Ok, sell me on PH tix 😉

[jumully]

We’ve been to the World 2x, going for our longest on-site visit yet next March (11 nights). Fam of 4, DDs 10 & 13… Is it time to try PH tix?? I see that UT has a sale this week, and even factoring in the CAD exchg rate, seems to be the best bang for buck.

What I need to know is, those of you who hop, do you base it on attractions, crowd levels, dining options… And do you find yourself hopping most days of your trip? I can see the appeal for sure, but until now haven’t felt like we’d actually make use of it… But… Maybe?

All experiences/opinions welcomed, thx!

[lindsayvr]

I always get Park Hopper. I know it’s kind of expensive, but it just makes me feel more relaxed knowing that if we decide we’re “done” with the park we are at, we can just hop over to another park. Or if the day is planned for MK for example, but we find the crowds are much heavier than expected, we can change up plans on the fly. For longer trips, park hopping definitely becomes very handy. The first few days you’ll probably spend a full day at the park your’re at. But after those first few days, you might want to park hop after your initial FP’s are done. Try hopping and see for yourself!

[jumully]

Thx! That’s where my head is at too. Our last visit, the girls were younger & I couldn’t imagine the logistics of it, but I’m now seeing the potential benefits of being able to switch things up a bit, depending on the day.

[jumully]

I also like the thought of eating around the world at Epcot… So many choices lol

[ryan1]

It sort of depends. We tried PHs once, and it ended up being a waste of money. But if you plan to want to hop a lot, or eat in Epcot a lot even on days when you are at MK, etc., then it might be worth it.

Generally speaking, I see PHs only being worth it for shorter stays. Longer stays it becomes less beneficial. But it TOTALLY depends on our touring style.

In December 2020, for example, we plan to Park Hop specifically for the purpose of making Epcot kind of be our Food Court.

[darkmite2]

Hopping around the parks takes up so much of your time if using the Disney transit. (easily 1 hour + each time you “hop”) I only do it if I have a car or willing to do a ride share.

I truly only do it on nights where I eat dinner at Epcot / WS. I’m not hopping to do more, but after I’m done and just want to do one attraction / meal before the day ends.

IMHO - It’s not about the price of the PH ticket, but instead all the value I’m losing per minute not spent inside a park.

[drvillarejos]

Ive been quite a few times, PHing 2xs. Its only good for 3-5 day trips. And really, we PHed 1 or 2 days, could have done without. Will only get PH for a 4 day or less trip. I can easily spend all day at 1 park. Not worth the money. Now dining could potentially make me upgrade to PH, but luckily, Ive been able to work it out.

[drvillarejos]

(easily 1 hour + each time you “hop”)

Easily, unless its by monorail, MK to EP, figure 90 mins and cross fingers for less.

[Barbelle]

We purchased PH this time around because it was a shorter trip. With MNSSHP and wanting to see both FOF and HEA and also the new things at DHS (haven’t been to that park since 2016) and new Epcot fireworks it just seems like it will work better for us. We’re all adults & if need be we figure we can always Uber if we have to. I know Disney transportation is free and I’m sure we will take it back and forth to our resort but sometimes the money is worth more than the hassle of spending over an hour to get to another park.

[darkmite2]

Yeah… I like to speak in “estimates”. There are a couple “logistics lawyers” on the forums that if I write an exact time I’ll hear about how they made it in 58 minutes or 92 minutes.

[ryan1]

92 minutes.

Um. 91 minutes, 38 seconds. Let’s get it right.

[crankyduck]

I always get PH, I like the flexibility. On my last trip (solo, during F&G festival) I hopped a lot, even though I was staying at Pop (usually stay in one of the BW area deluxes, and IMO that makes PH a no brainer since you can walk to Epcot or HS). I would start the day off in one park, go back to hotel and shower/freshen up then off to Epcot for the festival. On my last evening, it was Evening EMH until midnight at MK, so I ended up heading over there after Illuminations.

[drvillarejos]

Yeah… I like to speak in “estimates”. There are a couple “logistics lawyers” on the forums that if I write an exact time I’ll hear about how they made it in 58 minutes or 92 minutes.

Notice I added the cross ur fingers, so I dont get replies on how they made it in 80 mins

[janamelia]

We’re also hoppers. We have even occasionally enjoyed park hopper plus tickets. Which is what we have this trip. We have 5 day Armed Forces Salute tickets, but are staying 7 days. The plus part of the ticket adds a fraction of the gate admission to Typhoon Lagoon - day 6. With a five day hopper plus we get 5 “extras” which of course we’ll not use all. Sure would like to try to fit in the WinterSummerland mini golf. We crack up every time we do those courses.

As far as hoppers - we also get tired of a park. I can’t imagine doing one park all day long, from open to close. No reflection on folks who feel that’s the way to go. My eye doctor is a park commando but we’re happy to Disney geek with each other anyway.

We might be easily bored. We might also have rides in each park we’re not able to go on. It might also be a habit from when practically every park except Epcot closed at 6 pm. Didn’t hurt that we love to eat around the World.

We even, smh, went one morning to MK to go to the Harmony Barbershop and then hopped to HS. After about an hour at MK.

We are usually an extended family group from several states. So the dread hour long bus ride is both a cool rest and an opportunity to visit with family members in relative quiet. The Disney transportation is about the only way 9 or 11 or 17 are going to go from A to B together.

Also, few of us are young. That bus ride to the resort and subsequent feet up in the cool and quiet is almost the best part of the day. Except it wouldn’t be necessary if we hadn’t been in a park.

We also have some awesome memories from bus trips. One trip maybe 2004 or 2006 we were on a bus with some girls singing. Perhaps 8 - 10 year olds. Several members of our group never met a stranger and on this occasion one asked the lead singer what her name was. When she replied, Lora, our person said, Lora and the Lorakeets! Cousins as it turned out. This is still a favorite memory and I hope Lora and her Lorakeets and families remember as well.

Just as later days on a multi-day park ticket get cheaper and cheaper, the cost of hopping gets cheaper and cheaper, the more days you buy. That said, if I had a 2 day visit, I’d probably still get a hopper. Recently we were trying to figure out what park would we go to for just a one day visit and we can’t choose. We’d have to get a park hopper and hit each park for our favorite rides.

Finally, the reason for our upcoming trip is my grandniece’s 15th birthday celebration. She’s got must do activities all week. Typhoon Lagoon with this family member. Oak Trails golf with that one. Sunshine Seasons. San Angel Inn. A big finish at Raglan Road. MNSSHP with mom and grannie. Lots to cram in unless one park hops. The very first must do tho was to be sure she was going to be able to ride the Disney buses. She says it’s not Disney without. Another must do is Magic Carpets of Aladdin first thing first MK day.

We might also be used to an hour to get from here to there since we live so far from our post office, it’s a toll call (if you still have one of those landline telephones). Some times at Disney we’re like, we’re here already?

[drvillarejos]

I can definately see, with your group size, and different interest, how PHing would be valuable. Im not a RD to kick u out kinda person anyway. Dont think Ive ever closed any other park than EP.

[rckstrscat]

We’ve been with and without hoppers and have had great trips both ways. To date we probably haven’t used them enough to “get our money’s worth”, but we do plan to get them again on our trip next summer. We hope to stay 10 days and feel like after the initial few days we may feel like hopping around to things we love rather than sticking to just one park per day.

[drvillarejos]

Thats a good point

[julsie]

During my once-in-a-childhood trip to WDW, park hopper saved the day. Too many things in HS weren’t operating compared to the crowd level that day, and we’d all had enough. So we went somewhere else. Maybe if you go frequently it’s not as big of a deal.

[janamelia]

We have only closed Epcot - for years; kinda sad to see Illuminations change. But oh well.

And we have closed MK a couple of times. Especially after we discovered the kiss goodnight.

We love walking through Epcot after Illuminations, and sitting near Casey’s watching the Castle, as guests stream out, is very similar. A nice way to end the day.

Especially with ice cream.

[drvillarejos]

I cant hang. Im early to bed, early to rise, while my DH is the opps, lol