No hoppers?

[jkh36619]

PH's are a must if you stay at an EPCOT resort. But we end a lot of evening at WS so we enjoy the flexibility.

 

[Peppeperoni]

Everyone does Disney different. For me, park hopper is a must! Except with magic kingdom, I’d never want to just stay at one park all day. I love hopping around. Much more exciting for me.

But alas, I don’t have kids. Last trip I did was solo. Upcoming is with my mom!

 

[Elephantay]

OP here-
We usually hop, do water parks, and do split stays, but it’s over $300 so we thought let’s not do it this trip since we were taking a water park break...
Here’s where we are finding it tricky-
We are at AK for three nights, then BLT. Our first two nights have EMH at Epcot and MK, so we want to take advantage of this. We are definitely not all day commando people and need to avoid the extreme midday heat, and like to avoid crowds, so do several RD mornings.
We don’t want to do much at HS, so that would be one day. We’d like to see new toy story stuff and love sci fi, so that could be either a RD day, or midday- evening, again, avoiding the heat.
We haven’t seen anything Pandora and would like to at night, and would also like at least one am at AK park, there’s a lot for our family there, plus we want to do the elephant tour...not thinking we can do all of this in one day, so need two here.
There are a few things kids would love to do more than once, and we generally love to revisit a park later for this, not to ride EE four times in a row, for example but maybe go back in three days and revisit favorites....
Without the flexibility to hop it seems like so much more planning and a coordination nightmare. Back at resort for break and dinner - we’re up for a few more hours of fun but we need to consider which park, what time our dinner is and what reasonable time would we be in Adventureland ( can’t just head to closest park, or decide hey let’s go see fantasmic, etc. ).
Add meals- we have several must do favorites- and it’s a bit of a logic puzzle. Which I usually enjoy. But I’m not so much now. It’s more like a “ figure out this logic puzzle and you win $300” type of thing...
And if I ask my family one more time to prioritize meals they might cry. We have two Epcot days, so you cannot eat in Mexico and GG and try the little French place, too.
That was part of it also, we were planning to get the DDP for the first three nights so wanted our more expensive meals during those nights. We’ve decided to forget about that for now and I think it will help.
Thank YOU all for helping!

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

OP here-
We usually hop, do water parks, and do split stays, but it’s over $300 so we thought let’s not do it this trip since we were taking a water park break...
Here’s where we are finding it tricky-
We are at AK for three nights, then BLT. Our first two nights have EMH at Epcot and MK, so we want to take advantage of this. We are definitely not all day commando people and need to avoid the extreme midday heat, and like to avoid crowds, so do several RD mornings.
We don’t want to do much at HS, so that would be one day. We’d like to see new toy story stuff and love sci fi, so that could be either a RD day, or midday- evening, again, avoiding the heat.
We haven’t seen anything Pandora and would like to at night, and would also like at least one am at AK park, there’s a lot for our family there, plus we want to do the elephant tour...not thinking we can do all of this in one day, so need two here.
There are a few things kids would love to do more than once, and we generally love to revisit a park later for this, not to ride EE four times in a row, for example but maybe go back in three days and revisit favorites....
Without the flexibility to hop it seems like so much more planning and a coordination nightmare. Back at resort for break and dinner - we’re up for a few more hours of fun but we need to consider which park, what time our dinner is and what reasonable time would we be in Adventureland ( can’t just head to closest park, or decide hey let’s go see fantasmic, etc. ).
Add meals- we have several must do favorites- and it’s a bit of a logic puzzle. Which I usually enjoy. But I’m not so much now. It’s more like a “ figure out this logic puzzle and you win $300” type of thing...
And if I ask my family one more time to prioritize meals they might cry. We have two Epcot days, so you cannot eat in Mexico and GG and try the little French place, too.
That was part of it also, we were planning to get the DDP for the first three nights so wanted our more expensive meals during those nights. We’ve decided to forget about that for now and I think it will help.
Thank YOU all for helping!

Seems like you need to decide what is more important saving the cash or being able to tour how you like to.

 

[Elephantay]

Seems like you need to decide what is more important saving the cash or being able to tour how you like to.

I guess so, but I guess I’m surprised at how challenging it is. We have a full week! First world problems.
I remember when FP first started, people complaining that there was so much planning so far ahead for a Disney vacation, and I didn’t get it. But the only difference now for us is trying not to hop, so I’m thinking that must be why it’s harder, but plenty of people do it..

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I guess so, but I guess I’m surprised at how challenging it is. We have a full week! First world problems.
I remember when FP first started, people complaining that there was so much planning so far ahead for a Disney vacation, and I didn’t get it. But the only difference now for us is trying not to hop, so I’m thinking that must be why it’s harder, but plenty of people do it..

Yes plenty of people do without Park Hoppers.

But normally I feel like people who have decided not to get park hoppers do it because it doesn't seem to work for their touring style though yes money is a big factor.

Your touring style seems to be very much set up for Park Hopper IMO because of what you want to do and you've probably in the past formed a touring style around Park Hoppers lol.

I'm not really trying to convince you to get Park Hoppers it just seems like you really want them but were concerned about the loss of the money savings you were attempting to do.

My suggestion was going to be seeing if there was a meal or two you could drop without feeling like you were sacrificing a lot to do that but you mentioned in your update about removing the DDP for the first 3 nights so there's that.

 

[RamblingMad]

PH to us aren't so much about doing multiple parks in one day, they are more about being able to pop in for a quick visit right before bed(when in a resort that allows this), or do an EMM in on park even though our main park day is elsewhere. Sure we could survive without them, but I wouldn't want to.

Definitely. I like the opportunity to go to a different park if the weather turns on me. I'd rather be in EPCOT if it's raining than MK.

 

[Elephantay]

Definitely. I like the opportunity to go to a different park if the weather turns on me. I'd rather be in EPCOT if it's raining than MK.

Yes, in August, weathers been a factor too.

 

[elaine amj]

We used to tour with base tickets and the last few years we have had hoppers due to various reasons. Yes, hoppers make things more flexible for just the reasons you described above.

The savings on base tickets are worth it to me though. $300 is a lot of money! So when I plan a trip with base tickets, I just accept there are certain limitations and work with it. We always have an amazing time though

 

[cmwade77]

We generally have had hoped in the past because prior to this most recent trip it wasn't uncommon for one park to close a few hours before another, so we would go to the one with shorter hours and then hope to the one with longer hours. Avoided crowds at both parks many times that way.

We also will hop to whatever parks has EMH. This next trip we will have APs, so we will have park hoppers.

 

[kwdw]

OP - I think you are overthinking "how hard" it is to plan without hoppers. In terms of the principles of decision-making - it is easier to plan without hoppers. Fewer choices is easier to plan - that's a fact.

The problem you are facing is that you are used to hopping and it's cramping your family's expectations of how to tour around WDW during your visit.

If you really want to save the $300 - it's simple - pick your park for the day. Build from there. Remember - you can come and go from the same park. I think that's a waste of time - so we usually plan to NOT leave the park unless we are just hopping to a MK area resort for a meal or to AKL from AK for a meal. Sometimes we plan our TS meal farther away - but it would be a morning breakfast or a dinner with no plans to return to a park that night. BUT - lots of folks take the afternoon break from the heat back at their resort and just return to the same park.

 

[Elephantay]

Yes plenty of people do without Park Hoppers.

But normally I feel like people who have decided not to get park hoppers do it because it doesn't seem to work for their touring style though yes money is a big factor.

Your touring style seems to be very much set up for Park Hopper IMO because of what you want to do and you've probably in the past formed a touring style around Park Hoppers lol.

I'm not really trying to convince you to get Park Hoppers it just seems like you really want them but were concerned about the loss of the money savings you were attempting to do.

My suggestion was going to be seeing if there was a meal or two you could drop without feeling like you were sacrificing a lot to do that but you mentioned in your update about removing the DDP for the first 3 nights so there's that.

I actually DON’T want hoppers. I’m sort of trying to do a much less expensive trip. The cost of food alone is nuts- imagine if we did the DDP for a week food would cost $2000!
I think another one of the issues is knowing we couldn't return to something. There aren't a ton of must-do's for us at every park- except MK. So kids can do Star Tours on day 3 if we can get a FP, but that will be it. We can't go back a few days later to do it again if we have a few extra hours in a day. Needing to avoid the heat is more limiting than I realized too. We'll probably add the hoppers

 

[Bullseye]

We buy hoppers now because it the only way to get water parks included in the ticket but we still don't really utilize them. We have always been a one park per day family. When we leave midday for break we always still have things we want to do at the park we were at so it just makes sense to go back to the same park. Planning for me starts with Park hours & EMH schedule so I have an idea which park I'll be in on a given day and then from there I plan ADR's. I wouldn't mind being a hopper some day I just haven't broke the one park habit yet.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I actually DON’T want hoppers. I’m sort of trying to do a much less expensive trip. The cost of food alone is nuts- imagine if we did the DDP for a week food would cost $2000!
I think another one of the issues is knowing we couldn't return to something. There aren't a ton of must-do's for us at every park- except MK. So kids can do Star Tours on day 3 if we can get a FP, but that will be it. We can't go back a few days later to do it again if we have a few extra hours in a day. Needing to avoid the heat is more limiting than I realized too. We'll probably add the hoppers

I know you're wanting to save money. I'm all about saving money

What I said was (and this is IMO) your touring style is set up idealy for Park Hoppers, all the things you described you want to do, how you like to do them, wanting the flexibility of coming back again, your FOMO (lol sorry just had to) is coming across to me etc.

You may not want to purchase/spend the money (which is totally understandable) on park hoppers which is why I then suggested dropping a meal or two if that helps pay for it or close the gap.

Maybe reprice everything out. Is there something you're missing that can help bridge the gap? I don't want you to feel like you have to break the bank to get Park Hoppers just didn't know if there was something else in the trip that can be adjusted to accommodate the expense of them.

In 2011 and 2017 we went in September. It's hot hot hot there so I get the heat comment. We personally eat less filling foods because of the heat, we drank 90-95% water, took some time out for a show or someplace inside to cool off a little bit, rested our feet at time, etc.

On the note of the DDP I know it's crazy!. We won't get the Dining Plan because it doesn't work for us.

 

[kniquy]

How do you all plan without the hoppers?

We had hoppers for a week long trip and honestly only "hopped" 2 days of the trip. Some how it worked out that we were RD/afternoon break/ back for the evening. I know one of the days we just went to AK for breakfast at Tusker and then went to MK for the evening. I think breaking up your days can be helpful. You are likely not going to want to spend from RD to close in a park. So maybe on one of the days plan a late breakfast at the resort, pool time and then go to a park for 3ish plan a later dinner in the park. Or you can plan lunch or dinner at a near by resort to get a break from the parks.

I think the key to planning it will be getting the ARD's you want on the days you are planning to be in that particular park, so what can help with sorting out ARD's when you don't have all the info on park hours or EMH etc is to book multiple ARDs- this means if you want say liberty tree but still not 100% sure which day you will be there - then book a lunch there on 2 different days. But at the same time you might want to be at epcot those days -- if you have must do ARD's there then you could still book dinner at Epcot on the same days you have LTT booked. You book as many reservations as you want just as long as you don't overlap (by 1:15min if i am correct).

Then as park hours are released or any other special events you want to attend - you cancel what you don't need. It is a crazy system that disney only slowly releases the information we all need to properly plan a trip.

I can see the benefit of park hoppers but like you i think we are going to pass on them for our next trip. Tickets in general are getting too pricey. I guess worst case if you feel really stuck you can add on the hoppers when you are there.

 

[scard192]

We always get them because we usually travel in the Fall when MK closes at 6PM 4 days/week for the hard ticket parties so we have more flexibility.
Next year our trip is in April so not so sure on the PHs.

This year's August MNSSHP dates are:

• August 16, 20, 23, 27, 30

 

[Elephantay]

We always get them because we usually travel in the Fall when MK closes at 6PM 4 days/week for the hard ticket parties so we have more flexibility.
Next year our trip is in April so not so sure on the PHs.

This year's August MNSSHP dates are:

• August 16, 20, 23, 27, 30

Yes! The 16 th is the day we move over to BLT, and had planned MK as we’ll be right there. But unless we want to do RD on a day we are switching resorts, it’s not a good day for MK, because we will have to leave there so early.

 

[Rach3975]

We've always done without the hoppers. With a family of 5 and 5 park days, it's not worth the added expense or traveling time to us. (Though when DH and I go by ourselves this fall for a short trip, we are getting them. There's no other way we can get to all 4 parks and spend an evening at MK.) Because you're used to having the flexibility to go back and re-ride something or return to a park for another meal, you feel like you're giving something up by not having the hoppers. So if it were me and I wanted to try and get by with the base tickets, I'd leave 1 or 2 days near the end of the week as flexible days. Plan those days as if you knew what you were doing (ie, make ADRs and FP for the park you think you'll want to return to). But then mid-way through the trip, check in with everyone. Are they still happy doing the flexible days at Park X and Park Z, or is there another restaurant/ride/whatever that makes them want to swap Park Z for Park Y?

 

[SoCalDisneyFan2708]

It’s interesting to see how different people are in their preferences. Lots of people saying they’d never get hoppers. Others could take it or leave it. Then there’s people like me who would not go to without hoppers.

I like to RD a park different than the one my FP’s are in. I’m one of those people who think it isn’t wise to plan any FP’s until after 11am. Most rides have shorter waits till then. I also like to utilize the emh’s. So if a park has an AM magic hour I’ll RD for a couple hours and then hop over to the park my FP’s are in right as it’s about to get crowded. I think this method is good because a park with an emh usually gets more crowded as the day goes on. Prob because of the people who had park tickets without the hopper so they are forced to stay.

 

[saraheliz]

We haven't gotten hoppers since we've had multiple kids, and never had an issues- BUT I do leave room in the budget for them, figuring if we get there and want them, we can always add them! We've never ended up adding them, though.

We did used to get them before kids but trips were shorter, 4-5 days max. I think we also got them when we just took my oldest but again, shorter trip and only one kid.