In this post: Figure out the pros and cons of jumping from park to park at Disney World, and if park hopping a Disney is even worth it for your family.
How To Use Disney Park Hopper Tickets
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In the world of Disney, there is a phrase known as “Park Hopping” and it can be a game changer for your Disney trip.Â
Basically, when purchasing Disney World tickets for Disney World you have the ticket option to purchase a standard admission ticket that will grant you access to one park of your choice for the day, or you may select what is known as a Park Hopper Ticket for an extra cost.
This ticket will give you the access to enter any or ALL of the four Disney World theme parks in a single day.
There are two types of park hoppers:
- Park Hopper Pass where you can go to any of theme parks in a day.
- Park Hopper Plus Ticket which will give you access to all theme parks, plus the water parks, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail, Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course, Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course.
So, the question of the day is… is the park hopper option hopping worth it?
We’re going to explore everything you need to know about park hopping at Disney World parks and by the end of this article I’m certain it will become clear if park hopping is a good idea for you and your family!
Let’s get into it!
What is Park Hopping?
I know we sort of covered what park hopping is, but I wanted to further elaborate a bit. Park hopping is when you start in one park and then “hop” over to another.
With a park hopper ticket, you are granted unlimited access to all four Disney World parks for the day, you can enter and re-enter the parks as much as you would like.
With the park hopper service, you may hop between just two parks if for example you want to spend the first half of your day in one park and the second half in another or if you want to get a little crazy you could even visit up to all four parks in a single day!
So, if you are someone who doesn’t like to spend a full day at one park, or maybe likes to do morning at one park, head back to the resort for a nap, and then hit up another park for the second half of the day, you’ll want the park hopping access.
How much do Park Hopper tickets cost?
As I’m sure you can imagine, purchasing a park hopper does cost more than a base ticket as it opens up entry to all parks compared to just one.
If you are unfamiliar with the Disney Parks pricing structure, single day tickets are priced based on the park you select as well as the day you choose to visit.
For context, visiting Magic Kingdom is the most expensive followed by Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom being the most affordable park due to its limited hours.Â
The other factor when it comes to pricing is the date you select, as they are date-based tickets per park. For example, if you visit the week of Christmas, you will pay significantly more than if you were to visit on a random Tuesday in February. You’ll pay the most for Magic Kingdom, and probably the least for Animal Kingdom.Â
When it comes to a park hopper ticket, the cost is variable based on the date you select just as standard admission tickets are but the cost will be the same no matter which parks you choose to visit.
You do not have to designate which parks you will be visiting when purchasing a Park Hopper ticket.
With all of that being said, the cost of a park hopper ticket starts at $235 per ticket and we have seen as high as $256 per ticket, again depending on the day that you choose to visit.
You can expect to pay at least around $80 more (based on the cheapest ticket available) for a park hopper ticket compared to a general admission single park ticket.
How to Travel Between Parks
You may be wondering, “How do I get from park to park?” Well, you have a few options for Disney transportation between parks based on what resources you have available.
You may travel between parks via your own transportation if you drove to the parks or have a rental car ( If you don’t have your own means of transportation or simply if you would prefer not to drive between parks you may also use Disney’s many means of transportation services at zero cost to you.
These transportation options include the Monorail, Ferry Boat, Skyliner, and Disney Buses.
In short, your options are:
- Rideshares like Uber, Lyft, or Minnie Van
- Monorails
- Skyliner
- Ferry boat
- Taxi services
- Bus service
- Walking (you’ll want to check out my full guide about how to get back and forth from Epcot and Hollywood Studios)
Not all forms of transportation are available at every park so be sure to do your research to see which are available to get you between your desired parks. For instance, The Skyliner goes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot, but does not go to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. The monorail is another option that goes to Epcot and Magic Kingdom, but not Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
So. you’ll just want to make sure you know transportation methods for each park prior to going.
INSIDER TIP: You will only pay for parking once. Hang on to your receipt! When you travel to your next park you will simply show the attendant your receipt from your initial parking and they will grant you access into the parking lot.
Consider Your Group
I have found that park hopping can be challenging depending on the party that you are traveling with. If you have small kids, it may be a bit more difficult to navigate through multiple parks throughout the day.
With littles, things tend to take longer in general due to stroller parking, diaper changes, naps, etc. It’s important to consider the group that you travelling with before you purchase your park tickets. The last thing that you want to do is pay for park hopping tickets and not use them!Â
If you have a party of all adults or older kids that are bit more self-sufficient you may be more likely to utilize the park hopper feature more successfully.
I also think that the Lightning Lane Multi Pass is also a good investment. It will save you so much time, and allow you to do more at multiple parks in a day. I know it’s an extra cost, which is a bummer, but it really does save precious time on your vacation.
You can purchase Lighting Lane Passes up to 7 days prior to your vacation on the My Disney Experience app.
Just open up your Disney app and select Lightning Lane. From there you can choose multi pass and/or single pass.
Tips for Successful Park Hopping
Determining whether Park Hopping is worth it or not for your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacay will depend on your party specifically and if you know how to successfully utilize the park hopper service. We’re here to share with you a few tips and tricks that will help you to be successful with hopping!
- Make a plan:Â If you are going to park hop, we always recommend making a plan because the last thing you want to do is pay the additional cost for a park hopper and not get the most out of your experience. Plan out the parks you want to visit and we always recommend looking at park hours and showtimes in order to ensure that you are at the appropriate park to complete the activities you most want to do! Park hours vary from park to park so you may want to consider visiting parks that close earlier such as Animal Kingdom first and then move on to the parks that are open later. When planning your times be sure to consider the time it will take to travel between parks as they are not within walking distance of one another so you are at the mercy of the transportation services and their availability.Â
- Target High-Priority Attractions: This goes hand in hand with making a plan but we wanted to give its own category because we think it’s so important! If you will be park hopping, we recommend setting a list of your park priorities at each of the parks that you will be visiting and targeting your plans around those. Realistically, you will likely not be able to complete every ride/attraction at every park that you visit. Be sure to plan for longer wait times for popular rides and attractions and if you have the money we would highly recommend utilizing the Lightning Lane services offered.Â
- Be Flexible: This is an important tip for visiting Disney Parks in general but specifically when you are park hopping. It’s important to realize that things happen, rides break down, wait times are not always predictable and it’s highly likely that everything will not go exactly as you plan. Be sure that you are flexible in your planning and allow yourself more time than you may actually need in order to have realistic expectations.Â
- Consider Meal Times:Â Remember that you have to eat throughout the day! Dining reservations can be hard to acquire same day if you are looking for table service options so be sure that you consider times you may want to eat and make reservations for the dining establishments that will match up with your park plans. With quick service dining, you can also schedule your meals ahead of time and set your pick up for a future window. Note: If things change, you can modify your pickup window as needed as long as there is availability.Â
- Ticket Upgrades: If you have purchased standard admission tickets and decide that you want to park hop, don’t worry! You can upgrade your tickets at ANY time, even on the day of your visit! If you decide ahead of scanning into the park, you may upgrade your tickets via the Disney World app or by calling guest services. If you have scanned into a park and decide that you would like to hop over to another park, you can visit any guest relations booth throughout the parks and they can upgrade your ticket and have you pay the difference and you’ll be free to start hopping!
- Know when it’s going to be crowded:Â There are a few times each year where parks will hit capacity limitations. You might get into your first park, but you’ll want to know if getting into the second park is going to be possible or not. New Year’s Eve, Christmas, and Spring Break are all times that may hit capacity. If this happens, you might be able to get reimbursed but never bank on it.
Is Park Hopping Worth It at Disney World?
We have made it to the big question… Is Park Hopping worth it? Honestly, I can’t provide a definitive yes or no to this question because it truly depends on your situation. With that being said, I think the better question is “Is Park Hopping Worth It for Us?”.
The truth is you know your family or travel group better than anyone, talk with your family and friends and decide if park hopping is something you want to embark on.
In my opinion, park hopping can be a great tool to take advantage of, especially if you are wanting to see a lot of the Disney World Property in a shortened time frame.Â
My family is annual passholders, so we don’t need park hopper passes, however, I would absolutely get them if that wasn’t the case. I love breaking the day up and switching the scenery. I think it’s a great way to get a lot in at all parks. We personally love to end most of our nights at Epcot. So for instance, we will do Magic Kingdom from rope drop until around 1 pm, head back to our resort for a nap or pool time, and then head on over to Epcot to end the night.Â
If you aren’t like my family and prefer a more relaxed day and switching it up to another park isn’t important to you, I would say the park hopper benefits aren’t worth it for you.Â
Final Thoughts
There you have it — everything you need to know about park hopping at Disney! If it’s worth the extra money really comes down to how you want to spend your day. If you ask me, I think it’s the easiest way to fit in the most during a Disney vacation.
I hope that this guide has helped you to fully understand how park hopping works and give you a better insight to see if this is something that you want to incorporate into your Disney trip!
Feel free to share your park hopping experience with us in the comments, I would love to hear about it!Â
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