To hop or not to hop? ticket question

[luvDaMouse]

I have booked a trip for Oct 29th to Nov 2nd. We will only have 3 full days for the parks. I have tickets to MNSSHP for Sat 10/31 which is my daughters birthday (she will get in for free) We shouldnt have a problem doing one park per day so we could save money by just getting MYW passes. But we would like to do DHS and AK in the same day. Can you mix park passes? maybe a 2 day MYW pass and 1 day hopper pass? :confused: I was thinking I could do 2 parks on Sat, because I have paid for the halloween party so we could do DHS or AK and MK for the party on the same day.

[faline]

The cost for park hopping is the same regardless of the number of days on your pass. If you're going to pay for park hopping, you might as well give yourself the option for doing it on all days of your trip - rather than just one.

On the day of the party, you can enter the Magic Kingdom around 4 p.m. on your party tickets regardless of the park you had gone to earlier that day on your regular park tickets.

[faline]

Personally, I much prefer the option of park hopping. This way, I can go to one park in the morning; go back to my room and rest mid-day and return to another park for the evening. It also gives me the option to dine in one park for breakfast and another for dinner.

[PiratesCove]

I wouldn't want to go to WDW without park hopping, IMHO!

[jonahbear2006]

Here is our reason for always getting a park hopper; sometimes you get to a park and it is not a good day there. You may decide to go to hollywood, only to find out that rock n roller coaster is shut down for maintenance. You may get to Animal Kingdom and it is raining and decide, man, we should've gone to Epcot. OR you may be at Magic Kingdom and find out that all the churches and high school groups are THERE that day. You just don't know what will come your way, so you pay that extra for a hopper, kind of as your trip insurance.

[JPL]

I am a strong advocate of the park hopping options. Things come up and you might not think you need hopping and find out later you wish you had it. Jonahbear2006 gave a few examples that support hopping and many more can be given. On my recent trip there was a storm right before Spectro one night I was in the MK and the parade was cancelled. If that was my only day for the MK and I didn't have hopping i might have missed the parade. I also use hopping alot at night if I am at AK at it closes at 7PM I can go to the MK the same day since it will be open later. It really can maximize your time in the parks and minimize some of the hassles of planning you entire day around one park.

[acetate]

It's worth the extra to have that flexibility. Mostly for dinning or catching the fireworks at a different park.

[Imagineer1981]

we wouldn't dream of not having park hopping, but here's an option for you:

Buy 3 day base ticket, and go to the parks. You have 14 days to modify them, so if you go to the parks and think, man wish we could go to Epcot or AK, then go to guest services and add Park hopping. Then at least you can feel it out while you are there

[BelleKP]

It's worth the extra to have that flexibility. Mostly for dinning or catching the fireworks at a different park.

:ditto: My thoughts exactly. It's all about being flexible! :thumbsup:

[CleveRocks]

we wouldn't dream of not having park hopping, but here's an option for you:

Buy 3 day base ticket, and go to the parks. You have 14 days to modify them, so if you go to the parks and think, man wish we could go to Epcot or AK, then go to guest services and add Park hopping. Then at least you can feel it out while you are thereEXACTLY!

Whether you buy the ticket as a park hopper or you upgrade during your vacation, it's exactly the same price, $50 + tax.

[Disney Doll]

Also consider the special events that are going on such as MNSSHP and FWF. You won't have a full day's access to MK on other party nights so it might be nice to hop over to another park. FWF tends to be busier in the evenings so we like to hit the food booths for lunch and then go somewhere else for the evening. The flexibility really is nice.

[DisneyFr33k]

We've always purchased a park hopper. However, our vacations to WDW were for a full week. This fall, we will stay at WDW for 4 days and then grab a shuttle over for a 3 day Disney cruise. So, for the first time we will try it without the hopper. We've decided to pick a park for each day, make our ADR's and go no matter what happens. We've been so many times that we feel sure that we will get all we want out of each park without feeling the need to bounce back later. And, we have older children that won't need to nap, which helps.

So, we'll see if we like it!!

[spinnerf]

Just to be a little different than everyone else, you didnt say how old your daughter is. Little ones sometimes cant take more than one park, sometimes its better to focus on one, the smaller ones dont know what they are missing if they only go to one park anyway. And if its to save money, Amen, be glad your able to go on vacation, and a realy nice one! Save the money and go out for a nicer dinner than you otherwise would, its all about the family being together! Have fun.

[Seasonscraps]

For three days, I would pass on the park hopping, especially since you are already going to the MK for the party. I would do EPCOT one day, DHS before the party, MK for the party and either another MK day or maybe EPCOT (depending on my mood - I don't go to AK every trip).

I did something similar for a short trip and I didn't miss the hopping at all. Our meals were planned according to the days we planned to be in each park.

[waymickey]

you got to hop.
I got the regular pass one year and was dissapoionted. Hopping gives you the ability to go to your fav park everynight if you want. And opens up the oppurtunity to go to a less crowded park if the one you start at is jammed packed.

[kathiep]

For our family, AK and DHS are not full day parks. Maybe it's the age of my kids, I'm not sure. But we never have enough that we want to do in either park to fill an entire day.

We always hop. It helps us deal with the unexpected.

[bruin1344]

Here is our reason for always getting a park hopper; sometimes you get to a park and it is not a good day there. You may decide to go to hollywood, only to find out that rock n roller coaster is shut down for maintenance. You may get to Animal Kingdom and it is raining and decide, man, we should've gone to Epcot. OR you may be at Magic Kingdom and find out that all the churches and high school groups are THERE that day. You just don't know what will come your way, so you pay that extra for a hopper, kind of as your trip insurance.
:ditto:

also most of the nights on a regular trip i eat table service at epcot world showcase but will go to MK or DHS afterwards rather than hangout at Epcot

[ransam]

i vote for park passes....

[Pirate Granny]

JUST any FYI...your daughter will not get into the MNSSHP for her birthday...that's a separate ticket, you will need a ticket for each of you to be able to attend and they will check for wristbands on each ride...she can get into MK for the day, but you'd have to leave at 7pm...on the days of the parties...
:pirate:

[mainemajor]

We live to hop. On our last trip we hit all four parks one day and twice hit three in a day. Hopping allows you the choice of going to dinner at another park than the one you are at.

[A Big Kid]

We would never go with out the hopper option. Most of our days ends at the World Showcase and the PH is indespensible.

[steamboat willy]

We will only have 3 full days for the parks. We shouldnt have a problem doing one park per day so we could save money by just getting MYW passes.
WE will hop :mickey3: for 10 days in September,
but if we had (3) days AND MNSSHP tickets,
here's what I would do.......

1 day Epcot Ticket
1 day DHS Ticket
1 day Animal Kingdom, then be at Magic Kingdom @ 4:00 for the MNSSHP.

:pumpkin::bat::pumpkin:

That way you get all (4) four PARKS with your 3 day park tickets + your MNSSHP tickets.
:mpumpkin::mpumpkin::mpumpkin:

[JRocker]

In most situations I would say to get the park hopper, for all the reasons others have stated.
On our recent two week stay, I don't think there was a day that we didn't park hop.

But, glancing at your signature it appears that you have already been this year and you have other trips under your belt, so skipping the hopper may be the right thing to do.
As pointed out, there are ways you can still work in all four parks. Save the money, put it in the kitty for the next trip.

[mouseketeer mom]

Hey Dana!
We are a family that hops. All the time. I can't imagine the confines of having to choose one park/day. Flexibility, especially on vacation is priceless to us. We have been known to change our minds on a whim. For example...We have returned to our resort at the end of a full day, parking it, swimming, dining..we have often said..lets jump over to MK for one last ride on Big Thunder! And we do it...Just because we can. Those kinds of things are priceless to us. No pressure, just choices. Lisa