To Park Hop Or Not To Park Hop? That Is The Question.

To buy a park hopper or not to buy a park hopper? That is the question.

Is there one right answer? No. Of course not. But I am here to help you decide for yourself.

After the purchase of the base ticket you are able to add an option called Park Hopper. This allows you to visit more than one park on the same day. This can increase your ticket cost by as little as $8 per day to upwards of $40. Before you decide to shell out the big bucks, there are a few factors to consider.

How Many Days Will You Be At Walt Disney World?

1- 4 Days: Depending on how many parks interest you, for a long weekend trip, it’s best to stick with one park per day. There is so much to see. If you add the transportation time, it just isn’t cost efficient to spend what little time you have running from park to park. Fewer days also mean higher prices. The Park Hopper option goes down in price the more days you add. Park Hoppers would be a waste for a 1-4 day visit.

5+ Days: A longer visit means more time in the parks. You’ll have time to ditch Magic Kingdom when the crowds get tight and hop over to EPCOT for a fantastic dinner around World Showcase. If you’re like our family, we enjoy dinners at EPCOT more than any other park. For our longer visits, it’s worth it for us to have the option to dine at EPCOT even though we were busy all morning riding Toy Story Mania over and over.

Where Are You Staying?

Off-property: Once you’ve paid for parking you can use Disney transportation to park hop. Or, you can use your car. Simply show your paid parking ticket at each park. However, depending on which parks you’re visiting, some modes of transportation may be quicker than others. If you’re going to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT only, park at the Transportation Center and use the monorail (or boat for Magic Kingdom) for both parks. This will save you time. If you add Disney’s Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom to the mix, take your own car. These parks use bus service only which can be slower than taking the monorail. You’ll waste time waiting for buses. In this situation, your car is your best bet.

On-property: Especially if you’re staying at an EPCOT Resort where dining options are plentiful, park hopping is very attractive. It doesn’t matter which park you visit in the morning, you’ll be able to enjoy a nice meal at EPCOT or an after dinner drink and stroll around World Showcase Lagoon. Magic Kingdom Resorts, connected with the monorail system, make park hopping easy, as well. But if you’re staying at a Value or Moderate Resort, the transportation may cut into your vacation time. May cut into your vacation time. Sometimes, bus service is slow. Sometimes. Most of the time, you can get to your destination fairly quickly. It all depends on how you want to spend your time on the property and how important or necessary it is for you to leave the park you are already in.

What Is Your Party’s Temperament?

Are you up at dawn and party ’til midnight kind of people? Do you like to go-go-go? Or do you like to sleep in and leisurely go to whichever park your mood takes you? Do you have small children who crave a nap in the afternoon?

Take a moment to decide whether or not your group has the energy to jump from  park to park. Or if you want to take the time to leave each park to visit another.

If you enjoy going back to the resort for a swim or a nap and then have the energy to tackle another park in the evening? Park Hopper. If you like to sleep in and get to the park of your choice when you get there? Single Park Ticket. Can you go-go-go, all day long? Park Hopper or Single Park. It depends on what you’d like to get done and how you like to roll.

Only you can decide what is best for your family. Weigh all the options presented here and then make the best choice for your budget, personalities and energy levels.

Whichever option you choose just be sure to have a magical time!