Park hopper vs adding a ticket day

[Chubby]

We are going back to WDW in Nov '15. The big debate right now in the household is whether to get park hopper or not. We are going for 7 nights and I am firmly against getting hopper, the wife is for. We might have used it once last trip but that was it. We might use it once or twice this trip (or not at all) so I don't see the need to spend the money on that. We have 1 child so there's 3 of us total going.

If we do not have park hopper and want to "hop", we would spend another day of tickets, correct?

Wouldn't it be cheaper to go from a 5 day ticket to a 7 day ticket (allowing for 2 park hops) for $64 than spending $192 for hopper?

I must be missing something so I turn to you for clarification!

Thanks in advance!

 

[sharonabe]

You are missing something...you can't do it. If you want to hop, you have to purchase the hopper. The "days" are not separate tickets, but "days" of playing. If you don't have the hopper, you can only enter one park per "day."

 

[ZephyrHawk]

You cannot use extra days of base tickets to park hop. If you want to visit more than one Disney park in the same day, you must get park-hoppers. This is a common Disboards question, do not feel perturbed.

 

[mesaboy2]

We are going back to WDW in Nov '15. The big debate right now in the household is whether to get park hopper or not. We are going for 7 nights and I am firmly against getting hopper, the wife is for. We might have used it once last trip but that was it. We might use it once or twice this trip (or not at all) so I don't see the need to spend the money on that. We have 1 child so there's 3 of us total going.

1. If we do not have park hopper and want to "hop", we would spend another day of tickets, correct?

2. Wouldn't it be cheaper to go from a 5 day ticket to a 7 day ticket (allowing for 2 park hops) for $64 than spending $192 for hopper?

I must be missing something so I turn to you for clarification!

Thanks in advance!

1. Incorrect--the ticketing system forbids it.

2. And that is why.

 

[hiroMYhero]

We are going back to WDW in Nov '15. The big debate right now in the household is whether to get park hopper or not. We are going for 7 nights and I am firmly against getting hopper, the wife is for. We might have used it once last trip but that was it. We might use it once or twice this trip (or not at all) so I don't see the need to spend the money on that. We have 1 child so there's 3 of us total going.

If we do not have park hopper and want to "hop", we would spend another day of tickets, correct?

Wouldn't it be cheaper to go from a 5 day ticket to a 7 day ticket (allowing for 2 park hops) for $64 than spending $192 for hopper?

I must be missing something so I turn to you for clarification!

Thanks in advance!

You can only use one ticket entitlement per day. So, if you choose to go to more than one park on a specific day, it would be best to add park hopping onto your ticket entitlements, otherwise, you'd need to buy a separate one-day ticket to enter the second park on that specific day.

 

[Chubby]

Heh, I knew there had to be a reason this wasn't common practice!

I'm trying to come up with ways to appease the wife

Back to the drawing board!

 

[Disney_Princess83]

You don't have to add the hopper option until you want to use it. It's the same cost whether you add it now or half way through the trip.

 

[Chubby]

You can only use one ticket entitlement per day. So, if you choose to go to more than one park on a specific day, it would be best to add park hopping onto your ticket entitlements, otherwise, you'd need to buy a separate one-day ticket to enter the second park on that specific day.

hmm, so if we have 1 day tickets comped and waiting at the parks for us (due to Villains Day bus fiasco in '13), then we could in theory "hop" once without hopper?

 

[sharonabe]

You don't have to add hopping from the beginning. Buy your base ticket and then when/if you decide to hop you add it at the gate. It costs the same either way. This may appease the wife as long as you are willing to add it if it is needed.

 

[sharonabe]

hmm, so if we have 1 day tickets comped and waiting at the parks for us (due to Villains Day bus fiasco in '13), then we could in theory "hop" once without hopper?

Yes you could.

 

[mamommy]

You can always wait and add the park hopper option later if you decide you want to switch parks. Just go to guest services in the park before you leave for the next park. That way you aren't paying for it until you know you are going to use it.

 

[sharonabe]

If you decide to use the comp ticket, be very careful how you do it. I wouldn't even pick them up at will call until you need to use it, but then make sure they do not ADD them to your existing tickets as an extra day as that would take away any chance of "hopping" with them.

 

[chartle]

hmm, so if we have 1 day tickets comped and waiting at the parks for us (due to Villains Day bus fiasco in '13), then we could in theory "hop" once without hopper?

Yes thats one use for what is basically a worthless ticket without using some creative thinking.

If you decide to use the comp ticket, be very careful how you do it. I wouldn't even pick them up at will call until you need to use it, but then make sure they do not ADD them to your existing tickets as an extra day as that would take away any chance of "hopping" with them.

They can't add them to your multiday ticket but if both tickets were on the account it may pick the comp ticket to use first.

 

[Raenstoirm]

hmm, so if we have 1 day tickets comped and waiting at the parks for us (due to Villains Day bus fiasco in '13), then we could in theory "hop" once without hopper?

Yes, that is the perfect solution.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

A base ticket is one major (theme) park per day. You are allowed to re-enter the same park if you leave it on one day, but it can only be used at the one park.

Note that the ticket may state on it either "Not Valid For Park Hopping" or "One Theme Park Per Day". That should be a hint.

If you put the ticket to thew sensor of another park the display will be be slue, which means "ACCESS DENIED". The top line of the display on the Greeter's iPad will give information about the ticket, and the second line of the display will say "CROSSOVER NOT PERMITTED". The turnstile will not unlock.

This is because Disney charges $10.00 per day over four days on a ticket, but charges $60 to allow hopping. It does not make economic sense for Disney to allow this.

If you actually have multiple tickets (more than one physical ticket per person) as opposed to multiple day tickets, you can use these tickets for multiple entries. But it makes absolutely no economic sense as a separate ticket costs a lot more than adding hopping to a ticket.

Or, as I have occasionally told Guests who were arguing with me about using a different day on the ticket: (note day of week stated can vary)

The turnstile computer thinks today is Friday. The turnstile computer at the other park also thinks today is Friday. The two turnstile computers talk to each other. If you can convince this turnstile computer that today is not the same Friday as the other computer thinks, it will let you in.

The cost to add hopping (or WPF&M) is $60 per ticket. It does not matter if it is adult or child, four days or ten days, first day of use or last day of use, the price is the same. (Note to add hopping to a one day ticket is $53 or to a two or three day ticket is $49.)

So if you are not sure, don't order them. If you find you do need them, then upgrade your tickets at any ticket window or Guest Relations Office. It only takes a minute or so.

 

[mummabear]

We are also going Nov "15. For the first time ever we are not planning in buying hoppers, we have always had them and like the flexibility but for the amount it costs plus the amount we hopped last trip I think we can do better things with that $240ish bucks.
It must have cost us $60 (only 3 tickets last trip not 4) each hop and while it might be nice to say ok AK is closed lets head to MK (or at this time of year maybe the other ways around) but it may make a more relaxing trip to say ok AK is closed lets go back and swim in the pool, lets go to dtd and go bowling.....
Also we are considering going back to using the buses rather than paying for a rental car while makes hopping even harder

 

[Alesia]

We are also going Nov "15. For the first time ever we are not planning in buying hoppers, we have always had them and like the flexibility but for the amount it costs plus the amount we hopped last trip I think we can do better things with that $240ish bucks.
It must have cost us $60 (only 3 tickets last trip not 4) each hop and while it might be nice to say ok AK is closed lets head to MK (or at this time of year maybe the other ways around) but it may make a more relaxing trip to say ok AK is closed lets go back and swim in the pool, lets go to dtd and go bowling.....
Also we are considering going back to using the buses rather than paying for a rental car while makes hopping even harder

I completely disagree with the bolded. Hopping isn't difficult with a car, but it is so much easier using Disney transportation.

for example, hopping from MK to DHS:
By car - take monorail or ferry to TTC, take the tram to your car, drive to DHS, take the tram to the park.
By bus - take the bus to DHS.

 

[mummabear]

I completely disagree with the bolded. Hopping isn't difficult with a car, but it is so much easier using Disney transportation.

for example, hopping from MK to DHS:
By car - take monorail or ferry to TTC, take the tram to your car, drive to DHS, take the tram to the park.
By bus - take the bus to DHS.

Last time we were hopping using transportation rather than a car, just about everything went through the TTC, certainly anything to/from MK.

In my experience we found things (esp with young kids) easier with the car-god the one time we caught a bus after park closing at MK last trip was just so frustrating, the long lines, then standing with everyone on the bus was just

 

[Alesia]

Last time we were hopping using transportation rather than a car, just about everything went through the TTC, certainly anything to/from MK.

That is no longer the case.