Is The Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Upgrade Right For Me?

Given the right planning, a Park Hopper Ticket can be a great asset to your vacation.

The Park Hopper Ticket upgrade is one of those options that Guests often wonder if they should get or not. But, the extra money may not be worth it to some Guests.

So, how do you know if you should get them?

Is The Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Upgrade Right For Me?

What is a Park Hopper Ticket?

The Park Hopper Ticket is an upgrade from the regular Base Park Ticket.

With Park Hoppers, you have the ability to “hop” between the 4 Theme Parks at Walt Disney World without using more than one Park Ticket per day.

Making the most use of your Park Hoppers

How long is your trip?

Short Trips

If you’re only at Wald Disney World for a short time period, Park Hoppers give you the opportunity to visit all the 4 Parks when within that short time frame.

While longer trips are ideal, sometimes it’s just not possible.

When shorter trips will have to do, you don’t have to skip Parks due to time restrictions.

Longer Trips

Longer trips are idea for the obvious reason…you have more time to really explore the Parks.

While you do have the time to dedicate certain dates to specific Parks, Park Hoppers also give you the flexibility to hop to your heart’s content.

You’re never going to be able to experience everything Disney has to offer…no matter how long you’re there. But, Park Hoppers can help you be more efficient with your time due to the flexibility.

Do you know your way around Walt Disney World?

It’s no secret that Walt Disney World property is huge!

So, if you’re going to be using Park Hopper, then you will need to know how to maneuver around Walt Disney World without getting lost.

You should familiarize yourself with the area, the transportation options, and the most efficient way to get from Point A to Point B. And have a plan of how will you get from Park to Park.

Also take into consideration how difficult would it be for your family to get there. Have strollers or wheelchairs? How will they impact your traveling?

Use lower crowds to your advantage

If your top priority is the attractions and getting as many rides in as possible on any given day, the Park Hopper is perfect for this reason.

Crowd Calendars are great at predicting how crowded the Parks may be based on previous years.

But, Disney switches things up all the time. So you never know when something new can completely change up the crowds that normally aren’t there.

For this reason, Park Hoppers come in handy when a Park starts to get busier.

Extra Magic Hours

Guests staying on property have the benefit of Extra Magic Hours. And who doesn’t want some extra time in the Parks?

Well…everyone. This is why Parks with Extra Magic Hours are traditionally the most crowded Park for the day.

Park Hoppers allows you to enjoy that extra hour in the Park before hopping to another (less crowded?) Park once the general public is allowed to enter.

Hard Ticketed Events

Hard Ticketed Events are great. However, to accommodate these events, Parks have to close early.

Just like how Extra Magic Hours, which draw in the people, events draw them towards other Parks with longer operating hours.

Take advantage of the lower crowds during the day. Once the Park closes for day Guests, hop on over to another Park for the evening.

When you may want to pass on Park Hoppers

Traveling with Infants and Toddlers

When you’re traveling with little ones who can’t stay out that late or need to get back to the hotel for a nap, Park Hoppers aren’t always a good idea.

Families with little ones need to move at a slower pace. Add in the amount of time it takes to transport between Parks, and you may find that Park Hopping may not be the best use of your time.

First-Time Disney Vacation

If you’ve never been to Walt Disney World, I think that Park Hoppers have a tendency of going to waste.

Everything is so new and and exciting that it’s less likely you’re going to want to leave the Park you started the day in.

And since first-time Disney travelers aren’t familiar with Disney transportation, it’s extremely easy to get lost or not know the most efficient way of getting from Park to Park.