Is upgrading these tix to Park Hoppers worth it??

[calablovedisney]

I am trying to make a decision about park hoppers, but have a small back story first...I actually purchased 9 day MYW tickets through a third party retailer. Then, we started debating park hoppers again in my house, even though we did originally decide we don't tend to use them that much on our trips. When I realized that I mistakenly got tix that can't be returned/exchanged I had an online chat with the retailer just to explore my options and we came to the conclusion that she would find out from billing if upgrading my tix was even a possibility and that she would connect with me for approval to charge my Credit card the next day if so and that would give me time to discuss with dh if spending the extra was worth it. The cost I paid for the tix, was before the price increase. I know I can upgrade at the gate, but that would cost me even more.

However, I just got an email saying they upgraded my tickets, charged my card and gave me a new "reservation" number-with no approval from me. We had actually decided the night before to NOT upgrade. And now comes a twist...Disney announces the late night hours for Animal Kingdom and the added PM EMH for most of the dates we are there for. Now I wonder, will park hoppers be worth it? Should I contact the company to get the tickets back to my original or keep the park hoppers. They charged me for the current cost of park hoppers, while I had paid the former cost for the MYW tix (and I understand that), but it was $460 more.

Sorry this was so long. If you took the time to read it, what do you think??? What would you do??
For added info our dates are June 28-July 6.

 

[NJ Goofy]

I understand it is a lot of money but it will give you a lot of flexibility. Two things that should help your decision, as you noted, the late night hours at AK and you are going at a very crowded time so the option to go to a different park in the evening will make your trip easier. We take a 2 or 3 hour afternoon break then head to a 2nd park at night.

 

[Traver Freeman]

We bought the hopper this year and will probably only use it once possibly twice, but we like the option to hop if we wanted to, however, our friends do not have the hopper so we will only likely hop after they leave as we are still around for another day and a half.

What you do is up to you. I mean, think of it this way, what else could you do with that $460 if you really don't want to hop? Buy some extra souvenirs? Treat yourself to a really nice meal? Go on one of the tours?

 

[ols386]

If you will only use park hopper for one day only, then it's not worth the extra cost of $460. This is only my opinion, so you should do what's best for you and your family. For me, I wouldn't be able to justify the cost, for one day with park hopper.

 

[calablovedisney]

If you will only use park hopper for one day only, then it's not worth the extra cost of $460. This is only my opinion, so you should do what's best for you and your family. For me, I wouldn't be able to justify the cost, for one day with park hopper.

I am thinking we would use it a few days. I am not sure if we will love AK late at night, but we could use it to head back there a few times if we wanted. And I think we would use it for the last day or 2 of our trip to get in all we want before leaving. But, I am not really sure even that is worth it.

We bought the hopper this year and will probably only use it once possibly twice, but we like the option to hop if we wanted to, however, our friends do not have the hopper so we will only likely hop after they leave as we are still around for another day and a half.

What you do is up to you. I mean, think of it this way, what else could you do with that $460 if you really don't want to hop? Buy some extra souvenirs? Treat yourself to a really nice meal? Go on one of the tours?

I wish the summer discounts were out so I know how much I could make up there, or if at all. If I can save money on the resort, I would be more likely to get the PH tix. But, on the other hand we are considering Universal for a couple of days and could use the money towards that. We have always had PH tickets in the past. This would be the first trip without them so I think that makes me anxious.

 

[mousefan73]

Do you plan on water parks? Then it's not much more. We are hopping this year. Only because we are at BC. Scenario is the kids and I dash over to HS in tha AM and join others later at Epcot. Or we do MK AM and head to Epcot for dinner. Also with Pandora we want options open. If crowds are insane to leave and head elsewhere.

 

[ols386]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you could add on park hopper option when you arrive at your resort, and just do it day by day depending on if you wanted to use it the next day. I'm pretty sure I've done that before, but we never get the package, we just do resort only reservations.

 

[Traver Freeman]

This would be the first trip without them so I think that makes me anxious.

That's why we have it, because we've never NOT had it. However, our plan for this trip has us hopping less. We used to hop every day. Now we only have a plan to hop 2 days tops. We could honestly do without it, but I want that flexibility on our last few days.

 

[caliope]

Maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you could add on park hopper option when you arrive at your resort, and just do it day by day depending on if you wanted to use it the next day. I'm pretty sure I've done that before, but we never get the package, we just do resort only reservations.

I don't think you can do this, actually. If you add hoppers it's for the duration of the tickets. It's not day to day.

 

[caliope]

We've had trips with hoppers and trips without. When we have them, we do try to use them to justify the cost. When we don't have them, we tend to focus on just one or two parks for the entire trip, rather than going to multiple parks. I think worth is relative to each visitor's goals for the vacation.

 

[edk35]

Must always have HOPPER or an AP. You won't regret it. We rarely stay in one park all day.

 

[mousefan73]

I don't think you can do this, actually. If you add hoppers it's for the duration of the tickets. It's not day to day.

correct. your Resort can do the add-on. but ist all or nothng.. so decide at the beginning.. If you add it at the end, you pay the entire Upgrade Price and that's an expensive Option to hop. It doesnt scale down.

 

[MommaBerd]

Two separate issues here - first, it was definitely poor customer service for the company to upgrade your tickets without your final approval. A $460 charge is significant, and whether you decide to keep the PH or not, you should contact the company and let them know the charge was made without your approval - as agreed on the chat.

The second is whether or not to keep the PH option. I think if you are accustomed to having PHs, you will regret not having them, especially with Pandora opening. I can't imagine going without PHs, even if we only hop once or twice, I like having the flexibility and knowing I have the option to hop. So, my vote is keep them, unless it will negatively impact some of your other plans because you have to "make up" for the added expense.

 

[hdnwaters]

We ALWAYS get park hoppers! I love being able to go to one park in the morning. Go back to the resort for lunch, then hit a second park in the evening. We sometimes do 3 parks in 1 day. I've never spent a whole week a WDW so if I actually had tickets for 5 or 6 park days and special events, maybe would not need the PH. But....I can see sitting in my room at 7pm, and wishing I could head over to Epcot after spending the day at MK! It gives you that extra freedom!

 

[Marthasor]

Upgrading them at the gate wouldn't have cost you more. You can "price bridge" third-party discount tickets and retain your discount. I would contact the company, tell them you didn't approve the upgrade (you had just called to see if it was even possible) and ask for your money and original tickets back. Then, decide if you want the PH option when you arrive at the parks and do the upgrade at a guest services window.

 

[SgtTibbs]

I have a trip planned for early June. Now that we know you can only FP one of the Pandora attractions per day, I'm doing more park hopping than originally planned with repeat trips to AK in the evenings so I'm on a park hopper ticket for sure. Also if you have not seen it, check out "Express Transportation" it makes park hoppers even better because you can easily jet between parks in 1/2 an hour.

 

[GillianP1301]

To my, park hoppers is one of those things that I was fine not having, but once I started adding that feature on, I can't imagine not having them anymore. We rarely spend open to close in one park and love having the flexibility of multiple parks in a day, even just to hop to Epcot for dinner is a nice option to have. That being said, it is a lot of money and you could likely do some other fun things with that $460. We are only 2 in our group, so the cost is a lot easier to swallow.

If you think you would take advantage of some of the AK EHM hours, and you can afford the cost, then I would probably keep the hoppers.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Two separate issues here - first, it was definitely poor customer service for the company to upgrade your tickets without your final approval. A $460 charge is significant, and whether you decide to keep the PH or not, you should contact the company and let them know the charge was made without your approval - as agreed on the chat.

THIS

I would be raising hell if someone did this to me.

 

[bumbershoot]

Two separate issues here - first, it was definitely poor customer service for the company to upgrade your tickets without your final approval. A $460 charge is significant, and whether you decide to keep the PH or not, you should contact the company and let them know the charge was made without your approval - as agreed on the chat.

Absolutely. They need to be contacted immediately about this.

 

[steviethegreat]

Definitely poor customer service to upgrade without your authorization. So even if you keep them, let them know that they can't do that stuff. It's wrong.

I won't go without a parkhopper option. The first 'adult' trip I took, I was in at least two parks per day. The last trip I took, we did more of a 'one park per day' thing (which was not my favorite thing to do), but we still liked the option of hopping over to EPCOT for dinner, since there are SO many options.

There was one day when my dad and I walked into Hollywood Studios, looked at each other, and decided that park was not going to work for us. We did our three back-to-back FPs, watched the Muppets, and left. Same thing with Animal Kingdom. We got in and we got out. And then we went elsewhere.

It's the same number no matter how you look at it, but sometimes when you divide the cost per person, per day, it helps. That's how I explained how much my next trip is to my best friend. It's easier to swallow than the entire cost.

But as someone else said above, if it's going to keep you from doing something that you had originally planned to do, definitely ask them for your original tickets back. But if it's not, keep them. Park hopping and Express Transportation could definitely provide a more efficient way of seeing as much as possible.