To Park hop or not....

[scullyh]

We have been to disneyworld before always with a park hopper pass, we are considering not getting the hopper this time. Has anyone gone from using a park hopper one trip then a regular base ticket before? Will I regret not gettint the hopper?

 

[aacvacation]

Are you staying at a Disney Resort?

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

We have been to disneyworld before always with a park hopper pass, we are considering not getting the hopper this time. Has anyone gone from using a park hopper one trip then a regular base ticket before? Will I regret not gettint the hopper?

~Absolutely!!! We purchased park hoppers and water parks & more for several years and never used them. It felt like such a waste -- once I discovered that park hoppers could be simply added at any park during any portion of our vacation -- I stopped purchasing them in advance -- with the knowledge that I can add them at anytime, exactly when I need to use them.

~So far, we love visiting one park a day and have never found it necessary to purchase park hoppers. I think this year we may opt to add the park hoppers but only when we intend to actually use them.

~If you know you will need park hoppers just purchase them in advance. However, if you're not sure it's best to wait and purchase the park hoppers at the park right when you're ready to use them. Have fun!

 

[scullyh]

Thankyou for the advice! With all of the advance fast passes now it seems to lock you into one park a little longer so we are going to take your advice and add them if we need them.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

Thankyou for the advice! With all of the advance fast passes now it seems to lock you into one park a little longer so we are going to take your advice and add them if we need them.

~You're so welcome! It's nice to have a back up plan without having to fork over money upfront, for something that you may not use.

~This way, you don't have to feel forced to use something that you really don't want to -- just because you paid for it in advance.

~You're definitely making the right decision, especially with all of the changes going on right now -- you have nothing to lose. I hope you have a fabulous time at Disney World -- and omg.... all those diamonds & gems & that mine train, lol! Have fun!

 

[mummabear]

We haven't yet-as DL vets its a hangover from how easy it is to hop there.
We mostly want them for heading to MK after the others parks close earlier.
However last trip we found we only hopped twice and so it cost us as a family of 3 over $60 per hop-next time we plan not to buy hopper next trip and just take this evening time for a resort dinner or pool time.

 

[3happydancers]

~Absolutely!!! We purchased park hoppers and water parks & more for several years and never used them. It felt like such a waste -- once I discovered that park hoppers could be simply added at any park during any portion of our vacation -- I stopped purchasing them in advance -- with the knowledge that I can add them at anytime, exactly when I need to use them.

~So far, we love visiting one park a day and have never found it necessary to purchase park hoppers. I think this year we may opt to add the park hoppers but only when we intend to actually use them.

~If you know you will need park hoppers just purchase them in advance. However, if you're not sure it's best to wait and purchase the park hoppers at the park right when you're ready to use them. Have fun!

Ditto!

We use to purchase hoppers all the time but found most times we enjoy 1 park a day. So now, we purchase tickets without this option. If we find that we want to hop, then we add it on.

 

[blessedby3]

We bought the hopper once (with our Disney Visa Reward Dollars)…and never hopped once Biggest waste of rewards in history
We just find that doing one park a day is easier and works for us.
You can always add the hopper option at anytime…so if you are on the fence, just go with the base and add if you feel it is necessary

 

[CAS239]

I'm an Annual Passholder so I have the park hopper with it..I HIGHLY recommend it. We never stay in one park all day, especially if lines at the park we're in are ridiculous. We normally park hop everyday we go to a park. Get there at rope drop, do everything we want, then head to another park around 2ish.

When I go I don't stay for a week at a time though. It's normally like a 2-3 day vacation at the parks. So we hop to every park.

 

[cathyce2]

I'm an Annual Passholder so I have the park hopper with it..I HIGHLY recommend it. We never stay in one park all day, especially if lines at the park we're in are ridiculous. We normally park hop everyday we go to a park. Get there at rope drop, do everything we want, then head to another park around 2ish.

When I go I don't stay for a week at a time though. It's normally like a 2-3 day vacation at the parks. So we hop to every park.

We have annual passes too and almost never park hop. There are many non-headliner attractions in the parks that we really enjoy. Plus I hate to waste the hour or so it takes to travel between parks, go thru bag check, ticket lines. If your only there for a few days or everyone in your group only wants to do thrill rides or only wants to do shows you would probably want hoppers but it really depends on your touring style.

 

[mm1971]

We have been to disneyworld before always with a park hopper pass, we are considering not getting the hopper this time. Has anyone gone from using a park hopper one trip then a regular base ticket before? Will I regret not gettint the hopper?

We always have park hoppers as we will go to more than one park on a day pretty regularly. For example, we may spend the day at Epcot and then head to HS at night for Fantasmic. Or we may head to one park and then over to Epcot WS for dinner. It also makes it easier to avoid crowds. If the park we are in is crazy busy, we'll hop to a slower one.

Just FYI, you can upgrade to PH after you are there and when you decide to do it. I would buy the base tickets and see if you really prefer to "hop". If you are happy without hopping, then no worries and you saved the extra $$. If you get there and decide you prefer to hop around, just add the option there. The cost is the same either way and then you don't waste the $$ if you decide not having the PH is OK.

Good luck!

 

[Skywise]

As you'll probably be sticking to one park per day you probably don't need it. Park hopping is great if you're going to do things like spend the day at MK but eat dinner at Epcot or try to do HS and AK in the same day.

My family and I are going out in June and we did the park hopper/water park option even though we're only planning on doing the water park on the first day because it MIGHT rain and then we might end up at one of the parks instead... Which one during rain? No idea. So that leaves some flexibility in the scheduling. There's also a good chance the some (but not all) of the family members might end up hitting MK after dinner that day. But you could add those to your tickets while you're there.

 

[dsdeleon]

Depends on where you stay. When I have quick access to a park (like a boat to MK or a walk to Epcot) it's worth it. If it's a matter of depending on a bus or a car I don't bother.

 

[jimilla]

So if you want to add Park Hoppers later...

Do you have to do that at your resort, or could you say, decide when at Animal Kingdom that you want to hop, and add the hopper option from Guest Svs there, or would you do it at the Park you "Hop to" or would you have to first go to the resort.

Also could you do it mid trip...say a 6 day trip on day 4 you decide you want to hop that day, can you add the option for just that one day, or do then have to add it to all the remaining days?

Hope that makes sense.

 

[DVCMikey]

we have gone to WDW with both park hoppers and without.

If you have been and you know what it is you want to do, I would say save the money and just do one park per day. Even if you leave and go back to the park later that is allowed.

I thought at first we wouldn't like it but it was pretty easy.

 

[RunDisney Crazy]

My opinion, in theory it's a great idea, but we've never used them when we purchase them. You think you'll hit a park all day and then go to another park at night, but you never do. There is so much in each park, I think it's best to stay the entire time, plus the wasted time going in between them is time that can be spent in the park.

Wait to purchase. If you're a fan of them, that's great too.

 

[scullyh]

Thank you for the discussion! Making this decision a lot easier!

 

[kgreen]

I had debated this same question. Our first trip to Disney we had park hoppers. At the end of the trip, we never used them. Our days were pretty well planned out, & we did 1 park each day. This trip we are not doing hoppers, I was a little worried at first. But as mentioned you can always add them later. So it saves money, for something we most likely wouldn't be using anyway.

 

[Betty Rohrer]

if you had during your trip it will be for rest of trip, not just one day

 

[OnSpaceshipEarth]

I'm glad the OP started this thread as we have always gotten Park Hoppers for the (just in case) freedom. Next trip we may buy the base ticket and go from there.