Magic Your Way vs Park Hopper

[Asharitt]

Every visit we've made to Disney we always opt for the Park Hopper to allow us the most park experience if we want to jump around throughout the day. I'm just curious how many people go with Magic Your Way and how to make the most of that option? Thinking it might might be nice to save the money on that upgrade next trip...

[Tekneek]

Not including the park hopper would require some additional pre-planning to make sure that you're picking the right park for each day of your trip. Going to the most crowded park without hoppers could really reduce your touring effectiveness.

[VWL Mom]

I think it depends on when you are going. If it's an extremely busy time your probably better off with a hopper so you can move as the crowd level dictates. Other than that I think you can get by without it, just requires a little more planning.

:welcome: to INTERCOT

[BigRedDad]

I think you may be slightly confusing the ticket options. All ticket options for a resort stay are "Magic Your Way". The Park Hopper is an option to add to your "Magic Your Way" passes.

Park Hopper is ~$57 more per person
Water Parks and More is another ~$22 per person.

For us, we do not park hop often. We go to the park we want to, take an afternoon break, and then go back to the park again for things we want to do again or new things.

[MargaretMessler]

For $57 per person, I would always choose the hopper just for flexibility. Really, it's one meal for two people, or a couple of tshirts, versus total freedom to choose your mind on a whim.

You may have spent the day at MK, for instance, but when you are heading back to the hotel you just have a to-die-for craving for a french pastry. Hop on over to EPCOT and grab one. You're at AK for the day, random rain store (not all that unusual in central FL), so you decide you want to go to a more indoor park. Head over to EPCOT or MGM.

I never go without it myself.

[BigRedDad]

I never go without it myself.

The way I see it though is that it is a $57 savings per person. If you need it, it can be added at any ticket booth during your stay. My feeling is to save unless I need to spend. It only takes about 5 minutes to have it added.

[sonamae80]

I think you may be slightly confusing the ticket options. All ticket options for a resort stay are "Magic Your Way". The Park Hopper is an option to add to your "Magic Your Way" passes.

Park Hopper is ~$57 more per person
Water Parks and More is another ~$22 per person.

For us, we do not park hop often. We go to the park we want to, take an afternoon break, and then go back to the park again for things we want to do again or new things.

Side note question - so on the Base Ticket, you are allowed to go to one park, leave and take a break, then come back to the same park that evening?

[BigRedDad]

Correct. The Base Ticket allows you to go to one park each day and come and go as many times in the day as you want. You cannot however use another day's ticket to go to another park (the math on this makes it cheaper than the Park Hopper if you could). After the base ticket, you can opt for the other options: Park Hopper, Waterparks and More, and both.

[sonamae80]

Thanks! ;)

[roses]

I go with the Magic Your Way ticket, but that is because I have a young daughter that I believe is best if we didn't hop from park to park. When she gets older I will more than likely add this option.

[AndrewJackson]

We use to always do a 2 or 3 day park hopper. When Disney changed the way the price their tickets we decided to change.

Now, we will do a 6 or 7 day non park hopper, and it is cheaper than a 3 day park hopper. It has changed the way we vacation.

We use to go to the parks 3 days, and relax at the resort the other 3 or 4 days. The days we went to the parks, we went rope drop to park closing, hopping parks.

Now, we go to a park every day of our trip, but only for part of the day. Once you get up to 5 days on your tickets, it only costs another $10 (use to be $5) to add another day. So, we don't feel like we are wasting money if we hit a park a rope drop, head back to the resort after lunch. Some days we head back for dinner or fireworks, other days we don't go back.

[Dream'nDisney]

We have always purchased the park hopping option even when the kids were little. It just really takes the stress off of planning. We almost always come back to our resort, swim, nap, or just relax and refresh before heading to a theme park (whether it be the same one or a different one) for the evening.

[gottaluvtink]

We never use the park hopper. I hate taking the time to wait on buses, monorails, boats, etc. there is plenty to do in one park to last all day. We just plan accordingly with our meals and we kind of know to avoid certain parks on weekends and such. We also go during off peak, so it's never that bad. We have done the hopper on a couple occasions but I just find it more work and more walking. We are open to close park people so I get enough walking in just one park per day. Not to mention the money we save.

[1DisneyNut]

We have never bought the park hopper option. Even back before they made it an extra cost option and it was included on every ticket, we never changed parks. It wastes a huge amount of your vacation time swapping parks. If we had it, we wouldn't use it.

I plan an itinerary months ahead of time. We have a park each day and then on Animal Kingdom day, since we wrap it up in the afternoon; we used to go to downtown disney but since they ruined it and took out Adventurers Club, we rarely go there anymore. Instead, we usually go off site to International Drive and eat somewhere and shop.

[BrerGnat]

I cannot imagine not having it. The thought of having to pick just one park and stick with it all day just makes me feel stressed out.

I think it's a HUGE convenience, and good "insurance" for being able to bail on a too crowded park.

[Dream'nDisney]

I cannot imagine not having it. The thought of having to pick just one park and stick with it all day just makes me feel stressed out.

I think it's a HUGE convenience, and good "insurance" for being able to bail on a too crowded park.

DITTO :thumbsup:

[Tigger68]

I love the convenience of a park hopper. For example, we can go to Animal Kingdom for the day and when it closes at 7:00 p.m. we have the option of hopping to another park which is open later, especially if there are Extra Magic Hours included in the other park! Then we have a full day of Animal Kingdom and can still see the fireworks at Magic Kingdom!

[JerseyDad]

....since we usually have a few ADR's in Epcot ....and then spend part of the day there or in another park...the Park Hopper is the only way to go. The single park option is very limiting, and actually requires too much planning and no flexibility for the unforeseen ...like crazy crowds, weather (some parks a better in inclement weather than others), show times ....etc.

....without the Hopper option ...you are required to 'think' .....I don't do the thinking thing while on vacation ...that's done before the vacation starts.

[Dream'nDisney]

Plus, we have researched to see what parks have EMH before we arrive, only to discover that a different park offers EMH for a particular day for some reason. This is another reason to have Park hopping options.

[slottedpig]

I would add that I find Park Hoppers really valuable when I am staying at an Epcot resort ( YC/BC, Dolphin, etc). The ability to dine or just walk around World Showcase any evening, regardless of which park I spent the day at is worth the extra cost to me. I even like walking thru Epcot to use the monorail for trips to and from the Magic Kingdom or the monorail resorts. Your mileage may vary of course.

[SandmanGStefani24]

haven't used a park hopper since 1995. but, i am the type that goes to one park all day. this way I have time to do everything I want at least once if not more. i save the cash and spend it on gifts or food.

[Goofster]

Haven't used a Park Hopper since 2000. We just get a 7 day pass now and plan our days out ahead of time, which isn't that difficult. We plan 1 day for STudios and 1 day for AK...that gives us 5 days to do MK and Epcot while going back to the resort for pool breaks, etc. We usually pick our resort with the intention that we will want to spend afternoons and evenings there rather than trying to cram another hour or two at another park that night. Just our personal preference. :mickey:

[andmomlau]

Wouldn't go without the park hopper option. We love the flexibility of spending the day in a park, then going to dinner and ending the night somewhere else. Sometimes, the crowds are just so heavy in one park that we get there and decide to change plans....

[JRocker]

I quit planning our days years ago, and park hoppers help me keep it that way. I do enough planning at work, I don't need it for that little thing we like to call VACATION.
Sometimes we look at EMH and decide the day before which park we are going to...if we want to wake up early, or stay up late. If we open a park with EMH, we typically leave that park soon after opening, because of the crowds. Just another plus for park hopping.
We'll take a mid-day break a lot of times and when we wander over to the bus stop, we'll just hop on the next bus without a care to where it's going.

Park Hopper = flexibility
No park hopper = planning

I'll pay extra to not have to think on my vacation TYVM.