park hopping when skipping morning park?

[havoc315]

My understanding of the current rules is that you MUST enter your reserved park prior to park hopping, despite the time of day. Thus, even if you skip any park entry until 7pm... you won't be allowed into any park except your reserved park. I guess if it's 7pm, and your reserved park was Animal Kingdom -- which may already be closed -- you can't enter any other park that evening?

So here is my dilemma, and wondering what the best way to deal with it is..

We have reservations for the summer. Quite typically, I'll go with the kids in the morning to a park. My wife will come with us some days, other days she will spend the first part of the day going shopping, spa, whatever. She typically joins us in the evening -- often at Epcot.

So a typical day may be, I start with the kids in the morning at DHS. She joins us in the evening at Epcot. Though this isn't planned in advance. The next morning, she may choose to join us in the morning.

So what's the best way to handle this? I can't just reserve the night-time park for her, as she may want to join us in the morning. I suppose I could switch her reservation the same day, once she had decided... but I'm worried about lack of same-day availability.

Any suggestions on best strategy? Do I have the park hopping rules wrong? Anyone seen any flexibility? (for example, if in a party of 4... 3 members did their morning part, are they really going to exclude the 4th member of the party because they didn't tap in at their reserved park?)

 

[mom2rtk]

There is no best way. That kind of flexibility left with the pandemic.

 

[tseitel]

the only thing you can really do is decide beforehand what days your wife will not be joining you in the am, and just make her park reservation for whatever park you plan to hop to.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Any suggestions on best strategy? Do I have the park hopping rules wrong? Anyone seen any flexibility? (for example, if in a party of 4... 3 members did their morning part, are they really going to exclude the 4th member of the party because they didn't tap in at their reserved park?)

I have seen reports that they definitely do prohibit entry - even if it's only one member of the party. Unfortunately there is no easy answer here...your wife will have to tap into the reserved park in order to hop. Or, as you mentioned, she can try to change her reserved park on the fly - but only if it's available.

 

[havoc315]

So seems that really is how it works...
It's a pretty arbitrary restriction: So someone who goes to their morning park, can go to any park at 2pm and thereafter.
But if you decided to sleep in until 2pm... then you can only go to your reserved park.

The only reason I can see for the rule is to avoid "afternoon only" guests simply having free reign. This way, they still have a sense of where all their guests will be for most of the day.

 

[mom2rtk]

So seems that really is how it works...
It's a pretty arbitrary restriction: So someone who goes to their morning park, can go to any park at 2pm and thereafter.
But if you decided to sleep in until 2pm... then you can only go to your reserved park.

The only reason I can see for the rule is to avoid "afternoon only" guests simply having free reign. This way, they still have a sense of where all their guests will be for most of the day.

So much arbitrary in pandemic life.

 

[Naomeri]

So seems that really is how it works...
It's a pretty arbitrary restriction: So someone who goes to their morning park, can go to any park at 2pm and thereafter.
But if you decided to sleep in until 2pm... then you can only go to your reserved park.

The only reason I can see for the rule is to avoid "afternoon only" guests simply having free reign. This way, they still have a sense of where all their guests will be for most of the day.

You would still be able to park hop, you would just have to go to your reserved park first.

 

[MomOTwins]

I think she just has to bite the bullet and plan in advance for each day of the trip whether she will join you in the morning or do something else. That is just one of the requirements of going to WDW during the pandemic. Just like with reduced dining capacity people who used to prefer to be more spontaneous about dining are finding they need to reserve TS at 60 days and mobile order at QS ahead of when they intend to eat.

With a lot of locals who have APs (which allow hopping) and may wish to visit a park after work, they need to avoid a large number of people making a throwaway reservation at the least popular park to get into a different park that is sold out after 2pm. Yes, if you go to a park in the morning you can hop to a sold out park after too, but that requirement to tap into the first park reduces the number of people who can do that on a given day.

Note if you are at a Disney hotel, spas are not open.

 

[havoc315]

You would still be able to park hop, you would just have to go to your reserved park first.

Yes, I understand. But that still gives them some control and knowledge of where the person is going. If someone doesn't start hitting parks until 3pm -- they are likely to spend the bulk of their time in their reserved park. Not going to tap into Magic Kingdom at 3... and be at DHS by 4. (yes, it's possible... but most guests would be far more likely to tap in and stay for a few hours).

 

[havoc315]

With a lot of locals who have APs (which allow hopping) and may wish to visit a park after work, they need to avoid a large number of people making a throwaway reservation at the least popular park to get into a different park that is sold out after 2pm. Yes, if you go to a park in the morning you can hop to a sold out park after too, but that requirement to tap into the first park reduces the number of people who can do that on a given day.

*THIS* makes sense.

 

[kevgraub]

So seems that really is how it works...
It's a pretty arbitrary restriction: So someone who goes to their morning park, can go to any park at 2pm and thereafter.
But if you decided to sleep in until 2pm... then you can only go to your reserved park.

The only reason I can see for the rule is to avoid "afternoon only" guests simply having free reign. This way, they still have a sense of where all their guests will be for most of the day.

Not sure if I am reading this right, but I think you are misunderstanding the 2pm restriction.

You can tap into your reserved park anytime of the day, and then park hop after 2pm. So you could wait until 5pm, go to DHS and tap in, then leave and go to Epcot if you wanted (and had a park hopper ticket).

Its not that you have to be at the first park by 2pm, you just cannot go to the second park before that time.

 

[havoc315]

Not sure if I am reading this right, but I think you are misunderstanding the 2pm restriction.

You can tap into your reserved park anytime of the day, and then park hop after 2pm. So you could wait until 5pm, go to DHS and tap in, then leave and go to Epcot if you wanted (and had a park hopper ticket).

Its not that you have to be at the first park by 2pm, you just cannot go to the second park before that time.

That's exactly what I said. But again, if you're leaving your plan is to leave your hotel, the Beach Club, at 6pm... for dinner at Epcot at 7pm. If your park reservation is Magic Kingdom -- You're not going to take a bus all the way to Magic Kingdom, tap in, and then ride the bus all the way back, just so you can be at Epcot for 7pm. I suppose some people would do that... but the majority of people won't ride a bus for 30 minutes, just to tap and leave. Most people will stick around.

 

[scrappinginontario]

So seems that really is how it works...
It's a pretty arbitrary restriction: So someone who goes to their morning park, can go to any park at 2pm and thereafter.
But if you decided to sleep in until 2pm... then you can only go to your reserved park.

The only reason I can see for the rule is to avoid "afternoon only" guests simply having free reign. This way, they still have a sense of where all their guests will be for most of the day.

This is not correct. As long as someone taps into their reserved park (before or after 2pm) they may hop to another park.

 

[Mamabun]

I'd make your wife reservations with the rest of you for everyday, ad then whenever you know she won't be joining you at your chosen park in the morning, try to switch her reservation to Epcot (even if that's day of).

Based on the recent calendars, I think that would be pretty successful, and the worst case is that she needs to ride a bus and tap in at your first park - certainly not ideal, but not terrible for a worst case.

Unfortunately, I have known of several folks who tried to enter a second park with their party without ever entering their reservation park, and all were denied.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Disney does not allow guests to tap into a park on behalf of another person. All references to such have been deleted.

DISboards does not allow posts that circumvent Disney rules.

 

[Tom_E_D]

I agree with Mamabun. If your wife decides not to go to the park she has reserved for the day, she should try to switch her reservation to Epcot. If she sees Epcot is fully booked that day, she'll know she has to check into her reserved park first. Epcot is not fully booked except on the busiest days. And it's possible that on the busiest days that Disney will not allow people to park hop anyway.

 

[zoo2tycoon]

Here is a great thread from restaurant board! The title is bad- not park hopper fail it is user failure to understand. This is about importance of wife tapping in if she wants to park hop for dining or any reason .
Please read

https://www.disboards.com/threads/p...d-entry-for-liberty-tree-reservation.3827698/

 

[gharter]

the only thing you can really do is decide beforehand what days your wife will not be joining you in the am, and just make her park reservation for whatever park you plan to hop to.

This seems to be your best/only option at this time.
Things hopefully will change at some point, but we may not get back to how they used to be.

 

[cgattis]

Disney does not allow guests to tap into a park on behalf of another person. All references to such have been deleted.

DISboards does not allow posts that circumvent Disney rules.

Oops sorry!!! Didn’t realize that was an actual rule—guess that’s why nobody had mentioned it!

 

[havoc315]

I agree with Mamabun. If your wife decides not to go to the park she has reserved for the day, she should try to switch her reservation to Epcot. If she sees Epcot is fully booked that day, she'll know she has to check into her reserved park first. Epcot is not fully booked except on the busiest days. And it's possible that on the busiest days that Disney will not allow people to park hop anyway.

Yes, that’s my thought. My concern is Epcot will be much harder to book if Harmonious and Ratatouille are open.