Park Hopper and Water Parks

[ddtcschroeder]

Is the park hopper worth the extra money? And should we get the water park package aslo...we have a 1, 3, 6, and 9 year old..we will be there for 7 days..should we try and splurge for the hopper?? We are going to be going to the beach one day so I don't know if we really need the waterpark passes too! Planning on coming in late June..will the water parks be so crowded its not worth the money...any help would be wonderful!

Thanks

[queenmom9497]

We have ALWAYS done the park hopper and feel it is a "nonnegotiable" item for our family. Last year we ended up hitting 3 different parks in 1 day as we don't like to necessarily 'hang out' at one park all day. We don't get the Water Park option as we are from Wisconsin, not far from the Wisconsin Dells area where the water parks can't be beat. We also feel, again being from Wisconsin, that the water temps in Orlando in the summer are way too warm so don't want to be playing in warm water all day, we just use the resort pools. I would say, if you want to save money (an oxymoron for Disney, lol) get just the plain park passes.

[markyv]

I wouldn't even attempt Disney without park hoppers. You also have small children. Park hoppers will enable you to bounce back and forth between parks where as the other pass will not.

As for the water parks, I would pass in that.

[sassy2000]

I would pass on the water parks but definitely get the park hopper option.

[emmatink]

For us we skip the hopper because we find plenty to do at one park all day. We also have little ones so it takes us longer to get through one park. If you are there for 7 days then you will have plenty of time to visit each park. We only purchased the hopper when we were there for a short trip and didn't have enough days for all the parks. I would save the $300 and put it towards something else:mickey:

[disneyplanner]

The park hoppers are really convenient so that you can go from park to park without trying to fit everything into 1 day and knowing you wont be able to come back to that park. Since you are doing the beach the one day, I would skip the water parks. Im an authorized disney vacation planner and would love to help! Just send me an email :)

[5MemphisTiggers]

If this were "The Godfather", they'd say "Leave the water parks, take the park hopper."

Like others, hoppers are a must for my family. AK and DHS often take less than a day for us, and I love the convenience of jumping over to EPCOT or MK in the evenings to walk around and see Illuminations or Wishes! :thumbsup:

Also, compare the pricing. If you are only going to go to a water park once, it may be cheaper to just pay admission for that one day rather than the water parks option.

At what resort are you staying? The pools at many of them are great, especially with young ones. Many of the pools at moderate resorts and up have a kiddy pool, and the bigger pools have slides, etc. Lots of fun.

[KatrinaJ91]

It really depends on how you want to spend your time! Our family did the park hopper a couple of times, but have found that they are a waste of money for us. WIth an entire week, you can just hit a different park each day! You can get back in to the same park on the days you go, so you can still take an afternoon break for naps or swimming at the hotel and then head back to the same park!

It also felt like a waste of time to hop all over the place and go from park to park. It takes alot of time to go from one park and head out to go to another....especially with little ones!

[Aurora]

We have always purchased the park hopper passes with water park options, that is until our last trip. We decided to keep the PH but didn't need multiple days of water park visits. We did go to Typhoon Lagoon one day and just purchased a one-day pass for that. Made more sense for us.

If you are really unsure about the park hopper expense, you can always purchase a base ticket and see how it goes while you're there. If you decide during your trip you'd rather have the hopper option, you can always upgrade your ticket and pay the hopper difference then.

Also FYI, even without a park hopper, you can leave whatever park you're visiting at any time during the day, for naps or pool breaks, etc., and return later that day to the same park. That does not require a park hopper, just the base ticket.

Since you're visiting in late June, if you do plan a water park day, you should get there as early as possible, preferably at opening time. The water parks do fill up in the summer and they do close the gates when they're full -- we were there one year when they closed at 11 a.m.!!

It also makes sense to get an early start because in the summer the thunderstorms roll in almost every afternoon, and when there's lightning, they'll close the water areas until there's no strike threat. Usually when this happens, swarms of people leave, and if you stick it out until after the storm, you'll feel like you have the park almost to yourself.

[IloveDisney71]

We don't think going to WDW without getting the parkhopper option would work for us. The parkhopper option just makes things more flexible. We can go from park to park for meals if we are on the dining plan and avoid crowds for extra magic hours. It's worth the extra cost for us.

[MIKESMOM]

I would pass on the water parks but definitely get the park hopper option.
:ditto:

[LudwigVonDrake]

I do the water parks at least once (if not twice) during my visit so I always get the water park option :swim:

[CleveRocks]

I do the water parks at least once (if not twice) during my visit so I always get the water park option :swim:I'm sure YOU know this, but for everyone else reading ... if you will go to a water park only once during your trip, then you should just buy the single-day admission at the water park gate ... the Water Park Fun & More option on your theme park ticket is worth it ONLY if you will go 2 or more times.