Park hopping epiphany

[Parla]

We are going in October from a Monday to Sunday. However we plan to get there late Monday and leave early Sunday. Of course in pricing it always offers 7 day tickets first. We only need 5. We aren't big on hopping but don't want to stress if it comes up. So I can just buy 7 day tickets and be able to go to a different park two days right? It would just use up one of those extra days that I wasn't going to use to begin with. That's way cheaper than adding the park hopper option!

Please tell me my brain is working right. It's been kind of buzzed since we decided to start planning this trip last week.

 

[brymolmom]

Your brain is working right...but so are the brains at WDW...They have thought about it, and prevent it (or else everyone would do this instead of buying the hopping option).

You aren't actually buying 7 tickets when you buy a 7 day ticket. You are buying entry for seven days into a single park for each day. So you cannot use a non-hopping ticket to try to get into a different park on the same day since you already activated that card somewhere else that day.

DOn't worry - lots and lots and LOTS of people think this might be possible. It is the most asked question usually over on the Theme parks board.

At least you know now so that you can budget for the hopper option or change your plans to single park each day.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You have ajust asked the most-asked question on DisBoards.

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 will 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 in the turnstile of another park the display on the Guest side of the turnstile will be "ACCESS DENIED". The top line of the display on the Greeter side 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 $5.00 per day over four days on a ticket, but charges $54 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 recently told a Guest who was arguing with me about using a different day on the ticket:

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.

 

[Owishingonastar]

I love the park hopper option, we typically goto 3 parks a day. To add variety!

 

[Disneybound!!]

We are going in October from a Monday to Sunday. However we plan to get there late Monday and leave early Sunday. Of course in pricing it always offers 7 day tickets first. We only need 5. We aren't big on hopping but don't want to stress if it comes up. So I can just buy 7 day tickets and be able to go to a different park two days right? It would just use up one of those extra days that I wasn't going to use to begin with. That's way cheaper than adding the park hopper option!

Please tell me my brain is working right. It's been kind of buzzed since we decided to start planning this trip last week.

So glad you asked! I was wondering the same thing myself. Thanks to those who answered, too!!

 

[Parla]

So sorry that I asked a popular question. I promise I did look around to see if it had been asked recently.

I should have known Disney would be too smart for something like that. Is park hopping something I can add later like adding an extra day? I really don't think we will need it but haven't solidified my plans of which park per day. The only thing that would change that is if when it's time to make my ADRs one is not available on a day I wanted it and I had to make it at one park when we planned to visit a different park for the day. We really didn't like taking all the time to travel between parks on our previous visits though. At least now I know I only need a five day ticket.

 

[JoShan1719]

Yes you can add park hoppers once you get there.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The cost to add hopping (or WPF&M) is $54 ($57.51 including tax) per ticket. It does not matter if it is adult or child, one day or ten day, first day of use or last day of use, the price is the same. (For a Florida Resident it is $27 plus tax.)

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.

 

[chaoscent]

You have ajust asked the most-asked question on DisBoards.

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.

I love this. Penny

 

[sunshineNJ]

Unless you have very little ones where you probably will do a park during the morning or afternoon and not at night, I strongly reccomend hoppers. I think they are well worth it. I can't imagine going without them. You can add them when your @ WDW.

 

[brymolmom]

Unless you have very little ones where you probably will do a park during the morning or afternoon and not at night, I strongly reccomend hoppers. I think they are well worth it. I can't imagine going without them. You can add them when your @ WDW.

I actually would recommend the opposite - just getting base tickets. You can always leave and come back to the same park. I can't imagine going to a park at night without a handful of fastpasses that I accumulated earlier in the day. Either I wouldn't ride any of the most popular rides or I'd have to wait in line!

 

[Sgt Mickey]

I like park hoppers becasue we never seem to stay at a park for a full day. We usually will go to one park and go back to our room for lunch we will go to another park. We end up going to magic kingdom quite a bit. BUT this coming trip we don't think we will get the hoppers. I am trying to keep it as cheap as possible and there is 6 of us so it adds up fast.
BUT I keep telling dh I don't know how we are going to spend all day in one park

 

[pezaddict231]

We generally don't park hop, but you can always add the option if you need it. So I would always recommend a base ticket, this way you are only paying for the park hopper if you are actually going to use it.

 

[homedad]

I thought I had beaten the system 2 years ago and bought 10 days with the idea to do 2 parks when needed, even told CM my plan when bought tix. Long story short no ah ah, took about 45 minutes to get refund and buy correct tix

 

[corky441]

If you plan on going back to WDW often, I would suggest doing what I do.
I purchase 10 day nonexpiring tickets from Undercover Tourist. I also buy 10 day nonexpiration park hopper tickets.
My DH and I bring both sets of tickets with us.
Some days we park hop and on others we do only one park. We use whatever ticket corresponds to our daily plan

 

[aubriee]

If you plan on going back to WDW often, I would suggest doing what I do.
I purchase 10 day nonexpiring tickets from Undercover Tourist. I also buy 10 day nonexpiration park hopper tickets.
My DH and I bring both sets of tickets with us.
Some days we park hop and on others we do only one park. We use whatever ticket corresponds to our daily plan

Wow! If you go often, it seems like buying an Annual Pass would be cheaper, plus you'd get all the AP benefits. I go to WDW several times a year and the room discounts alone pay for my AP.

 

[Diegosmom]

If you are doing a package thru disney they automatically put the number of days you will be there (like 7 days for you) but you can edit it and only buy the 5 days that you need.

 

[corky441]

Wow! If you go often, it seems like buying an Annual Pass would be cheaper, plus you'd get all the AP benefits. I go to WDW several times a year and the room discounts alone pay for my AP.

When i said often, I should have been more specific. I meant to say over the course of several years.

WE are DVC owners, and usually go 2-3 times a year, but only for long weekends mostly. Even with the DVC discount for the APs it wouldn't be to our advantage.

 

[YukiPhnx]

The general consensus it seems when it comes to getting hoppers or not, is that first-timers are recommended to just get the base-ticket. They don't know what's available in the other parks and might not know the transportation system well enough to get around efficiently.

Even with 2 trips under my belt now, I would still not get the hoppers. There's just so much to do in one park. I go during value season, so I'm not too worried about the crowds.

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I wouldn't go without hoppers. I like going to different parks in the same day. If one is too crowded we can just jump to anotheer park. I also like eating where I want & not be locked into one park's restaurants for the day.