Disney Adults are savvy; always looking for ways to experience as much as possible during their vacations. Purchasing a Park Hopper add-on to enter multiple parks in one day may seem like the perfect way to maximize your time. However, before you hit that “buy” button on Disney’s website, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
Park Hopper Ticket Options
You have two different Park Hopper ticket options. Here are what you get with each one:
- Park Hopper option: Provides the ability to visit more than one theme park on the same day, subject to park capacity limits.
- Park Hopper Plus option: Grants the ability to visit more than one theme park on the same day (subject to park capacity limits), along with a specified number of visits to water parks or other Disney facilities. A 2-day Park Hopper Plus ticket grants 2 visits, a 3-day ticket grants 3 visits, etc. Your choices include one of the following options for each visit (meaning one per day for the specified number of days of your Park Hopper Plus option):
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park or Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park (whichever is open at the time of your visit)
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
- Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
- FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail
- Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (entitlement is one round of mini golf prior to 4:00pm)
- Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (entitlement is one round of mini golf prior to 4:00pm)
Keep In Mind #1: Cost
Adding either Park Hopper option on to your base ticket will add extra cost. If you’re trying to keep costs down in your vacation planning budget, this is definitely something to keep in mind. You can see a specific numbers breakdown on the ticket purchasing page of Disney’s website.
Keep In Mind #2: You Can’t Just Add It to One Day
Another thing you should keep in mind is that for a multi-day ticket, you have to purchase Park Hopper for all of the days on your ticket. You can’t just purchase it for one day or only some of the days. Remember how we just talked about cost? Depending on how many days are on your ticket, the cost can add up very quickly.
On a related note, some people think they can just add it near the end, after they have already used most of the days on their ticket. It’s true that Disney will let you upgrade to a Park Hopper ticket on an in-progress ticket. However, the catch is you must pay to add Park Hopper to all of the days on your original ticket.
Here’s an example: Pretend you are on day 4 of a 5-day ticket and decide to upgrade to a Park Hopper. In this scenario, you will pay not only for day 4 and 5, but also for the other 3 days that have already passed. Obviously, you didn’t receive the benefit of Park Hopping on those first 3 days since they are in the past. I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to spend money, I want to actually use the benefit for which I’m paying.
Keep In Mind #3: Park Hopping Takes Time
Park hopping can take a lot of time out of your day. Using Disney’s complimentary transportation is convenient. However, even with direct transportation between two parks, it still takes time to wait, load, and travel to your destination. If you plan to visit two or more parks in the same day, remember to account for those factors.
Just as we’ve discussed how a little bit of extra time (through Early Entry, for instance) can help you get a lot more done before crowds build, the same can be said in the opposite direction for things that take up time. Have you ever heard how a few minutes can make all of the difference when dealing with (or avoiding) being stuck in rush hour traffic? This is kind of like that. Every little bit counts, for better or for worse.
Park Hopping Strategy
If you’ve decided upgrading to a Park Hopper ticket will be worth it for you, the biggest suggestion I have is choose parks that have easy, direct transportation between them. Hop back and forth between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios by using the Skyliner or boats. Easily head back and forth between EPCOT and Magic Kingdom using the monorail. Park hopping between parks with direct transportation (especially if its non-bus transportation) may cut down on some of the “time suck” that can easily happen with park hopping.
Disney buses are convenient and go everywhere (I love them, I really do). Unfortunately, you often have to wait for them. You may arrive to the bus stop just after the bus has departed. Depending on time of day, it may be awhile before the next one comes. Buses also have to deal with potential traffic congestion, traffic lights, etc that can slow down the process. If you’re trying to use park hopping as a way to maximize your Disney day, all of that waiting is time you could otherwise be spending in a park. Sometimes, using Disney buses for park hopping is unavoidable. If you will be including Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in any park hopping day, you’ll find yourself on a bus (unless you drive your own car or use rideshare).
How I Would Suggest Doing 4 Parks, 1 Day
The ultimate challenge for Disney enthusiasts is visiting all four theme parks in the same day. If you’re going to attempt it, I suggest an order that takes advantage of park opening and closing times, along with direct modes of transportation. Here’s my suggestion:
- Start your day with Early Entry at Animal Kingdom. I’m suggesting this as your first stop because it typically opens the earliest of all the parks. Early park open means Early Entry is even earlier. You’ll have a bit of time to knock out some attractions with a lower wait. Bonus is that the animals on Kilimanjaro Safari are typically more active earlier in the morning, before the heat of the day sets in.
- When you’re done at Animal Kingdom, get on a bus to Hollywood Studios. Maybe you want to grab a snack at Epic Eats or see a couple of shows. There are several popular attractions to ride as well as whole lands to explore like Galaxy’s Edge or Toy Story Land!
- From Hollywood Studios, take a boat or ride the Skyliner over to EPCOT. Although there’s a walking path connecting these parks, you’ll want to avoid adding even more steps into your day by the time you’re done! Enjoy the food, exhibits, and entertainment around EPCOT (especially if there is a festival going on, like the International Flower & Garden Festival). Maybe you’ll get lucky with wait times and be able to ride a couple of attractions as well. When it’s time to move on, head to the front of the park.
- Board a monorail at the front of EPCOT. The monorail will take you to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC). From there, transfer to a monorail bound for Magic Kingdom. Since this park usually stays open the latest, it’s my suggestion for where to end your day. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to watch Happily Ever After or Disney Starlight. Otherwise, use this time to get in line for attractions with lower waits while everyone else watches the shows.
Parting Thoughts
Adding a Park Hopper option to your ticket can help you see and do more each day. Being aware of the monetary and time costs associated with purchasing the upgrade can help you decide whether or not it’s right for you. If you’d like a free vacation quote to get started planning your next trip, click the button below. My fellow team member, Marcus, is ready to share his travel planning expertise with you.
Each Disney World theme park has unique offerings. It’s definitely worth visiting all four parks, whether you choose one per day or park hop to multiple. My favorite parks to hop between are EPCOT and Magic Kingdom. The monorail trip between these parks is like a ride in itself. Personally, I don’t mind taking a break from eating EPCOT festival food to head to Magic Kingdom for a Cheshire Cat Tail (my favorite treat!). If you’re ready for more planning advice, tips, and reviews, stay tuned to MouseHouseNews.net. Check out your YouTube page for even more magic. We’ll see you real soon!
