Park Hopper VS Base

[mrd7896]

I know everyone has a different style of touring and different preferences but based on the following details of a trip that are more 'set in stone', would you most likely get 4 days of Park Hoppers or 4 days of base tickets?
the cost isn't a factor i think it is about an $80 per person difference.

TIA!!

Logistics:
-6 nights/7 days
-Sunday to Saturday in September
-Already receive a discount with Universal tickets so we will have 3 days of Universal tickets that include the water park and the park to park feature.
-We will be going to a park on our arrival day (flight gets in around 8:30 AM) and our departure day (flight doesn't leave until about 8 pm). I'm pretty sure those will both be fore Universal but again will change things around depending on the ticket type i get.
-Staying on Disney property most likely Coronado Springs

Additional factors:
-Will just be 2 adults
-DBF has never been to Disney Springs, boardwalk or really anything that is outside of WDW theme parks
-Both of us have never been during Sept so any festivals or extra events would be completely new
-Our last trip we did park hoppers but that was because we had less nights and we felt SO RUSHED but wanted to get everything accomplished because it was his first trip ever
-My time two trips ago, my family had park hoppers and we didn't utilize them

When DBF described what he wanted this next trip to be like he said 'more relaxed'...which can mean different tickets/things to different people
I know that is relative when talking about Disney but for reference our one day last year was wake up-rope drop Epcot, get as much done as possible by 1 pm and then go to Hollywood Studios (which we walked to because we missed the boat..naturally) barely made it to our Sci-Fi reservation and then got on only a handful of rides before going to Fantasmic-yes in hindsight that was poor planning and some unrealistic expectations but he definitely wasn't a happy camper that day.

I am confident in my ticket decision until I start a rough itinerary outline and see that one day would just be for Animal Kingdom and realistically we would never spend a full day there

I always felt like i HAVE to be at the parks as much as possible...when i know that doesn't need to be the case

 

[Bjkandma]

I'm going to suggest you start with just a basic ticket. When you arrive, you can upgrade to park hopper tickets, if you feel it will work. Know that you will pay same for Parker hopper if you get it on day one or day three. This gives you the option, and not waste money on something you might not use. (Tickets can always be upgraded, but never "down graded")

 

[leebee]

I'd get the base tickets and then add hopping if you think you need it once you are there. We usually don't hop. We've found we like being up/out late at night, so we never rope drop; gotta sleep sometime! We leave our hotel by 10am, head to one park, and stay there the entire day. When at MK we might leave the park to go to a resort hotel for dinner, but we go back to MK for the evening. Same with HS (have dinner on the Boardwalk or at a resort, but go back to HS for the evening).

Don't sell AK short; now that Pandora is open, we spend more time in AK as Pandora is so visually stunning we spend a lot of time just walking around looking at it all! We have also discovered the pleasures of a leisurely lunch at Nomad Lounge, drinking tasty adult beverages, snacking on small plates, and chatting with the barkeeps. We also really enjoy taking a slow stroll along the Pangani Trail to see the gorillas and meerkats, among other animals, and we also explore the trails around the Tree of Life to see the animals hiding within their exhibits.

We are going to Orlando for 5 full days this December but only doing 2 park days: Universal for WWoHP (2park/1 day tickets) and then AK/Epcot on Christmas Eve (one day PH). I am excited about exploring Disney Springs in the evenings, checking out lounges at the resorts, maybe going to Jellyrolls. These are all things we wouldn't do if we had kids in tow... the "adults only" Disney trip is a new experience for us!

(I will ask... what about a 5 day base ticket instead of 4 day PH? You could be more leisurely in your park visits, having shorter days with the ability to go back to one park, while still having "free time" to explore other places.)

 

[chris benton]

I'd suggest not buying hoppers unless you know what you'll use them for.

I get hoppers, but I plan what I'll be using them for. I also stay in an Ep area resort, so I know that my travel time to and from 2 parks is only 10 to 15 minutes.

 

[mrd7896]

I'd get the base tickets and then add hopping if you think you need it once you are there. We usually don't hop. We've found we like being up/out late at night, so we never rope drop; gotta sleep sometime! We leave our hotel by 10am, head to one park, and stay there the entire day. When at MK we might leave the park to go to a resort hotel for dinner, but we go back to MK for the evening. Same with HS (have dinner on the Boardwalk or at a resort, but go back to HS for the evening).

Don't sell AK short; now that Pandora is open, we spend more time in AK as Pandora is so visually stunning we spend a lot of time just walking around looking at it all! We have also discovered the pleasures of a leisurely lunch at Nomad Lounge, drinking tasty adult beverages, snacking on small plates, and chatting with the barkeeps. We also really enjoy taking a slow stroll along the Pangani Trail to see the gorillas and meerkats, among other animals, and we also explore the trails around the Tree of Life to see the animals hiding within their exhibits.

(I will ask... what about a 5 day base ticket instead of 4 day PH? You could be more leisurely in your park visits, having shorter days with the ability to go back to one park, while still having "free time" to explore other places.)

1. Wow going to a nearby resort for lunch is such a good idea. I know i have done that YEARS ago but never during a recent adult trip. We went back to our hotel for lunch twice on our last trip just because we enjoyed the new offerings at Coronado Springs but not having to trek all the way back to our own resort is smarter.
2.Oh we absolutely LOVE AK-we walked around all of the animal trails and went on Pandora twice and really tried to do every inch of that place before leaving around lunchtime. Again, we rope dropped so we were there for a few hours prior. I haven't seen Pandora at dark so IF we went with the base ticket idea we probably wouldn't get to AK until a bit later in the day. Kind of kill two birds with one stone and finally get to see it lit up at night while enjoying our pace, not wasting too much time, etc. That will most likely also depend on if i can get a FoP FP again.
3. I could look into any sort of cost difference for that. That isn't a bad idea either and one i hadn't thought of at all. We just looked at having 4 days of disney and 3 days of Universal because our Universal tickets forced our mind to be made up for us!

thank you so much for your opinions!!!

 

[queenvee]

I always go with park hoppers, especially on adults only trips and if cost isn't a factor. I like the flexibility of being able to go from park to park if I want. Also to me having the option to park hop makes for a more relaxing trip, I am one of those people who will do my three fast passes in one park and if it's too crowded I will gladly hop over to another one. I find it especially useful on departure day so I can squeeze in that last ride or stop back by that one shop to get the souvenir I now really want. I totally get that park hopping is not for everyone, but there is no way I would go without it.

 

[skippytx]

I always get park hoppers, I hate feeling limited in what I can do on vacation. We usually take a mid day break anyway and do 1 park in the morning, and end the day at MK anyway, so it's a must for the way we tour.

 

[CAQDaddy]

Since you said the cost isn't an option I would probably do the hoppers. Like Queenvee said above, if it's super crowded at a park you can hop to another. For me that keeps it "relaxed." I would be a little stressed if a park was extremely crowded and I only had a base ticket.

 

[CAQDaddy]

Since you said the cost isn't an option I would probably do the hoppers. Like Queenvee said above, if it's super crowded at a park you can hop to another. For me that keeps it "relaxed." I would be a little stressed if a park was extremely crowded and I only had a base ticket.

 

[sethschroeder]

I always felt like i HAVE to be at the parks as much as possible...when i know that doesn't need to be the case

I highly suggest Park Hoppers for one simple reason. I plan to leave the park somewhere between 12pm-2pm and go back to the hotel for a couple hours or hit up a restaurant at a hotel. When I leave the park in the morning I decide the evening park based on wait times I see in the WDW Apps (not Disney's app but apps that are user reported) as well as where I can get the best FP+ for the evening.

If as an example I left MK and went back to the hotel I would feel as if I "wasted" the time even though it was a good recharge.

If you are not sure save the money for it but then wait until you get there.

We also never go for less than 7 nights to WDW.

 

[Delirium]

Reason to hop - The Food & Wine festival will be going on while you are there. We love hopping to Epcot in the evening for concerts and such.

Reason not to hop - If you do end up staying at Coronado Springs, that is one of the most difficult from a transportation perspective, which is an even bigger impact when you hop.

 

[All Tangled Up]

I am fine without Park Hopper. If a park isn't a "full day" thing for you, spend the rest of the day unwinding or resort hopping! (I loved resort hopping)

The time it takes to get from 1 park to another makes park hopper not worth it to me

 

[sharonabe]

-Both of us have never been during Sept so any festivals or extra events would be completely new

I would also wait until I get there to purchase hoppers when and if I felt I needed them. However, you may want to spend that $80 or so on a ticket to MNSSHP instead. That could make that one day a "hopper" in that you could use a base ticket to go to another park that morning/afternoon and then "hop" to MK for the party.

I will say, party season is one reason to get the hopper. MK will close early several nights that week. Going to MK the day of a party is golden, because the park is much less crowded, but you have to leave at 6:00 p.m. That makes hopping to another park very tempting. On the reverse, the days MK doesn't have a party are VERY crowded. So if you want to see HEA, you either brave the crowds all day with a base ticket or you get the hopper and just hop over one night for HEA.

Reason not to hop - If you do end up staying at Coronado Springs, that is one of the most difficult from a transportation perspective, which is an even bigger impact when you hop.

Where you stay doesn't really have an impact on hopping if you hop from one park to the other. If you're going back to your resort for a break, you have the difficulty of transportation whether you're going to another park or the same park after your break.

 

[mrd7896]

I would also wait until I get there to purchase hoppers when and if I felt I needed them. However, you may want to spend that $80 or so on a ticket to MNSSHP instead. That could make that one day a "hopper" in that you could use a base ticket to go to another park that morning/afternoon and then "hop" to MK for the party.

I will say, party season is one reason to get the hopper. MK will close early several nights that week. Going to MK the day of a party is golden, because the park is much less crowded, but you have to leave at 6:00 p.m. That makes hopping to another park very tempting. On the reverse, the days MK doesn't have a party are VERY crowded. So if you want to see HEA, you either brave the crowds all day with a base ticket or you get the hopper and just hop over one night for HEA.

We were considering MNSSHP actually! For exactly what you said where that day would essentially be a 'hopper' day should we go to a different park in the morning-or even start at a universal park. I have done MVMCP so it is definitely appealing to try another party. I think the price is like $85 per person depending on the day we pick? pretty much a wash.

I didn't think about how crowded MK would be around that time because i just assumed that early sept. would bring pretty manageable crowds but now you have me thinking..
I also would be interested in food and wine while also being very not interested in it at the same time--if that makes sense. the crowds make me nervous but i also heard that weekday nights are much better.

any crowds we experience will be better than thanksgiving crowds lets be honest

 

[sharonabe]

any crowds we experience will be better than thanksgiving crowds lets be honest

Actually, those non-party days at MK will be a lot like Thanksgiving crowds.

As for F&W, afternoons are better than evenings, and weekday afternoons are best of all.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Everyone has their different plans, touring styles, and budgets. But to me the freedom afforded by the extra $300 spent to add hoppers is well worth it. But we always stay either Epcot or MK resorts so we tend to pop in and out a lot.

 

[nickg420]

Wife and I have APs and park hop like rabbits when we travel alone. However, when we bring the kids, 8 and 11, it's just too much for them to hop from park to park all day.

So, with the kids we usually do not do hoppers and just extend the number of days so that we can allow for plenty of time to get everything we want to do, done.

 

[Disneypro1]

Base tickets and one park per day is the way to go. Get there early stay late. You will get more done.
Let alone the savings. Which is substantial.

 

[Bete]

We are quite happy with base tickets on our trips. Like everyone else has said you can always upgrade once you are there.

It is a little easier now to park hop with the Skyliner but I'm still a base ticket person.

We have taken a break in the afternoon and we feel fine going back to the same park.

 

[loves to dive]

We always get hoppers, we just like to go with the flow and rarely even make more than 1 FP. We just don't like to be tied down to a schedule. We rarely rope drop either. If we go to a park and it's just too crowded we hop on a bus and move on. We also like to go back to the resort at some in the afternoon for a soak in the hot tub and a refreshing adult beverage, often after that we will go to a different park. We just don't rush or worry about riding all the rides. We have been going for over 35 years and still haven't ridden all the rides or seen everything there is to see so why rush it. We also rarely make ADRs any further in advance then afternoon of. If we have park hoppers, it really doesn't matter what park we find an opening at.