Park Hop or Not?

[RainSW6]

We got hoppers and had buyers regret right up until we got to the parks, but I was sooo glad we had it once we were there in January! For example, we went to Hollywood Studios one day and it was PACKED with tour groups, and the whole park was a bit unseemly 'cause it was under construction. I knew if we stayed there with those long lines we all would have been miserable, so I just got on the MDE app on my phone and saw that Animal Kingdom had a ton of rides with no wait times and wasn't very full, so we hopped a bus over there and ended up having the best day of our trip! It was so nice having that freedom. I really do think it's worth the extra cost.

 

[jerseygirl82]

As a family of 3 (soon to be 4!), park hopping is just not worth it to us. Since becoming DVC owners we have dropped the commando touring style and never looked back. With 180 day ADR and 60 day FP booking I am able to make decent plans centered around one park each day. Our upcoming trip we will need three, 4 day park tickets. To add PH is an extra $180. While it's not that much in the grand scheme of things, it's a $180 we can put towards a character meal, BBB, or something else we'd like to do.

 

[CoP Luv]

As an adult, PH is a must with other adults or older children. We went with my toddler earlier in the year and did not hop and it was perfect. We took a break everyday in the room (would not sleep in a stroller) and just continued our touring from where we left off. I would not spend the extra money on hoppers in you are planning on taking breaks everyday.

 

[CoP Luv]

Double post.

 

[LifeTheDisneyWay14]

We've never bothered with the park hop options. Even when there aren't any kids in the group, we've always found that one park provides enough excitement for one day! Just plan ahead, so you know what you want to do. When we stay on property, we love taking a break in the middle of the day sometimes to hit the pool and then return to the parks.

 

[mandis77]

We don't park hop or take afternoon breaks. We have young kids and personally it seems like a lot of effort/time. But, if you took the afternoon break I guess it doesn't make a difference (besides the price) of returning to the same park or going to a different one. I also agree with all the PP and stay away from EPCOT F&W on weekends (esp at night). Full of locals and it can get rowdy. As far as a full day at HS - there are a lot of great shows and you will need more than a half day to see them.

 

[momto2js]

I don't have a strong opinion about hopping. However we always have a car and a car is ALWAYS faster. The thing about your proposal is depending on the age of your kids, it is unlikely you will get your moneys worth after at the party if you go to a park in the AM. That is a day we sleep in, swim eat lunch make sure we are good a cool most of the day, the head to MK for 4pm. If you tour all morning and then go it is a big risk IMO. Good luck with your trip.