Walt Disney World Resort is made up of four Disney parks, two water parks, Disney Springs shopping and dining district, and more. With so much to do, it can be hard to choose just one thing to do each day – especially when you’re planning months in advance.
The good news is that you don’t have to! Disney’s Park Hopper tickets enable you to visit multiple parks in one day, giving you more flexibility during your Disney vacation. But, how exactly does it work? How much more will it cost you? What are the park hopper benefits? And, is it really worth it for your family?
We’ve got all the answers to your big questions about park hopping in Disney World in Florida!
WHAT IS PARK HOPPING?
Park hopping is when you visit more than one theme park on the same day in Disney World. In total, there are four different Walt Disney World theme parks, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. By taking advantage of park hopping, you can drink your way around World Showcase in EPCOT, ride the new Star Wars attractions in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and still catch the fireworks show in Magic Kingdom – all in one day!
To park hop, you will need a valid ticket that includes park hopping privileges. There are two different park hopper ticket options available in Disney World – the standard Park Hopper Option and the Park Hopper Plus Option. Each allows you to visit any of the four theme parks on the same day, but the Park Hopper Plus Option comes with admission to additional experiences and the Disney water parks over the course of your vacation.
Keep in mind that the Disney theme parks are a bit of a distance apart, so you’ll need some transportation if you plan to hop to different parks. Luckily, Disney makes that easy! You can catch a free bus, monorail, boat, or hop on the Disney Skyliner gondolas for a worry-free experience. Just note that park hopping is subject to availability and policies do apply.
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WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PARK HOPPER AND PARK HOPPER PLUS TICKET?
In Disney World, the standard Park Hopper Option allows you to visit more than one theme park on the same day. This means that you can enter up to four parks on the same day, as long as you abide by the current park hopper rules.
The Disney Park Hopper Plus Option is considered a park hopper add-on to the standard option. It includes all of the benefits of the standard park hopper option, but it also includes admission to other Disney experiences, including:
- Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
- ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
- Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course – FootGolf
- Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
- Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (prior to 4PM)
- Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (prior to 4PM).
It’s important to note that Park Hopper Plus tickets do not feature unlimited access to these additional experiences. Instead, you can choose one of the experiences for each day that you purchase the ticket.
So for example, if you purchase a Park Hopper Plus 3-day ticket, you will have three single-use visits that will give you admission to any one of the locations, and if you purchase a Park Hopper Plus 4-day ticket, you will have four visits. You could choose to visit Typhoon Lagoon four times or choose to go mini golfing two days, visit a water park another, and then go golfing at one of Disney’s full courses another day. Any combination you prefer is permitted!
Read More: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY MINI GOLF GUIDE
HOW MUCH DOES A PARK HOPPER TICKET COST?
Disney Park Hopper ticket prices vary depending on the dates that you plan to visit. In general, tickets will be more expensive during the busier season (like holidays and school break periods) and cheaper during the off-season when parks are less crowded.
Standard Disney Park Hopper tickets range in price from $184-$253 per day and Disney Park Hopper Plus tickets range from $204-$272.
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HOW DOES THE COST OF A PARK HOPPER TICKET COMPARE TO A ONE-PARK-PER-DAY TICKET?
A Park Hopper ticket is typically an extra cost on top of the price for one-park-per-day Disney World theme park tickets, which allow you to visit only one theme park per day. The specific cost of a Park Hopper ticket will depend on the length of your stay, the time of year you are visiting, and other factors.
In 2022, Disney changed their base ticket pricing structure to park-specific pricing, meaning that the cost of a single-day park ticket depends on which park you are visiting. For example, a one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom Park costs more than Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the same day. This does not apply to Park Hopper tickets because they grant you access to all four parks on the same day.
In general, a Disney theme park ticket price ranges from $109-$189 and Park Hopper tickets range from $184-$272. So, you can expect to pay about $60-$100 more per ticket if you’re opting to add on the park hopper compared to the standard ticket. Keep in mind that there is also a Water Park and Sports Option add-on to tickets that enables you to visit the additional Disney experiences and water parks without needing ot purchase the Park Hopper Plus ticket.
To compare the cost of a Park Hopper ticket to a one-park-per-day ticket on specific dates, you can visit Disney World’s website or contact a Disney World vacation planner for more information.
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CAN I UPGRADE MY ONE PARK-PER-DAY TICKET TO A PARK HOPPER?
Yes! Upgrading your park tickets from a single-park ticket to a park hopper ticket can be done at any point before, or even during, your Disney vacation. To do this, open your My Disney Experience app, select the icon with three lines in the bottom right corner, tap “Tickets and Passes,” choose the ticket you’d like to upgrade, click “Change Ticket,” confirm the day of your ticket and complete your purchase. For those who have purchased multi-day tickets, be sure that you select the correct start date, as Disney’s tickets are date-based.
If you’re unable to upgrade your ticket within the app prior to the first use, Disney Cast Members can help. Just call (407) 934-7639 or make a visit to a guest relations location in one of Disney’s theme parks one of the first things you do.
WHAT IF I DECIDE TO UPGRADE MY TICKETS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY TRIP?
You can upgrade your one-park-per-day tickets to park hoppers on any given day during your trip. However, it is ideal to upgrade prior to your vacation or on the first day of use, especially if you have purchased multi-day tickets. In this case, you would be charged for the park hopper add-on for every day of your trip – even the ones that have already passed.
Other important details to note are that Disney cannot downgrade tickets from park hopper to single-day park tickets, and pricing can change. So, if this is your first time visiting Disney World, it’s important to consider whether the Park Hopper ticket is worth it for your family. There are a lot of factors to think about when making your decision so keep scrolling for some details to help you decide!
ARE DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR PARK HOPPER TICKETS?
In the past, there have been very few opportunities to buy Disney World tickets at a lower price. Generally, the biggest (and most consistent) discounts are available to Florida Residents.
Other guests can sometimes save on tickets if Disney has a vacation package deal running (which includes booking your Disney hotel stay and park tickets together). Visit Disney’s website to see the current list of available discounts.
CAN I PARK HOP WITH A DISNEY WORLD ANNUAL PASS?
Yes! Disney World Annual Passes permit you to enter any park on any day throughout the year, aside from the blockout dates assigned to your specific annual pass level. Due to this, purchasing an annual pass can be a great way to save some extra cash on your tickets. You can do some simple math with the number of visits you plan to take in the year before your trip to help you see if it’s worth it.
For example, if you’re planning a 7-day trip to Disney World from February 6-12th, 2023, a Park Hopper ticket costs a total of $733.25. Well, the Disney Pirate Pass (which is the cheapest annual pass tier with no blockout dates that week) costs $749 for the year. So, you could visit even longer or plan another vacation to Disney in that same year and end up saving on your park tickets while still being able to park hop!
WHAT ARE THE PARK HOPPING RULES AT DISNEY WORLD?
Park hopping rules have changed a lot since 2020 and it’s not as simple as it used to be. To park hop, Disney now has reservation requirements. Here’s how it works: you must make Disney Park Pass Reservations for the first park that you plan to visit each day during your trip. Then, you’ll need to visit your first park of the day (the one you have a theme park reservation for) before heading to your next park.
Note: Park Reservations will no longer be required beginning in 2024. Beginning January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. For other admission types, theme park reservations may be required.
Additionally, park hopper hours are now in place at all four parks. This means that you cannot begin park hopping until 2PM daily. After 2PM you can park hop until each park closes. Keep in mind that the ability to park hop is limited due to park capacity. If any of the parks reach their maximum capacity while you’re visiting, you’ll be notified through a push notification sent to the My Disney Experience app on your phone.
IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW MANY PARKS YOU CAN VISIT IN ONE DAY WITH A PARK HOPPER TICKET?
With a Disney World Park Hopper ticket, you can visit as many of the four theme parks as you like on the same day. Be it two parks, three parks, four parks, or just one, there is no limit to the number of parks you can enter!
However, two important things to note are that park hopping is subject to park capacity limits and is not available until 2PM daily at the theme parks. It is also worth considering the practicalities of visiting multiple parks in a single day. Getting between the theme parks at Disney World will require that you take transportation. Be sure that you allow yourself sufficient time to travel between the parks and plan ahead – especially if you’re trying to complete the challenge of visiting all four parks in one day!
HOW DOES PARK HOPPING WORK WITH DISNEY GENIE+?
Disney Genie+ is the new way to skip the line at select attractions throughout Disney World’s theme parks and costs anywhere between $15-$30 depending on the date and season that you visit. If you’re opting to pay for the service on any (or all) days of your trip, you will be able to park hop and continue to book lighting lane reservations to bypass the standby wait. But, there are a few important details to note.
Guests park hopping are only able to book a lighting lane reservation at the park they plan to hop to once return windows after 2PM are showing for all guests in the app. Here’s an example of how this works:
Say that you purchased Disney Genie+ and have a Park Pass Reservation for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You then plan to park hop to Disney’s Animal Kingdom at 2PM. In your My Disney Experience app, you’ll first see the lightning lane return windows that are available for rides in Hollywood Studios like Slinky Dog Dash and Tower of Terror. You won’t be able to see any return windows for rides at Disney’s Animal Kingdom (like Expedition Everest) until all of the lightning lane reservations prior to 2pm have been filled up for each ride.
This availability could pop up at any time, not just early in the morning or closer to 2PM.
Note: Park Reservations will no longer be required beginning in 2024. Beginning January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets. For other admission types, theme park reservations may be required.
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CAN I JOIN THE VIRTUAL QUEUE FOR GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: COSMIC REWIND IN EPCOT FROM ANOTHER PARK IF I PLAN TO PARK HOP LATER?
Currently, it is not possible to join the virtual queue for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind from another park if you plan to park hop to EPCOT later.
To join the virtual queue for the ride when the window opens for the first time at 7AM, you must have a Park Pass Reservation for EPCOT. And, to join the virtual queue later in the day at 1PM, you must be present in the park. This prevents anyone who is park hopping from joining the queue since you cannot enter your second park until 2PM.
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WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET FROM PARK TO PARK?
All guests can take advantage of free transportation offered by Disney to get from park to park. However, the most convenient (and quickest) option will depend on your specific location and destination. Here are some of the free transportation options available for getting from park to park in Disney World.
- Disney Monorail: The monorail system connects Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and several Disney World resorts including Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. It is a fast and convenient way to travel between these locations.
- Disney Bus: Disney World operates a huge fleet of buses that can be used to travel between the theme parks, water parks, and resort hotels. Buses typically run every 20 minutes and are usually available to take guests between parks. However, this is not always the case. On days when this is not available, you will need to take a bus to Disney Springs and then hop on another bus to get to your next park. So, all in all, travel time using Disney bus transportation can vary and it may not be the most efficient option.
- Disney Boat: Waterways connect some of the theme parks and resort hotels throughout Disney World. For example, you can conveniently get between Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT by boat.
- Disney Skyliner: The Disney Skyliner is a gondola-style transportation system that connects EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and select resort hotels. This is the fastest way to get between these parks. One special note to keep in mind, though, is that the Skyliner does not operate during inclement weather.
Along with all the free transportation options available in Disney World, you can choose to drive your own car or use a ride-share system to get between the parks. Just keep in mind that there are fees for parking at the theme parks, and ride-share programs may cost more depending on the time and distance you’re traveling.
These options can be particularly helpful if you’re planning to park hop to and from Disney’s Animal Kingdom, since Disney bus service is the only transportation option available if park hopping.
IS THE PARK HOPPER WORTH IT?
It is important to consider your vacation plans and priorities when deciding which type of ticket to purchase. If you plan to visit multiple theme parks on the same day or if you want the flexibility to visit different parks on different days, a Park Hopper ticket may be a good option for you. However, if you are only interested in visiting one theme park per day, a one-park-per-day ticket may be a more cost-effective option.
You may also want to consider whether there are any special events going on and how much time you plan to spend at each park. A special event like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party could result in the park closing early and you wanting to head to another park on the same day. Or, you might not want to spend the entire day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and instead want to plan to see fireworks at another park that same evening.
The main reason to get a park hopper ticket is that it ultimately provides you with more choices during your stay. But, it’s certainly not necessary to have a good time and maximize your visit!
MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO THE THEME PARKS
- YOUR THEME PARK VACATION
- DINING WITH DISNEY CHARACTERS: 14 SPOTS YOU’LL LOVE
- PHOTOS: WHY YOU WANT A DISNEY MEMORY MAKER VS DISNEY PHOTOPASS
- DISNEY FOR ADULTS: 17+ FUN THINGS YOU’LL LOVE
- HALLOWEEN: YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO A FUN & SPOOKTACULAR DISNEY HALLOWEEN
WHERE TO STAY DISNEY WORLD
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