To hop or not to hop....

[sherreis]

Trying to figure out the budget as we're getting ready to book for Thanksgiving.

I understand about park hopping. How many of you actually take advantage of it, or, do you end up staying in 1 park for the whole day?

--Sherri

 

[subtchr]

We always get hoppers. The main reason is that on our last day it is a family tradition to hit at least two parks and sometimes three to revisit everyone's favorites. But I really debated for our recent visit because my touring plan did not have us visiting more than one park each day until that last day. Boy, am I glad I went with the hopper. There was one day we spent the morning and early afternoon at MGM, with plans to take a swim break and then come back for Fantasmic. Well, it started raining around 3 and kept up until almost 9:00. It was EMH night at MK, and we originally had planned to avoid EMH's because of the crowds. Well, with the rain, we decided to go to MK for dinner and see how it was. We ended up staying until 1:00 in the morning, having a wonderful time!! If we had not had hoppers, we would not have had that flexibility. Weather, crowds, personal preferences, and many other factors can change even the best laid plans. If you don't get hoppers, you don't have the flexibility to go with the flow. At least that's my family's experience. Have fun ~

 

[PA Princess]

We never hop. We had the hopper option on tickets for many years, and several trips we made ourselves hop LOL but in the end we came to realize that for our family it generally works fine not to hop. However, I think we are in the minority on this issue, since many here say they are diehard hoppers Generally we hit a park at opening, ride until lunch, return to the resort for a rest or swim, and then we head out for dinner and return to the park. We usually focus on rides in the morning and in the evening we do shows and othe types of entertainment and any rides with no lines. It has worked well for us and we travel with 4 kids (currently ages 11, 10, 6, and 1) and a grandma.

 

[NJOYURLIFE]

We generally take advantage of it. Since we rarely stay in the parks all day because we head back for a nap and swim, it is easy for us to park hop. However, I think it is just as easy to not take advantage of it if you work your plans to specifically not parkhop. I do think park hopping comes in handy for the day you spend at Animal Kindgdom since that closes early and you could still spend the evening at a different park.

Again, though, I think it is all in how you plan your trip.

 

[kirbsam]

we hop every day. maybe we just get bored with the same park all day long.

 

[tlmdisney]

In the past we have gotten the hopper tickets. We hoped once because we felt obligated to at least try it, that was before the changed to the magic your way ticketing system ,but for the exta $ I dont think it would be worth it for my family. We are content to stay in one park all day.

 

[Mickey&Donald]

We would never think of visiting without Hoppers -- we love the freedom of visiting whichever park suits us at that moment. There have been times (Christmas, for example) when the park we were in (MK) got terribly crowded and impossible to traverse, so it was helpful to be able to leave and go to a less crowded, more spacious park (Epcot).

 

[Torontogal]

Personally, I do not hop. I find there are tons of things to do at one park and why waste the time hopping when you can be in line at an attraction. We do travel with 2 seniors and 2 children but if it were just the hubby and I - I do not think either of us like the idea of hopping.

 

[mytwinklestar]

Hubby was stubborn one trip about not paying to hop. Afterall, we are Disney vets now. Uh.... NO! We ended up paying the difference to upgrade a few days into our trip. We love the fireworks, parades and Fantasmic! I plan but do NOT like to be so rigid to make us all miserable. If we decide to do a morning in MK and that night go to MGM for Fantasmic! - I want to do that. With rain outs such a possibility, if you plan and get rained out - do you simply miss Fantasmic! or Wishes? NOT ME! I want the flexibility. Also, with the ADRs, we sometimes spend an entire day at one park and have plans to dine in the evening elsewhere. Hopping works for us. Just my two cents worth... Individual decision but some food for thought during your planning. Have a Magical bacation!

 

[deany]

I imagine that park hopping is easier when you have a car. Otherwise, it takes a lot of time. We have 2 leftover days of park hopping but did not buy the hopper option for our new tickets. We will have the option of adding it, though. It is an extra $50 approx per ticket (in Cdn$$) so it does add up.

 

[devilfire]

 

[Rudegrle]

Another Hopper here!

 

[amousemomof3]

We always park hop. The kids like to spend time in all of them.

 

[Melwood23]

As a solo traveler, I always do the hop, since I just can't seem to stay in one park ALL day, not at my age..

I usually do one park in the morning, then take a break and either back at hotel, for pool time, rest, or do something else like the Mickey boats, mini golf etc. Then head out to a diff park or DTD for the evening. Even when I have my days planned out, I sometimes change on the spur depending on my mood that day, so the hopper helps out a lot. But I also get the hopper + water parks

 

[gems_smiling]

We always hop!

 

[Ghost]

H°O°P H°O°P H°O°P.....

I always will use hopper option. I love illuminations and when I finish in one park or the park I am at closses I will always try to hop over to Epcot to see my favorite show.

Or sometimes my day might look like this; Start at one park, go for a swim, go to next park...

 

[devilfire]

gogogoo!!

 

[momofpunkinboo]

Hopping is a given for us. We enjoy multi-park exploration! It keeps us "hopping".

 

[alicenwonder99]

On our last trip, it was just me and my 2 younger children. We were staying at POP and it was in Dec when the parks close early. I didn't get hoppers and it was fine. When we stayed at FW, there were 6 of us and we hopped everyday. It was easier (or at least it seemed easier) to get back and forth from the parks from FW. At POP, it just seemed to take so darn long to get to the parks.

We'll be staying at CR this next trip and I plan on hitting MK every morning for a few hours, head back to the CR for a swim/lunch, then go to another park in the evening.

Mary

 

[jme829]

WE're not hoppers and we don't take afternoon breaks. WE have in the past but found FOR US, its not necessary.

We spend all day at the park when we go to MK and EPCOT from open to close. On Animal Kingdom days, we go to offsite dinner after the park closes then hit DTD or the Outlet malls or just hang out at the pool.

This year we are doing Univeral and Sea World which also have early closings at the time we will be there. WE will eat offsite those nights and then do other things in the evening. We feel we don';t have to be in a Disney (or even Non DIsney) theme park every single night all night.

IF we have extra days left on our old passes, (not sure yet until we get there), we may hit MGM for Fantasmic on one of our early park closing days, but if not then we won't worry about it. We find plenty to do outside of the parks to keep us occupied.