Never Park Hopped Before, Please Help!

[TXDIsneyMom]

We had made all of our May 3-10 ps at all of the restaurants we wanted, at the times we wanted. Hurray! But now that the EMH have been changed, we're concerned about being at some of the parks on certain days. We might could eliminate some of the concerns with hopping from 1 park to another, say doing MK in the AM and MGM in the evening and then flip-flopping it the next day. (That way we can keep our ps the way they are.)

Does hopping from 1 park to another really diminish the time spent in each of them, or is that trip from 1 to the other kind of a nice rest?

 

[disneyaggie]

Does hopping from 1 park to another really diminish the time spent in each of them, or is that trip from 1 to the other kind of a nice rest?

Actually a little of both! This down time will give you a chance to re-group and plan your next plan of attack! I try to really only hit 2 parks a day if I have to. I really try to only go to a park a day. But oftentimes I find that I may want to start at MK and see Illuminations at EPCOT later that night. Anyway you go, you enjoy!

I also understand that you picked a great time of year to go! I have gone that time of year and loved it! Have a magical time!

 

[4greatboys]

Park hopping can help you avoid the crowds, however if your going at an off time with shorter park hours you might also miss out on some good park time.
We typically go in the off season and as an example of the hours AK closes at 5pm so we dont usually park hop. I pick a park and stay there for the day and since we dont take advantage of the EMH am we just skip that park that day.
If you have your own transportation that should cut down on the travel time.

 

[estnh]

I couldn't imagine going to the parks without a hopper. We rarely stay in our original park past lunchtime--most parks are uncomfortably full from noon to 4PM. Sometimes we pop into a new park just for lunch. If you utilize Disney transportation to its potential, it is so easy to hop between parks.

With hoppers, Disney becomes a much less stressful experience--you do the parks at your whim instead of trying to accomodate your schedules to waiting in lines.

 

[TimothyG]

Park hopping is both good and bad. It is mostly good because you won't be tired of the park. You will be able to ride the rides you most want to ride because you'll have 2 or more parks of rides to choose from. You will be able to rest on the bus and monorail. As for the time, it will usually take about 45 mins to an hour to hop from park to park, partly because of the transportation delays and park entrance and exit. My suggesstions, use the monorail to go to the T&TC and then take another monorail or bus to the other parks. You can also take the bus to your resort, rest up a bit, then take the bus to the other park.

Disney is great with Park Hoppers. It's a requirement to have before I go.

 

[Princess Wannabe]

When we went with our 3 sons in August 2003, we had the Park Hopper option. When the parks got unmanageably full (usually around noon or so), we would leave and head back to our resort (the Poly). The boys would jump in the pool to cool down, while I would rest, relax and cool down. At about 4 pm or so, we all felt 10 TIMES better...and would go back to one of the parks!

And keep in mind...our sons were 18 years, 14 years, and 11 years old at the time.... I knew they wouldn't need "naps", but they certainly appreciated the 'down' time at the pools, and the chance to escape the crowds and the heat.

We never felt like we had missed out on riding rides, as we got to ride all of the rides we wanted to do, and then some. The key to that?

1. Get to the parks EARLY!
2. Utilize the Fastpass system as strategically as possible.
3. Have a general plan of what you're going to do, and when you're going to do it.
4. Flexibility - if something doesn't look like it will go according to your plan, CHANGE the plan!!! And don't stress out about it!

I couldn't imagine NOT hopping, and I couldn't imagine not taking a break in the middle of the day...no matter what age you are!

 

[Susie51]

We plan on taking breaks in the afternoon also and enjoying the pool and airconditioning during our June trip.

We are staying at the CBR. On the map it looks so close to Epcot. Can we walk there from CBR? How long would it take? We would have a stroller with us.

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

We plan on taking breaks in the afternoon also and enjoying the pool and airconditioning during our June trip.

We are staying at the CBR. On the map it looks so close to Epcot. Can we walk there from CBR? How long would it take? We would have a stroller with us.

With very few exceptions, nothing at WDW is within walking distance (remember, it's 47 square miles - WDW is twice the size of Manhattan!), and most of the road ways are actually more like multi-lane highways and don't have sidewalks. If you try to walk down the road, a security host will likely stop you.

The maps Disney provides are rather misleading - in their stylized ways they make everything look much closer than they actually are. I saw one the other day that made it look like Epcot was basicly touching the Seven Seas Lagoon at MK when it's actually miles away.

The only places you can walk are in the Epcot resort area - the BWV, Swolphin, etc. There is also a walking path from Epcot to MGM - but it's very long (about 20 mins) and unless you just want the exercise the boat or bus is a better option.

Just take the busses - they run very smoothly, and will get you anywhere in the World you need to go.

Good luck!

N.E.D.

 

[weluvpluto]

When we park hop we do the same as many of the posters here. We get there early, leave by about noon for a break at the resort, then go (most likely) to a different park that evening.
Another reason you may want to hop, is if the park you're in gets really crowded with long lines, you may want to try a different one.

 

[Leota]

I can't imagine not hopping. It's a rare occasion that we stay in one Park, all day.
We always use WDW transpo. I don't drive on vacation unless I have no other option. I enjoy the break time between Parks. I enjoy the change of pace each Park offers. I like moving around the crowds. I like taking advantage of longer hours when I can. I never feel I miss out on alot of Park time except when my DS & I get carried away & hop too much (we have done that before, hopped 4 or 5 times a day to ride one or two attractions, then switch - that gets to be a bit much even tho it's all good)

 

[bytheblood]

I strongly suggest hopping. If you arrive at a park and it is just too busy for your liking, leave and go elsewhere. With the hopping ability, you can do that. We went to AK for half a day and wanted to go to MGM for the Osbourne lights and it worked out perfect. Only time that we considered lost was the bus ride and even that was enjoyable because we relaxed and talked for a bit.

 

[Susie51]

Someone posted that the bus ride from the park back to the resort takes about an hour when you include the waiting time.

My sister asked our TA about this. She is a Disney vacation specialist. TA told my sister that it should only take half an hour.

Who is right? What have you experienced?

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Someone posted that the bus ride from the park back to the resort takes about an hour when you include the waiting time.

My sister asked our TA about this. She is a Disney vacation specialist. TA told my sister that it should only take half an hour.

Who is right? What have you experienced?

If you absolutely HAVE to be somewhere (for a PS, let's say) then you should allow an hour door to door. Generally, however, it doesn't take nearly that long. I think people err on the side of caution, because just when you are in a hurry to get someplace is the time you'll have a delay.

I've been almost universally pleased with the WDW bus system. The only place I've ever had a problem was trying to get to the AK from the TTC - took me over an hour one day because it was a 45 minute wait for a bus. That is very rare, the wait is usually less than 10 minutes in my experience (unless you have JUST missed the bus, i.e. see it driving away) and between 5-15 minutes travel time. So I guess my usual door-to-door is 20-25 minutes.

There are dozens of factors, however, from crowd size to bus problems, so again, if you HAVE to be somewhere, plan on longer. But don't expect to take that long as a routine.

As others have pointed out, when one park is crowded another park can be much more calm. Park hopping is a way of survival at WDW - I like to be in parks from opening to closing, and but spending all that time in one park can really burn you out.

N.E.D.

 

[pennyplanner]

I second Princess Wannabe!

A break after lunch was absolutely the best way for my family to regenerate. A break at the pool, feet up on the bed, anything! It was just a way to rejuvenate after the stimulation of the parks.

WDW is not a place where you can "do it all" in just one trip. That's why we keep going back!

--penny