Is Hopper Necessary for DL newbie (WDW vet)

[letsgoreds]

I always purchased the hopper option at WDW, as we would often ropedrop one park in the morning, break at hotel in afternoon, and evening at another park. FP+ made that a great plan too, as we would save our FP+ for evening times.

So...now we will visit DL for the first time (in a looong time) in February (president's day week), and I am wondering if we will want this. Each park will be new, so plenty to see/do in the same day, and plan on staying at the park most of the day (kids older, staying off-site, so no fancy deluxe resort to relax at).

Any insight? Thanks! I know it will be busy, so lower expectations on Presidents day, and planning longer days later in the week, when it is less busy. I can always add the hopper option (at full price), right?

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I've been to both WDW and DLR and find that the PH is more valuable at DLR than WDW. I felt at WDW with two little ones (I know yours are older so your opinion will be different) it took too much time and energy to go from park to hotel to park back to hotel.

At DLR the parks are steps from each other. So, if you're finding that a few rides are broken down at one park or there's a sudden increase in visitors to the park you're in, you can hop right on over to the other in a matter of minutes. Gate to gate it is about a 2 minute walk. I use the DLR APPs that tell me wait times so I can figure out which park to go to and when. Maybe 2 hours at one and 4 at another-it just varies each and every day. It's nice having the PHs for those reasons.

 

[wallawallakids]

I've been to both WDW and DLR and find that the PH is more valuable at DLR than WDW. I felt at WDW with two little ones (I know yours are older so your opinion will be different) it took too much time and energy to go from park to hotel to park back to hotel.

At DLR the parks are steps from each other. So, if you're finding that a few rides are broken down at one park or there's a sudden increase in visitors to the park you're in, you can hop right on over to the other in a matter of minutes. Gate to gate it is about a 2 minute walk. I use the DLR APPs that tell me wait times so I can figure out which park to go to and when. Maybe 2 hours at one and 4 at another-it just varies each and every day. It's nice having the PHs for those reasons.

I agree with PP. You can definitely go to DLR without a PH and have a great time, but it is much better with one.

 

[figment_jii]

If you park hop at WDW, then you'll find park hopping at DLR to be even easier. The two parks are only 110 yards apart. I like to describe the parks this way: think of DL as Epcot's FW, DCA as Epcot's WS, the Esplanade is like the bridge that connects FW and WS, and DLR's DTD is just outside of International Gateway. My family often starts in one park, then hops to the other for the afternoon. If DL is open later than DCA, we will often hop back to DL after finishing up in DCA.

Yes, you can add the park hopper option at any point (before the ticket expires). Just like WDW, they do not pro-rate the price, so it's going to be $39 per ticket no matter when you add it.

 

[DahliaRW]

Especially during president's week I'd get a hopper. If one park is crowded, you can try the other. You can collect Fp at both parks too. Hopping is SOOOOOO easy at DLR.

 

[ClaraOswald]

When we go to WDW, we park hop once a day, typically.

At Disneyland, we park hop multiple times. You just walk back and forth. To me, I consider it just one big park.

 

[letsgoreds]

Park hoppers it is!

Guess it is kinda like treating both parks as one big park. My only hesitation is that I don't know the parks well enough to really maximize FP tickets (used to be the runner at WDW pre-FP+). I do like having options, and will just need to really get to know the park layout before our trip.

Thank you all! I am excited to see where it all began, knowing that it is a different experience, with some familiar favorites.

 

[ktlm]

Park hoppers it is!

Guess it is kinda like treating both parks as one big park. My only hesitation is that I don't know the parks well enough to really maximize FP tickets (used to be the runner at WDW pre-FP+). I do like having options, and will just need to really get to know the park layout before our trip.

Thank you all! I am excited to see where it all began, knowing that it is a different experience, with some familiar favorites.

Fellow WDW vet here- you will be fine! The DL park layout is very easy when you are used to MK. It is like being in a dream where you are someplace very familiar but everything is just a little off. Even though CA will be totally new for you (you might get a little DHS feel from it) is very easy to navigate too.

As far as hopping, we go back and forth all day at DL/CA. There is no bag check when you hop. The parks are separated by a central plaza and the bag checks are at the sides where you enter the plaza before going to either park. The distance between the DL gate and CA gate, is shorter than the distance between where the resort buses drop you off at the park and the gate at the WDW parks. You can literally get from the back corner of DL to the back corner of CA in 10 minutes- we have done it! Getting out of one park and into the other rarely takes more than 5 minutes. I don't know the hours for your days, but often either 1 park is open earlier than the other or closes later than the other. We have gone to DL for an hour and then hopped to CA at its opening. We have gone to CA and then moved over to DL when CA closed. We have been at DL and checked the wait times app and realized that the lines were much shorter at CA right then and moved parks for a while. Being a WDW vet, it really does seem like one big park to us. It is nothing like hopping at WDW which takes a time investment out of your day.

Have a great trip!!! I hope you love DLR as much as we do!!

 

[Keels]

You will LOVE park-hopping at DLR! I'll never go to DLR without park-hoppers now. Conversely, I don't think I'll waste the money on park-hoppers at WDW in the future because hopping at DLR is SO easy.

Like others have said, you go through bag check once to get into the gate plaza for both parks. They also have banks of lockers out in the plaza - I would get one of those for the day and just leave my stuff in that (bottled water, jacket for the evening, flip flops for a shoe change) and then would just drop by and grab stuff as I needed it when I bounced between parks. So awesome.

 

[Disneyland 1951]

Here is a link to a great video by Orlando's Attractions Magazine.

It shows the highlights of DLR for someone coming from WDW. The opening shows just how close the parks are.
To put it in perspective, Disneyland and California Adventure are about the size of Epcot alone.
You should consider them just one big park with each half different themes, like Epcot..

Link to Video:[/http://youtu.be/PTGOJMRBxZs

 

[letsgoreds]

Fellow WDW vet here- you will be fine! The DL park layout is very easy when you are used to MK. It is like being in a dream where you are someplace very familiar but everything is just a little off. Even though CA will be totally new for you (you might get a little DHS feel from it) is very easy to navigate too.

As far as hopping, we go back and forth all day at DL/CA. There is no bag check when you hop. The parks are separated by a central plaza and the bag checks are at the sides where you enter the plaza before going to either park. The distance between the DL gate and CA gate, is shorter than the distance between where the resort buses drop you off at the park and the gate at the WDW parks. You can literally get from the back corner of DL to the back corner of CA in 10 minutes- we have done it! Getting out of one park and into the other rarely takes more than 5 minutes. I don't know the hours for your days, but often either 1 park is open earlier than the other or closes later than the other. We have gone to DL for an hour and then hopped to CA at its opening. We have gone to CA and then moved over to DL when CA closed. We have been at DL and checked the wait times app and realized that the lines were much shorter at CA right then and moved parks for a while. Being a WDW vet, it really does seem like one big park to us. It is nothing like hopping at WDW which takes a time investment out of your day.

Have a great trip!!! I hope you love DLR as much as we do!!

Great information on point. Thanks! After looking at the maps, I completely get your 'feels like a dream' comment. From the videos also...even some of the shortcuts are the same...and then you see Haunted Mansion in Frontierland ; )

Definitely switched my brain over to the concept that it is just one big park...let the FP running plans begin!

 

[letsgoreds]

You will LOVE park-hopping at DLR! I'll never go to DLR without park-hoppers now. Conversely, I don't think I'll waste the money on park-hoppers at WDW in the future because hopping at DLR is SO easy.

Like others have said, you go through bag check once to get into the gate plaza for both parks. They also have banks of lockers out in the plaza - I would get one of those for the day and just leave my stuff in that (bottled water, jacket for the evening, flip flops for a shoe change) and then would just drop by and grab stuff as I needed it when I bounced between parks. So awesome.

Good advice with the lockers. We may still have a stroller, which I see as my personal moving locker ; )

Kick some butt on your runs! A Disney half is on my wish list.

 

[letsgoreds]

Here is a link to a great video by Orlando's Attractions Magazine.

It shows the highlights of DLR for someone coming from WDW. The opening shows just how close the parks are.
To put it in perspective, Disneyland and California Adventure are about the size of Epcot alone.
You should consider them just one big park with each half different themes, like Epcot..

Link to Video:[/http://youtu.be/PTGOJMRBxZs

Awesomeness...looking forward to watching it with DH this weekend.

....oh, and GO HAWKS!