Park Hopping for Newbies?

[Lucius Best]

OMG!! Thank you soooo much for taking the time to write such a detailed response. I truly appreciate your time and advice. I will definitely look into flipping the EP and HS days.

My only remaining question would be the likelihood of TL being busier on weekends with local traffic, than during the week.

You're welcome!

It's probably safe to assume that TL will be more busy on the weekend, I have no idea how much. I figured HS day would be better for pool afternoon, and Epcot day better for TL, because of timing/travel, i.e. if you're going from HS to BC to TL and back, that will take more time than on the Epcot day when you can walk from Epcot to BC. Don't know if you'll have a car, that would make it quicker/easier to get around.

My only experience with water parks has been going in the afternoon, during slow seasons, we would get there around 1-2pm and it seemed like a lot of people who were there at park opening were heading out or already gone.

 

[itchin2go]

Personally, I wouldn't park hop just to park hop.

I would park hop for 2 reasons:

1. If I was planning on taking an afternoon break, I might go to a different park in the evening. I wouldn't buy PH's for this purpose but I would use them if I had them.
2. To take advantage of EMH. Go to a morning EMH then switch to another park when it got crowded. Or go to a low crowd park in the morning and then hop to a late EMH.

I park hop because I have been to the parks many times and even on short trips I like to hit certain things, but if you haven't been in a while (or the people you with have NEVER been) .. then simply staying one day in each park is sufficient. There are plenty of attractions and shows and shopping to spend more than a day in every park.

I would only consider getting a park hopper:
1) My park days is 5 days or greater
or
2) I am getting a 10-day no-expiration ticket. (which you no longer can get)
or
3) I am going with a big family group where splitting up/handing off the kids is an option (grandparents take the kids while the parents hop over to another park for nice dinner and the night shows)

Honestly there is plenty to do in the resort as a whole without having to park hop even if you are done with a park in the afternoon.
On the day you go to AK ... pick a nice resort restaurant to go to instead of hopping.
If you have other half-days .. go to Downtown Disney and do your shopping there.

I can think of another reason. If my family wants to experience AK and/or DHS, I would want to have hoppers. There's just not enough for us to do at either of those parks to blow a whole day's admission on them. If I had hoppers, though? Sure, I'd spend an evening in DHS or a morning in AK.

FWIW - though, we had hoppers on our first two trips and hardly used them, so we haven't bought them since then. They are not necessary, but may be desirable for certain reasons.

 

[tlmadden73]

I can think of another reason. If my family wants to experience AK and/or DHS, I would want to have hoppers. There's just not enough for us to do at either of those parks to blow a whole day's admission on them. If I had hoppers, though? Sure, I'd spend an evening in DHS or a morning in AK.

FWIW - though, we had hoppers on our first two trips and hardly used them, so we haven't bought them since then. They are not necessary, but may be desirable for certain reasons.

True .. but this is based on the family and the pace they are taking throughout the park and they type of meals you eat there ... etc. A lot of factors.

Yes .. both those parks are way too low on attractions ... and every time I HAVE used hoppers it has been FROM either AK or DHS ... but for the families who have never gone (or haven't gone in a while) .. I think both parks can easily take up the whole day. Especially if you are taking your time and enjoying the non-ride stuff (like the animals at AK or the shows at DHS).

If it's your second, or third or fourth time in as many years to those parks .. ya .. there isn't much there to keep you there once you hit the 4 big rides each park has.

 

[Sailormoon2]

@itchin2go and tlmadden73 you both raise really good points. We can see HS being a potential half-day park for us, barring re-rides of RnR and ToT if we can get 4th Fastpasses. But I adore animals, and walking "trails" and EE, so AK, barring incredibly low crowds, is going to take us at least until 3 pm (which is technically a half day at any other park). We have 5pm adr at Sanaa (which I am sooo excited for) so really this should stay its own day.

 

[itchin2go]

@itchin2go and tlmadden73 you both raise really good points. We can see HS being a potential half-day park for us, barring re-rides of RnR and ToT if we can get 4th Fastpasses. But I adore animals, and walking "trails" and EE, so AK, barring incredibly low crowds, is going to take us at least until 3 pm (which is technically a half day at any other park). We have 5pm adr at Sanaa (which I am sooo excited for) so really this should stay its own day.

We tried Sanaa last trip and loved it. The food is really good! We did the bread service with all the dips, and I thought it was super fun.