To hop or not to hop, that is the question

[Twinkletoes77705]

This is my 2nd trip and we did the hopper my first year. We were there in Sept. I found that we really never needed to hop....though we did any way. I will be there is Jan. and was wondering what your takes are on not get the hopper. I do not want to regret it.

[faline]

You can always add the park-hopper option to your ticket after you arrive. Be aware, though, that if you decide to park hop on day 3 of a 4 day pass, you will still pay for the option on all days of your pass.

Personally, I would get the park hopper option. I like the flexibility of being able to start a day in one park and then hop to another for a meal, show, or for the evening attractions.

[drhama]

We always hop. No matter what park we go to, we take a break in the middle of the day and head for a different park for the remainder of the day. We usually eat that the WS so, it works great for us.

[SBETigg]

No one ever needs to hop. The question for me is does it make for a better vacation if you hop? The answer is a resounding YES! Hopping is not that much more expensive, all things considered, and with ever-changing park schedules (some open later, some not taking as much time) and ADRs being what they are, I think hopping makes for a more satisfying experience all in all.

We like spending the morning in one park, the evening in another. We prefer to take our time and redo our favorite attractions, go here and there at whim. The parks are set up in a way that I think you really get more out of them to hop, anyway. Epcot is a park that requires a lot of walking. MK is a lot of excitement. Balancing those two together works better than spending a whole day at each, for us. If EMH is crowded, we just hop somewhere else. There's a lot more versatility with hopping and you can get more out of your vacation that way, I think.

[JRocker]

We didn't really use the park hopper option on our first trip either, but the trips after that we used the hopper option almost every day.

At least in my experience that first trip was almost overwhelming in trying to get things done. So we would be at a single park for the entire day. Since then we have learned how to squeeze more in, and in a more relaxed manner. Like utilizing an EMH morning then bolting to another park as the crowds start picking up.

I don't think I could go without the hopper option anymore. It just offers us too much flexibility to go without it.

On the other hand, there are several here that feel it's a waste of money for their family. So it really boils down to what you enjoy.

[Twinkletoes77705]

You guys are great. You put things in a way I did not think about. I dont want over stilulated kids on MK day and overly tierd on Epcot day. Plus the whole Magical hours too.

[Jasper]

It really is a matter of how you like to do the parks. For example, our family are park kamikazi. That means we start our day at the park that opens the earliest (normally an EMH park) and finish at which ever is open the latest (usually another extended hour park). We also don't take breaks in the middle of the day. Thus, for us the park hopper is a MUST. However, if your group likes to set a slower pace and spend more time in the evenings at your resort or eating out or whatever, then maybe hoppers are not for you. Hoppers also come in handy if you want to eat a meal at one park and then visit another.

One word of warning though is that you should always allow at least one hour for transport between any two locations in WDW regardless of how you travel. As a result, you will want to plan your hopping carefully and avoid doing it more than is absolutely required to accomplish your goals.

[Dyanna]

We are going in Oct & did not buy hopper passes as we have not done so in the past. We take 1 park each day & on the 5th day we just go to the park in which the majority of us want to go to again which winds up usually being MK. The thought of park hopping never crosses our minds.

[Vinny]

Getting a park hopper ticket is a MUST for us when we go to WDW. Just knowing you have the flexibility to go from park to park whenever we want is great. If you get to a park in the morning and it turns out to be a heavier crowd, you have the option of going to another park that is less crowded. The hopper option is also helpful if you have any ADR's in the parks. This is the case with us sometimes. If we have a dinner ADR at Epcot we will usually go to a different park during the day. This way we are not bored with Epcot by the time our ADR rolls around because without the hopper we would have to go to Epcot in th morning to get back in at night the same day. The extra $6/day for the hopper option is definitely worth it IMO. Have a good trip!!

[disneymom15]

We also do park hoppers. We may not use them every day, but it's nice to know we have that option. We sometimes get bored being at just 1 park for the whole day.

[Wrigley]

We always get the Park Hopper. I like the option of being able to go to one park in the morning and then head to another park in the evening. I would definately go with the hopper.

[Tygger7]

No one ever needs to hop. The question for me is does it make for a better vacation if you hop? The answer is a resounding YES! Hopping is not that much more expensive, all things considered, and with ever-changing park schedules (some open later, some not taking as much time) and ADRs being what they are, I think hopping makes for a more satisfying experience all in all.

We like spending the morning in one park, the evening in another. We prefer to take our time and redo our favorite attractions, go here and there at whim. The parks are set up in a way that I think you really get more out of them to hop, anyway. Epcot is a park that requires a lot of walking. MK is a lot of excitement. Balancing those two together works better than spending a whole day at each, for us. If EMH is crowded, we just hop somewhere else. There's a lot more versatility with hopping and you can get more out of your vacation that way, I think.

Ditto! Couldn't have said it any better!!

[disneynarula]

IMHO the hopper option is a must. I like to visit two parks per day with a break at our resort in between

[mttafire]

We used to hop....Not anymore though. For us, We decided now with kids it isnt necessary to hop. We "slowed" down and we now take our time at each park. We leave sometimes but always return to the same park each day. Plus..It does save you some $$ if you dont hop.

[Sean Riley Taylor's Mom]

We used to hop....Not anymore though. For us, We decided now with kids it isnt necessary to hop. We "slowed" down and we now take our time at each park. We leave sometimes but always return to the same park each day. Plus..It does save you some $$ if you dont hop.


Ditto for our family. :thumbsup: