Is The Disney World Park Hopper Worth It?

One of the first decisions you’ll have to make when planning a Disney World Vacation is whether or not to get the Park Hopper option added to your ticket. Having Park Hoppers also influences planning your park days, it can be an important decision! Let me break down what exactly the Park Hopper is and if you should get it.

What Is The Park Hopper?

The Park Hopper is an additional add-on to your ticket at Walt Disney World (Also at Disneyland California but this article will focus on Disney World in Florida, although they are basically the same). This add-on allows you to go to multiple parks per day, instead of only going to one park per day. Essentially it allows you to “hop” from one park to another. There are two options: Park Hopper and Park Hopper Plus.

Park Hopper Plus

If you choose to add the Park Hopper Plus you’ll get the benefit of park hopping, as well as entrance to the water parks; Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon, both mini-golf courses, the ESPN Wide World of Sports and The Oak Trail Golf Course.

Mini Golf is a great thing to do on a No Park Day!

How Much Does The Park Hopper Cost?

The cost depends on how many days you’re buying tickets for and your dates. The park hopper is a one time cost (not per day). See the Disney Website for more details.

Park Hopper
1 day ticket price + $65 to $85
2-3 day ticket price + $85
4-10 day ticket price + $95

Park Hopper Plus
1 day ticket price + $88 to $108
2-3 day ticket price + $105
4-10 day ticket price + $115

A lot of people choose not to add the park hopper option because of the cost, but I think it can be a valuable tool to make the most out of your vacation.

Looking to save money? Check out these free things at Disney!

Note: You can NOT buy a 2 day ticket and then enter 2 parks on the same day. Disney’s system will stop you from entering the second park. You can however re-enter the same park as many times as you want in the same day. If you want to go to 2 parks in the same day then you need the Park Hopper option.

When Is The Park Hopper Worth It?

There are several situations in which the Park Hopper makes sense:

Party Season (August through December)

During the end of August, all of September and October at Magic Kingdom Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party happens on select nights, and during November and December Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party also takes place several nights a week. This means that on party nights Magic Kingdom will close to regular guests at 6pm. Most people with a base ticket avoid Magic Kingdom on party days because the park closes early and Happily Ever After fireworks aren’t shown. This means that Magic Kingdom is usually less busy during the day. You can certainly get a lot done at Magic Kingdom from open until after lunch or even 6pm and then head to another park for dinner and an evening show!

You Like To Eat

Who doesn’t love to eat? Most of my favorite restaurants happen to be at Epcot, so this is the #1 reason we love the Park Hopper. You can spend the day at any of the other parks and then head to another park for dinner, or have breakfast reservations in one park and then head out to another after eating.

Promotions

Sometimes promotions dictate if you buy a Park Hopper or not. For example the very popular free dining promotion, where you get a free Disney Dining Plan stipulates that you buy a Park Hopper ticket. The Bounce Back Offer we booked last year also required us to buy park hoppers.

Weekend Trips

Of course if you’re only in Orlando for 2 or 3 days, to see all 4 parks then you will need the Park Hopper option.

When Is The Park Hopper A Waste Of Money?

Short Trips Or Really Long Trips

If your trip is 4 days long, or 8+ days long then it might not be worth it to add the park hopper (unless you really want to eat at all those delicious World Showcase restaurants!). A 4 day trip gets you one each at each park, and if you’re there for 8 days or longer then you will get at least 2 days in each park.

Little Kids

Although I don’t travel with kids, I have heard from parents of little ones that park hopping can just be too much. You will have to go back to your car or take a Disney bus, boat, monorail or skyliner which means folding up the stroller and then re-entering another park.

Final Thoughts

Although we love the park hopper and always get it, it isn’t for everyone! Ultimately the Park Hopper gives you the flexibility to go wherever you want on property. You can even visit all 4 parks in one day if you’re feeling ambitious. But every trip is different and you’ll want to consider if it’s worth the extra money to your family.

Do you get the park hopper? Let me know why or why not in the comments!