Ticket advice needed please

[K9pal]

Need advice and opinions regarding ticket options. DH and I are taking our 2 grandsons, ages 5 and 7, and their mom and dad for 5 nights the first week in June, staying at WLV. We want this to be a special trip, but also want to make good use of our $$. DH and I already have hopper passes, so we’ll need expiring tickets for 2 adults and the 2 kids.

We should arrive late afternoon on Sunday – I’m thinking that could be a non-park day, have a character dinner at a reasort, look around the resort, swim, whatever. So that leaves 4 full days. Can’t decide whether to purchase 4 non-hoppers, or add the hopper cost. Having not been to WDW with small kids before, I’m not sure if we’d take advantage of hopping or not. On the other hand, especially since we’re staying so close to MK, I’d hate to have to tell them we couldn’t go back to MK because we’d used our ticket for the day somewhere else. Adding the hopper option would add about $155 total. Also, would you do a park the first day, after traveling and with only about 5 hours to spend there? I'm thinking we'll all be a bit tired.

Advice? Opinions? What would you do? TIA!

 

[HMHunters]

Need advice and opinions regarding ticket options. DH and I are taking our 2 grandsons, ages 5 and 7, and their mom and dad for 5 nights the first week in June, staying at WLV. We want this to be a special trip, but also want to make good use of our $$. DH and I already have hopper passes, so we’ll need expiring tickets for 2 adults and the 2 kids.

We should arrive late afternoon on Sunday – I’m thinking that could be a non-park day, have a character dinner at a reasort, look around the resort, swim, whatever. So that leaves 4 full days. Can’t decide whether to purchase 4 non-hoppers, or add the hopper cost. Having not been to WDW with small kids before, I’m not sure if we’d take advantage of hopping or not. On the other hand, especially since we’re staying so close to MK, I’d hate to have to tell them we couldn’t go back to MK because we’d used our ticket for the day somewhere else. Adding the hopper option would add about $155 total. Also, would you do a park the first day, after traveling and with only about 5 hours to spend there? I'm thinking we'll all be a bit tired.

Advice? Opinions? What would you do? TIA!

I would definitely do the hopper option. We've been taking our kids since they were really little (our first trip they were 5 and 1) and the hopper was great. You probably won't need a full day at MGM or AK so you'll want the option to take them back to "Disney World" (or MK to little kids!) after a break in the afternoon. Have fun!!

 

[rie'smom]

You could always buy the non-hopper version and upgrade if you decide that's the better way. The ticket counter at the resort can do that for you.

 

[Ariel'sMom]

I would recommend the 4-day park hopper. I think the benefits of having the flexibility is worth the extra cost. I find with our children that we often go to a different park in the evening to see a specific event that we might have missed earlier in the stay or return to a ride we really liked. Also, since you and your husband already have park hoppers it makes sense. We are also arriving in the late afternoon when we visit and are planning to relax by the pool and explore the hotel and then hit the parks the next morning.

 

[runner26.2]

I expect you will receive advice on both sides of this question. Having said that our recent experience with DD9, DD7 & DS4 is that we could have done without the Hopper option. We were either at a Park when it opened or went later in the day to see fireworks or a parade. The only time we used the Hopper to our advantage was to go to MK on our first day and then to Fantasmic that evening, otherwise we pretty much stuck to one park per day. With three children we were usually ready to leave the Park by 3-4 o'clock and once at the poll really had no desire to return.

I know there are many people who regularily Park hop but for us it wasn't worth the $$

 

[alldiz]

i would get the 5 day...
probably will cost ya about 10-15 bucks total....
worth it just to go to m.k for the fireworks 1st night...

i bought the park hoppers and rarely used....
if u leave a park u can go back to same one...

where are u staying....
if your on boardwalk or monorail....maybe cause your so close
Kerri
edit....i see u r at vwl
easy boat ride...to m.k but nothing else very easy...still love it

 

[dis-happy]

I agree, hit a park on arrival day and forego hopping. Usually MK has emh on Sunday night...not sure if that changes next June or not. Are you doing a package? If you can buy your tickets separately take advantage of the mousesavers link where you buy the 4 day tickets and get 2 days free. Still cheaper than doing hopping. The parents may be tired on travel day but I bet the kids will be raring to go to MK!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I would suggest going with the four day base to start with. Here are some things to consider. (Note all amounts I show are current prices and do not include the 6.5% sales tax.)

Difference between four day and five day is $4 per adult and $1 per child. Difference between five day and six day is $2 per person. Adding hopping to any ticket is $45.

The prices shown above are from any ticket, no matter how much was paid for the ticket. When a ticket is upgraded Disney will absorb any difference between what it originally sold the ticket for and the current gate price of the ticket. You oly have to pay the difference between the current gate price of the ticket you are trading in and the current gate price of the upgraded ticket (plus tax, of course).

And they system will not allow you to go to two different parks on the same day if your ticket does not have the hopper option.

 

[disney6family]

I would go with the 5 day non hopper, with our kids we just don't hop we find it is easier to take one park a day and just stay there, but we would definitely get a few rides in at MK that first night (we stay at FW every time) You could do Chef Mickey's that night for dinner then walk over to MK for rides and fireworks

 

[disneymom06]

I would suggest going with the four day base to start with. Here are some things to consider. (Note all amounts I show are current prices and do not include the 6.5% sales tax.)

Difference between four day and five day is $4 per adult and $1 per child. Difference between five day and six day is $2 per person. Adding hopping to any ticket is $45.

The prices shown above are from any ticket, no matter how much was paid for the ticket. When a ticket is upgraded Disney will absorb any difference between what it originally sold the ticket for and the current gate price of the ticket. You oly have to pay the difference between the current gate price of the ticket you are trading in and the current gate price of the upgraded ticket (plus tax, of course).

And they system will not allow you to go to two different parks on the same day if your ticket does not have the hopper option.

I was told this as well but when we upgraded our tickets this summer, they credited us what was paid on the one day ticket and charged us the new price of the 10 day ticket.

On the park hopping, it is tough with little ones but Are you planning out the details of the trip and have scheduled park hopping days? If YOU always park hop, would you be dissappointed if you couldn't? Would your dining plans require two parks in one day?

 

[K9pal]

Great points, everyone! It's given me some things to consider. With the tiny difference in price, I probably will go with the 5 day vs. 4 day after all. And we're already planning to do Chef Mickey's that evening. Leaning towards the hopper too.
Thanks!