Why Buy Park Hoppers?

[Christhegr8]

I have a question, I don't know if it was already answered but I'll ask anyway. I go to Disney each year and obviously like the rest of you I am a huge fan. With the new Fast past plus system, can you only get fast passes for 3 rides in one park? Or can you use the three at one park and then park hop to another and get more fast passes? Because it may seem spoiled but we never wait in lines very long. That is actually what made Disney so great compared to other parks, as they charge to skip lines. If this is the case I wonder why people should waste money to park hop other then to say catch the Fantasmic show at HS. Also I was use to grabbing a fast pass for say Splash Mountain and then looking for a short line while we were waiting like Pirates or the Haunted mansion. And most often the passes were for an hour or two ahead not five to seven hours ahead. Is all this a thing of the past? I'm just trying to decide if I should waste the extra money on park hoppers. I tend to stay in a park for 3-5 hours then go to another. Thanks

 

[ParentsOf4]

Currently, all FP+ selections are limited to one park per day and only 3 total per day. WDW is aware of the complaints surrounding this limit and is considering changes. WDW also is exploring providing additional FP+ selections per day, based on availability.

There are ways to take advantage of the current FP+ system for park hopping.

Here's how we handled park hopping while staying onsite during the busy Thanksgiving week:

1. Make FP+ reservations for the late afternoon or evening at DHS or Epcot. We were lucky; we made ours before these parks were tiered. Yeah, tiered FP+ selections suck big time. (Tiering means, for example, that's it's not possible to get a FP+ for both Test Track and Soarin'; it's one or the other, not both.)
2. Head to DAK for rope drop. Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest are both high capacity attractions. If you are there for rope drop, it's possible to do both of these Standby without waiting too long, even during a busy week like Thanksgiving.
3. FP+ doesn't really help with DAK's two big shows, Lion King and Nemo. Might as well do these Standby anyway.
4. Enjoy whatever else you want at DAK.
5. When it's time (be sure to give yourself plenty of time for park transfer), head over to Epcot or DHS and enjoy your FP+ selections there.

In the old days, there's no way you would have been able to score a FP for either Soarin' or TSM with this approach. Depending on crowds, RnRC, TOT, and Test Track would have been difficult as well. You'd be stuck in 1-to-2 hour Standby lines. In the old days, DHS and Epcot's Future World always were AM parks for us. (We've never been in the Standby lines at Soarin' or TSM. )

Starting at DAK works because Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest are both high capacity attractions and FP+ is a waste for most shows.

Starting at MK works as well, only because MK has so many things to offer that it distributes morning crowds better than the other 3 parks. Lots of folks like to show up later for the parades and shows.

If, like us, you were used to obtaining more than 3 FP per day, then FP+ is a step backwards. However, the majority of WDW guests will be able to get more FP+ selections per day. The new FP+ system does a better job of more evenly distributing FP+ selections among all guests.

 

[Christhegr8]

Hi,

Thanks a lot, that helps. Nobody likes change, we go every year and it's scary to think that things will not be the same. However it does seem like am attempt to be more fair to everyone. But like you said for people like us, the veterans-it seems like a step back. But we will have to roll with it and see how it goes. We stay off site because we stay for 16 days in a pool home because its so much cheaper. We do visit all the other area parks so I'm sure we can figure out a way to still have a good time either way. Thanks a lot though!

 

[CheshireCat12]

I think that hoppers are good for the following reasons:
1. Rope drop AM park, FP+ at PM park- this way you get to do it all OR you could FP+ early park and go to the late EMH at MK (where I've experienced waits of 20 min. or less for the most popular rides)
2. Dining reservations- let's say I really want to dine at BOG but I had planned to go to DHS because its an EMH park that day. I can do both on a hopper.
3. Epcot resorts- if you are staying at one of the Epcot resorts you can go into Epcot and eat/shop whenever you want with a hopper, regardless of which park you planned for the day (Breakfast or a late cocktail in the WS anyone?)
4. Freedom to spend some of your time "on the fly"- I like to schedule a park and FP+ but then say "OK, I will be able to do these attractions at X park and then hop to wherever" to ride a favorite again or to see a show I missed

I think hoppers are better for WDW veterans who know what they want and how to get there efficiently.

 

[Dwarful]

We don't always get hoppers...but this summer we are for the reasons Parentsof4 mentioned. Plus to me Epcot seems like a total waste of FP's. I'd rather start early morning hours at Epcot hit Soarin', do single rider at TT if needed and then standby for all the others. We will have two days at Epcot to start off so one day we will start at Soarin' and the other day at TT. But both days we will use FP's at MK esp. if the new Snow White ride is up and running when we are there in June.

 

[stevehousse]

To me, park hopping all depends on the party you are traveling with...

Park hopping is a pain with little kids, plain and simple (stroller age). We used to park hop all the time, but ever since we have kids we stopped. Once they r older, we will hop again, but for now, one park a day works best.

It just depends on you and u r party. Just remember that in order to hop, bus transportation is most likely, and u need to give yourself plenty of time to get from point A to point B.

 

[Captainvideo]

After spending a week there in February with magic bands, the amount of pre planning and constant worry about FP time overlap with dining reservations began to wear on me. We were at every park at rope drop and the only park I decided to save my FP and use them later at another park was AK. Part of me thinks the new FP will move people not to park hop, thus decreasing the volume guests using Disney transportation multiple times each day. However, the other part of me wonders if people stop adding park hopping to their tickets, in our case over $300, what will they do to make up for this lost revenue? I am not going to park hop to another park at night without FP and wait in 1 hour lines. It's not worth it. I'm also not a midnight-3am EM rider either. I think 4 FP might be the right number in the future, with options to split them between parks. As my niece(cm) said, they couldn't start off with a higher number of fast passes, then take them away. It's better to start off low, see how it goes, and adjust upward if necessary.

 

[Christhegr8]

It appears that the general consensus is that you really have to give it a lot of thought before you set out to the parks if you are going to still use park hoppers. I was wondering if anyone knew what the ride tiers are at MK??? Another words-can you get FP for Splash and Space Mountain? And can you get more than one FP for the same ride?

 

[stevehousse]

There are no ride tiers at MK or AK. only parks with tiers are Epcot and DHS...

 

[Christhegr8]

Oh that's good.

 

[MickeyisMyBestFriend]

Sadly you can get fp's only at one chosen park. Hopefully this will change soon. We use the park hoper so we can go wherever we want in the morning and then go to a different park to eat and go on rides at night which tend to have a shorter line

 

[Disneyfamily4]

Buying Park hoppers are worth it if you go at non peak times. During the off season, wait times for rides are bearable, so waiting in lines for rides at multiple parks in one day is doable.

However, If you go during spring break, they are not worth it. The only way to take advantage of park hoppers during peak season, is to wake up super early in order to get to the park at rope drop. Then do the rides there first, then park hop to where you have your fast pass reservations.

If you have small kids, waking up early for rope drop is good in theory only, especially if you were at the park late with your kids the night before. So in that case, you would have to pick, stay late, or arrive early. But during a vacation, I don't think anyone wants to be in bed early.

The other option is to buy hoppers and go after you wake up. But during peak season, you will have to wait 150 minutes or longer in order to do the better rides.

 

[Tom Morrow]

If you plan on doing two parks in one day:

- book Fastpass at the park you will be at mid-day, when crowds are highest
- go to the other park early at rope drop or save it for the evening when lines are shorter

If you plan on doing three parks in one day:
- arrive at first park at rope drop
- use Fastpass+ at second park
- save the park that is open the latest for third, stay until close because lines are short close to closing time.

 

[flynnibus]

why? Because I never made the decision to visit a WDW park based on 'can I get a FP?' - that's why

 

[Tom Morrow]

Honestly if you're a WDW park veteran, which many of you are, it should be pretty obvious at this point how to ride what you want without waiting in long lines. Even on busy days, you can hit all the major rides at MK in the last few hours of the park's operation without using any Fastpasses.

A lot of you need to drop the notion that waiting any longer than 10 or 15 minutes for something is dreadful. It's hilarious to me that WDW guests will make a massive effort to avoid standing in as low as a 20 minute line, to the point where they spend much more time than that trying to avoid it. Just go in the 20 minute line. Take a breather, talk to the people you are traveling with. Use your smartphone. Enjoy the atmosphere and theming. It isn't that bad.

 

[wtpoohntggr2]

Our last 2 trips have been one day to spend in the parks.... we park hop to all ... Start as AK sans FP, head to DHS, boat over to Epcot and then hit the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. We will try for FP+ our estimated time at a park and go with the flow. After all we are at WDW!! Excited that on our next trip we will be AP holders!!

 

[Ben_since_1971]

I always get the PH, because while I am usually a 1 park per day guy, there are times when it does come in handy. I have the debate every year about getting it or not. I like the flexibility it gives me. With MM+, doesn't really affect me as when I did park hop, I never was a FP commando.

 

[Tobe]

Sadly you can get fp's only at one chosen park. Hopefully this will change soon. We use the park hoper so we can go wherever we want in the morning and then go to a different park to eat and go on rides at night which tend to have a shorter line

A couple of people on a comment section of a news story about the new Magicbands have advised me that they went last week and this restriction is lifted somewhat or there is a way around it. Apparently, after they used their first fast pass at one park they hopped to a different park and were able to change their last two fast passes using the mobile app to rides at the second park. They said they did this on multiple days. But it didn't sound like you could originally schedule it like that. It had to be a revision after using the first pass so of course by that time there may be limited availability of fast passes at the second park.

 

[MickeyisMyBestFriend]

A couple of people on a comment section of a news story about the new Magicbands have advised me that they went last week and this restriction is lifted somewhat or there is a way around it. Apparently, after they used their first fast pass at one park they hopped to a different park and were able to change their last two fast passes using the mobile app to rides at the second park. They said they did this on multiple days. But it didn't sound like you could originally schedule it like that. It had to be a revision after using the first pass so of course by that time there may be limited availability of fast passes at the second park.

Thanks for the info

 

[Tobe]

I am hoping it works. We will be there from April 5 - 15th. Got our magic bands this week but won't be able to make fast pass+ reservations till we get there as one of us is getting an annual pass at that time and the other qualifies for a travel agent discount which you can't get until we get there. Anxious to try the new system but am afraid we won't like it compared to the old fast pass system. Trying to keep an open mind though. And we realize of course there will be glitches to be fixed during the roll out of the system but hopefully, eventually it will be a good workable replacement/improvement to the great fast pass system of old.