A reader recently asked what I thought about Park Hoppers. We have actually gone back and forth about this in our own family.
Through the years, I’ve discovered that it all depends on three things:
- Length of your vacation
- Location of your resort
- Energy level of your party
How long are you staying?
For trips shorter than 5 days, Park Hoppers are usually a waste of extra money. With four main theme parks (Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) you need at least one day to fully experience each park.
Staying a week or more? (Lucky dog!) You have a lot more wiggle room. With 7+ days, I’d say a Park Hopper might be in your best interest but it’ll depend on…
Where are you staying?
Our favorite resort is Beach Club. It is within walking distance to EPCOT – our favorite park to have dinner. So, Park Hoppers are a must when we stay at Beach Club!
With the convenience of EPCOT resorts or Magic Kingdom resorts (connected with a monorail), I’d say Park Hoppers can come in very handy. If you’ve already visited Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom in the morning, it will be very tempting to run over to EPCOT for dinner or over to Magic Kingdom for the evening fireworks.
If you are staying at any other resort (mostly Value resorts, most Moderate resorts, and Wilderness Lodge and Campground,) Park Hoppers might not be cost-effective or time-efficient.
Are you staying off-site? This will also increase your travel time back and forth, between parks and the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTA.)
Even staying on-property, depending on where your resort is located, travel time between the resort and park could be an hour. You’ll need to allow at least 45 minutes for travel between parks and on-site resorts (waiting for the bus, traveling to the park) each way. Minimum. Visiting two parks a day, that would be at least 3 hours a day just in travel time.
What is the energy level of your party?
In the past, we have always purchased Park Hoppers. We love the convenience of enjoying a park in the morning and then being able to have dinner somewhere else. Or, when the kids were younger, being able to come back to our resort for a nap or pool time and then be able to choose another park to visit in the evening.
That all changed when we took a trip when our kids were 10, 11 and 21. Their stamina was much higher than previous trips (and much higher than their parents!) We found ourselves staying much longer in the first park of the day than we had in the past.
The kids wanted to stay wherever we started that day. No one wanted to go back to the resort for a break (well, the parents did, but not the kids) and by the time we DID get back to the resort, everyone was so exhausted no one wanted to go back out again.
My husband and I decided that on our next trip it would be more cost and energy-efficient to do away with Park Hoppers and alternate 8 am-4 pm and 3 pm and 11 pm days. This makes it easier for FastPass planning, too.
Our past two trips we have followed a one park per day schedule and loved it. (Disclaimer: We did not stay at an EPCOT resort on either of these trips and I’m sure if we had, we would have purchased Park Hoppers – simply because we love the dining choices and proximity to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. Remember, it also depends on where you are staying.)
Even on the day when we had to be at the park at 6:30 am for a 7 am open no one wanted to leave at our typical 2 pm exit time. To fight the mid-day fatigue we simply slowed down. After a late lunch, we sat and enjoyed the parade and then visited “sit down” attractions; think shows and movies.
By 5 pm, everyone was raring to go again. With our second wind, we were able to stay well into the evening and enjoy the fireworks.
What Is Best For You?
Ultimately, Park Hoppers are an individual choice. You need to consider how long you are staying, where you are staying, and how much stamina your group can muster.
Once you figure it all out, come back here and let us know how it goes! We can all take a tip from each other’s vacations!
