Hop or not to Hop

[AZpharmacist]

Is it necessary or better to hop if you are doing 4 days - 2 days in each park? Thanks!

I would not spend 2 days at DCA. I think hoppers are a must on a 4 day trip. We always switch parks if one is crowded. And we like being able to switch parks for a meal or show if we feel like it.

 

[Mama Mia]

Is it necessary or better to hop if you are doing 4 days - 2 days in each park? Thanks!

I think it is better to hop when you have 3 or more days.

 

[Mama Mia]

All of your input has helped. It has given me more to think about.

 

[Jaina]

Not to hijack, but what if you can afford either 3-day park hoppers or 4-day non-hoppers. Do you think it would be worth it to do the 4 days instead? We love DCA, so two days doesn't sound bad. We've never not hopped, but with a bunch of little kids (2-9) hopping is not as easy as it was back in the day...

 

[sgrap]

We always hop! love it!

 

[JenB1104]

Not to hijack, but what if you can afford either 3-day park hoppers or 4-day non-hoppers. Do you think it would be worth it to do the 4 days instead? We love DCA, so two days doesn't sound bad. We've never not hopped, but with a bunch of little kids (2-9) hopping is not as easy as it was back in the day...

I have a 5 year old and we go at a slow pace, take breaks mid-day etc. so that is why I was thinking over 4 days without hoppers originally. Plus, I know there will be some rides she'll be too scared of and some she'll want to do again

 

[Tinkerbell19672]

We always get hoppers but last time we went it was a waste of $. We didn't hop at all until the last day and that was only because I felt we had to because we bought them and hadn't used them yet. We always spent a full day in the park we were in. Next time, we probably won't get park hoppers and use the $ on something else. Keep in mind it was 2 adults and an 11 year old. We weren't held back with younger kids, strollers, etc.

 

[danceanddisney2010]

For us, we love hopping! It just makes things less stressful having that option and we ALWAYS use it

 

[JessieD]

Would you still think hopping was worth it with a small child? If we get regular passes and change our minds can we upgrade once we are there?

 

[4Siamese]

Yes in a word.

 

[tarheelalum]

If you want to take advantage of everything DLR offers you have to buy a hopper. The flexibility is absolutely essential to a good experience. Often times one park is packed and the other is not at all busy but if you do not have a hopper you cannot take advantage of it. Also being able to go back and forth between the parks on busy days and maximizing the fast pass system to your advantage is key to a good experience and you cannot do that unless you have a hopper. Whether you are going to DLR for one day or a week, a park hopper is money very well spent.

 

[MinMou]

I haven't been yet, but I believe you could add the ability to hop once you get there, if you already have single park tickets.
But that means that someone has to stand in line with the tickets, and you could miss out on the reason you wanted to hop. (I hope that made sense.)

We have a small child and we opted for the park hopper so that we would be able switch to another park if one got too crowded or if lines got too long. While your children are much older, that might be a factor for you as well.

 

[aliceindisneyland]

$160 for 4 Park Hopper upgrades, right? If you would get $160 worth of value, go for it. We always hop because we have APs, but if I had to pay per ticket we would probably skip it for a 2 day trip. Day 1: DCA. Day 2: Disneyland. The 11pm Paint the Night show is not busy so you can ride til showtime, and for an hour after. I like a big finish, so I'd do DL second and wear yourselves out!

I'm thinking that $160 pretty much covers 2 counter service meals and several beers, frozen lemonades, and snacks on Day 1.

 

[Mama Mia]

$160 for 4 Park Hopper upgrades, right? If you would get $160 worth of value, go for it. We always hop because we have APs, but if I had to pay per ticket we would probably skip it for a 2 day trip. Day 1: DCA. Day 2: Disneyland. The 11pm Paint the Night show is not busy so you can ride til showtime, and for an hour after. I like a big finish, so I'd do DL second and wear yourselves out!

I'm thinking that $160 pretty much covers 2 counter service meals and several beers, frozen lemonades, and snacks on Day 1.

That is what I was thinking except the beers. We have done DLR and DCA several times and know how to use FP to a tee! Thanks

 

[4Siamese]

Park hoppers ultimately give you flexibility. I suppose mileage may vary on what flexibility is worth to a family. For us it is worth it.

 

[TechGuy]

We just hopped for 5 days but I am not sure sure I would pay to hop for a two day trip. I think I would get my fill of DCA and the do DL on whichever day is less busy, and not an EE morning (MWFSun).

I think with FP and older kids, you can make it work. If you want to see WOC, do the 10:15 show which is "after hours", since the park closes at 10:00, and all the stroller pushers will be gone.