Type of tickets to buy?Hopper option

[Ela]

We'll be in DWD first time with the kids (4 yo twin girls) in March. We'll be staying for 4.5 days. I am thinking of getting the 4 or 5 day pass with hopper option. I want to have the flexibility, but DH thinks that it may be cheaper if we do two days in each park w/o the hopper option. B/c the gilrs are so young we'd like to take it easy (as if that's possible!). I think that we will probably only see MK and Animal Kindom. Also we'll be driving from Mass and staying probably at the POR.


Thanks,
Elizabeth

 

[CEDmom]

I share our 1st trip experience with a lot of people as a warning. We took our DD when she was 3 1/2. We had everything planned out and we so excited. DD knew the characters and was very excited about the trip.

Well about an hour into our first time at MK DD had enough and started to meltdown. It was all just too much for her. Luckily we had hoppers so we jumped on the monorail and when to Epcot. DD loved it there and we saw lots of characters and all kinds of street performers.

We took her to DL a few months after her 4th birthday and she loved it. She's been back to MK several times and loves it more and more each time. We have no idea what the problem was during that 1st trip but were so glad we had the hopper passes.

Hope your girls have a great trip.

 

[gianna2006]

Great advice from the previous poster....I second the opinion of getting hoppers. It's great to take a break from one park mid-day and hop to another park. Remember also that Animal Kingdom tends to close really early - especially at that time of year. Having a hopper means you can visit AK in the morning to mid-afternoon and then hop over to MK or try out some attractions at MGM or EPCOT. Magic Kingdom can also get crowded and sometimes it's nice to hop to another park for a while to get away from the confusion - then hop back later!!! It's definitely worth the extra cost to allow for the flexibility .

 

[PlutoPony]

It's easy to start off without having Park Hopping on your tickets, then if you find out you want/need to go to another park just add it. That way you don't pay for something you don't need - until you find out you need it ..........

 

[plutolovr]

but DH thinks that it may be cheaper if we do two days in each park w/o the hopper option.

None of the other posters mentioned this, so I will. You cannot hop without adding the hopper option to your tickets. Disney will not allow you to use 2 day's admission in one day. Your tickets will be rejected at the turnstyle.

You can always buy base tickets and add on the hopping, if you feel you need it, anytime during your stay. It's a flat rate per ticket.

 

[maxtomsmom]

Since you are going in March, which is during Spring Break season, I would vote for the park hopper option. Sometimes when you get to the park in the morning, you think it is great, but towards midday it's a nightmare. Plus, if you feel you've seen enough of say AK, you might want to give EPCOT or DS a try. Disney Studios offers Playhouse Disney and Honey I shrunk the kids playground. This is a great time to allow the kids to run around and expend some energy. DH and I switch off and one of us gets to do a more adult attraction while the other watches the kids.

 

[creativeamanda]

Of course, the worry I'd have is if you leave the park that week and the park closes because it has reached capacity (it has happened before during a holiday time), you can't get back in. We are not getting park hopper, but that does not mean we have to stay in the park all day. You can still go back to the hotel, rest, and then come back to the same park. Our intentions are to eat breakfast at the park, eat a sandwich for lunch (we will go to hotel and make them), and then return to the same park later in the day.

 

[stepnut]

In my opinion, don't get the park hopper if it's your first time. Take the entire day to explore one park at a time. Take two days to do one park. There's enough to do & see. If someone has a meltdown, come back to your resort and unwind there. Return to the same park after meltdown, nap and maybe a swim in the pool.

I just think a park hopper with small kids eats up a LOT of time because traveling between parks is hard with small kids. (Except for MK-Epcot on the monorail. That's a little zippier.)

 

[CleveRocks]

It's easy to start off without having Park Hopping on your tickets, then if you find out you want/need to go to another park just add it. That way you don't pay for something you don't need - until you find out you need it ..........

EXACTLY. This is the best way to go.

There is no price difference between buying park hoppers now and buying base tickets now but adding the park hopper option while you are in the midst of your vacation. Your total price would be exactly the same.

So hold onto your money for now. Start with base tickets. If the impulse to park hop hits you at any time during your trip, just go to a park's ticket window and pay for the upgrade. Like I said, it'll be exactly the same price if you buy it in advance or add it during your vacation.

 

[Lesley Mahler]

My TA just told me that if you don't have the park hoppers, that you can't use fast pass?? Is this true??

 

[PrincessTiffany]

My TA just told me that if you don't have the park hoppers, that you can't use fast pass?? Is this true??

No! That is completly false. Anyone with a ticket, base or hopper, can get a Fastpass.

 

[CleveRocks]

My TA just told me that if you don't have the park hoppers, that you can't use fast pass?? Is this true??

Please get a new travel agent. I hope she knows other destinations better than she knows Disney.

The only requirement for getting a FASTPASS is having a valid admission ticket that was used to gain entry into that park. That describes every guest in the park. Every guest in the park can use FASTPASS.

Trust us on this one rather than your TA.

 

[irene_dsc]

EXACTLY. This is the best way to go.

There is no price difference between buying park hoppers now and buying base tickets now but adding the park hopper option while you are in the midst of your vacation. Your total price would be exactly the same.

So hold onto your money for now. Start with base tickets. If the impulse to park hop hits you at any time during your trip, just go to a park's ticket window and pay for the upgrade. Like I said, it'll be exactly the same price if you buy it in advance or add it during your vacation.

And I wish I had done this. I bought hoppers - and never ended up using them.

 

[shoppgirl]

We are taking our 4 and 6 year old girls for their very first trip in Aug. We have decided not to buy the hopper (it really is expensive!). Our thoughts are that they are still relatively young, this is their first trip, we will try out one park a day. If they get to a point where they are feeling overwhelmed at the park, we just leave and head back to the resort for a swim/nap/break. Then if all is well, we'll head right back to that park. I also plan on spending 3 of the 5 days at MK because we definitely plan on taking things really slowly. It's cheaper to have more days, than fewer days with hopper. If we only get 2 hours in one day, that's fine. We will just enjoy the resort the rest of the day.

 

[maxtomsmom]

We are taking our 4 and 6 year old girls for their very first trip in Aug. We have decided not to buy the hopper (it really is expensive!). Our thoughts are that they are still relatively young, this is their first trip, we will try out one park a day. If they get to a point where they are feeling overwhelmed at the park, we just leave and head back to the resort for a swim/nap/break. Then if all is well, we'll head right back to that park. I also plan on spending 3 of the 5 days at MK because we definitely plan on taking things really slowly. It's cheaper to have more days, than fewer days with hopper. If we only get 2 hours in one day, that's fine. We will just enjoy the resort the rest of the day.

That's a great approach. Many people try to do so much in one day and end up not really enjoying Disney. The resorts do offer activities during the day. Many are geared for kids. Each resort has a schedule and since you are going in August, you will definitely want to check out the pool. We like to miss one or two things at each park just so we have a good reason to go back for another trip.

 

[Rylee]

We'll be in DWD first time with the kids (4 yo twin girls) in March. We'll be staying for 4.5 days. I am thinking of getting the 4 or 5 day pass with hopper option. I want to have the flexibility, but DH thinks that it may be cheaper if we do two days in each park w/o the hopper option. B/c the gilrs are so young we'd like to take it easy (as if that's possible!). I think that we will probably only see MK and Animal Kindom. Also we'll be driving from Mass and staying probably at the POR.


Thanks,
Elizabeth

Hi,

We've had trips with and without the hopper option.

For first time visitors, I usually recommend not buying the hopper option. There is so much to see and do in each park. Hopping takes time and can require a little advance planning.

If you choose to buy hopper passes, it will add an additional $180 to the ticket cost, for the 4 of you.

Tips -

If you don't buy hoppers, make Advance Dining Reservations (ADR) in or near the park you will be visiting each day.

If you do buy hoppers, plan to start your day in the park that doesn't have the Extra Magic Hours (EMH), and visit the park with the EMH in the evening.