To Buy ParkHoppers or Not...3 day Tickets.

[ErinsMommy]

We think we'll be pretty much spending one day at DL, 2nd day at DCA, then 3rd day at one or the other depending on which park the kids enjoyed the most of. Does it make sense to pay extra for the park hoppers? Or just pay extra for the Maxpasses and call it a day?

 

[Where's Wall-E]

Yes. I can't imagine not having a park hopper pass. DL is nothing like WDW in terms of distance between parks. DCA is not necessarily a full-day park, and most will find that they hop over to DL (and even back again if they wish).

 

[Cal-Pie]

The majority of people will tell you hoppers are a must, but I don't think so on a 3 day trip. We did 2DL days and 1DCA day on our last trip and it worked out great, I didn't miss hopping. In the past we were never going back and forth enough to justify the upgrade for a family of 5. I do still buy maxpass, though.

 

[Susie63]

We bought them because we like to close out the parks and DCA always closes before DL. It also gives us extra days to get a bg for ROTR if we run into bad luck

 

[Lumpy1106]

Can you hopper just the 3'rd day or is it the same cost to hopper all 3? Personally that would be my preference - first two days stay in one park, use the 3'rd day to hit up favorites and things you missed in both parks.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Can you hopper just the 3'rd day or is it the same cost to hopper all 3? Personally that would be my preference - first two days stay in one park, use the 3'rd day to hit up favorites and things you missed in both parks.

Same cost.

 

[maleficent55]

Hoppers all the way. There are two things I won't ever pass on...so far anyway, thats park hoppers and maxpass. They are crucial to me.

Park hoppers are great. DCA always closes before DL, you want the ability to go to the park still open, or if one park gets too crowded hop to the other...or if you really want to be in one park but your night time show is in the other... so many reasons!

 

[StarlitNight05]

Park hoppers are so worth it. I love DCA, but I don't think I'd be able to spend an entire day there. I just need my classic DL fix at some point in the day. Also, there have been times when one park is slammed (e.g., a parade at DL, F&W crowds at DCA, or just crowds for no good reason). Being stuck in the busy park would really put a damper on things for us -- having flexibiity is so nice. We tend to close out parks as well so it's nice to have the last few hours at DL as an option each day. All in all, the parks are just so close to each other, in my mind it's really just one big park.

 

[ErinsMommy]

Thanks so much, the cost difference was so minimal but on this trip every thing is counting where on the other hand when we go to WDW, we go all out.

 

[Going2DisneyAZ]

We debated this same question for trip coming up in a few weeks. I think it really depends on how you like to tour the parks. Slow and patient taking it all in or commando style hitting all the E ticket attractions as much as possible. DW and I are the former. The boys the latter. So for them we got park hoppers. The wont do shows, fantasyland, parades, or fireworks. Just blast through the more thrilling stuff. For them they need to hit both parks back and forth all day long.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

It will be our first visit in spring and we have Maxpass but I decided not to buy park hoppers. Maybe I will regret it, but my kids are younger and I think trying to explain going from one park to another would get them upset--even if it is just walking across the esplanade. I do think we will have down time on our DCA day but there's always downtown disney to walk around. For our budget, the Maxpass is the more important thing. Our plan is also two days at DL and one day at DCA.

 

[Where's Wall-E]

It will be our first visit in spring and we have Maxpass but I decided not to buy park hoppers. Maybe I will regret it, but my kids are younger and I think trying to explain going from one park to another would get them upset--even if it is just walking across the esplanade. I do think we will have down time on our DCA day but there's always downtown disney to walk around. For our budget, the Maxpass is the more important thing. Our plan is also two days at DL and one day at DCA.

Curious as to why going to the other park would make them upset? Leaving I could understand...

 

[Paigesmom2013]

Curious as to why going to the other park would make them upset? Leaving I could understand...

Mostly because they don't understand park hopping at their ages and if they're having fun in one place, they don't want to leave (even if we are going to another fun place.) It's not worth rocking the apple cart!

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Mostly because they don't understand park hopping at their ages and if they're having fun in one place, they don't want to leave (even if we are going to another fun place.) It's not worth rocking the apple cart!

With littles staying in one park can be easier but I can tell you that my son has never been fazed in the least by leaving one park for another. They are kind of like one big park really. He doesn’t much differentiate. He definitely doesn’t know what the term park hopping is, lol. Waking from DL gate to DCA gate is not much different than walking from Adventureland to Fantasyland.

 

[smartlabelprint]

I have always had hoppers. In June it will be our first trip without. We will have 3 under 5 and I don’t think going back and forth is reasonable for us. Last time we had the kids there we only hopped in the sense that we would come back from afternoon break and choose which park we wanted to be in. I’m guessing we’ll have 3 DL days and 2 DCA days.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Agree with the pp that DL and DCA are more like one very big park (with DTD thrown in the mix). Hopping is so easy at DLR that we hop for food, not only rides. Since there is no need to go through security between the parks, hopping takes just minutes.

 

[sharksfinatic17]

A year ago, I would have said hoppers 100%. But last Spring, we spent one whole day in DCA (which I didn't think was a full day park), and it was a blast. If the budget were an issue, I would choose MP or hoppers any day of the week.

 

[starry_solo]

When are you going?

 

[smercerdiemont]

Max Pass before Park Hopper tickets imo. When I plan out our days in Disney and DCA, I usually plan to spend a whole day in one park. My kids ages range from 17.5- now 5. We park hopped one day out of the 5 we were there last, and it was due to trying to get ROTR BG in Disneyland and then going to DCA afterwards.