Park Hopper- Is it Needed

[JuneDisney]

Now, I have already purchased my tickets, got the whole package 5nights at CBR, dining plan and 5 day park-hopper tickets. I also have my ADRs done. But as I keep revising my plan of attack for the parks, I am not sure if I really need the Park Hopper tickets. I have 2 boys ages 4 and soon to be 7(B-day on 2nd day at WDW) and I do not know if they would be able to handle jumping from park to park. We are going June 9th and my kids have never experienced such heat and humidity. As I have browsed over my plan (and everything is planned around my ADR's) I only see 1 possibility that we could park-hop.
So my question is, is it really worth it to buy this upgrade?

 

[the other micki]

I am by no means a Disney expert, but I decided not to purchase the hopper. We are watching pennies to some degree and after planning out my days, I feet confident we will see and do enough to put all my children into sensory overload without using the hopper! We will also be in the parks for 5 days. 2 days at MK (1st and last day) and 1 day for each of the other parks. On the days that we will begin early and end late (illuminations at epcot and fantasmic at MGM), my husband and I are taking turns bringing the boys back to the hotel for rest time, while the other continues on in the park with my DD. I felt like the hopper would take up too much time "hopping" anyway, but of course other people love it and one might post very soon with another opinion!

Have a wonderful trip!

 

[tjmw2727]

We always park - hop especially in the warmer weather and when the parks are open later. We usually hit a park at opening or use EMH and then take a resort/pool break and then return to a different park. We have our favorite morning parks MK and AK and our favorite evenign parks, Epcot and MGM.

Its also nice to be able to leave when a park gets crowded and switch parks. I find MK unbearable between 12 and 3ish, YMMV.

You can start out with non hopping tickets and add the feature if you find you need it, but it costs the same regardless of when you add it.

Have a great trip.
TJ

 

[princessjv]

We park hop everyday! And I mean EVERYDAY! BUT, my kids are a bit littler and we MUST go back to our room for a rest or swim. We always hit the park that has EMH (if available), we then leave that park NLT 12, either eat lunch on the way out or back at our resort, rest, go back to another park open late. We swear by this! Reason being, that the park with EMH is usually the most crowded, if when you return, you try to go to the park that had EMH the day before, you will usually find the crowds to be more manageable. It is what works for us...

You stated that due to your TS ADR commitments, you may be better saving the money.

 

[DisneyArk]

Our trip in May is the first trip using MYW tickets, so we've always purchased park hoppers in the past without giving the extra cost much thought.

I agree that you might want to wait and consider paying for the upgrade at WDW if you "need" it. The dining plan does complicate hopping, so that may give you your answer right there (don't hop so that you can make your ADrs).

I think that because you'll only be in the parks for 5 days, you will be fine without hopping. You can spend 1 day in each park and then let your sons choose which park to go to on the last day.

My sons are 5 and 8. The reasons we have hopped in the past are
1. We did not fit in something that we really wanted to do because of timing. For instance on our first trip we missed the meet and greet with Buzz Lightyear at MGM and made a special trip back to MGM just to do that. The same has been true with some of the shows that only start at certain times.
2. Letting the boys choose their favorite rides and going back to do them several times during the trip.
3. There have been days when we were all feeling very tired (me included ) and just could not make it through to see the fireworks. So sometimes we park hop on a different day just so we can see the fireworks.
4. My sons usually start out the week being a little afraid of the big rides. So sometimes we let them work their way up to the big rides and then we park hop to try a few.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE WDW, but my DH and I always say it's the most exhausting vacation we ever take!

 

[beattyfamily]

I just pretend they never changed the tickets to give you the non-hopping option and always factor the hopping into my budget. I couldn't live without it.

I love the flexibility and convenience. I love that if I enter a park and, for some reason, it is VERY crowded, I can turn around and leave and head to another park (this has happened more then once). I love that I can do the early entry at MK and then leave around 12:00p - 1:00p and go back and relax and swim and then have dinner at MGM and see Fantasmic. I love that I can do early entry in one park in the am but then head to MK for Spectro and Wishes on the only night it's running!!

I have two girls ages 6 & 9 and we have always hopped since they were ages 1 and 4. Its a great benefit to have if you need it and we've needed it several times.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

IMO I dont think they are necessary if it is your first visit, as there is so much to see at each park and unfamilliarity tends to make the day longer as well.
I always use them now though as they allow much more flexibility and freedom and with older childeren we were able to get around that much quicker, no strollers etc to hinder us. I am sure at the end of the day what ever you decide on you will still have great fun

 

[BuzzNutt]

We always get the option. Mostly for the just in case situation and we always end up using it. Weather, mood, and everything else always changes my plan of attack. I think it is worth it.

Have a great time!

 

[tjmw2727]

I just pretend they never changed the tickets to give you the non-hopping option and always factor the hopping into my budget. I couldn't live without it.
sniped

Well said, that's how we think of it as well. Even if we only end up hopping say 3 of 5 days we usually find it well worth the $$. Its a rare day however when we don't hop. Hey, that makes me sound like the Easter Bunny!

TJ

 

[audrey13]

We decided not to buy the park hopper for our trip this May. This will be our first trip with DS(4) and we will have 6 full days in the parks. My schedule is based around ADRs and EMH too, so I have planned which park we will do on which day. I figure that once we are in a certain park, DS will be so thrilled doing whatever we can do there, that we won't want or need to leave. He won't know whether we've managed to hit all the rides and I'm hoping it won't be toooo crowded when we're there. I think trying to hop to another park would be too confusing for him and too stressful for me (I can barely handle thinking about one park a day! lol) If it gets too hot or crowded, we'll go back to the hotel and have some rest or pool time and then go back to that same park later.

I could see getting the hopper for future trips once we've figured out what we all like best about each park (and also so we can hit the best restaurants, i.e. Epcot, more than once or twice), but for now, we'll just soak up whatever we can in each park.

Have a great trip!

Audrey

 

[Lovemy3babes]

We're not park hopping this time. It's our first trip and I just can't afford the extra expense. Maybe next time.

 

[saylormickey]

I have also decided to not park hop this time. It will be my kids first trip so I think there will be plenty without going park to park. Also park hopping can be exhausting.

 

[mommyofthreeboys]

IMO I dont think they are necessary if it is your first visit, as there is so much to see at each park and unfamilliarity tends to make the day longer as well.

Absolutely AGREE!!! We just got back from our 5 day trip (me, DH, 4, 7 and 12 yo DS) We had the PH option and we didn't hop at all. We gpt fastpasses for everything we could before taking an afternoon break and then we returned to the same park to use the FP's. It worked great and would do it the same all over again. Still trying not to beat myself up to bad about spending $200 for nothing.

 

[WDWcat]

This will be my familiy's 1st trip to DW!! I have 2 kids 11 and 5. The only reason I have considered the PH is for the fireworks and EMH. When do you find out about EMH? And when do the fireworks start at MK and Epcot? Do I need the EMH to enjoy these??

 

[CleveRocks]

I have also decided to not park hop this time. It will be my kids first trip so I think there will be plenty without going park to park. Also park hopping can be exhausting.

To answer the OP's question, "Is park hopping necessary?" Absolutely NOT necessary, but often helpful and convenient. IMHO, it's especially convenient to families with smaller children.

Saylormickey, I quoted something you said because I don't agree that park hopping HAS TO be exhausting (although it certainly can be). Especially with smaller kids, you might be going back to the resort mid-day for rest/nap/swim. When you're all refreshed and ready to go back, you have the freedom to go wherever you want, and not be forced to go back to the park you were in earlier in the day. I find this option more and more attractive as the vacation winds down, when you may want to go to a park for less than a whole day, if for no other reason than to hit the one or two rides/atttractions you missed the first time, or get another taste of something you loved, etc.

 

[lauritagoddess]

It can be nice to have the option even if you don't plan on park hopping. On our recent trip we had a rough morning at MGM and it was just easier to cut our losses and go back to Magic Kingdom for the afternoon which we couldn't have done without the park hopping option.

 

[Chris and Pooh]

To answer the OP's question, "Is park hopping necessary?" Absolutely NOT necessary, but often helpful and convenient. IMHO, it's especially convenient to families with smaller children.
QUOTE]

With respect I found it more useful for older childeren especially like ours as we stayed offsite and popping back to our resort was not always a viable alternative, and with older ones there were much less toilet and fillup stops and generally not tiring as quick.

It is really horses for courses, but I still maintain that on a first visit it is not usually required.
I have advised on ticketing (travel agents trying to rip families off by offering totally inappropriate tickets) and produced itineries for families over a number of years with not one single complaint so I must be doing something
right

 

[eeyoregon]

We have been to WDW many times and have only park hopped one time (one day between 2 parks). I personally don't think the extra money is worth it. WDW is sooooo spread out, that to park hop would mean losing valuable time in the parks while getting from one to the other.

I do have to tell you that we have only visited in February, March, April, October and November which are all months that the parks tend to close "early". Perhaps if we were there during peak season when the parks open early and stay open late, we would take advantage of hopping.

I just prefer to get where I am going and stay there!


19 Days Until 1st Disney Cruise - 7 night Western

 

[WAHMto5]

We have never purchased this option. Our kids are normally pretty worn out with only one park per day, I cannot imagine more then 1! We just make sure we have all our ADRs that we are eating at the parks all planned out to go on those days and have never really seen the need for that option.

 

[JuneDisney]

Thanks to all for your valuable opinions. I actually got my husband involved in this one and he thinks we will be fine without the park-hoppers. I think he was just happy to have the price go down by $155. As this is our first trip, we want to have some down time away from the parks before one of us(including the adults) has a meltdown.