Why do you park hop?

[OHIODISNEYFAMILY]

No hopping here. We get 6 days of park tickets, so we are fine sticking with one park per day. If we had just 2 or 3 days though, I'd want to hop. Or maybe if it was just DH and me, no kids.

We don't enjoy the transportation going from park to park all that much.....so it makes us happier to stay put and avoid it other than going to the park in the morning and then back to our hotel when the park closes.

Laurie in OH, mom to

Alex, 11 years old
Julianne and Leah, 10 years old
Audrey, 2 years old

WDW visits in 1973, 1986, 1987, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005!
Currently planning a December 9-16, 2006 trip!

 

[jimmytammy]

We have APs so the option is automatic. If I were buying a different ticket, I wouldnt pay extra for park hopping. Our only reason is having a dinner ressie at another park. And usually that would be at Epcot. We like many of the WS restaurants but dont want to spend every day there just for the sake of eating.

 

[pigletforever]

I like my hopper option because it allows us to split up and go in different directions but catch up later in the day. Case in point. In Ocotober, DS17 and I went parasailing while DS4 and DH stayed at AKL and swam. AFter that DS and I went to MK and spent some time together we then caugt up with the other 2 at Epcot for the afternoon. It is difficult with kids of such differnet ages for everyone to do the same thing so the hopper is a great option for us.

 

[Mumbling Jumba]

We love to park hop for all the reason posted here. One tip we use when park hopping is that we go to early hours at MGM and then jump on the boat to Epcot at about 10:30 in the morning and are dropped at world showcase just as they open and before they can get crowded.

 

[Karnak]

There are many opinions on this subject. As an annual pass holder on one of my solo trips, I could switch from park to park on any day, but it is very rare that I do switch. To me it is a waste of time and effort to leave one park and enter another. Especially when one considers the time required to bus or drive from one to the other.

The only time I have ever switched is when I'm doing the Animal Kingdom for the day, and wish to fill in the evening hours at another park. But even then I usually use that evening to see the circus, or one of the dinner shows.

To each his own.

Enjoy.

 

[Chester's Mum]

We usually go for 10 - 14 days. We find park hopping is essential to enjoying our vacation; I often like to eat dinner at Epcot; Animal Kingdom always closes early when we are there, so we head off to Epcot or MK and finish the night off with fireworks; sometimes one park (MK in particular) will get really busy mid afternoon, and hopping to another park gives us a break from the crowds.

Its a personal thing, but for us we like the monorail, and the boat rides, and consider them to be an attraction in themselves. With park hopping I don't feel the need to see everything in one day, there is always the option of returning for half a day. It suits us.

 

[It's A Happy Day]

We opt for the hopper for a couple reasons:

Depending on what time of year you are there some of the parks close earlier than others and hopping allows us to go to another park for the remainder of the evening. On our honeymoon we ended almost every night at Epcot because it closed the latest. AK closes early year round so it enables you to go to another park the same day.

Although we do not personally do alot of hopping we will hop more in our last few days so that we can get in that extra ride on our favorites. We may not want to spend all day again at MGM but want to ride RnR, TT, or something else 1 more time before we go home.

Although it may not be for everyone, I like having the option. Some people have only a couple days and need to hit every park, others have a couple weeks and will do each park on a separate day and not need to hop, but isn't it nice to have the option to pay extra for that instead of a 1 ticket price for everyone that includes it and you paid for it but won't use. Just like the nonexpiration option. For us I can't imagine paying more money when I can purchase what I need for this trip only. But we can only go every couple years right now. If I could go more often it would make sense for us to do that or an AP.

 

[Hound 109]

you get more hours out of the parks especially if you stay on-site. It's even more important on shorter trips to park hop; so, you can see all the parks.

The biggest advantage for on-site guests is you go to the early priveleged park of the day first and end your day with one of the latest parks of the day.
Animal Kingdom closes way before the other parks and it's always good to park hop when you see Animal Kingdom; you can gain at least 4 hours by park hopping on those days. There are times you have an early and late park privelege on the same day; so, it's really advantageous on those days to park hop. You start your day at the early park and end your day at the late park.

In addition, it's a good back-up plan if the park you are in gets really crowded then you can park hop to a less crowded park. MK doesn't show their fireworks show everyday; so, it can be nice to plan a day at another park for the daytime and end your day at MK with the fireworks.

For us, we are at the point where we don't go everywhere and see everything at one park; so, we choose our favorites and move on to another park. Also, we like a break in our day at the resort; so, it's easy to park hop that way. I feel dinner choices at Epcot are better than the rest of the parks; because, each place in World Showcase has offerings for a meal.

If park hopping doesn't suit you then I would save the little extra that it costs to do it. Obviously, Disney feels many like to do it; because, they charge you for the privelege.

I agree with every thing that Bete says.

Also, I look at our one week Disney Trip not as 7 DAYS, but as 13 - 15 Park (or activity) visits. With a Park visit & (in some cases) a meal already planned out.

Also, since we often attend an early EMH, I can't imagine not leaving at noon or 1 for a mid day break.

hound

 

[eliza61]

I have never figured out why there is a park hopper option. I went to Walt Disney World last year and found that 1 park alone filled up a whole day and night!!! And we still did not see the entire park!!! How can people fit more than 1 park in 1 day ? We were so exhusted and the kids were really cranky by the time we left the 1st park there would be know way to do another park. Sorry if this is a really stupid question but I have wonderd it for a long time now

Thanks

We just like the flexibility it gives us. We generally go to Disney in August when the parks are open until 10:00 pm. this gives us time to hit one park in the morning, chill out by the resort during the heat of the day and then hit another park after dinner. My kids are teenagers now, so I don't have some issues that parents with smaller kids do, such as strollers and crankiness (ok they still get cranky )

 

[disneygal33]

I agree with other posters. It's all about flexibility and options for us. A lot of times we'll to EMH in the morning and then go to the park that has the evening EMH.

 

[Polyfor30th]

We just like the flexibility it gives us.

Same here. Dh and I use this option every day of our stay--especially useful for days with early entry or emh...use those options then hop on over to another park. Or if we want to eat at Epcot, put play around in mgm during the day...or at times--whatever happens for whatever reason and things get moved around--the option is there for us to change our plans without hesitation.

But, for some it may not be beneficial to use this option... it works out well for us, though

 

[JulyGirl]

I travel to WDW during the summer months. I like to go to one park early in the morning, leave around lunch and visit another park at night. This is also a good way to avoid crowds. I like to be flexible with EMH. I found that it's great to go to the early EMH park and leave as crowds get heavy. I also found that the later you go to the night EMH , the better.

 

[linskypens]

We always hop!!!
It gives us a chance to see some things in the morning at one park, take a break, and then see other things and eat somewhere else in the afternoon.We also will start in one park in the morning, and then hit the EMH park in the late afternoon to get a bracelet and stay for EMH.My DD loves Wishes, and wasn't all that hot for Fantasmic(one trick pony with the water screens) so we will spend the day at MGM and then go to MK for Wishes.
I think for first timers its probably a waste, but for those of us who have been there a lot and know what we want to see, it gives us the freedom to go wherever, whenever.

 

[AppleSister1]

We travel with a large-ish group of extended family, mostly adults. We take advantage of the early Extra Magic Hour at whatever park is offering it....then we can all split up when the park gets crowded and meet up again later for dinner or whatever. Also, we often eat dinner in a different park or resort from where we started the day...it gives us LOTS of flexibility. I can see if you are a family with two parents and small children, or first time visitors, it might not be as advantageous....but for groups of adults, especially those who've been multiple times, it gives everyone a chance to be flexible and do precisely what they want.

 

[CastMemberJoey]

Shift change.


Park Hopping is good for dinner reservations.....character breakfasts when you don't want to do that park that day, but that was the only ressie you could get.....you feel like a park has become too crowded and you want to do something else.....for doing EHM at another park when your park closes.....splitting up and meeting later.....or just in case.

 

[hollyb]

We won't be getting the park hoppers either. DS9 DD6 for us it is a huge hassle to hop. We like one park a day. Even on our honeymoon we didnt hop. On days that the park closes early we will go back to the hotel to swim or if the kids arent tired maybe go Downtown. Vacation to us is take things nice and slow and relax. I have been told over and over again that we won't see everything on 1 vacation. So will have to keep going back until we see everything. LOL

No matter what we will be in Disney!!!!!!!!

 

[koobs]

We like hopping. As others have said, we enjoy the flexibility. We'll start off at one park and then when it gets too crowded or we're tired, we'll hop on the bus and go to another park. You know what they say, a change is as good as a rest. Or we'll go back to the our room and head out somewhere else later on. Also we like to eat in Epcot and there are times when we would spend a day in MGM for example and then decide last minute to check out Wishes again.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

It depends when you go, and whether you like to see nearly everything or just the thrill rides (or maybe just kiddie rides, or just tame rides, etc.). It also depends how well you know the parks.

I agree that if you're onsite, and take advantage of the EMH hours, then hopping makes more sense, esp. if it's a busy time of year.

If you are staying offsite during a less busy time of year, hopping generally makes less sense, because you are loosing time between each park.

On the last day, we tend to hop in order to hit our favorites one more time.

We also like to be able to leave if a park is overly crowded. Sometimes it just happens, and you say, "Ugh! MK is just too crowded today!" so you hop over to Epcot. Sometimes when big tour groups go to WDW, the chaperones will mkae EVERYONE go the same park for the day. It's really hard to predict ahead of time when this will occur, but getting away from the 'group with the yellow shirts' can make the day much more enjoyable - especially if the 'yellow-shirted-ones' are a group with poor manners. It has happened to us more than once.

 

[Walter C]

I just got back from my trip to WDW, and had a 4-day Park Hopper. I think park-hopped for a total of 7 times, 5 of them on the last day (crazy, huh?).

For me, when I spent my first day at Epcot, I just had the urge to want to go to the Magic Kingdom, so I just went! I guess I just wanted to get on some of my favorite rides so badly.

 

[loveDmouse]

I like to hop. Sometimes one park may be good for the morning but busy in the afternoon or the other way around. Sometimes we may want to eat a meal at a different park. Many different reasons. I like the flexibility.