However, you may want to reconsider the afternoon break, esp. with a 6year old, Disney can be tiring and overwhelming and the afternoon break is wonderful! We still feel like we see so much at the parks and it prevents breakdowns later on...

 

[pruesmom]

Don't ever go without a park hopper! Different parades, fireworks, etc. are scheduled at different times and you can hop around without missing things. It's easier to utilize your Xtra Magic Hours too. Go to one park all day, rest then hit the one with evening Magic Hours. Spend the money and get as much of the World as you can!!!

 

[Bev J]

Our first trips we only did one park a day, then one trip we added the hopping feature. We have not looked back- we love to hop. We like to have more choices spend the morning/early afternoon at one park. Take a break then off to another park for the evening. Sometimes we take advantage of evening EMH. We also like to have more choices for dining.

We have gone to WDW several times late October and found it more crowded than we thought it would be. Between Food/Wine Fest and MNSSHP the crowds build up by the end of the month.
If your going to go with no hopper make sure to pay attention to what days MNSSHP is on and avoid MK or your park day is done. Also if the park you choose is busier than you planned on your still stuck with it.

Either way have a great trip!

Bev