park hopper and water parks or not

[cypressaggie 0]

We are coming to Disney for the first time this summer. We are staying 9 days, have 8 days in the parks. My husband has to use a scooter. I am wondering if it is a good idea to just go to one park a day. I heard that is it a bit of effort to get scooter on and off the Disney transit system. I figured we would hit each park once and then go back a second time for things we missed or want to do again. How likely is it that we would need to go from park to park in one day.

Also, most likely, my husband wouldn't go to the water parks, just my 8 yr old son and myself. We are interested in Disney Quest. We get 2 tickets to Disney Quest with our tickets, so my husband and son will do that together, while I find a nice spa or massage. Someone recommended that we just pay for the water park at the gate, forego the park hopper. It is about $254 for for park hopper and water park and more.

We are getting the Disney dining plan. That will be our splurge. Thanks for the help.

I am looking for some input, have to finalize the order with the travel agent.

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

We are coming to Disney for the first time this summer. We are staying 9 days, have 8 days in the parks. My husband has to use a scooter. I am wondering if it is a good idea to just go to one park a day. I heard that is it a bit of effort to get scooter on and off the Disney transit system. I figured we would hit each park once and then go back a second time for things we missed or want to do again. How likely is it that we would need to go from park to park in one day. Also, most likely, my husband wouldn't go to the water parks, just my 8 yr old son and myself. We are interested in Disney Quest. We get 2 tickets to Disney Quest with our tickets, so my husband and son will do that together, while I find a nice spa or massage. Someone recommended that we just pay for the water park at the gate, forego the park hopper. It is about $254 for for park hopper and water park and more. We are getting the Disney dining plan. That will be our splurge. Thanks for the help. I am looking for some input, have to finalize the order with the travel agent.

 

 

For only 1 day at a water park it will be cheaper for you to just buy the one day when you get there. Hopping is a very divided topic. Some hop every day, some never do. With the limitations you will have of the scooter it may be easier on you guys to only do one park a day. You also have the option if you need a break to go back to the hotel and then return to the same park later that day. 

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

You can definitely plan your days to not *have* to park hop.

 

Remember too that you can wait on adding park hopping to your tickets until you're sure you need it, even if that's a few days in.  The upcharge price stays the same per ticket regardless of the number of days.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Most people who park hop do so because they have been several times already, have an annual pass or have ride OCD like me :).

I would say if you have reservations bout getting a park hopper ticket then you probably should go with your gut.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Most people who park hop do so because they have been several times already, have an annual pass or have ride OCD like me :).

I would say if you have reservations bout getting a park hopper ticket then you probably should go with your gut.

My OCD keeps me from hopping.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

OCD makes Nicki hop like a bunny on speed. 

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

My OCD keeps me from hopping.

Three times on TOT. Three times on RRC. Three times on BTMRR. Zero times on CoP. Three times on Everest. One of these days I am going to do the Ride All WdW Coasters in a day challenge

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

OCD makes Nicki hop like a bunny on speed.

Mo knows Ride OCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

When we first started visiting Disney, park hoppers were automatic, but we didn't park hop that much, because we were trying to see everything.

 

Now that park hoppers are optional, we can't imagine being without them, cause we only visit a few select things for short spurts, and may have dinner somewhere else.  I don't want to allow dining reservations to dictate my park of choice for the day.

 

Also, we often like to have dinner at one of the Epcot resorts. Well since Studios tends to close earlier, we like to have the option of walking through Epcot to catch a bus back to our resort, instead of transferring at DTD.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

To us it's not worth the money. Since we make advance dining reservations we simple go to that park for the day. Park hopping can take up a lot of time. It will take you at least 1-1 1/2hrs to get from park to park and that's if all the stars line up. If you've never been to disney before save your money and go have a nice dinner from the $50 plus per person you'll save.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Three times on TOT. Three times on RRC. Three times on BTMRR. Zero times on CoP. Three times on Everest. One of these days I am going to do the Ride All WdW Coasters in a day challenge

 

I'm in - let's go!!!

 

Now that park hoppers are optional, we can't imagine being without them, cause we only visit a few select things for short spurts, and may have dinner somewhere else.  I don't want to allow dining reservations to dictate my park of choice for the day.

 

Same here.  We've been getting APs for a while now, so we don't even think about it, but we park hop quite a bit.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 Park hopping can take up a lot of time. It will take you at least 1-1 1/2hrs to get from park to park and that's if all the stars line up. If you've never been to disney before save your money and go have a nice dinner from the $50 plus per person you'll save.

 

I have to challenge that 1 1/2 hour statement.

 

On my last visit to WDW, which was just this past Sunday, we hopped from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom via the monorail system.  That required a ride to the Transportation and Ticket Center and then a transfer to the Express Monorail.  Photos that I took show that from the time we stood on the Epcot monorail platform until we were inside the MK took us 31 minutes.  And we had short waits for the monorail at both stations.

 

We hop all the time.  I can't think of a single time it took us an hour and a half to do so.  I would guess the average time is maybe 45 minutes. 

 

I do not challenge the statement that for the OP's visit, and for most guests, it probably is not worth it to pay extra for park hopping.

 

TCD

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

My family loves to hop. That being said if you don't hop much it isn't worth it.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

I'm in - let's go!!!

Same here. We've been getting APs for a while now, so we don't even think about it, but we park hop quite a bit.

I knew you would say that!!!

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

We hop all the time.  I can't think of a single time it took us an hour and a half to do so.  I would guess the average time is maybe 45 minutes.

 

Ditto.

[h2odivers...Ray 952]

Ill give you MK to Eocot. Oh great writer of the TRs. But if you left AK or HS and where going to Another park would you not have to leave the park go to a resort and then take a bus to HS. I've wait for 20+ minutes for a bus, and even longer during the busy summer months. They will be in a scooter which will take a little longer to load and unload. I believe Lou once posted suggested travel times while on the buses but I couldn't find that post. If only he read posts and refresh my memory.

[campingdawgs 4]

Over many trips to WDW, we have not ever encountered 1 1/2 hour trips between parks. We hop every trip. We currently have APs, but even when we bought tickets we used the hopper option. We don't like to be restricted to one park. We have walked in a park and after seeing the tour groups, decided to go to another park that day. I will say that we often drive to AK because it takes longer to get there from the Fort than we like, but it is still not 1 1/2 hours!

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Ill give you MK to Eocot. Oh great writer of the TRs. But if you left AK or HS and where going to Another park would you not have to leave the park go to a resort and then take a bus to HS. I've wait for 20+ minutes for a bus, and even longer during the busy summer months. They will be in a scooter which will take a little longer to load and unload. I believe Lou once posted suggested travel times while on the buses but I couldn't find that post. If only he read posts and refresh my memory.

Except for the MK, there is direct bus transportation from every park to every other park. So from AK or HS, no need to go to a resort first. If you want to go from AK to Epcot or DHS, there's a bus. If you want to from DHS to Epcot or AK, there's a bus. And also a boat from DHS to Epcot. For the MK, you have to go to the TTC from all the parks. There are buses for this too.

We got from inside the MK to inside DHS on New Year's Day in about 30 minutes taking the express monorail to the TTC and then a bus to DHS.

I am not saying it's always that fast, but you said it would take at least an hour and a half and that was if the stars aligned. Not true.

TCD

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Ill give you MK to Eocot. Oh great writer of the TRs. But if you left AK or HS and where going to Another park would you not have to leave the park go to a resort and then take a bus to HS. I've wait for 20+ minutes for a bus, and even longer during the busy summer months. They will be in a scooter which will take a little longer to load and unload. I believe Lou once posted suggested travel times while on the buses but I couldn't find that post. If only he read posts and refresh my memory.

 

 

We have hopped from AK and HS and often hit the Driver Exchange Program, which does take a bit longer.  It usually takes me longer to get back to the Fort than to another park I think the record was just over an hour from AK to the Fort but hopping from park to park usually around 30-45.  However luck does pay a part in the timing.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

Wow Kfk's ghost is getting tricky.  I hit post and it acted like I didn't do anything

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

I still vote don't hop and use the $150 for something else, especially on a first trip.

[Nicki aka Rebelstand 272]

We are coming to Disney for the first time this summer. 

 

I think that trying to hop with this being your first trip would be a bit overwhelming.  There is sooo much to see and do in one park that, if it were me, I'd not do it.  As a matter of fact, we didn't start park hopping until our third trip.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I think that trying to hop with this being your first trip would be a bit overwhelming.  There is sooo much to see and do in one park that, if it were me, I'd not do it. 

 

Agreed.

 

It may make it easier on planning and your budget to skip the hopping.

 

And of course if you get there and decide you want to add it you can.

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Another trick I've found is if you are coming from AK or DHS and want to go to the Magic Kingdom, take the bus to the Contemporary and then just walk over to the MK.  Faster than bussing to the TTC, then monorail or ferry over.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

On our first 10-15 trips, we didn't park hop.  Heck, when we first started going there was only MK -- nowhere to hop to!

 

When the kids were young, we'd go to a park, come back to the fort for a nap, then go back to the same park after dinner for a few hours.

 

Now that it's just the two of us and the dog, we go to a park, come back to the fort to take the dog out, do some looping, have dinner, and go back to a park -- not necessarily the same one we visited in the morning.

 

I guess we've just substituted the kids' needs for the dog's needs.  Except that now we purchase park hoppers or an AP and aren't tied to visiting the same park.  We do a lot of park hopping now.

 

Bottom line, we've evolved.  If I were visiting WDW for the first time, especially with small kids, I wouldn't purchase park hoppers.  I'd save the money for a nice meal or two.  Once you have experience in the parks, you may want to invest in park hoppers.