To Parkhop or not to Parkhop, that is my question.

[brad813]

Ok, paraphrasing Hamlet in the title aside, this is a serious question. I have 5 days planned for my vacation. Two of them, my AK day and my Epcot Half Day/MNSSHP Day a Parkhopper/Parkhopper Plus would do me no good. On my HS and full Epcot day, I know that getting between those parks would be a simple matter. My arrival day I will be taking advantage of MK evening EMH to offset my loss of a couple hours in the morning. Potentially, assuming I can travel between MK and Epcot quickly somehow, I could carve out a couple hours in Epcot that day for a F&W kiosk dinner. Would it be worthwhile to pay the extra $75+ to add parkhopper, given what my plans are?

 

[spiceycat]

my opinion no - MK closes after the fireworks - Epcot closes (or did) at 9:00 - there fireworks go until 9:30 (or did). - so not sure you would have enough time - how about a dinner at one of the MK resorts. besides don't think they are telling in advance when they close the monorail (which I think they still do)

on your HS and Epcot day - are you walking or counting on the boats? remember the boats are pretty slow.

 

[brad813]

my opinion no - MK closes after the fireworks - Epcot closes (or did) at 9:00 - there fireworks go until 9:30 (or did). - so not sure you would have enough time - how about a dinner at one of the MK resorts. besides don't think they are telling in advance when they close the monorail (which I think they still do)

on your HS and Epcot day - are you walking or counting on the boats? remember the boats are pretty slow.

My Epcot and HS days I would be walking. On my full MK, the park closes to the general public at 9pm, but I would have access to evening EMH. Planned to take a break in the afternoon at MK if I hopped over to Epcot, coming back in time for the fireworks. My main thinking was that Food & Wine is going on then. It's not something I had originally considered, but I am weighing whether I would get enough benefit to make the cost worth it. Of course, if I opted for the Park Hopper Plus, that would give me something to do until time to leave on Saturday as well. Kind of a split decision here.

 

[disneyseniors]

simple answer? Yes, we always get park hoppers and have never regretted it. It's nice to be able to actually change your mind and go where you want to go. After all, it is a vacation. You might not want to eat at the MK on your MK day, and could swing over to Epcot if you really wanted to with a PH. I guess it depends on your touring style. I would never consider going without it.

 

[srwarden1928]

Getting from MK to Epcot is fun if you take the monorail.

I have had nonhoppers and saw everything I wanted to. I have had nonhoppers and wished for hoppers. I have had hoppers and had fun with them.
I find with a short trip I don't need hoppers. I really like to have one full day in each park at the beginning of every trip. The longer the trip, the more valuable the hoppers are to me. Although when I go with my family in October, they have nonhoppers, I activate my AP. Our first day is at MK, but we are not going to the party that day. We have an early dinner ADR. After dinner, I plan to go to the Epcot 35th anniversary, primarily just to get merchandise.

 

[Capang]

I always get hoppers. For me, I love to overplan and then toss it all aside when i see a crazy crowded park or if I just feel like a change of scenery. But really it comes down to your touring style. If you stick to the plan you have now then no I'd skip the hoppers. If there is a chance you'd change those plans then get the hoppers. They provide some freedom from being tied down to the 1 park a day.

 

[brad813]

I always get hoppers. For me, I love to overplan and then toss it all aside when i see a crazy crowded park or if I just feel like a change of scenery. But really it comes down to your touring style. If you stick to the plan you have now then no I'd skip the hoppers. If there is a chance you'd change those plans then get the hoppers. They provide some freedom from being tied down to the 1 park a day.

I actually designed my plan with some flexibility. I have a full day at MK plus the Halloween Party, and a day and a half at Epcot. Seeing everything I want to in those two parks won't be an issue.....the biggest issue comes down to doing everything I want in Hollywood Studios. The bonus for Epcot would be more time for Food & Wine, which is the main reason I am going down. Total trip is about 5 park days. I still have about a month to work it out.

 

[ShadeDK]

Parkhoppers. I just got back from a 5-day trip and started with a similar approach. Single park days, MNSSHP one night, and an interest in F&W. Had a daily itinerary laid out with the ability to switch days around. I scrapped it as soon as I got there and upgraded to hoppers. A lot more flexibility that let me get over to Epcot just for lunch and/or dinner at F&W, meet-ups with other DISers, maximizing my time if crowds were large or rides went down, moving around if the urge hit - and even got over to Universal for Horror Nights. Most days I was hitting 2-3 parks.

The monorail between MK and Epcot is acceptable (you'll transfer at TTC - which will also give you a ferry option to/from MK) - at least I like it better than waiting for the buses. Also recommend the walking path between DHS and Epcot - maybe I was just lucky, but for me it was faster than the boats or buses between those parks.

 

[brad813]

Parkhoppers. I just got back from a 5-day trip and started with a similar approach. Single park days, MNSSHP one night, and an interest in F&W. Had a daily itinerary laid out with the ability to switch days around. I scrapped it as soon as I got there and upgraded to hoppers. A lot more flexibility that let me get over to Epcot just for lunch and/or dinner at F&W, meet-ups with other DISers, maximizing my time if crowds were large or rides went down, moving around if the urge hit - and even got over to Universal for Horror Nights. Most days I was hitting 2-3 parks.

The monorail between MK and Epcot is acceptable (you'll transfer at TTC - which will also give you a ferry option to/from MK) - at least I like it better than waiting for the buses. Also recommend the walking path between DHS and Epcot - maybe I was just lucky, but for me it was faster than the boats or buses between those parks.

Yeah, know about the transfer for the monorail(did a trip back in may to upgrade tickets and ended up doing Blizzard Beach for the day, but this will be my first foray into the main parks). I have three days pretty well set, but have some sizable gaps the last two days. I know on my HS day I am seeing the Star Wars fireworks, so thought I could hop over for Fantasmic! on my full Epcot day, since Epcot closes a little later that day. Of course, HS doesn't have the best food selection either, so that is a benefit. I did manage a FP for FoP, so that helped me a lot. It does seem, from everyone I have heard from, walking is almost always faster than the boats, though I wouldn't mind the ride in one if I had time. Thanks for the insight. If I do get parkhoppers, it will probably be the plus upgrade. Since I am thinking about leaving Saturday anyway, I could get in Typhoon Lagoon that way as well.

 

[srwarden1928]

If you do the plus, its only $15 over the hoppers. That's a pretty cheap Typhoon Lagoon ticket.

 

[brad813]

If you do the plus, its only $15 over the hoppers. That's a pretty cheap Typhoon Lagoon ticket.

Yeah, pretty much free if you think about it. All you have to do to cover the difference is a round of mini-golf($14 plus tax, so basically $15-ish). I have a four day ticket(will probably add a day later), so even if I just do a water park, mini-golf, and a round of golf at Oak Trail, that pretty much means I would get my money's worth.

 

[Clare Voince]

Keep in mind that you can add hopping later, even a few days into your trip. So, if you're unsure, go with a regular ticket and if you find yourself wanting to hop, just add it to your ticket.

 

[brad813]

Keep in mind that you can add hopping later, even a few days into your trip. So, if you're unsure, go with a regular ticket and if you find yourself wanting to hop, just add it to your ticket.

I am well aware, and I was going to add it when I get there. I plan to go with the Parkhopper Plus, since it will allow me to have a couple of things to on the day I leave Orlando, while I am waiting for time to head out. By waiting until the last minute, if something changes before then, at least then I will be able to adapt my plans. I am also considering the fact I can't do Fantasmic! and the fireworks at Hollywood Studios on the same night, and that a parkhopper would allow me extra Food & Wine time.

 

[jpeterson]

For a solo trip, definitely hoppers. My first day on my solo trip I hopped around so much I ended up at all 4 parks in that day alone. I had the benefit of using the now discontinued Express Transportation, but I think I would still hop without it. I also have an AP so there is no extra cost involved.

 

[brad813]

For a solo trip, definitely hoppers. My first day on my solo trip I hopped around so much I ended up at all 4 parks in that day alone. I had the benefit of using the now discontinued Express Transportation, but I think I would still hop without it. I also have an AP so there is no extra cost involved.

In my case, I have a HS->Epcot->HS, MK->Epcot->MK, and Epcot->HS->Epcot hop planned, plus the de facto hop on my MNSSHP day. The parkhoppers would give me around 9 extra hours at Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival, giving me more time to look through the pavilion exhibits and maybe do some demos as well.

 

[mustinjourney]

have you considered upgrading to an AP? It will give you photopass for free...plus you'll have a great excuse to come back once or twice more in the next 12 months.

Plus it might save you money on your hotel and there are food/merch discounts as well. The food/merch discounts aren't huge savings -- but they do add up.

 

[brad813]

have you considered upgrading to an AP? It will give you photopass for free...plus you'll have a great excuse to come back once or twice more in the next 12 months.

Plus it might save you money on your hotel and there are food/merch discounts as well. The food/merch discounts aren't huge savings -- but they do add up.

I would have if I had the money. I am only staying on site for the first night(it was helpful for my AK day), then moving off site. That said, this is my trip down to evaluate if I should consider the annual pass for next year or not.