Pros and Cons of Park Hopping at Disney World
When planning your next trip to Disney World, there are so many options! Among them is which kind of theme park ticket you should purchase. A base ticket allows you entry into one theme park per day. However, you can add on the park hopper option that allows you to visit more than one park per day. To help you decide whether or not a park hopper is for you, let’s take a look at the pros and cons!
Pros of Park Hopping
The biggest advantage to park hopping is the ability to do more in a short amount of time. Park hoppers can be especially beneficial if you have a short trip but still want to visit each of the four theme parks. You could even try to visit all four parks in one day!
Park hopping can also provide greater flexibility in your trip. For instance, if you like to prioritize your advanced dining reservations, having a park hopper gives you more restaurant options for dinner since you are able to switch parks after 2pm.
Finally, park hoppers are great for guests who have visited Disney World before and feel that they can do everything they want in certain theme parks without spending the full day there. For example, a lot of people consider Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios to be half-day parks. If that’s the case, a park hopper would allow you to visit another park later that day.
Cons of Park Hopping
The top con of park hopping is the price. The park hopper option starts at $65 for a one-day ticket and then goes to $75 for a two- or three-day ticket, and $85 for a four- to ten-day ticket. Keep in mind that when you go for the park hopper option, it’s for the full length of the ticket. That is, if you were to purchase a five-day ticket, you can’t just add the park hopper for a day or two; it would be for the full five days. When adding that on for a family of four, the costs can really add up!
Another downside is the restriction on when you can park hop. Prior to the pandemic, you could park hop whenever you wanted. However, now with a park hopper, you must have a park reservation for your first park, and once you visit that theme park, you can then hop to the next park after 2pm. Hopping after 2pm doesn’t leave you a lot of time to visit another theme park, let alone more than one theme park. Good news though – Park Hopping returns in January 2024 and you can visit whenever you want!
Lastly, park hopping can be time consuming. This is especially true when using Disney transportation. While complimentary buses, monorails, skyliner, and boats are convenient, you often have to wait for them. This ultimately means that you have to budget extra time in your day to travel from one park to another. Sometimes sticking to one park per day is more efficient.
Whether you decide a park hopper is the way to go or a regular ticket is better for you, the DVC Rental Store can help you save money! Check their website for discounted park tickets and park hoppers.
