Park Hopper VS Base

[goofyintoronto]

I always get park hoppers, I hate feeling limited in what I can do on vacation. We usually take a mid day break anyway and do 1 park in the morning, and end the day at MK anyway, so it's a must for the way we tour.

This is me too. I cannot imagine staying in one park, the same park, all day long. No way. I go to a park in the AM for rope drop, take a break if needed, then do another park late afternoon til close. I would never return to the same park. In your situation, if you're unsure, add them when you arrive. That'll give you some time to think about it.

 

[Park Pirate]

As others have said, it really depends upon your preferences. We always get the Park Hopper Option. We do like the freedom of being able to change parks if we think one is more crowded. We also like the variety of splitting up the day. And this may sound stupid to some, but we do not like the thought of waiting until day 4 of a vacation to get to the 4th park, or even worse, saying goodbye to a park midway or early in the vacation. With rides going down or whatever, it also gives you a chance to get on something that might not have been available the planned day of your visit.

But, I know plenty of people that have a great time with Base tickets. If you are unsure, perhaps getting the base and upgrading to hopper if you want to when you get there is the best approach.

 

[Cynner]

For me - the strategy difference between park hopping and base (if I buy tickets, I only ever get Base, but I also get annual passes every few years, so can park hop all I want).
Park Hopping - Use the EMH morning at the park, get in early and then leave for lunch. Grab a meal at another resort or Disney Springs for variety, or go swim/shop/nap, head back into the park that had EMH the DAY BEFORE or has something special that evening I want to see.
Base Ticket - Do not go into the park that has EMH, though it's nice at first, it will likely be the most crowded park for that day. Generally, the park that had EMH the DAY BEFORE has the lowest crowds (everyone was there yesterday), but sometimes there are special events that change that, so compare crowd calender's for that day. Get an in park mid-day meal reservation (2-3p and the hottest part of the day) sit down, relax, take it easy to recharge for the rest of your day. Still Rope drop the park to get in and take advantage of the low morning crowds - but if you're a nightbird, then just stay late. Consider one of the After Hours tickets if they run during your stay, you're savings on the Park Hopper can give you 3 hrs in the park with very low crowds until Midnight or 1am.
If the park is super crowded during your stay - ie; major holidays - splurge for a Dessert party for the fireworks you really want to see. And consider dining packages for AK or HS that give you selected sitting for those shows as well.