Newby w/?: park hopper vs base tix?

[JulieNMM]

Hi everyone-- I'm a newby not only to this forum but also to WDW having only been once about 10 years ago. However, being from California, I've been to Disneyland a million times. When visiting DL, we always get park hopper tix so we can go back and forth between CA Adventure and DL.

Now we're planning our first family trip to WDW and I'm wondering if we should get park hoppers or not. Basically I'm wondering how far the parks are from each other (DL and CA Adv are 100 ft away from each other so it's soo easy to park hop). Like, how long does it take to go from MK to MGM? And since we're staying offsite, we'll have to drive between places.

Here's another question that I haven't seen asked anywhere:

We're planning on being there for 8 days. Can we get a 9 day base ticket and if we want to go to 2 different parks in one day, can we? Since that would be like a ninth day? So say we visit one park a day for 7 days and then on the 8th day we visit 2 parks. Because adding a day (for about $3 more) is way cheaper than adding the park hopper option ($35) if we'd only use that feature once.

Does this make sense?? I haven't seen these questions asked anywhere so maybe they're really out there!

JULIE

Going to WDW 4/1-4/8/2006 (Doubletree Suites)
offsite 10/1997

 

[tiki23]

Good question on using your "extra" day to go to two parks! I don't know but I'm sure a vet will chime in soon.

As for park hoppers, we're going the first time in November, and with shorter park hours, we'll definitely want to hop over to Epcot (it stays open later) or to the park with EMH evening hours.

You didn't mention the ages of your family, but we have teens and the park hopper options will give them - and Mom and Dad! - more freedom to do the things we enjoy best.

 

[JulieNMM]

My kids are 4 and 6 so will be staying with me the whole time! (DH has a conference for 3 days at the Coronado.) If we want to get to the parks early in the morning, we will have to go to bed early so we don't plan on being in the parks past 9pm or so.

Thanks everyone!!
JULIE

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

Here's another question that I haven't seen asked anywhere:

We're planning on being there for 8 days. Can we get a 9 day base ticket and if we want to go to 2 different parks in one day, can we? Since that would be like a ninth day? So say we visit one park a day for 7 days and then on the 8th day we visit 2 parks. Because adding a day (for about $3 more) is way cheaper than adding the park hopper option ($35) if we'd only use that feature once.

No, unfortunatley the only way to go to 2 theme parks the same day is to have park hopping on your tickets. You can only use 1 ticket per day otherwise. The turnsile will reject your ticket if you try and use the ticket at more than one park without having park hopping.

As far as park hopping, the parks are not close, so it would be a personal preference. We don't hop, but it is nice to have the option. For example if AK closes at 5pm, do you want to go home at 5pm, or head to Epcot which closes at 9pm? Just as an example. It is a great option to have. Even if you are not staying on property you can use Disney transportation between parks to make it easier....

 

[scrubnurse]

You have to decide how much your family will do in a day. For us, we will always get the hopper option, because we do like to hop around from park to park. Animal Kingdom closed at like 5pm and epcot closed at 9pm, so we just hopped over to Epcot after AK. We also took the bus though, we didn't drive. I don't know the answer to your other question either. I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I would ask when purchasing. Have fun!

 

[HydroGuy]

Hi everyone-- I'm a newby not only to this forum but also to WDW having only been once about 10 years ago. However, being from California, I've been to Disneyland a million times. When visiting DL, we always get park hopper tix so we can go back and forth between CA Adventure and DL.

Now we're planning our first family trip to WDW and I'm wondering if we should get park hoppers or not. Basically I'm wondering how far the parks are from each other (DL and CA Adv are 100 ft away from each other so it's soo easy to park hop). Like, how long does it take to go from MK to MGM? And since we're staying offsite, we'll have to drive between places.

Hi Julie:

We are in a similar boat to you. Many trips to DL and DCA, and first to WDW in May. I have been researching this a lot the last few months. As you are aware, unlike DLR, WDW charges extra for hopping. And it is a flat $40 per person. The ironic thing is that the people who need hopping the most are the ones on shorter trips, but those are the very ones it costs more to buy on a per day basis.

Our trip is four days, and we want to visit all four parks. The best day for us to do MK is a day when they do not have the night parade or fire works. So I am planning to buy the hoppers so we can get back to MK at least one more evening. There will just be three of us, so the extra cost is not that much. Especially if you buy thru ticketmania, it will cost an extra $100 or so.

Some people will point out that you can buy tix without hopping, and then add it at the park if you need it. This seems to only work well if you buy tix direct from WDW. If you buy thru like a ticketmania, the cost to upgrade at the park may be more than $40 per person because WDW may make you pay the full price, even when your tix were discounted.

So I have decided to just buy the hoppers. It would be a harder decision if we had our whole family of six going because of the cost.

In any case, hopping at WDW is not very efficient compared to DLR because it can take you an hour to move from park to park. This is wasted time in a sense. Whether it makes sense depends on how late the afternoon/evening park is open, and whether you are already planning to leave the morning park because for an afternoon break. If you are planning a break, then there is no real extra time.

I think we will take that afternoon break on day 2 and 3, and so hopping on those days will not take up any extra time for us compared to returning to the same park after the break.

Here's another question that I haven't seen asked anywhere:

We're planning on being there for 8 days. Can we get a 9 day base ticket and if we want to go to 2 different parks in one day, can we? Since that would be like a ninth day? So say we visit one park a day for 7 days and then on the 8th day we visit 2 parks. Because adding a day (for about $3 more) is way cheaper than adding the park hopper option ($35) if we'd only use that feature once.

Does this make sense?? I haven't seen these questions asked anywhere so maybe they're really out there!

If you can find it, this question gets asked here once or twice a week and the others have answered it. Once you go to one park, you cannot go to another on that ticket without a hopper. You can't just use two ticket days on the same day. If they allowed that, no one would ever buy hoppers.

 

[HumphreytheBear]

CDS is correct. You can not use more than one day at a time off of a ticket. For the exact reason that you pointed out... It would be cheaper to buy more days than it would to buy hopping. This would defeat the purpose of the hopping option. Once you have entered a park you can leave and return to that same park as many times as you want to that day, but you will not be able to go from one park to another without park hopping on your tickets. The turnstile will reject your ticket stating that it has already been used for that day and deny your access to the 2nd park. You would then have to decide whether or not you want to go add the hopping to your ticket, or head back to the park you started out at that day.

 

[JulieNMM]

Hmmm, so mybe I should just buy the base tix and if we decide while there that we want to park hop, then we can just add on that option at that time. I'd just hate to spend the $40 x 4 people for park hopping if we won't use it!

So you can add on the park hopping option at any time? And it costs the same ($40) if I buy it now or then? Then that's what we'll do!

And a lot of you mentioned that AK closes at 5, I think if we did NOT have the park hopper than that might "force" us to go elsewhere, like DTD, BW, or even some of the resorts. Or it might force us just to go swimming and to bed early one night to catch up on rest!

Thanks, everyone, you're the best!!!
JULIE

 

[HumphreytheBear]

So you can add on the park hopping option at any time? And it costs the same ($40) if I buy it now or then? Then that's what we'll do!

I think that is your best bet... You can add the hopper option at anytime (within 14 days of the first use of the ticket) at any guest relations window and yes, the price is the same. If you do it that way you are not making the commitment to it and then not using it

Have a great trip...

 

[mcnuss]

This thread has been very helpful to me even though my dilemma is a bit different. Maybe a vet can help point me in the right direction?

We haven't been to WDW since they implemented the new tickets. I have 3 old PHP tickets from our trip in 2003, and I am fairly certain that 2 of them have 1 day remaining and 1 of them has 2 days. (DD got sick on that trip so we missed a full day.) Of course, thanks to the magic of Disney (and their fervent hope that you will lose those tickets and have to buy new ones), I can't check that until we get there. I had wanted to buy tickets online before leaving next week, but can't figure out what to buy!

Here is what I had been planning: We are going to be down there 9 days. We are not planning to go to AK this time, just MGM, MK, Epcot & Typhoon Lagoon (and US and Seaworld). I could use the PHPs left to do some combo in one day - but then get plain olf MYW tickets with Water Parks for the rest of the time. But then w/o hopping, I feel like we have to decide which evening event we have to forego! Sooo....I can't decide what kind of tickets do I get for the rest of my stay...and do I bother doing this before leaving to save probably $20!!! And is it worth $40 each ($120 total) to hop for one add'l day.

Man, I hate Disney for this, even though it's brilliant marketing. They are basically getting people to totally overbuy their tickets for fear of missing out on any of the fun!!

Help me please, I am driving myself crazy.

 

[gonnago]

If you are going next week did you check out the MYW package it includes free hopping and water park option

 

[KJHawley]

Hmmm, so mybe I should just buy the base tix and if we decide while there that we want to park hop, then we can just add on that option at that time. I'd just hate to spend the $40 x 4 people for park hopping if we won't use it!

So you can add on the park hopping option at any time? And it costs the same ($40) if I buy it now or then? Then that's what we'll do!

It actually doesn't cost the same to upgrade now or then. If you upgrade at the parks, you'll pay the GATE PRICE for the new ticket, instead of the advance "discount" price. Many people buy discounted tickets ahead of time- through Undercover Tourist, Ticket Mania, or even Disney itself. So, if you wait to upgrade when you get there, it will cost more.

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

It actually doesn't cost the same to upgrade now or then. If you upgrade at the parks, you'll pay the GATE PRICE for the new ticket, instead of the advance "discount" price. Many people buy discounted tickets ahead of time- through Undercover Tourist, Ticket Mania, or even Disney itself. So, if you wait to upgrade when you get there, it will cost more.

The cost of the base ticket would be different if you buy it in advance, vs purchasing at the gate, if you are just adding an option there is no price difference. Park hopping is $40 plus tax per ticket whether you buy it in advance or at the hotel/parks...they donot chrage you the differece in the ticket prices, they just charge you the cost of the option.

 

[KJHawley]

The cost of the base ticket would be different if you buy it in advance, vs purchasing at the gate, if you are just adding an option there is no price difference. Park hopping is $40 plus tax per ticket whether you buy it in advance or at the hotel/parks...they donot chrage you the differece in the ticket prices, they just charge you the cost of the option.

I've been researching this since I posted it, and the posts I've read so far agree with you: it's a flat $40 per ticket. However, when I look at Ticketmania, this is NOT true.

Let me give you an example. According to Ticket Mania, these are the prices for an 8 day adult ticket (including tax):
expiry 8 day base: $206
expiry w/ park hopping: $237
So, the difference between buying hopper tickets vs. base tickets ahead of time is $237-$206= $31.

Compare these prices to the gate price:
expiry 8 day base: $219.39
expiry w/ park hopping: $261.99
So, the difference in price at the gate is $42.60- exactly what you quoted, with tax.

So, it's only going to cost $31 to upgrade ahead of time, instead of the $42.60 at the gate. You save $11.60 per ticket if you buy hoppers ahead of time from one of the ticket discounters.

 

[HydroGuy]

I've been researching this since I posted it, and the posts I've read so far agree with you: it's a flat $40 per ticket. However, when I look at Ticketmania, this is NOT true.

Let me give you an example. According to Ticket Mania, these are the prices for an 8 day adult ticket (including tax):
expiry 8 day base: $206
expiry w/ park hopping: $237
So, the difference between buying hopper tickets vs. base tickets ahead of time is $237-$206= $31.

Compare these prices to the gate price:
expiry 8 day base: $219.39
expiry w/ park hopping: $261.99
So, the difference in price at the gate is $42.60- exactly what you quoted, with tax.

So, it's only going to cost $31 to upgrade ahead of time, instead of the $42.60 at the gate. You save $11.60 per ticket if you buy hoppers ahead of time from one of the ticket discounters.

That is what I tried to say. My research shows the same thing. That is why I am planning to buy the hoppers upfront even though I am not 100% we will use them (I am just 95% sure).

When people say "Don't worry about hopper tix, you can just upgrade at WDW if you need to", they do not discuss this "hidden" cost.

See my recent thread:
"Cost of Upgrading TicketMania Tix at WDW"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1046789

 

[KJHawley]

That is what I tried to say. My research shows the same thing. That is why I am planning to buy the hoppers upfront even though I am not 100% we will use them (I am just 95% sure).

When people say "Don't worry about hopper tix, you can just upgrade at WDW if you need to", they do not discuss this "hidden" cost.

See my recent thread:
"Cost of Upgrading TicketMania Tix at WDW"
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1046789

You're totally right- I don't know why my searches didn't come up with your thread.

In my case, I'm not 100% sure I want the park hoppers- if the hopping was only $10 or $20 up front and $40 at the gate, I'd probably do it. But only saving $10? Maybe.

I'm fairly certain that I want to do DisneyQuest, but I definitely DON'T want to do the waterparks. Adding "Waterparks and More" to my ticket would cost $50, but buying DQ tickets ahead of time is only $30- so I'm not going to buy Parks 'N More. But do I buy $30 DQ tickets ahead of time, or wait to see if I really want to go, and risk paying $40 at the door?

I'm glad Disney offers us all these options, but it can be confusing!

 

[mcnuss]

If you are going next week did you check out the MYW package it includes free hopping and water park option

No - I didn't know about that. Where would I find it???

 

[mcnuss]

No - I didn't know about that. Where would I find it???

I found the information and we can't do it. The travel dates are in April and we're only staying part of our trip on property (at the Dolphin, and using SPG points), the rest of the time we're at the Vistana at our timeshare.

Anybody else have any tips for me?