Park hopper worth it?

[mom2bros]

We are taking our kids to Disney for the first time (3 and 6 year olds). Is a park hopper worth it? My husband and I did it years ago, but that was pre-kids. I have no idea what to expect with kids!

 

[caroline1851]

When my kids were that little, I found it to be so exhausting waiting for bus, getting to park, getting into park, getting back to bus, bus back to resort, walking back to room that we went out once each day and when we were done with the park, we were done for the day. Just spent the rest of each later day/night at resort.

 

[lauraleh]

I agree with PP. We don't tend to take afternoon breaks so park hoppers aren't worth it to us. Once we are done with a park, we are done for the day. My kids are 4 and 1 though. I will say though, if we were staying at a resort that was within walking distance to a park (Contemporary, GF, Poly, or any of the Epcot resorts), we would do park hoppers. It would be so easy to go from the Boardwalk to Epcot for dinner! Or Contemporary to ride a few extra rides at MK that night. Etc...

 

[Babe the Blue Ox]

We don't leave home without them. We like to stay out until the last park closes, and would feel ripped off if we were stuck in an early closing park without hoppers.

 

[Buddyex]

for me , it would depend on the length of the stay, 3-5 days I wouldn't bother, anything over I would Hop

 

[ilovedisneymm]

Depends on how long you are staying. For most, if visiting 5 or more days I would skip it. Also, depends on where you are staying. Back and forth to the parks can be exhausting and time consuming if not staying at a close resort.

 

[DisMommyTX]

I would suggest planning your days. Use the crowd calendars and check the schedules for closing times, etc. Which parks would you want to do on each day? If there are days that you want multiple parks, then get them.

We have never hopped before with kids, but we were always staying off property. The kids never want to leave, and they wouldn't let us take a nap no matter how much we all need it, so we usually just stay all day. If we need a break, we go into a sit-down restaurant, or ride the train around MK. If we have an early day, then we go to the pool, maybe head out to Downtown Disney later. My husband and I traveling alone always used hoppers, but in 10+ trips with the kids, we never once wished we had one. However, we did book hoppers for our next trip, staying at the Poly. Kids are older now and seemed more feasible to hop when home is just a monorail away. We shall see!

 

[AllieBoo]

We haven't gotten a park hopper in many years. We like to pick one park a day, hit it at rope drop or shortly after, take a midday pool break and then go back to the same park for the evening. We have never felt the need to hop from one park to the other, and feel like there would be a lot of wasted time going between parks.

 

[soniam]

After some visits, we don't find enough stuff at DHS or AK to spend a whole day in each. Epcot may be the same for you with such young kids. Figure out what you want to do in each park and how long that will take. There are sites with touring plans, like easyWDW, and my favorite, Touring Plans.com.

 

[aretha30]

We love PH. We are able to do what we want in one park go back and take a break (swim and nap) and go to a different park that night. It gives us the freedom and flexibility to change our plans (if a park is more crowded or the kids want to do something else) and we can still go back for our ADR's. For us we just feel to confined without them.

 

[XYSRUS]

If we are staying a week or less, we park hop. If staying longer, I feel there are enough days to go back to whatever park you really want to do again. With your kid's ages I would not hop. But, pick a park. Find some rest midday, and finish up in the evening. Your little ones will dictate the rhythm.

 

[Disneylover99]

Don't get them now. If you do, you will feel compelled to use them. Add them on once you're down there if you wish.

 

[amylevan]

We use them (2 kids, 1 & 4 last time), but it's a luxury not a necessity. If you are looking to save money, it's an easy place to cut.

We typically hit rope drop, stay until 1ish, then return to hotel for naps/swimming/relaxing. Then we go back out for evening entertainment and dinner and it is not necessarily the park we were at in the morning.

 

[Tara922c]

We always do park hoppers. We have 3 ADRs in Epcot, but I know I do not want to spend 3 full days in EPCOT. We normally wake up super early, go to the park, come back to the resort to swim and relax, and go back to a park in the evening. I can't imagine doing Disney without them as I don't want to feel tied to one park for the day. The only way I may consider not getting them is if we were going on a super short trip, and we were trying to save as much money as possible.

 

[kastoney]

It is worth it for me. We aren't huge planners and like the flexibility that the park hoppers give us. For instance if we spend the day in MK, but I decide I want to eat dinner in Epcot and catch illuminations I want that option. I'd say there are very few days when we don't use the hoppers

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

We always get hoppers, it makes thing so much easier and more flexible, especially for the last minute change in plans that occur on all vacations.

AKK

 

[ThistleMae]

I agree with most of the suggestions. I always get the PH but...I don't have young children. I always either go back to the resort, or to a different resort for dinner and then to another park. I also take the boat just to do a couple of my favorite rides at another park and then back to same park. With young children.....I may think very differently....unless you like to go back to the resort in the afternoon for resort fun or resting. PH gives you the option of going where you want, when you want.

 

[kaetra]

If you're trying to save money you can easily go without them. 1 park per day will give you lots to do, especially if you're spending time at the resort as well.

We got them on our first trip and did not use them. We had a 4 night stay on property and everything was new to us so park hopping would have only complicated things. I'm not getting them this trip either but I am starting to see the value in them more than I have in the past. It certainly adds flexibility.

 

[friend2Figment]

We always get hoppers. We like to use it to go from early open and late park. We have never stayed until park close but do not stay a whole day at AK or studios. If the park we pick on a certain day is crowded we will hop over to another. As long as you are flexible and not camando in touring style as the kids any age may get burned out quickly.
If you do not hop you would have time to enjoy the hotel or DTD.
For our family Disney would not be as fun if we could not hop and will put off a trip until we save the extra $ to get them.

 

[Farps]

We always get park hoppers, it lets us enjoy Am EMH's then go to a less crowded park. Also with an average of 12-14 miles of walking a day (according to my wife's fit bit) it is a welcomed rest while traveling between parks.