We always hop so can we not?

[Fastpasssteve]

I have done it both ways.

When I am with friends my own age, we enjoy the flexibility to move with speed and flexibility based on crowds, weather, food craving, and lack of planning/reservations. We liked the sponteneity, but we didn't get into all the restaurants we would have liked.

However, two years ago, I went to WDW with my East Coast mom. She does not walk that quickly, so she rented one of those scooters. Getting on and off of the buses was difficult, so we tried to limit the frequency. We also were on the DDDP, so we made sure we had dining reservations for every meal. I organized our trip based on which park we wanted to visit on any given day so that, during the course of a week, we could see Illuminations, Wishes, the Electrical Parade, Fantasmic...all of it. I also coordinated meal in AND outside the parks (resorts) based on where we were going to be. The planning was intense, but when all the reservations were made and the schedule solidified, it was a breeze!

In other words, you can make it work either way.

[RBrooksC]

Last trip we often used the Park Hopper. While, yes, we would spend a full day in the MK and Epcot, during our seven day stay, we would have a day where we would go to one park in the morning, leave to go swim at the hotel and then go to another park in the evening.

One day we went to AK park during the day, met for a nice dinner with friends, and then I took my son to the MK for EMH.

It also allowed us to do a certain park in the morning and go back to MK for the MSEP or back to Epcot for Illuminations.

It just allows us the flexibility to be able to visit what we want without having to plan a single park for the day.

[joonyer]

I suppose we could try to visit WDW and only visit one park per day, but it would be a radical change in our WDW touring style. I would really miss being able to hop, since we have always used that advantage to do as much Disney as possible during our trips.

We started our family WDW vacations with the old "ultimate" length-of-stay passes that were part of our package (before the days of MYW pricing). The ultimate passes included hopping (& Waterparks & DQ) so we got addicted to hopping from our first trip. Since then, we have always hopped, and found that we never had to plan or force ourselves to utilize the hoppers. It was the other way around for us, the hoppers fit our park touring style. We are park "commandos" hitting one park at opening every day, and staying at another park until closing (whichever one is open latest).

There are four of us so the hopping option costs us $216 extra now, which is no small chunk. But we always stay for at least 7 days, and hop every day; so that breaks out to about $30 per day for our whole family ($7.50 per person) to be able to visit more than one park each day.

[LVT]

We split the day with mid day break. I feel like I am doing more if I go to a different park for the evening. Or It could be shear laziness. It is hard enough to plan dining without a park limit.

[disneynarula]

I am a penny pincher but I do think it is worth it to get the park hoppers.

IMHO if you buy a 7 or more day park ticket the hopper option should be free but if so many people (including myself) are willing to pay for it I guess that will never happen.

[LandFan]

I've done it both ways and have been completely happy both ways.

This year we are not hopping but to help counter that, we are using that money to do MNSSHP instead and doing that on a day where we are at EPCOT all day until it is time for the party - that gives us the availability to FEEL like we are hopping from EPCOT to MK (the hard ticket events don't require park admission).

Also, when we don't we are very careful with our planning (skipping weekends for MK, skipping Sunday's for DHS or Monday's for MK...etc or make sure to get to places right at park opening and then take breaks in the afternoon and come back for evenings) and our meal choices - as a matter of fact I just finished up our plans this morning. I have the perfect plan that always makes me feel

[KatrinaJ91]

We bought the hoppers once and have never again. We like going to one park and being there the entire day to experience it all. When we did buy the hoppers, we felt like we had to leave in the middle of enjoying our day, waste time getting from one place to another, just to go to another park that we were planning on visiting another day anyway. It made us very anxious about when we should leave, what we should do, etc. instead of just being in a park and enjoying ourselves! For my family, it is a huge waste of money.

[PeterPan]

We are confirmed HOPPERS because, back in the day. hopping was always an option - you did not have to purchase the hopping. Every "multi-day passport" was a Hopper. BUT, one time when our budget was tighter, (again, this was when any multi-day passport was a hopper) I bought single-day tickets to each park (there were 3 parks at this time). My girls were pretty small - oldest probably 10 - but THEY NEVER KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE THE HOPPER OPTION. We would go back to the resort (Fort Wilderness at the time) in the afternoon, swim or rest, then return to the same park that evening. They never even asked to go to another park. They were small enough not to care - just so long as we were together having fun. So, if your kids are small enough - it might not be an issue. Just a thought.

[MrPeetrie]

If the "entire population" of Hukalockistan poured into MK on one of the days you were there, and filled all the queues and took all the FP's, you could hop to Epcot and escape the crowd.

My mother is Hukalockistanian, third generation removed. Just kidding.

MickeysBestPal, great explanation. We usually have APs so we have the hopper option, but on this upcoming trip, we plan to do less hopping. I'm not sure why.

I do like the freedom of knowing I can leave one park if it becomes too crowded and go to another. I

[gottaluvtink]

We have done both and honestly I am not a fan of hopping. We don't bother anymore. There is more than enough to do at one park in an entire day. I find hopping a big waste of time. All that waiting for transportation, and all that walking into and out of parks is very time consuming, not to mention exhausting. I find hopping a big waste of money. We go to the parks from open to close. One park each day is fine by me!

[olivegirl]

We do not hop. For us its a waste of money! We vaca in Disney every year and its usually between 7/10 days. We plan our park days with our dining ressies and all works out for us without the extra money! We are at the park at opening, stay to eat lunch and then back to resort for some pool time! Then after being refreshed back to that same park till closing!! Works for us!!!

[MrPeetrie]

...We vaca in Disney every year and its usually between 7/10 days. We plan our park days with our dining ressies and all works out for us without the extra money! We are at the park at opening, stay to eat lunch and then back to resort for some pool time! Then after being refreshed back to that same park till closing!! Works for us!!!

Olivegirl, if you go to WDW each year and stay approx 7 - 10 days, have you ever considered purchasing an AP. That's what we do. We go once a year and schedule two trips on one AP, the second one being just before the APs expire. In the long run, it's cheaper. It will then give you great flexibility. Plus, they come with many discounts. It's an option you may want to consider.

[shadowden]

We always view each day in Disney in half-day increments so we tend to hop quite often. We feel it optimizes the attractions / shows / parades with the EMHs. It also allows for some mid-day nappage so we are always refreshed for evening fun!

So for us, hopping is the only way to travel!

[Eric87]

My wife and I stopped getting the hopper option a couple of trips ago (when we had our son), and it's kind of liberating. Knowing that we'll be in one park all day kinda forces us to take things a little more slowly. And the monetary savings is fairly significant to families traveling on our budget.

My wife and I have always added the park hopper option. However, this past trip we were on a budget and decided to pass. I have to say this may be the way to go for us. Sometimes "hopping" can lose a nice chunk of your time traveling between parks. Also, knowing that you'll be in the same park you get to see the park during the day and night, except AK of course. I felt like we were able to experience more attractions, shows, and had more time for just sitting on a bench and just taking in the atmosphere. We've been lucky enough to go yearly and that helps with the decision as well.

[kemps@wdw]

we ALWAYS hop! Have always hopped! And will always hop! Can't imagine not having that option when we go to WDW.

[AJ Springfield]

Wow-- I am in the minority here. I have never had Park Hoppers...and I don't think I ever will (unless they are free which is highly unlikely). There are five in our family and the cost is prohibitive. Period. We can do other things with the $250+ it would cost us. Secondly, and more importantly, I don't want to waste time hopping. Yes, it sounds nice to go here for a ride and then pop over there for a meal and end up at a third park for fireworks.... but that is a lot of time I would rather be in a park, enjoying it, and seeing what is there for us. I love WDW transportation... but even THEY advise (on our dining reservations) to give yourself at least an hour to go from one park to another. We typically go to MK on the first and last days of our trips (our favorite) and then hit the other parks on the days between. IMHO, giving yourself a park a day allows you to enjoy the day without deciding where else to go/ what else to do.

[CuteAsMinnie]

We would never enjoy the Magic without a Park Hopper. It just makes the day flow much easier with no worries at all as to whether you'll see all you would like to see.

[disneynarula]

We always get the hoppers. We eat at Epcot almost every night and like to be able to spend the day at another park.

[caryrae]

The only time we hopped was when it was on every ticket but since they made it an option we have never bought the hopper option, don't want to spend the extra money. We have done just fine not hopping, works well for use. We like just staying at one park for the day.

[elmjimmlm]

After going back and forth on this I think the best thing for us is to get the hopper...If we are only doing 6 days then that means a couple of parks we will only visit once...I like to at least go to each park 2 or more times per visit...Thanks for all of your input!!!