Doing Disney Without the Park Hopper?

[brown eyed girl]

We have always used the park hopper everytime we went...this time I am considering not getting it. We are staying 9 days and might only need to do different parks for two days at most. Why pay for a full park hopper...I'm thinking about maybe upgrading for a day or two...is that possible? Has anyone done this before?

 

[Olallamom]

I would feel a little restricted in planning my ADR's for meals if I didn't get a park hopper pass.
We usually start at one park in the morning then take a break and return to the park we are having dinner at for the evening.
I would feel that some flexibility would be lost.

 

[MickeyMomTo2]

I may be wrong, but I think the fee for upgrading to park hopper is a flat fee. SO, it would actually be cheaper per day to have a park hopper for all your days than to upgrade for a day or two. Someone else can jump in and correct me if I am wrong.

 

[Alesia]

Park hopping can only be added to the entire length of your ticket.

 

[Flyin2MCO]

We've added park hopper on previous trips but will not for the next trip. It's not the added cost, but rather a desire to take a more measured and relaxed approach to touring the parks. After a few trips of open to close park hopping (we would always end the day at Epcot, our favorite), I've realized that this is a great option for adding variety to the day but it also adds a lot of exhaustion and stress, not to mention travel time.

With proper planning, you can really make a full day out of each of the WDW parks, and see things that you usually skip when under the park hopping mandate...there are lots of other things to do (DT Disney, exploring the resorts, etc) other than just shuttling between the major parks.

I'll put my commando touring skills up against anyone, but we'll skip park hopping next time to see if we can recapture a bit of the ease that is supposed to be part of any good vacation...

 

[scjo68]

We always hop, we just tend to tour that way. But not adding hopping is a good way to trim the cost, if you are not sure you would take advantage of it.

I am helping my sister and her family plan their first trip, and she is trying to do it less expensively. I told her they don't need to add hopping- that would get expensive for her family of 5.

You can add it at any point in your trip, if you feel too restricted without it. But you add it for the entire stay- whether you have 1 day left or 8. It is always the same price.

 

[Hootch]

option is a flat rate per ticket. Whether a couple of days or the full nine day ticket it's about $49 for each adult ticket.

 

[ZoZo]

As others have said, you have to add the hopper option to your entire ticket - you can't just pick and choose what days you want to add the hopper feature to. It's a flat fee, around $50 per ticket.

As far as whether to add the hopper option or not, everyone is different. We always hop, but it's because we go during the Food and Wine Festival, and participate in events there nearly every day of our trip. We often start out at a different park in the morning, and nearly always end our days at Epcot for the F&W Festival. We figure it costs us about $6 or $7 per day to have the option to hop, and we truly take advantage of it, so it's worth the money.

 

[APB513]

I think I know the answer to this question but I want to be sure.

If I go to DHS for the day and want to attend evening EMH at MK, I would need to use the PH option in order to enter the MK, right?

We will be staying at CSR so I know we would be eligible to attend EMH, I just want to confirm that we would need to use the park hopper feature to get into the MK.

Thanks!

 

[Alesia]

I think I know the answer to this question but I want to be sure.

If I go to DHS for the day and want to attend evening EMH at MK, I would need to use the PH option in order to enter the MK, right?

We will be staying at CSR so I know we would be eligible to attend EMH, I just want to confirm that we would need to use the park hopper feature to get into the MK.

Thanks!

yes, you will need a park hopper.

 

[SereneOne]

We bought ParkHoppers last year because one of our teenagers (18) went with us. We did not parkhop at all and we could have saved $180. This year it will just be my husband and I and our preschool daughter. We are not buying ParkHoppers and made ressies based on what park we would be in for that day...or will be making ressies for whatever park we are in in the next week when it is 180 days plus 10.

Hope you have a wonderful time!

 

[ImaFunMom]

We love to hop. We might go to one park just for dinner or something. We'd literally go to AK and stay until 2-3 p.m., go to MK for a couple of hours and then to Epcot for dinner.

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

We've been to WDW and DL quite a number of times and have always had PH. This time, we're going at the end of June (which we've never done) and taking our DGS, ages 8 and 9. We've decided to just get day passes, go early, leave around lunch and let them swim in the afternoon, then go back to the same park that night. That seems to work for most people when it's busy and hot. Our ADR is for MK and we're planning on being in that park that day so all should work out well. I'm looking forward to not running from park to park this time.

 

[coolbeans]

we are taking DS (2) and DD (12) and have opted not to hop, we bought the hoppers in 2004 with just DD and I don't think we hopped once (waste of money, I know. but we were new at it, and now I am much more educated!!) We planned dinners or breakfasts in the park we are going to spend the day at and used the park hours calendar to decide where to go and when. If we get worn out we will go back to the hotel and rest for a bit then head back to the park.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

We always start and end the day in different parks, but not hopping has the financial advantage. As others have said, you can't pick and choose days to add the hopper option onto, its all or nothing for the length of stay of your passes. If you are going to relent to the hopper, do it right away so you have that freedom for your entire trip.

 

[ScrapperKimmyD]

We're not hopping when we go.

Don't want to waste anytime traveling between parks.

Don't want to spend the extra money.

I can have dinner at whatever park I'm at that day.