Best Way To Use Park Hopper

[habuma]

We always have PH, but we don't always use it. That said, we often use it at least 1 day of each trip.

As others have said, the best use of PH is when your park-of-the-day closes early. AK is the most obvious here, but even MK closes rather early when MVMCP is in season. On those days, you can either plan something at a resort (dinner, Yehaa Bob, turning in early) or hop over to a park that's open later.

We rarely use PH to hop from one park to another while the first park is still open. We plan a full day at a given park and go until we have to leave. Then we use PH to hop to one of the other parks that's open later.

As someone else suggested, though, PH can come in handy if the park you chose is crazy busy and if you're flexible with your plans. If the actual crowds surprise the crowd forecasts and you find yourself in a packed park, PH can be a blessing and enable you to hop to a less crowded park.

 

[JIMINYCR]

We always include the PH on our trip for the freedom to, on the spur of the moment, change our minds on what we do. It allows us to jump around whenever we feel like it. Sometimes we enter a park thats just too buzy for us, the crowd calendar prediction was off, and we switch up. We go to one park in the am and have an ADR in another park in the pm, so we spend the latter part of the day in park #2. DW prefers park #1 and I want to do park #2 and we meet up later. So its worth the cost to have the option available. We always use it and we get our moneys worth out of it. Otherwise we would be stuck staying in a park at a time we might not enjoy.

 

[zeebs758]

We always option for the park hopper. It's usually used more towards the end of our trip after we've been to all the parks already. One day we did Animal Kingdom at rope drop, stayed until the afternoon. Went back to the hotel to relax then hit up MK at night. Also had a late morning and started in HS then walked to EPCOT later in the day. We never saw the Boardwalk area so it was nice place to stop and relax for a bit.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

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?

How many days tickets do you intend buying?

If you have more than a couple of days, I'm not convinced that it provides good value.

Assuming a family of 4 on a vacation of 5 or more park days, I would question if that is the best use of $240.
For some, yes. Personally I think a little planning can save you a wedge of cash. For instance, your AK and DHS days may be shorter than others, so those are the days you visit DtD, do something in resort, i drive, 192 area etc depending where you're staying.

 

[SAV]

Without a park hopper, you have nothing to do in the evening.

Nothing? There's DTD, Boardwalk, Off-site activities, enjoying your resort if you are on-site, Resort hop. There is plenty to do. I can say we have never been bored when we only do our 1 park per day.

As for waiting in a line at 1:00 at a busy time. If you factor in the time it will take you to get out of the park you are in, get transportation and get to the park you want to go, get into the new park and on to something else, it is all a wash or more time spent. Without all of the running around.

But to each their own. I won't argue the point any further. You believe it is worth it, I don't.