Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[scrappinginontario]

I have a reservation at animal kingdom on this upcoming Monday. However we might decide to go to the water park that day. We usually like to go to magic kingdom in the evening. If we do decide to go to the water park and not our reserved animal kingdom park, will we be able to park hop to magic kingdom in the evening? or will we need to go scan or tickets at animal kingdom then turn around and walk out in order to get in magic kingdom? That just seems ridiculous. Want to add that we do have park hoppers on our tickets.

If you do not have park hoppers, the only theme park you may go to is the one you have a reservation for. In your case, if you don't have a hopper then the only park you may go to on Monday is Animal Kingdom as that is the park you have a reservation for.

If you only want to go to Magic Kingdom then you must cancel your AK reservation and try to book MK but there is no guarantee that you will be able to get a MK reservation or that your AK reservation will still be there if you attempt to rebook it.

The two highlighted sections above contradict one another. You may not park hop without a park hopper option.

Updating as I misread park-hopper information:

If you have a reservation for AK, you must tap into that park before you are allowed to go to any other park. If you do not tap into AK you will not be granted admission to MK when you arrive even if it is after 2:00.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

The two highlighted sections above contradict one another. You may not park hop without a park hopper option.

I think maybe you read it wrong. The person you quoted stated that they DO have park hoppers.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I think maybe you read it wrong. The person you quoted stated that they DO have park hoppers.

You're right. LOL, must finish coffee before posting. Edited my post.

 

[skippyman111]

Are the busses still running between parks? We will be going in September. Not sure if that affects things or not. TIA!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Are the busses still running between parks? We will be going in September. Not sure if that affects things or not. TIA!

Yes. They start running between parks around 1:30 each day.

 

[birdman]

Just FYI, did the park hopper from HS to AK. Officially opens at 2 pm but they said the bands will let you in at 1:48. And they did!

 

[JeffTW]

What are the best strategies for park hopping now and this December, to utilize early and late magic hours?

 

[Marionnette]

What are the best strategies for park hopping now and this December, to utilize early and late magic hours?

There are no special morning or evening extra hours right now. Parks may open earlier than their posted times but it can be inconsistent from one day to the next..

No one knows the hours or dates for the evening extra hours, which don't begin until October 1,so it's kind of hard to determine what the best strategy is for nights.

Also, beginning October 1, every park will have the early half-hour entry for Disney hotel guests and select non-Disney hotels. I imagine that strategies will just be similar to rope drop.

 

[TropicalDIS]

Future first time hopper here,

After visiting my initial park for the day, say HS, and I want to Hop to MK, is there somewhere in MDE that I need to indicate this, by doing a reservation or what have you, or do I just make my way to MK and line up to enter the park as usual?

 

[FCDub]

Future first time hopper here,

After visiting my initial park for the day, say HS, and I want to Hop to MK, is there somewhere in MDE that I need to indicate this, by doing a reservation or what have you, or do I just make my way to MK and line up to enter the park as usual?

You just go. Any time after 2 p.m.

 

[TropicalDIS]

You just go. Any time after 2 p.m.

Great, thanks!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Great, thanks!

They left open the possibility they might require reservations for hopping too, but it's never been implemented. So yep, for now, you leave one park and go to another anytime after 2.

 

[Diane Kompan]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but now I can't find an easy answer. If I have a park reservation for say MK and we decide to go to a water park, do I cancel that MK park reservation as soon as we decide? And If I do have park hopper option, can we still go to another park after 2pm after we've returned from the water park?

 

[Tess]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but now I can't find an easy answer. If I have a park reservation for say MK and we decide to go to a water park, do I cancel that MK park reservation as soon as we decide? And If I do have park hopper option, can we still go to another park after 2pm after we've returned from the water park?

You need to have a reservation at a park, e.g., you are going to BB in the morning and want to hit a park later--make sure you have a reservation for that park. If you choose to hop to another AFTER you have entered the reserved park, you are free to do so as normal--after 2:00 p.m.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but now I can't find an easy answer. If I have a park reservation for say MK and we decide to go to a water park, do I cancel that MK park reservation as soon as we decide? And If I do have park hopper option, can we still go to another park after 2pm after we've returned from the water park?

BB does not require a park reservation but if you want to go to any park after BB you will need to have a reservation for that park.

Clarifying since you asked on the 'Park Hopper' thread - going to a water park and a 'regular' park on the same day is not considered park hopping. The BB portion of your ticket is different from the park portion of your ticket. If you get a 5 day ticket this gives you 5 park days and 5 water park days. You may go to both a water park and a 'regular' park on the same day. It will use up 1 day of each. We often do this.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but now I can't find an easy answer. If I have a park reservation for say MK and we decide to go to a water park, do I cancel that MK park reservation as soon as we decide? And If I do have park hopper option, can we still go to another park after 2pm after we've returned from the water park?

To park hop to a theme park after 2:00, you must have first gone to the theme park that you had a park pass reservation for. The water park doesn't count. If you plan to go to MK as your first theme park of the day, keep your MK reservation. If you want to make another park your first theme park of the day, and it has available park passes, drop your MK park pass and make one at the theme park you prefer to go to. It doesn't matter whether you begin your theme park visit(s) before or after 2:00, you need a park pass reservation for the theme park that you first visit that day.

 

[Diane Kompan]

Thanks for clarifying this. I get it now. It was one of those, the more I thought about it, the less I understood it

 

[Cait]

Apologies if this is answered elsewhere; I did a quick search before posting and didn't find the answer to my question. I haven't used Park Hoppers in years, but am considering them for a trip to WDW in October because ::gestures at the state of the parks::. I've seen in FAQs that you can go to park A, then B, then C, but if we were to start the day in Hollywood Studios and then pop over to Epcot for F&W booths, could we then go back to Hollywood Studios to end the day?

 

[PalmettoPath]

The short answer is yes. Here's the long answer in Covid times. You first have to make a Park Pass reservation for each day. Then, you must first enter your designated park for the day before you will be allowed to park hop to any other parks. Also, under current rules, you cannot start park hopping until 2:00 p.m. You don't need reservations for any of the parks after your first park of the day (as it currently stands). So if DHS was your Park Pass for a given day (in your example), you have to go there first (and you have to actually scan into the park) before you will be allowed to hop to any other parks. So in your example, the earliest you can go to Epcot would be 2:00 p.m. Also, they do note that all hopping is subject to park capacity limits (which would give them the ability to deny entry even if you have a Park Hopper, if a park was over capacity). Not sure if that has actually happened to anyone or not.

 

[Cait]

Thanks! I'm aware of the logistics of park pass reservations, the 2pm rule, and subject to park capacity limits. So I know that my hopeful plan is an "if all goes well" scenario. We have all our Park Pass reservations made already, but with realizing how little there is at Hollywood Studios, this would make it easier to spread out the F&W booths. Currently I only have one day booked there, and that's a lot of food to cram into one day haha.