Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[scrappinginontario]

I got up early to get my ADRs and scored a reservation at Space 220 at 1:55 the day we leave. My plan was to rope drop and spend the morning at MK and then hop over to Epcot to eat at Space 220....I recently realized there is a snag with my plan. We cant enter Epcot until 2. (can't teach old dog new tricks)

Would my solution work?

DH is not a rope drop kind of guy and I would let him chill and make his park reservation for Epcot to be at Space 220 on time. The rest of us would be at the Epcot turnstile at 130 to hopefully be allowed to enter at 1:45 - 2. I know there is chance hopping might start earlier but I haven't seen where that has happened yet... I also know we all can have Epcot park reservations.

I am travelling with my grandson and that is why MK is preferred over Epcot


Thank you all for your opinions and experiences

I think you have a good plan in place, especially since you can normally go in between 1:45 to 2:00. Thankfully it’s not too far from park entrance to the restaurant.

Enjoy!!

 

[rn_wannabe]

My dd and her family are going to DW for two days. They don't want to rope drop MK, but she's concerned if they don't it might be too full and they won't be able to park hop to it around 2pm. This will be either on 1/16 or 1/18. If MK is full for reservations on any given day do you think people are still able to park hop to it later in the day? Would it be too risky for them not to rope drop it? They don't want to miss out on MK. Hopefully this make sense. Thanks in advance!

Melissa

 

[scrappinginontario]

My dd and her family are going to DW for two days. They don't want to rope drop MK, but she's concerned if they don't it might be too full and they won't be able to park hop to it around 2pm. This will be either on 1/16 or 1/18. If MK is full for reservations on any given day do you think people are still able to park hop to it later in the day? Would it be too risky for them not to rope drop it? They don't want to miss out on MK. Hopefully this make sense. Thanks in advance!

Melissa

They will be just fine. Please read post 1 of this thread.

 

[hswillia07]

Hey! I've been asking lots of questions lately - thanks for everyones help For one day of our trip, we currently have park hopper and a reservation at MK. Our initial plan was MK, then to Animal Kingdom, and then back to MK for extended evening hours. I was going to change the reservation today to Animal Kingdom as we changed our minds and decided just to do AK in the morning and MK in the evening. When I went into MDE to make the change, it says that MK isn't available to reserve that day, though the main calendar on the Disney website says it is? I don't want to switch the reservation to AK and then try to park hop to MK later only to find out it's full. I'm just confused as to why the two calendars say different things. Any insight would be so appreciated - thanks!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Hey! I've been asking lots of questions lately - thanks for everyones help For one day of our trip, we currently have park hopper and a reservation at MK. Our initial plan was MK, then to Animal Kingdom, and then back to MK for extended evening hours. I was going to change the reservation today to Animal Kingdom as we changed our minds and decided just to do AK in the morning and MK in the evening. When I went into MDE to make the change, it says that MK isn't available to reserve that day, though the main calendar on the Disney website says it is? I don't want to switch the reservation to AK and then try to park hop to MK later only to find out it's full. I'm just confused as to why the two calendars say different things. Any insight would be so appreciated - thanks!

The park availability calendar is not updated real-time so it’s not as accurate as actually trying to book a park reservation. I would recommend you keep trying as people change their plans often.

Just so I understand, Are you asking about the ability to hop to MK if it’s full for reservations? Hopping is not a concern. Per post 1, it was only stopped for a few hours once on MK’s 50th anniversary.

 

[hswillia07]

The park availability calendar is not updated real-time so it’s not as accurate as actually trying to book a park reservation. I would recommend you keep trying as people change their plans often.

Just so I understand, Are you asking about the ability to hop to MK if it’s full for reservations? Hopping is not a concern. Per post 1, it was only stopped for a few hours once on MK’s 50th anniversary.

Oh! That's so helpful, thank you. That was my worry. If I make our reservation for AK, we'll want to hop to MK at some point (probably 5pm or so because we also have extended evening hours that night) and I was worried we wouldn't be able to if MK is at capacity. It sounds like what you're saying is that isn't really an issue. Thanks so much!

 

[scrappinginontario]

Oh! That's so helpful, thank you. That was my worry. If I make our reservation for AK, we'll want to hop to MK at some point (probably 5pm or so because we also have extended evening hours that night) and I was worried we wouldn't be able to if MK is at capacity. It sounds like what you're saying is that isn't really an issue. Thanks so much!

Yes, not an issue at all. You will be fine to enter MK.

 

[notatallmagic]

We have some unused 2 day Park Hopper tickets, and I was wondering

1) Can we hop to more than two parks in one day? I know that currently there is still the "only hop after 2pm" rule, but could I go (for example) to Hollywood first, then to Animal, and then end at Epcot?

2) Can you start at one park, for example at Magic Kingdom, then hop over to Animal, then back to Magic to take advantage of the extra night hours?

My initial two day plan was Hollywood/Epcot, and then Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom, but I don't want to risk NOT getting into my second park - has anyone encountered NOT being allowed to hop due to park capacity? Our potential trip dates are the first week of June. Thanks!

 

[CarolynFH]

We have some unused 2 day Park Hopper tickets, and I was wondering

1) Can we hop to more than two parks in one day? I know that currently there is still the "only hop after 2pm" rule, but could I go (for example) to Hollywood first, then to Animal, and then end at Epcot?

Yes, indeed!

2) Can you start at one park, for example at Magic Kingdom, then hop over to Animal, then back to Magic to take advantage of the extra night hours?

Yes again!

My initial two day plan was Hollywood/Epcot, and then Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom, but I don't want to risk NOT getting into my second park - has anyone encountered NOT being allowed to hop due to park capacity? Our potential trip dates are the first week of June. Thanks!

So far, there has only been one occasion when hopping was not allowed - to MK for a couple of hours on October 1, 2021, the 50th Anniversary. Guests have hopped freely at all other times, even during the busiest days between Christmas and New Year’s.

So you should be fine to do as you plan! Enjoy!

 

[FCDub]

As long as you enter your reserved park first

 

[scrappinginontario]

We have some unused 2 day Park Hopper tickets, and I was wondering

1) Can we hop to more than two parks in one day? I know that currently there is still the "only hop after 2pm" rule, but could I go (for example) to Hollywood first, then to Animal, and then end at Epcot?

2) Can you start at one park, for example at Magic Kingdom, then hop over to Animal, then back to Magic to take advantage of the extra night hours?

My initial two day plan was Hollywood/Epcot, and then Animal Kingdom/Magic Kingdom, but I don't want to risk NOT getting into my second park - has anyone encountered NOT being allowed to hop due to park capacity? Our potential trip dates are the first week of June. Thanks!

Please see post 1 of this thread.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

This is a thread intended to talk about everything to do with park hopping as we understand there are many questions.

Time: Park Hopping officially begins at 2:00 PM each day. Park Hopping guests may be allowed in as early as 1:45 but this is not guaranteed. Buses start running between parks at approx. 1:30.

Park Hopping Capacity: There may be times that a park is closed to park hopping IF it has reached Park Hopping capacity.

With the exception of a couple of hours in the late afternoon of Oct 1, 2021 for the Magic Kingdom, to date, park hopping has always been allowed to all parks, even when all parks were full for new park reservations.

Park Reservation Capacity vs Park Hopping Capacity: Park capacity for daily reservations is not the same as park capacity for park hopping. If a park has reached capacity to book a daily reservation, this does not automatically mean you cannot hop to it.

Park Hopping Phone Number: To find out if a park is open for park hopping, guests may call 1-407-560-5000.

Park Hopping Requirement: In order to hop to a second park, a guest must have tapped into the park where they have booked a reservation for that day. Guests cannot just go to the second park even if it is after 2:00 PM.

Returning to Original Park: A guest can always return to the original park they had a reservation for. Even if it is at capacity for hopping, a guest with a reservation may enter their original park at any time that day.

Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR): An ADR may be booked at a park a guest intends to hop to but an ADR does not guarantee entrance to that park if it has reached park hopping capacity. (Reiterating that as of today a park has never reached capacity for hopping.) How the no-show fee for a missed reservation due to inability to hop has not yet been an issue so it is not known if the $10/person no-show fee would be charged or if this fee would be waived by Disney.

An ADR does not grant early access to a park via hopping. Reservations at the 'hopped to' park must be 2:00 or later.

Park Hopper Tickets: The park hopping option must be added to the entire number of days of the ticket. It is not possible to add Park Hopping to only a portion of the ticket.

Park Hopping to Multiple Parks: It is possible to hop to as many parks as a guest wishes to after 2:00 PM. There is not limit as long as there is availability.

Transportation Between Parks:

• Animal Kingdom to all parks - Bus
• Epcot to Hollywood Studios - Skyliner, Friendship Boat or Walk (approx. 20 min walk)
• Epcot to Animal Kingdom - Bus
• Epcot to Magic Kingdom - Monorail
• Hollywood Studios to Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom - Bus
• Hollywood Studios to Epcot - Skyliner, Friendship Boat or Walk (approx. 20 min walk)
• Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios - Bus
• Magic Kingdom to Epcot - Monorail

Adding Park Hopping to Ticket in Use: Park Hopper option can be added at any point in your trip although it will be added for all days. It is not possible to add the PH option to one day of a multiple day ticket. Once PH is added, PH can begin that same day as long as it is 2:00 PM or later.

Genie+: If you have Genie+ added to your ticket on a day you are PH ant book LL at a park you are hopping to, all LL reservation times displayed will be 2PM or later.

Update based on changes introduced Dec 8, 2022

Cost to add PH is now:

• 1 Day ticket: $60-$65 above MK ticket price
• 2-4 Day ticket: $85
• 5-10 Day ticket: $90

Pricing: I just added park hoper for my Dec 1-8 2023 trip and the price on my 6 day ticket was $101 each, $404 for 4 of us. That’s a significant jump.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Pricing: I just added park hoper for my Dec 1-8 2023 trip and the price on my 6 day ticket was $101 each, $404 for 4 of us. That’s a significant jump.

Did you purchase your tickets prior to the last price increase? I’m running the math and to purchase new now for your dates it’s a $95 increase to add PH which is still more than in page 1 but not as much as you paid.

I just ran some dates and it appears they’ve added price surging to the PH option too. Based on various dates it appears purchasing a 6 day ticket with the PH option now can cost anything from $85 to $95. (There could be others

Thanks for the info. I will alter post 1 to better reflect that prices vary.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

Did you purchase your tickets prior to the last price increase? I’m running the math and to purchase new now for your dates it’s a $95 increase to add PH which is still more than in page 1 but not as much as you paid.

I just ran some dates and it appears they’ve added price surging to the PH option too. Based on various dates it appears purchasing a 6 day ticket with the PH option now can cost anything from $85 to $95. (There could be others

Thanks for the info. I will alter post 1 to better reflect that prices vary.

Stil coming up at $101 each for me. It’s not a huge difference, but just figured I would point it out.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Stil coming up at $101 each for me. It’s not a huge difference, but just figured I would point it out.

The challenge is you are trying to upgrade tickets linked to a package. The price difference could be attributed to an increase in the original tickets plus the park hopper option. Adding PH to a ticket that has not been activated adjusts your entire ticket price, not necessarily just the cost of adding PH.

The only way to see how much is actually the PH portion is to pretend to buy net new tickets for your dates.

I used Dec 1, 2023 as a start date and 1 6-day ticket. The difference is $95 after taxes.

 

[Steffiesunshine]

Ohhh! Thanks for the explanation!

 

[Dulcee]

We are traveling with a large group in March. Everyone in the group has park hoppers and I've made all the primary park reservations.

That said, there are a few people in our group who are not pleasant early risers and while everyone keeps telling me to "plan and we'll follow along" its not unforeseeable that at some point in the trip, certain people don't get up, and won't be ready to meet us until we've already park hopped at 2 pm.

In that case... will it be problematic if they attempt to meet us in the park we've hopped to but they haven't tapped into the park that I originally reserved for them?

* I know you can always change a park pass reservation but in March there is a very real possibility of "sold-out" park passes well in advance of our trip dates *

 

[mom2rtk]

As it stands right now they need to tap in at the first park before they can hop.

 

[Dulcee]

As it stands right now they need to tap in at the first park before they can hop.

Argh. I was afraid of that.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We are traveling with a large group in March. Everyone in the group has park hoppers and I've made all the primary park reservations.

That said, there are a few people in our group who are not pleasant early risers and while everyone keeps telling me to "plan and we'll follow along" its not unforeseeable that at some point in the trip, certain people don't get up, and won't be ready to meet us until we've already park hopped at 2 pm.

In that case... will it be problematic if they attempt to meet us in the park we've hopped to but they haven't tapped into the park that I originally reserved for them?

* I know you can always change a park pass reservation but in March there is a very real possibility of "sold-out" park passes well in advance of our trip dates *

Please see post 1 of this thread. As @mom2rtk said, all must tap into the first park before hopping.