Park hopper and Frozen 2

[Lindanuf]

I have 2 questions. The first is about the park hopper. We have never been to Disney World but have our first trip planned Nov 20-24. Can you really see 2 parks in 1 day? I got 3 one day passes but then I see there is a park hopper. Isn’t it hard enough with lines even doing 1 park in a day? Is there any reason I should get a park hopper instead?

Question 2 is about Frozen 2. I don’t think anything has been announced but what does Disney usually do around big releases. Frozen 2 is out Nov 22nd. Do you think there will be anything special on the 22nd in Epcot or MK? My 7 year old is a huge frozen fan. I can book Mickey’s Christmas party on Nov 21 or 22 at MK, but the tickets are norefundable. I would hate to book the 22nd and then find out there is a Frozen thing at Epcot that night. I would also hate to book it for the 21st and then find out they were doing something in the 22nd at MK. Help?

 

[Andrew Dyjach]

For the park hopper, the most common usage for that is for on-site guests trying to maximize ride time around extra magic hours. Usually only one park per day will have extra hours of operation for resort guests only, but that park will then be extra busy the rest of the day. Therefore those guests with park hopper go do the emh in the morning then go to another park for the rest of the day.

Other uses include going to world showcase for dinner, taking advantage of same day fastpasses to get more than one tier 1 ride on the same day, or doing split days with a mid-day rest so as not to burn out on one park.

 

[cjlong88]

When we go we like to have the park hopper ticket. If we are in one park and used up all of our FP's, we will see what additional FP's are in that park. BUT...we also look outside the other three to see if we can get any headliners. During the week between Christmas and New Years we were wandering around AK and were having problems getting a good 4th FP. Quickly looked up options at MK and found a random FP for 7DMT. Dashed over and rode it. Checked the app again, and we miraculously got HM, PoC, SM, and BTMRR all in a row (this was a party of 3) about 4 hours before park close. We couldn't believe it.

EVERYTHING about that evening was pure luck. We checked the app at the right time. People didn't want to stay until midnight at MK, so the crowds were beginning to quickly thin. People who had those late night FP's canceled last minute. But it was only with a park hopper ticket that we are allowed to do that.

Granted, we are ride warriors. We like to ride as many things as possible, so hopping works great for us. While we do like to take breaks to drink or people watch, we always look for the next ride with minimal waits.

I think it all comes down to your style of vacationing at Disney. If you want to experience every nook and cranny and soak up the atmosphere and everything each park has to offer, maybe stay in one park all day. If you would rather just hit some of the bigger highlights and then move on to another big headliner attraction or experience, then I say a park hopper is definitely the way to go. I hope that helps!

 

[FCDub]

For your first visit, you probably won't need the park hopper. BUT, if you decide you'd like to add it, you can do so on the spot. It costs the same whether you do it in advance or at the ticket window – and it's an all-or-nothing purchase. You can't, for instance, upgrade just one day for park hopper – unless it's your last day, of course.

 

[shellyj]

We are park hopper lovers! But for a short first trip, you probably won't need them.

You can't really do a whole park in one day. You could probably spend all 3 days in MK and still not see and do everything! There is so much.

My group find value in the hoppers because we all have different favorites to ride and different ways we like to tour.
We'll often start the day together then split up so everyone gets to do what they love most. Our immediate family is 5 people, our travel party is usually around 20 people.

 

[Ned Lostmore]

.

 

[jpakstis]

We have always gotten park hoppers but we have always gone for 7+ days so there is a lot of “wiggle room” especially for not maximizing time. Travel between the parks always seems to take longer than I anticipate so if we were there for a shorter amount of time I wouldn’t want to spend time traveling between parks.

The other thing is that the longer you stay, the less the difference in price between park hopper and non-park hopper tickets get. So when we go for 7+ days the convenience greatly outweighs the cost. I would imagine it would almost be the opposite for a 3 day visit.

 

[Lindanuf]

Park Hopper Answer:
If you've never been to Disney World before and want to experience each park to its fullest on a short trip, you should give a full day to each one you go to.

Park hopping is really for when you're on a longer trip and want to bounce between parks, like when maybe you've got a few attractions you'd like to experience at Animal Kingdom in the morning, but you've got a dinner reservation at Hollywood Studios. That kind of thing. Your first time out, you should enjoy each park individually — don't bother with the extra expense of a park hopper.

Frozen Answer:
I've been vacationing at Disney World for 18 years, and I've never heard of any kind of substantial special event being held in the parks to celebrate the premiere date of any film. The only thing I can think of is when Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl premiered in 2003, but that premiere was literally held at Disneyland, in the actual park. They gave out free buttons to attendees. If I were you, I would not expect Disney to do anything out-of-the-ordinary in the parks to celebrate the premiere of Frozen 2.

With that out of the way, I would highly recommend booking Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP). The seasonal parties are terrific and should not be missed — it will be a wonderful addition to your first Disney World trip. At the party, there is an exclusive Frozen stage and fireworks show called A Frozen Holiday Wish, which your 7-year-old Frozen fan is sure to love. I think the Frozen characters also have a float in the party's special parade... and character-meet-and greets may be available, but I'm not sure about that.

If you want to have a really special Frozen day on the 22nd, I recommend using your park ticket that day on Epcot and then leaving to go to Magic Kingdom (MK) when it's time for MVMCP. Your party tickets are separate from your park tickets, so this kind of 'park hopping' is totally and easily doable. So — why Epcot first, though? The Norway pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase is the central location for all things Frozen at Disney World. Your 7-year-old can meet Anna and Elsa there, and the shops are full of amazing Frozen merchandise. If possible, try to book a FastPass+ for the ride Frozen Ever After. It's very popular and FastPasses are snapped up quickly. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you can book 60 days in advance (September 23), and if you're not staying at a Disney resort, you can book 30 days in advance (October 23). If you have time and budget and are interested in character dining with Disney princesses in Norway, you should also consider booking breakfast or lunch that day at Norway's Akershus restaurant. However, keep in mind that Anna and Elsa don't meet at Akershus — it's just a nice restaurant right near all the other Frozen stuff, with a similar theme. If Akershus seems too expensive or like too much of an ordeal (character dining isn't for everyone) definitely check out the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in Norway. It's got some of the best quick-service food in all of Epcot. Then, you can explore the rest of Epcot, and when it's time, head over to MK for MVMCP for the cherry on top of pretty much the most amazingly Frozen day you can have at Epcot. I'm low-key jealous just writing about it.

we were going to do Epcot the 21st because it has the extra magic hour in the morning. I got tickets to Mickey's party the 21st so we could go to MK the night of the 21st and check it out before going there for the day the 22nd. I'm so confused about the dining reservations. It's already showing so many things unavailable and I don't even know where I would want to eat. My daughter only wants hot dogs and mac and cheese no matter where we go so I guess it doesn't really matter. I did book one lunch with characters the day we are at Epcot, it was the only one avail. She'll see every char at the park I suppose.

 

[Ned Lostmore]

.

 

[Day-Day]

I may be drifting a little here... The two Cast Members that played Anna and Elsa when we visited last May were fantastic. They really played the part well and had great interaction with our granddaughters.