If you’re booking a trip to Disneyland, one of your top questions will probably be how you should budget. Its no secret that a Disneyland trip can be pricey, but there are definitely ways to stretch your vacation dollar a little further. One of those ways can be to nix ticket add-ons like the Maxpass and the Disneyland Park Hopper. The question, though, is should you?
The Park Hopper at Disneyland Resort allows you to go to both Parks in the same day. The Parks are actually right across from each other and when I say right across, I mean you can get from one turnstile at one Park and over to the other Park within about five minutes as long as the crowds aren’t too crazy.
There are only two Parks at Disneyland, California Adventure and well, Disneyland. And you only have to go through security once. So once you’ve gone through security, as long as you don’t leave altogether, you won’t have to worry about security lines again, which is kind of awesome.
The beauty of the Park Hopper is that, since the Parks are so close to each other, you can easily hop over to Disneyland for a parade, ride your Fastpass at California Adventure, and then head back over to Disneyland for dinner and not lose much time. It actually makes it pretty seamless and convenient.
We had done a poll on Instagram and it was an overwhelming 75% of votes said to get the Park Hopper and now that we’ve gone, it is easy to see why.
The cost of the Disneyland Park Hopper is $50 per ticket, whether you are buying a 1 day ticket or a 5 day ticket, it will always be a $50 add-on per person.
So who would benefit from having a Park Hopper at Disneyland?
If you’re traveling with a limited number of days(3 or less), want some flexibility, are traveling with a larger group who might want to split up or have a lot you want to fit in(parades, fireworks, dining, fast passes) we think the Park Hopper is definitely worth it.
However you probably don’t need a Disneyland Park Hopper if:
you’re on a tight budget, have a very strict itinerary, aren’t planning on dining in the Parks or if you just have very solidly planned one day in each Park. $50 can definitely add up if you’re traveling with a larger group, so if budget is a big concern, this might be one thing to skip.
Overall, we do recommend getting the Disneyland Park Hopper if it makes sense for your family, just so you can have some flexibility in your trip and because Park Hopping is so easy to do at Disneyland. We were able to use it throughout our trip and let me tell you, being able to see both the Paint the Nite parade and the Together Forever Fireworks show in the same night is pretty magical:)
I love the park hopper option at Disneyland and personally would add it on to every trip I take. It is nice that there is a flat price for adding the park hopper option, so it feels like a great deal when you go to the parks for multiple days. I love combining the park hopper option with the Max Pass because I can make fastpasses on my phone for the park that I’m not in. It allows me to make the most of my time, and I love the freedom and flexibility it gives me.
Thanks Erica! I agree, it can be a really great deal if you’re going for multiple days. We absolutely loved the flexibility of the Park hopper especially since its so easy to do at Disneyland. We went on several trips to Disneyland last year and used it every time! It’s definitely something we will continue to use!