Park Hopper Option Debate?

[ifer924]

I haven't seen this widely discussed because the parks are so close everyone says to do it, but if you don't you save $50/ticket and that adds up to one dinner out. Plus while were there F! is only on the weekends so during the week there won't be a night time show at DL. We're traveling to DLR April 21st - 26th, getting a 1/2 park day on Tuesday and 4 full days. My kids are 2 4 and 7, we're early risers we'll take advantage of EMH/MM but will need pool/nap breaks in the afternoon. If I'm really organized can't we just head back to the same park that night - to me it seems not like WDW where there are 4 options at DLR we either go to the same park or you don't. Everyone chime in cause I want to take advantage of one of these Orbitz/Cheaptickets deals today!

 

[Whistlebee]

Is it your first visit? If it was your first visit and you were doing 3 days I'd say you don't need the hoppers. With 4.5 days you might need the hoppers! Of course, you can live without them. They aren't a necessity...more of a luxury. Personally, I'd probably get them for a 4.5 day trip but you don't NEED them. If you don't get them you can always upgrade your tickets at the park if you change your mind.

 

[ifer924]

Whistlebee, My husband said the same thing, we can just upgrade when we get there. I'm such a planner I want to know - now! and I'd hate to upgrade on day 3 having restricted ourselves the first few days. I think I'm getting the hopper, but I'd love to hear what people say.

 

[mom2rtk]

I never buy the hopper at WDW but always do at DLR. There's just so much to do that it makes planning easier to sort of treat the 2 parks as 1. It's usually the shows, parades or fireworks that end up pushing us to change parks. For example, Fantasmic is only on the weekends when we go, but sometimes it's better to hide from the weekend crowds in DCA during a busy weekend day, then hop over just for Fantasmic.

 

[ifer924]

Mom2rtk thanks, great suggestion. F! only on weekends when were there too, haven't been to DLR in a long time - frequent trips to WDW, so your suggestion on DCA is helpful. Do you think we should focus on DL then mid-week and save DCA for Fri/Sat, is it more spread out, are there less crowded areas? I might totally rethink my planning since crowd levels are estimated to be similar Tour Planning hasn't helped much on that plus we wanted to take advantage of EMH so I was just going on that? Arrival day, Tues - DCA, then Weds/Thurs at DL then back to DCA for Friday and hit all our last things on Sat. - we have BB F! on Friday night and WoC CC on Sat.

 

[nikkislaght]

We always get hoppers...for us the cost is not an issue.. if it is for someone else, then I would say dont get them.. use that money on meals...
So the reason we get them ... just having that option.. there are days when we dont hop.. and we dont look at it as waisted money.. having that option... is gold.
I will let my son set the course of the day.. with the exception of saying that these are the rides I want to do at some point today. we get a map.. set it out and go on about our day..
and if that means he wants to do RSR and at some point do pirates then within maybe 10 minutes that can happen.. will it ruin our trip if we couldnt do that? nope.. does it make it just that little bit more special? yo betcha ... !

Hope you have a great trip which ever way you decide to do it...

 

[Halloweenqueen]

We have always done the parkhoppers until our January visit when we decided to give base tickets a try. With seven us of the savings was hard to pass up.

Boy, did we regret it! We had 5 day tickets and planned for three DL days and two DCA days. First problem that hit us was weather. We unfortunately had some soggy days and it would have been convenient to hop because many rides were closed for periods of time. Even on the non rainy days we sometimes experienced ride closures and it would have been nice to expand our options.

We also experienced cancellations of fireworks and F! On inconvenient days.

I think it was Murphy's law, but my kids often complained that they would have preferred to eat at the opposite park. Teenagers.

it is important to point out how close the parks are. It is less of a distance than between Future World and World Showcase at WDW.

My family made me promise that we would never skip PH again.

 

[mom2rtk]

Mom2rtk thanks, great suggestion. F! only on weekends when were there too, haven't been to DLR in a long time - frequent trips to WDW, so your suggestion on DCA is helpful. Do you think we should focus on DL then mid-week and save DCA for Fri/Sat, is it more spread out, are there less crowded areas? I might totally rethink my planning since crowd levels are estimated to be similar Tour Planning hasn't helped much on that plus we wanted to take advantage of EMH so I was just going on that? Arrival day, Tues - DCA, then Weds/Thurs at DL then back to DCA for Friday and hit all our last things on Sat. - we have BB F! on Friday night and WoC CC on Sat.

In general, we prefer to spend days that we expect to be more crowded in DCA. We just don't feel it as much there, and don't care if our DCA days are less magical because of the high crowds, if that makes any sense. My priority is to spend as many low crowd days in DL as possible.

I don't really use Touring Plans at DLR. With hoppers, we make our decisions as we go based on the feel of the parks and the show/parade/fireworks schedule

Another issue here is Early Entry. We stay onsite for the express purpose of using early entry to its fullest. Saturday it's at DL and Sunday it's at DCA. Having hoppers allows us to do early entry in both of those parks, but then leave for the other if it feels too busy.

In general we're not fans of hopping. But it's so easy at DLR that it's just not a big issue. In addition to Fantasmic, parade scheduling was an issue for us in December. We wanted to see the Christmas parade during the day and also at night. But the days we were there it was only running during the day on the weekends. So yet another reason to hop.

We're generally not back and forth a lot but I still can't see doing DLR without hoppers. And this from the person who has made many trips to WDW, but never bought their hopper.

 

[NH Disneyfan]

We are going in 2 weeks and for the first time ever, will NOT be getting park hoppers. We are planning 4 park days staying at Grand Californian. I am saving the $160 it would cost for our hoppers. I want to relax on this vacation and we are doing parks Mon-Thurs - so mid-week I don't expect crowds or any shows to hop over to. Without hopping we simplify what we can do, simplify decisions, and restrict changes mid-day to the park we're in, hotel, pool, or Downtown. We can relax eating knowing we're staying in the same park. There is really plenty to do without running across the esplanade, waiting in line to get into another park, walking through to a destination, etc.

Now, if we only had 3 days or a weekend this would be different. I'd get the hoppers. That's what we did last time. But that time we ran around like crazy, came home with bucket lists unchecked, and as I thought about it - we hopped to rides in other parks just because we liked them, not because we had seen everything in park #1. Taking a different approach this time. Can't wait!

 

[ifer924]

that's why I posted this, thinking of taking a different approach and with our little kids and staying at GCV too I don't know how much we'll push. We have 5 park days as well and aren't really into parades and shows as much as rides Still haven't decide but I'm in the same boat thinking I could save $160 for our Napa Rose dinner or something else fabulous!

 

[Indiana Scott]

I wouldn't even consider not getting the PH option. We use it all the time and enjoy the freedom of going to the other park if the first one is crowded or we just have an urge. It's a freedom we wouldn't do without.

 

[Dizzy4DL]

The thought of going to DL without PH is enough to put my family in a panic!

But I've thought of it before, and I came up with this:
1. One day at DL (PH) Get there early, stay late, favorites only.
2. Two days at DL (Base) Focus mostly on favorites at one park per day.
3. Three+ days at DL (PH) Go with the flow
That's just for my family, and how we tour. The PH option was a godsend on our last trip, DL was experiencing power outages on quite a few rides, but everyone (and their mom) seemed to be staying in the park. We hopped over to DCA and had a perfectly nice, and relaxing day there.

 

[Xenorye]

On my trip in February 2013, (not my first trip but everyone else in my family's) we hopped every day for one reason or another. It's so simple. One way to look at it if you're trying to relax is that if your family really wants to ride Toy Story one more time on your last day, but that's a DL day, it might not be so relaxing without PH.

 

[LizzyS]

I've done both and I personally don't mind not having park hoppers and, yes, it is cheaper. I know it's easy, but I'm annoyed at going back and forth between the two parks many times, even thought the distance is so short!

Like others have said, you can always upgrade if you change your mind when you get there.

 

[agamble]

Sometimes park hopping is a pain, especially with little kids. But is relatively convenient when compared to WDW. We bought 4-day non parkhoppers one year. Our kids were almost 3 and only 3-weeks old. Parkhopping just sounded tiring. The previous year, and the following year we bought APs. Even though we have an AP, we don't always park hop. But we may depending on our plans and schedule.

If you're going to be returning to your hotel anyway, you may want to consider the PH. However, if you think you wouldn't be hopping parks except after a hotel break, it may not be worth it to you. If you're on the fence about it, I'd consider waiting until you're at the park. It may not end up being a big deal. I'd consider some things: How old are your kids? Will they be wandering off without you for a few hours, or always staying with you? Do your kids (or you) need to ride the biggest most thrilling rides over and over? If your kids are young, you stay mostly together, and you enjoy the less thrilling rides too you may not feel you need a park hopper. But if your kids are older, you split up much, you have to re-ride your favorites over and over, then you may feel that you need PH. Also, do you think your family would be happy spending 2 entire days at DCA? We enjoy DCA, but many people feel it's only a 1-day or 1.5 day park. You may want to hop that last day of your trip. So much to think about. LOL! It was nice when the hopper was just part of the multiple day tickets instead of an added cost.

 

[GenGen22]

We always get park hoppers but the only time we really use them is two occasions 1. Would be our last day on our trip to hop back and fourth to both parks to do just our favorite rides/shows & buy those souvaniers that we had to have but didn't get. That would be after spending 1 to 2 days in each park. 2. Would be when DCA closes as it closes earlier than DL & we aren't ready to have the fun end for the day as that's our DCA day we hop back to DL for a few hours.