Best Way To Use Park Hopper

[Raineman]

On our next trip next year, my family and I are planning on getting the park hopper option for the first time. What is the best way to use park hopper, in your opinion? Do you always spend part of every day at your favourite park (MK for us)? Do you try to always end every day with your favourite nighttime show (Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic)? Is it best just wing it and play it by ear?

 

[sxeensweet]

We have no specific way we use it but always get it! We either use it to visit another park after one closes(AK and HS usually close earlier than the other 2), to go eat at a different park at night, shows, etc. We use it almost every day in some shape or form. Me and DH love the park hopper option!

 

[Tom]

We always get it so we know we have the freedom to go anywhere we want, at any time.

Some days we'll only end up visiting one park. But we also typically book several TS meals, and that will often require some hopping.

And we enjoy some nighttime shows more than others, and may see one more than once. Hopping makes that very easy.

For us, we would never consider buying tickets without it. It's just about the only aspect left of a Disney vacation that gives you actual flexibility. We don't have to commit to a certain park for an entire day (except for the period of time covering the 3 FPs).

 

[Susan Savia]

We have APs, but like to park at Epcot and monorail to the MK and stay til after the parade, then monorail back to Epcot and finish out the day. On days we visit HS or AK, we usually always hop over to MK or Epcot.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Freestyling is not what it used to be with the new Fastpass system but the beauty of PH is that the world is your oyster...no plans necessary. Go where the mood takes you and if one park is mobbed check wait times in other parks and ditch out if it makes sense to move on. Just don't make solid plans and go with the flow to get the most out of it.

 

[DisneyGirl3820]

If we didn't get Park Hopper I don't know what we would do because we like to hit about 3 parks a day. Morning one park (usually AK), break for lunch at the hotel, out to the next park for the afternoon (HS or Epcot), break for dinner at the hotel and then to the last park (MK) for the evening. I don't think I could handle all day at just one park.

 

[NormC]

Park Hopper: Don't leave home without it.

 

[bethymouse]

@NormC funny! Well, park hopping is exhausting for us, so we plan 1 park a day. Sometimes we do MK twice and EPCOT twice because Illuminations and Wishes are our favorites!

 

[zurgandfriend]

We usually visit one park in the morning and a different park in the afternoon/evening.

 

[Chef Mickey]

A lot of it depends on weather, nightly events, crowd levels, etc.

Having the Park Hopper gives you maximum options depending on the situation.

A few tips:

1) Use it when crowd levels at MK get unmanageable at around lunch time.

2) Don't waste too much time travelling from park to park. Although you can, transportation can take up to an hour, especially if you can't use a monorail. I would recommend 2 parks in a day. I've done 3, but it does take extra time to jump around so much. I still think you can do MK to EPCOT and back to MK. I still consider that 2 parks in a day.

3) Use the monorail from MK to EPCOT and EPCOT to MK. It's fun and usually faster.

4) Use the boat or walk from EPCOT to HS. It's kind of far to walk, but there is a little used pathway specifically for walkers. It can be done in 15 minutes and I've done it multiple times.

5) You can get a little advanced at times. For example, see a Grand Floridian, Contemporary, or Polynesian bus right when you're leaving AK? I jump on those and then take the monorail to MK. It's fun, allows you to see other resorts, and potentially reduces transportation times. I've done this by taking a Beach Club bus and walking to EPCOT. I started doing this because it seemed the hotel buses came sooner than resort to resort buses.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Park hopper is absolutely necessary for my typical six day itinerary. In no particular order, these are our park days:

• Magic Kingdom full day
• Epcot full day
• DHS full day
• DAK full day
• MK morning hop to Epcot evening
• DAK morning hop to MK evening

 

[MaxsDad]

One way to "use" it:

Go to opening at one park, enjoying attractions with lower crowds and a relaxed pace. Then use the park hopping feature along with you 3 FP+ to enjoy another park in the afternoon/evening.

I prefer to enjoy DAK in the morning, for its cooler temps and current lack of extended evening hours and nighttime show.
DHS can go either way(AM or PM), but it does not require a full day unless you are a "completist".
The other two are great all day long, and have pros to both being your opening park and your ending park. Both also have attractions that are good for rope drop and for FP+.

We have never been without park hopping. Love flexibility it gives. And as frequent visitors, we have short attention spans and like to relax. Staying with the same park all day can get tiring.

 

[SAV]

The best way I have found is to not get it and save the money. We got it the first 2 times we went and didn't bother hopping because there was plenty to do in the park we were in.

Focus on the one park you are in and enjoy it. Why complicate things and waste park time going from place to place?

 

[Chef Mickey]

The best way I have found is to not get it and save the money. We got it the first 2 times we went and didn't bother hopping because there was plenty to do in the park we were in.

Focus on the one park you are in and enjoy it. Why complicate things and waste park time going from place to place?

Problem with this is AK and HS closed very early a lot of the time. Even EPCOT closing at 9 is pretty early. If you don't have PH, it would be a disappointment to go home at 6 after AK and miss a lot of night time activity like parades and fireworks.

 

[ShookieJones]

• Rope Drop at park of our choice: Kick the He!! out of said park by 11am - 12pm,
• Eat lunch at Rope Drop park.
• If cool down or nap needed back to hotel
• if not proceed to next park.
• If yes decide if long or short break is required.
• If short break proceed to park of choice.
• if long break proceed to park where (or near where) dinner ADRs are.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Focus on the one park you are in and enjoy it. Why complicate things and waste park time going from place to place?

Because different parks have different crowd levels at different times of day and different days of the week. You can waste much more time standing in line at Magic Kingdom at 1:00 in the afternoon on a Monday than you would jumping on the monorail and heading to Epcot.

Plus, DAK, DHS, and MK all close early at various times of year. Without a park hopper, you have nothing to do in the evening.

Problem with this is AK and HS closed very early a lot of the time.

Right. Don't forget MK's 7:00 closing time when there's MVMCP or MNSSHP.

 

[sxeensweet]

We have APs, but like to park at Epcot and monorail to the MK and stay til after the parade, then monorail back to Epcot and finish out the day. On days we visit HS or AK, we usually always hop over to MK or Epcot.

Yes we also use our car but take the monorail when we can as the monorail is pretty fast. Busses is the only mode of Disney transportation that we only use If we have no other choice now. Lol

 

[Disnee4Me]

We usually go to whatever park has morning EMH and then head over to what ever park has evening EMH ... and we usually don't take a break to our resort. Now that my DH is 66 and I will turn 59 when we are there in December, I'm thinking we may just want to take that afternoon break/nap!! LOL

 

[jim1051]

2 things we do with Park hopper: on EMH mornings, go to park with the EMH for a couple early hours then bolt for a different park for the balance. The other thing is go to one park for a morning, arriving at rope drop, then after lunch return to resort for nap or pool relaxing, in the evening head to a different park for dinner/fireworks/favorite attractions.

 

[MissingDisney]

Having PH eliminate the whole "I have to do/see/hear/eat/buy this RIGHT NOW because I can't come back to this park" sinking feeling. Being in the park you have scheduled for ONE DAY is a happy/sad feeling. You literally have just that one day. Depressing. PH is your friend.