Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[Jedimike]

We have a MK Park Reservation next week. We have lunch at Tony's and Dinner late at night at Skipper Canteen (at 8:55 PM).

If we park hop to, say, Epcot in the afternoon, will we be able to park hop back to MK late at night for dinner reservation? Or should we not not go to Epcot that afternoon?

 

[trivan]

I haven't read that would be a problem going back to MK. The only factor is if MK is full capacity, which I have yet to read has happened.

 

[jbish]

I do not think that hopping twice/hopping back is a problem under the current rules. I feel like I have seen anecdotes of people doing exactly that.

 

[MrKnight]

This should be fine, sounds doable. To be safe, just be sure to factor in to leave Epcot at least 1.5 hours prior to your scheduled ADR at MK..

 

[nivekious]

I believe I read that the park you have a park pass to is guaranteed, even if you have left and come back.

 

[maltdizzy]

I believe I read that the park you have a park pass to is guaranteed, even if you have left and come back.

This. You are guaranteed to get back into your reserved park. But as others have noted, there are zero reports of anyone be turned away from a park when hopping.

 

[epcotobsessed]

We are 100% sure we want to spend our whole first day at Epcot. After that, we may want to have the hopping option. Is it possible to add the park hopper after you have used one day of your ticket or do you have to add it that first day (or before)?

 

[scrappinginontario]

We are 100% sure we want to spend our whole first day at Epcot. After that, we may want to have the hopping option. Is it possible to add the park hopper after you have used one day of your ticket or do you have to add it that first day (or before)?

You may add it at any time but you will always pay for the hopper based on the entire length of your ticket so it will not be any less to add it after you have used a day or two. E.G. the cost to add PH option to a 5 day ticket is the same price if you add it on day 1 or day 5.

 

[epcotobsessed]

Makes sense, thank you.

 

[jbrinkm]

I'm wondering what people's reasons are for park hopping - other than a very short trip where you're trying to squeeze as much in as you can. Or because you couldn't get a park pass - I understand those reasons, LOL! I'd especially like to hear about any advantages you feel that park hopping might give you in other situations.

Is it to take advantage of different hours (open early vs stay late) at the parks? To get lower wait times? Food/reservation related? When you hop, do you usually plan it ahead of time, or just decide to do it in the moment?

Have you ever had a time when it worked out really well, or a time when it went really badly? Very curious to hear your stories as I'm starting to put a plan together for the next visit.

 

[trivan]

My family has never been a 1 park a day visitor. Prior to last year HS was at most a RD morning for me and my oldest. We RD, Tot, then RR, and TSM then we were done when most were entering into the park. We generally will go to Epcot for food and then decided the park depending what we feel like doing or eating. We like the flexibility, now with a park reservation required we are going to change the way we park hop.

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

We loved hopping to EPCOT at night when we stayed at Beach Club. We had dinner in the World Showcase several nights.

 

[jeforman]

Before Covid, when there was still entertainment in Epcot, I would hop to Epcot for dinner or after dinner to watch the bands. Sometimes I hopped for dinner. I love Animal Kingdom, but when I usually go, it closes at 5. Sometimes I would hop to Epcot or MK for the evening. The studios were never an all day park for me, so that is another time that I may hop.

 

[scrappinginontario]

For us, the advantage to hopping will mainly be food options for dinner as many locations at resorts have fairly limited menus right now. Being able to hop to Epcot for dinner then take the Skyliner back to pop is a huge draw for us this trip.

 

[JCornell]

For us, hopping didn't make much sense in the past. However, we do it now occasionally if our resort is near to the park we're hopping. It's a lot easier to hit MK if you're a monorail or Wilderness resort and a lot easier to hit Epcot if you're a Boardwalk or Skyliner resort. Same for DHS now, too I guess.

 

[Mome Rath]

I'm wondering what people's reasons are for park hopping - other than a very short trip where you're trying to squeeze as much in as you can. Or because you couldn't get a park pass - I understand those reasons, LOL! I'd especially like to hear about any advantages you feel that park hopping might give you in other situations.

Is it to take advantage of different hours (open early vs stay late) at the parks? To get lower wait times? Food/reservation related? When you hop, do you usually plan it ahead of time, or just decide to do it in the moment?

Have you ever had a time when it worked out really well, or a time when it went really badly? Very curious to hear your stories as I'm starting to put a plan together for the next visit.

I hop every trip, and hope hopping is modified as things settle down in the parks (the 2 o'clock hop time is way too late IMO). I hop for rides, and for crowds, the way they operate during covidtide has put a knot in my otherwise smooth plans. Used to do things like be at AK for extra magic hour in the morning, ride Pandora's twin rides, and then head straight out to another park. Now, we still rope-drop, but then head back to the hotel for a break, then on to a different park. We just don't like staying in the same park all day. I've been in MK when the crowds are just unbearable, so I turn around and go to a different park. In short, it helps me hit all the things I want to do, and avoid crowds...

We usually plan it, but we have shown up, seen crowds and totally changed plans. The only time it doesn't seem to work is if it takes too long to hop and the park hours aren't on your side, or you hop from crowds into worse crowds (normally that doesn't happen because you are in the most crowded park). lol

 

[Gehrig1B]

Pre COVID hopping made dining ADRs simple. No need to worry about which park you were going to that day just reserve the restaurant you want and hop. We also liked the flexibility to hop for hard to get same-day fast passes. Hopping allows us spontaneity as we plan morning park and then let the afternoon/evening revolve around our dining preferences. So many reasons to hop… and if you have a 10 day visit planned, hopping costs less than a bison burger a day!

 

[PamNC]

Hi there. I just want to make sure I understand the park hopper 100%. All you have to do is go to the park for which you have a park reservation and at 2:00 you can hop to ANY of other three parks. Correct?

 

[Hazy27]

Provided that the park you want to hop to isn't maxed out.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Provided that the park you want to hop to isn't maxed out.

This has never happened.

OP, that is correct.