Help me with Park Hopper Plus Plans Please?

[tucky]

I am so excited about our first trip to Disney world coming up! We decided we are going to get the Park Hopper Plus tickets because they are less than 10% extra, but we get to see as much of the happiest place on earth as possible. I have never been before and I know it is hard to see everything in one trip so I need advice on making the most of the plus tickets!

We noticed that the park hopper plus gives you admission to two water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, golfing, and mini golfing. I don't think anyone in our group is interested in golf, but I think the water parks and ESPN can be really great afternoon breaks and we'll mix in some other things. The water parks look so awesome and I'm a huge fan of sports of any kind and these facilities look amazing. Plus I want an ESPN t-shirt. I also threw in some activities that don't require the ticket I think.

So here's what I'm thinking we do for our afternoon breaks:

Saturday: Typhoon Lagoon
Sunday: Disney Springs (no ticket needed? for late lunch and check out unique shops)
Monday: ESPN Wide World of Sports
Tuesday: Blizzard Beach
Wednesday: Boardwalk (no ticket needed)
Thursday: Repeat whatever was our favorite
Friday: Maybe check out the mini golf if there's time, then get on the plane and go home​

I am trying to convince people to extend their trip by another four days with me, so then I'd repeat a few activities to this schedule: 2 water parks, ESPNS, and night time adults only at Disney Springs.

What does everyone think? Am I making the most of our plus ticket? What is your advice for someone of my interests? I dont have to be in the theme parks all the time but outside of these breaks we will be there from opening to closing. . Yay, your advise would be awesome thank you!

 

[Robo]

I am so excited about our first trip to Disney world coming up! We decided we are going to get the Park Hopper Plus tickets because they are less than 10% extra, but we get to see as much of the happiest place on earth as possible. I have never been before and I know it is hard to see everything in one trip so I need advice on making the most of the plus tickets!

We noticed that the park hopper plus gives you admission to two water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, golfing, and mini golfing. I don't think anyone in our group is interested in golf, but I think the water parks and ESPN can be really great afternoon breaks and we'll mix in some other things. The water parks look so awesome and I'm a huge fan of sports of any kind and these facilities look amazing. Plus I want an ESPN t-shirt. I also threw in some activities that don't require the ticket I think.

So here's what I'm thinking we do for our afternoon breaks:

1. Saturday: Typhoon Lagoon
2. Sunday: Disney Springs (no ticket needed? for late lunch and check out unique shops)
3. Monday: ESPN Wide World of Sports
4. Tuesday: Blizzard Beach
5. Wednesday: Boardwalk (no ticket needed)
6. Thursday: Repeat whatever was our favorite
7. Friday: Maybe check out the mini golf if there's time, then get on the plane and go home​

I am trying to convince people to extend their trip by another four days with me, so then I'd repeat a few activities to this schedule: 2 water parks, ESPNS, and night time adults only at Disney Springs.

What does everyone think? Am I making the most of our plus ticket? What is your advice for someone of my interests? I dont have to be in the theme parks all the time but outside of these breaks we will be there from opening to closing. . Yay, your advise would be awesome thank you!

1. OK.
2. No ticket needed for Disney Springs.
3. There's not much (if anything) to do at Wide World of Sports.
(I don't know if you can see much of the facilities unless you are at an event.)
You can buy the shirt elsewhere. (I'll bet you can get one at ESPN Club at Boardwalk.)
4. OK.
5. Correct. Better at night.
6. OK.
7. OK.

For the "Plus," most guests just use the Water Parks option once or twice,
and maybe mini-golf.
Again, really not much value in going to Wide World of Sports.
It's not an "attraction" on its own.

 

[sharonabe]

What does everyone think? Am I making the most of our plus ticket? What is your advice for someone of my interests? I dont have to be in the theme parks all the time but outside of these breaks we will be there from opening to closing. . Yay, your advise would be awesome thank you!

You are definitely making the most of your ticket, but I don't think you're going to be able to keep that schedule. I can possibly see using ESPN, Boardwalk, and DS as an afternoon break, but the water parks will zap your energy. Also, there's not much going on at the Boardwalk in the afternoon; it comes more alive in the evenings.

How are you traveling around WDW? Do you have your own car or are you relying on Disney buses? If you don't have a car and you decide to keep this schedule, you may want to budget for uber/lyft to get you around. Travel time to the water parks and DS will take up a lot of your afternoon break if you rely on Disney transportation.

Also, will you pack swimsuits to take with you to the parks in the mornings of your waterpark days or will you go back to the resort to change? What about after the waterpark and before you go back to the regular parks?

 

[Alesia]

Don't bother going to ESPN wide world of sports -- there is literally nothing going on there.

There's nothing to do at the boardwalk during the day, either.

The water parks aren't a good option for an afternoon break. First of all, they're exhausting, and second, they'll be very busy by the time you get there.

I think you might want to head back to the drawing board. Be sure to keep transportation in mind

 

[mi*vida*loca]

Are you not doing the theme parks?

I know after a day at the water parks I'm beat. That's at home and at WDW. It's why we don't really do the water parks at Disney. We haven't done it in over 10 years. It's just exhausting and I'm done for the rest of the day.

 

[pitpat]

just concentrate on the theme parks. maybe a water park fit in somewhere, but none of that other stuff is worth taking park time for.

 

[sturner324]

I’m advocating for extending your trip if possible. I think the best way to use the water parks add-on is to use them on non-park days. For example, if you have a 5-day hopper plus water parks, stay for 7+ days and go to the water parks on off days in the middle. Maybe combine it with Disney springs, boardwalk, or mini golf in the evening.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with hopping to the water park as a break from a regular park, but I agree with others saying it will be exhausting. Will you wear a swim suit under your clothes all day? Or will you carry clothes with you? Or will you have to go back to the resort to change?

Water parks, like the regular parks, get more crowded in the afternoon. So, you might find that you aren’t able to do much... depending on the length of your “break”. I’m just not sure it would be worth it.

 

[piratepride]

Are you planning on hitting any parks??? That is the most expensive part of the park hopper tickets!

 

[Alesia]

I just wanted to add that I think you may be making the same mistake as many first time planners do: vastly underestimating the size of WDW. It's not just a little bit bigger than other parks, it's massive -- literally twice the size of Manhattan. Getting from one place to another takes time, so if you're going to be going from one place to another, you need to really think about location.

 

[MimiDee905]

The only time my DH and I have ever purchased a Hopper Plus ticket was back in 2013 and it was our first trip together as a couple. We never used the ESPN perk or the mini-golf perk. We went to one waterpark in the morning and then had lunch and then spent the rest of the day at Epcot and then did the other water park another morning and had lunch and spent the rest of the day at HS. While this worked...it was thoroughly exhausting. You feel as if you don't fully get the experience in only a few hours and it really cut into our park time. We've been back multiple times since and have never considered this option again because we know the scheduling just doesn't work for us.

I agree with above posters. You are going to really want to extend your vacation and add more days if you really want to get the full experience of your ticket.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

I just wanted to add that I think you may be making the same mistake as many first time planners do: vastly underestimating the size of WDW. It's not just a little bit bigger than other parks, it's massive -- literally twice the size of Manhattan. Getting from one place to another takes time, so if you're going to be going from one place to another, you need to really think about location.

I agree. For a first time visit I would concentrate on the parks.

On our first visit we did a day at TL but only because my XH was military and we got some crazy deal of 5 day PH plus tickets for about $100. We stayed offsite and did MK, Epcot, TL and Universal. Our first onsite visit we didn't even bother with any of the water parks or Universal. Disney is just so big and so much to take in.

 

[jlh512]

Are you staying on property? If so you usually get a book with a coupon for free mini-golf. I agree with everyone. Doing the water parks will be way too much to do in the afternoons. It would be best to use the resort pool. But that's my opinion. You have to estimate an hour travel time each way if you are using Disney Transport.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

We did the hopper plus tickets last year (July trip). We wanted to do both water parks during our 8 day trip. What we did was go to a water park at opening (10am) and stayed there until 2-3 in the afternoon. We enjoyed both water parks this way without spending the hottest part of the day in the sun. Went back to our resort and had FP+ set up for a park and went to a park in the evening. For a first time visitor, I'd concentrate much much more on park time. Even going to each park multiple days, it is hard to get it all in. As a first time visitor, I'd have a plan of what you "must" see and then secondary attractions. I'd also plan for weather. Afternoon thunderstorms can really change a plan in a hurry. Finally, I'd skip the + option and do park hoppers (unless you extend your trip). I am not a big fan of Disney Springs either and as it has changed over the years, we usually spend less and less time there (2-3 hours max to do some shopping) and that is it. Your biggest expense is your park tickets and I'd plan on utilizing them first.

 

[Robo]

Travel time is a big waster.

 

[JenniferFolsomCa]

When I do "hop" I tend to like to go between MK and EP since it is one of the quicker travel times (by monorail) or between HS and EP, since there is a boat ride and a way to sit and rest. I think the water parks are worth a day by themselves and if you really want to, maybe do a water park at opening, then in the early evening have your 3 fastpasses for an evening at one of the parks. That way you can at least sleep in a bit the day before and stay until park closing that day. Sounds like you are going to lose too much time travelling. If you do your plan, you might need a vacation after this vacation!

Jenn

 

[Alesia]

If it helps, this is my itinerary for our upcoming trip:

Day 1: Magic Kingdom
Day 2: Epcot, Bars on the boardwalk after Epcot closes
Day 3: Animal Kingdom in the morning, Off property stuff in the evening
Day 4: Animal Kingdom
Day 5: Hollywood Studios, Nightclubs at Disney Springs
Day 6: Sleep in. Mini Golf at Fantasia Gardens, Epcot
Day 7: Blizzard Beach, Mini Golf at Winter Summerland, Magic Kingdom
Day 8: Magic Kingdom

We have 8 day WP&M tickets. I'm not concerned with maximizing my tickets, I'm concerned with Maximizing our fun.

 

[Ben E N]

I love two things about your plan. 1. That you are staying for more than just 2-3 days and 2. That you are so excited about everything you want to see.
I have to caution you against over planning, though. Disney gets you into that mindset because they want to know where you will be at all times, but it can make the trip feel a bit like a military drill at times. Make sure to schedule plenty of times for the parks. The little things like talking water fountains are what make them so fun, and you wouldn't want to have to skip a line to meet Mary Poppins just to get to Disney Springs on time.
I would make parks in the morning your priority, plan for fireworks a couple of evenings, but also build in "flex" time where you can nap, hang out at the hotel, or go back to a favorite park, depending on your current wants. You will be much happier knowing you have the option to nap when you get worn out from all the walking around.
As for the waterparks, I agree that you should plan a morning trip to them. The rides are what make them really stick out, and with no fastpasses, you will want to go when lines are at their lowest, then hang out at the lazy river, etc once lines get long. Going to them is in no way a "break", it can be a more active day than being at the parks.
I am not positive about this last part, but doesn't the park hopper plus allow you to use the "plus" part on days that you don't go to the parks? For example, a 7 day park hopper plus could be spent with 4 days at the parks, 2 at the waterparks, then 3 more at the parks. If this is true (it at least used to be) I would use a waterpark morning to then go to Disney Springs in the afternoon, and yes, extend your trip by a day or two, but keep the tickets the same.
I agree that the Sports Complex is not worth going to. It is meant for baseball teams, etc, but is not really fun for small groups.
And yes, plan around an hour to get from any one point to another at any time. Even if planning for an hour, you could be surprised that it will actually take longer than planned.

If you don't mind sharing, where do you plan on staying when on property? That can greatly affect how long you will want to stay at the hotel, how many extra days to plan to stay, as well as how to long to plan from one point to another.

 

[tucky]

Wow, truly thanks to everyone for the advice!

I’m blown away by the really great information here. You’re all so helpful and I can’t thank you enough.

Sorry for my dumb questions. There’s so much to think about I didn’t even realize I left out the big theme parks. I only recently learned there are four of them which is crazy. To answer things people have brought up:

I didn’t take into consideration how long it will take to travel from place to place. Now that I look at it, I realize how everything is so spread out. I can’t believe I didn’t catch that since it’s obvious now. Oops.

Not sure what hotel we will stay at yet. I am thinking of staying at Disney instead of in an outside hotel, but am not sure how much to spend yet. The Deluxe hotels are just so expensive especially for a whole week. I am narrowing down to maybe a value hotel or moderate hotel since I don’t know how much time we will spend actually in our room. It seems like the value and moderate hotels are pretty similar except the design.

I don’t really want to rent a car for the whole week since we probably won’t leave Disney world during the whole time. I hope the bus is okay. If there is Lyft and Uber that’s a good idea.

We definitely do want to try a water park. Not sure why I thought we could just make it an afternoon break. Of course they are exhausting!

Good news that water parks can be on days when we don't go to the theme parks. I’ll have to think about what kind of tickets I need.

I’m thinking of this new schedule then:

Saturday - Magic Kingdom (first since everyone seems to say this is the most disney park)
Sunday - Typhoon Lagoon in the morning and then go see fireworks at a park, or just go to dinner
Monday - Studios, then Disney Springs if we feel like it after it closes
Tuesday - Animal Kingdom
Wednesday - Epcot
Thursday - Blizzard Beach, then Boardwalk at night
Friday - Pick whatever park we want to repeat

Maybe we don't need to hop then. Now that I look at it, I thought we had so much time with seven days and now it doesn’t feel like it anymore.

 

[Roshni_Patel]

Travel times to themes park are great.

 

[loves to dive]

To hop or not to hop is very subjective, as is the water parks. I agree with everyone if you are going to do a water park to do it in the morning, we have never done them so I can't say as to how long they would take but I agree getting to and from, especially using Disney transportation is going to take time. Way back in the day, the park hoppers used to include the water parks and, as I said, we never went to them, just used the resort pool. We have always had hoppers from the first time we went, back then there were only two parks but we just don't tend to spend all day in one park since we usually go back to the resort to the pool or to nap or to resort hop for a couple of hours mid day then head to a different park for the night. We have always stayed on site with the exception of one trip that we split between Sea World, Universal and Disney and we stayed off site. We didn't like that so never did it again. We have stayed at all levels of Disney property including DVC, again back when we started going the value and moderate resorts didn't exist it was only the MK resorts, WL and what is now Shades of Green so we stayed in one of those. When they opened the Epcot resorts we started staying there. Now we do split stays with a night or two in a value or moderate than moving over to the Epcot resorts for the rest of the stay. The moderate and values are alike but not the same. The moderates have a little bigger rooms and with the exception of Pop renovated rooms, bigger beds. The moderates have quiet pools and the values don't, the moderates have a hot tub at the main pool, the values don't. The common areas of the moderates seem a little less noisy and busy than the values. If you plan on not spending much time at the resort, either would be fine but if you plan on spending some time at the resort, I'd go moderate at least. No need to rent a car, we actually drive but park the car and don't get in it again except to change resorts and go home. We rely totally on Disney transportation, which is one of the reasons we like to stay at the Epcot resorts, we can walk to two parks, we use the one or two nights at the value/moderates to go to the parks that require bus transportation - MK and AK. We don't do Disney Springs, we did it once or twice with it was Downtown Disney but have since decided it's a waste of time for us. We can do all the Disney shopping we want in the parks and even after over 30 years of going, haven't eaten at all the places in the parks and resorts we want to so the restaurants aren't worth the time getting over there for us. It really all depends on what you want to see and do, keep in mind one person's must see and do are totally different from another and none are right or wrong. The most important thing is to not over schedule and take some time to actually enjoy the place instead of running from attraction to attraction.