Forgoing the Park Hopper option

[c-one]

So one of my most-used tricked for saving money on WDW trips is forgoing the Park Hopper option. Since Park Hopper now seems to be the default on Disney tickets, I'm curious, does anyone else do this?

I understand the benefits of the flexibility Park Hoppers offer you, but my ideal way to enjoy the parks is to spend an entire day, taking it slow and not rushing anywhere or wasting time in transit between parks. Am I alone? Does anyone else do this?

 

[Master Yoda]

Do it all the time.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

On my last trip I skipped the park hopper option because I didn't think I'd use it much and I wanted to save money like you. I was fine without it.

 

[Clever Name]

We now buy the weekday AP. Who wants to visit the parks on a Saturday or Sunday when the crowds are bigger? :wave:

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I'm seriously considering no hopper for my next trip. I mainly use the hopper to go to a second park after AK, and to hop back and forth between the MK and EPCOT.

I think I can find other things to do after AK closes (DTD, dinner, relaxation), and much as I enjoy my little monorail trips between my two favourite parks, I think I need to question whtehr it is worth a park hopper ticket just for that.

If I'm at a park, I can easily dwell in it for an entire day. In fact, it helps to lose myself in the atmosphere.

 

[Monty]

I usually buy it, or have an AP. I like the flexibility. If I'm in a park and a few rides are 101, it allows switching parks. If I finish up AK and decide to head over and watch Wishes or IllumiNations, it's easy.

Honestly, going to WDW, the last thing on my mind is saving a little money here and there.

 

[draybook]

We also skip this option. We do a park from open to close.

 

[AintNoOtherMan]

I need it. lol. I always like to stay out till as late as I can, and I can't do that without parkhopper!

 

[SMS55]

We now buy the weekday AP. Who wants to visit the parks on a Saturday or Sunday when the crowds are bigger? :wave:

Those of us with kids. I am not pulling my kids out of school for a week for Disney no matter how much I love the place. We've been there plenty, so we'll go on long weekends, either a holiday, or teacher planning day. We don't do the whole park. We get there early and we'll skip a few things, so we'll have plenty of time. I get a seasonal pass anyways so I guess it doesn't matter, but I like to hop. Is it really that expensive for your non Florida residents? It's supposed to be $25 for a Florida resident to add it to any ticket.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Is it really that expensive for your non Florida residents? It's supposed to be $25 for a Florida resident to add it to any ticket.

It's $58.58 with tax for non-Florida residents.

 

[Monorail Lime]

The appeal of walking to World Showcase for dinner or adult beverages every evening is simply too great when staying at an International Gateway resort. AP or Hopper gives me the flexibility to do so.

If I were staying elsewhere on property, and did not have an AP, then I might consider skipping Hopper. Hasn't happened yet though.

 

[GenerationX]

We've been skipping the Hopper option for several years. We still get the Waterparks & More option, though. We tend to tour a theme park in the morning, go to a water park in the afternoon, then return to the original theme park in the evening. This method has us avoiding the theme park during its busiest hours and gives us a mid-day break. Also, on our way out in the morning, we always grab FastPasses so we'll have them when we return in the evening.

 

[SAV]

We had it on our first couple of trips and never ended up hopping, so we don't get it anymore. We go in June and the parks are open late at that point anyways. Each park has plenty to see and do, so we save the $$.

 

[muse1983]

The only reason we get the PH option is to use on our AK day....other than that we might use it once more....regardless I still think its worth it.

 

[R W B]

On my 3 most recent trips, I think I did only 1 park for the whole day once. Oddly enouch, it was AK. We did resort hopping that evening. Everyother day, we always hop to a different park. Idk if I would want to give that option up.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Since Park Hopper now seems to be the default on Disney tickets

How is it the default? When I price tickets on disneyworld.com, no options are chosen, the first thing I am presented with is the base ticket...

When I price a package, they add the park hopper and water parks and more options....

 

[Alison1975]

It's $58.58 with tax for non-Florida residents.

Yep and if, like us, you have 8 people then that's a good chunk of money. We didn't have park hopping this trip..and it was perfectly fine.

 

[PolynesianPrincess]

We have AP's now but when we didn't, we always got the PH option. We like to avoid the parks that are projected to be busiest because maybe they're open later or have EMH, but sometimes we like to head there for the evening parades or fireworks. Can't do that without a park hopper. Plus if we're at a park and we've done everything we want to do, it gives us the option to be able to go to another park and hit up or favs or some things we might have missed. For us, it's worth it. To each his own though..

 

[Timekeeper]

Maybe the park hopper option would be more attractive for some people if there was a more efficient means of transportation between the Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom parks; monorail, people mover, whatever.

Of course, a lot of first time guests probably aren't familiar with the between-park transportation options (or lack thereof) when they purchase their tickets. I've overheard some guest who were surprised to hear that the monorails only serviced two of the four parks. So, the bus inconvenience probably doesn't play a role in their purchase decisions (and I'm sure the ticketing CMs advertise the buses as "convenient").

 

[mickeysshoes]

We are hoppers...what I skip is the water and more option.