Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[BridgetBordeaux]

Have not been on DisB in a while.
My comments were based on experiences prior to the date of my post.
I have no idea what has been happening since my post.

Here is what was happening at the locations I mentioned.....

A CM would be standing 50-100 feet in front of the tapstyles and was either yelling the announcement or maybe had a little PA system.

They said something like this---

" If you are park hopping....it is not 2 o'clock yet.......park hopping does not start until 2 o'clock.....please stand over here and wait until park hoppers are allowed to enter the park"

I saw it at the IG for EP and DHS..........for sure....a 100 percent concrete memory......I can not remember if it was happening at the EP main entrance because by that time I "knew the drill" and just walked past all any CM making announcements and headed right to a tapstyle at 147/148/149pm.....and got my green mickey...........and entered the park.....clearly before the stroke of 2pm.

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, and I read the first post. Our last visit to WDW was 2015, and at that time, the Disney Bus transportation system only went from Park to Resort, at that time there was no direct Park to Park transportation system (other than in theory the monorail system between MK and EPCOT). Am I reading Post #1 correctly that there is now direct park to park bus transportation? Thx.

 

[CarolynFH]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, and I read the first post. Our last visit to WDW was 2015, and at that time, the Disney Bus transportation system only went from Park to Resort, at that time there was no direct Park to Park transportation system (other than in theory the monorail system between MK and EPCOT). Am I reading Post #1 correctly that there is now direct park to park bus transportation? Thx.

Yes, there are now buses from park to park where no other transportation (monorail, Skyliner or boat) exists. The park to park buses don't start running until around 1:30 PM though, just in time for park hopping at 2:00.

 

[Hitchhiking Ghost]

Yes, there are now buses from park to park where no other transportation (monorail, Skyliner or boat) exists. The park to park buses don't start running until around 1:30 PM though, just in time for park hopping at 2:00.

Thank you, that is very helpful to know. Still learning new things even at my age.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Apologies if this has been asked and answered, and I read the first post. Our last visit to WDW was 2015, and at that time, the Disney Bus transportation system only went from Park to Resort, at that time there was no direct Park to Park transportation system (other than in theory the monorail system between MK and EPCOT). Am I reading Post #1 correctly that there is now direct park to park bus transportation? Thx.

Funny how folks thought there was no park to park buses but even in 2015 there was. It’s been around since we started going regularly in 2008. I mean, they WANT people to hop, because the make money selling hoppers. Easy access to hopping via bus transfers from parks sells hoppers, more so back before Covid reopening than now. Before now it ran all day. Now it starts later.

I think the confusion was the park to park buses were usually located in a more remote area of the bus depots, often neat the charter bus stops. People seem to have overlooked them.

 

[eandt]

You have to go to the park where your reservation is before you can park hop.

I can't believe they are still making folks do this even after 2pm, it's insanity. If you have no park reservation at all or cancel one that you had made, are you able to "hop" to any park you want after 2 provided you have a hopper pass?

 

[scrappinginontario]

I can't believe they are still making folks do this even after 2pm, it's insanity. If you have no park reservation at all or cancel one that you had made, are you able to "hop" to any park you want after 2 provided you have a hopper pass?

Nothing has changed. You must have a park reservation for whichever park you go to first, regardless of what time it is.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I can't believe they are still making folks do this even after 2pm, it's insanity. If you have no park reservation at all or cancel one that you had made, are you able to "hop" to any park you want after 2 provided you have a hopper pass?

Time of day doesn’t matter. A reservation is required to enter a park. If you have no reservation, or cancel a reservation since that results in having no reservation, you can't enter a park. If you can't enter a park it means you can't hop either. So the answer is no.

If your scenario worked, that would be "after 2, no reservation needed for AP or Hopper tickets" situation, and while wonderful, not a Disney we get any longer. Reservations are needed 100% of the time. At least until something changes. Lots of rumors flying about changes but so far, only rumors. I'll believe those when it comes out of Disney's mouth, not a message board or bloggers, LOL

 

[jenmcc21]

Forgive me if this has been answered. We are going as a group of 8 in November. My husband and his friend that we are going with are going to golf a couple of mornings and then meet up with us when we hop to the next park. Do I just get a park reservation for them at the second park, or will it be ok if the rest of our party enters the first park that we have reservations for and they don't. I just thought about this and don't want it to be an issue when they try to enter the second park with us.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Forgive me if this has been answered. We are going as a group of 8 in November. My husband and his friend that we are going with are going to golf a couple of mornings and then meet up with us when we hop to the next park. Do I just get a park reservation for them at the second park, or will it be ok if the rest of our party enters the first park that we have reservations for and they don't. I just thought about this and don't want it to be an issue when they try to enter the second park with us.

Each guest must have a park reservation for the first park they enter each day.

 

[cbnsoul]

We would like to go to Epcot for NYE night but, at least as of now, there is no park availability. I assume park hopping is an option that day. Not sure, however, if they close for capacity for those trying to park hop as used to happen prior to the park reservation system? I'd prefer top go to AK in the morning and then go to Epcot late afternoon (as will likely everyone else!)

 

[scrappinginontario]

We would like to go to Epcot for NYE night but, at least as of now, there is no park availability. I assume park hopping is an option that day. Not sure, however, if they close for capacity for those trying to park hop as used to happen prior to the park reservation system? I'd prefer top go to AK in the morning and then go to Epcot late afternoon (as will likely everyone else!)

It’s always a possibility to happen but since park reservations were introduced, hopping was only stopped once and that was to MK for a few hours on its 50th Anniversary.

 

[dvcdisney]

Sorry if this has been asked several times. I'm still not clear about the answer.

Now that park hopping is available, I'm concerned that if we leave a park that we reserved we may not be able to get in because it's "at capacity". I understand that true capacity is not being reached at this point. However, I'm concerned that on Christmas Day and NYE, there would need to deny entry at some point.

Is it posted or shown on any WDW section that states that my park reservation "guarantees" me into the park regardless of how many park hoppers arrive before I come back?

Thank you for any info.

 

[sponica]

Your park reservation guarantees you can get into the park whether it's rope drop or 9 PM. Essentially you are counted as being there the entire day.

If anything does happen, they'll shut off hopping to the affected parks on those days.

 

[Scalemaster34]

Sorry if this has been asked several times. I'm still not clear about the answer.

Now that park hopping is available, I'm concerned that if we leave a park that we reserved we may not be able to get in because it's "at capacity". I understand that true capacity is not being reached at this point. However, I'm concerned that on Christmas Day and NYE, there would need to deny entry at some point.

Is it posted or shown on any WDW section that states that my park reservation "guarantees" me into the park regardless of how many park hoppers arrive before I come back?

Thank you for any info.

Last year when they closed MK due to capacity, they still allowed those re-entering the park, or those with annual passes or military tickets to enter. You can assume that would be the case again... but also assume it would create a mad house at the gate.

 

[dvcdisney]

Your park reservation guarantees you can get into the park whether it's rope drop or 9 PM. Essentially you are counted as being there the entire day.

If anything does happen, they'll shut off hopping to the affected parks on those days.

Last year when they closed MK due to capacity, they still allowed those re-entering the park, or those with annual passes or military tickets to enter. You can assume that would be the case again... but also assume it would create a mad house at the gate.

Thanks so much for your help!
We haven't been back to WDW since March 2020 and so many things have changed since then. I'm a bit lost.

(actually was there when the parks closed due to Covid, we left MK that last day not realizing that we wouldn't be back for over 2yrs, we went home 5 days earlier than planned)

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Sorry if this has been asked several times. I'm still not clear about the answer.

Now that park hopping is available, I'm concerned that if we leave a park that we reserved we may not be able to get in because it's "at capacity". I understand that true capacity is not being reached at this point. However, I'm concerned that on Christmas Day and NYE, there would need to deny entry at some point.

Is it posted or shown on any WDW section that states that my park reservation "guarantees" me into the park regardless of how many park hoppers arrive before I come back?

Thank you for any info.

Neither Christmas Day nor NYE this past year reached capacity to a point where additional guests were not allowed to hop at 2PM.
They've got maximum park reservation #'s at a point so much lower than maximum capacity it just has become a non-issue.

Even prior to the current reservation system, only single day, walk up ticket sales were impacted

 

[dvcdisney]

Neither Christmas Day nor NYE this past year reached capacity to a point where additional guests were not allowed to hop at 2PM.
They've got maximum park reservation #'s at a point so much lower than maximum capacity it just has become a non-issue.

Even prior to the current reservation system, only single day, walk up ticket sales were impacted

Thank you!

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Refresh my memory - can I start out at MK, hop to Epcot and then back to MK for late night hours? Annual Pass (yes, we're at a deluxe resort)

 

[Mrs.AMC]

Yep