Skip the Hopper at DLR?

[socks4dobby]

Looking for advice on whether I need the hopper for my group.

We will be going to DLR for 4 days with 2 kids (5 & 6 years old) and 4 adults (me, hubby, and my parents). Realistically, do you think we'll be park hopping? It seems unlikely to me due to the age of my kids and the fact that the old folks are in tow. We are definitely going to be heading back to the hotel (either DLH or GCH) in the afternoon to rest/recharge, and I'm just trying to figure out how we are going to spend our afternoons/evenings.

Is one park definitely better for our group in the afternoons/evenings and we'll regret not getting a hopper?

If it were just me and my husband, we'd go with the hopper. Not so sure with the kids and grandparents.

 

[juxtapose]

We always get a park hopper at DLR, but never at WDW. I find we go in the morning, then rest in the afternoon and go back to whichever park seems to have lower crowds in the evening (or whichever park my kids want to return to). If you don't plan on going to the parks in the evening then no I don't think you'd need it. If you stay at GCH it's pretty nice to use their entrance, we'd frequently go there, ride a ride or two, then walk to DL.

 

[DLgal]

Get the hopper. It literally takes 2 minutes to walk across to the other park.

ESPECIALLY get the hopper if you stay at GCH! Because you can return to the hotel much easier through the park entrance.

We hop when MIL is with us (in her 70s). Every time. Hopping is amazing when you are trying to get away from larger than expected crowds or numerous ride breakdowns in one park. It just gives you more options for everything.

Do it. Don't overthink it.

Both parks are better at night, FWIW.

 

[KPeterso]

Another vote to get the hopper. The parks entrances are literally across from one another. So easy to hop. We hop all the time with my Mom who is in her 80s. And used to with my BFF and her boys (who were little with a stroller) when they had passes. So easy and quick. Also as mentioned, from GCH, it is so easy to enter DCA and then walk through to enter DL (and vice versa).

 

[tinkerjo]

Another vote for hopper. We NEVER hop at WDW but have hopped both trips to DLR. they are sooooo close that it makes it easy. There is so much packed into each park and everything is pretty easy to get to. Also there seems to be more rides down when we went so if we missed one, we could just go back later. (Indiana Jones and Cars were the 2 that always seemed to have closures) You still want to plan: I wouldn’t want to go from IASM to incredicoaster but we would often start (rope drop) at one park and go back to the hotel In The afternoon, take a break, stack some rides for evening( it was max pass when we went) and have an easy evening and watch a show or parade. So much easier than WDW!!!! GCH would be awesome. We just stayed across the street in a cheap hotel and were still perfectly happy but the GCH would be even less walking

 

[socks4dobby]

We will get the Hopper! Thank you for all of the great advice, all!

 

[scrapquitler]

Looking for advice on whether I need the hopper for my group.

We will be going to DLR for 4 days with 2 kids (5 & 6 years old) and 4 adults (me, hubby, and my parents). Realistically, do you think we'll be park hopping? It seems unlikely to me due to the age of my kids and the fact that the old folks are in tow. We are definitely going to be heading back to the hotel (either DLH or GCH) in the afternoon to rest/recharge, and I'm just trying to figure out how we are going to spend our afternoons/evenings.

Is one park definitely better for our group in the afternoons/evenings and we'll regret not getting a hopper?

If it were just me and my husband, we'd go with the hopper. Not so sure with the kids and grandparents.

I would get the hopper. Hopping at DLR is not the huge process like it is at WDW. Think of it more like going from Future World to World Showcase rather than going from Epcot to HS. Its only like a 2 or 3 minute walk from the exit of one park to the entrance of the other.