Is the Park Hopper Ticket at Walt Disney World Worth It?

Let’s be honest. Disney can be very expensive. And with Disney ticket prices rising a few times every year it’s important to save where you can. While we have the best post on planning Disney on a budget, there is one simple extra that people often question. And that my friends, is the Park Hopper Ticket. What if you want to go to more than one theme park per day? Or you’re eating dinner in a different park? What if this is a Short Disney Trip and you have to fit it ALL in? Here are all the details, answers, and tips we would come up with about whether or not the Park Hopper Ticket at Walt Disney World is worth it.

Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Details

If you’re visiting Walt Disney World, chances are you’re very aware of what it’s all costing. From the ticket prices to the room cost to the extra transportation and all the food, you may not be thinking about extra tickets or add-ons. 

And, if you’re buying a Disney Vacation Package, you may or may not be ready for the “Add Park Hopper Ticket” prompt that comes up as you’re finally ready to purchase your vacation. 

Do we think you need the Park Hopper Ticket at Disney World? No. And some people might say that’s crazy because there are people who insist the Park Hopper is a must. We are not those people. We know how to plan a Disney vacation and how to save money. And those are really your only qualifications for not needing the Park Hopper ticket. So what is it that you actually GET when you buy a Disney Park Ticket?

What is the Disney World Park Hopper Ticket?

The Disney World Park Hopper Ticket is an extra ticket that allows you access to multiple parks in one day. Since Walt Disney World is made up of 4 theme parks, this is a perk if you’re planning a short vacation and cannot commit a full day to each park. Allowing you the chance to go to any park in the morning, and then at 2 pm go to another park for the evening. 

Where can you Park Hop at Walt Disney World?

Park Hopping at Walt Disney World allows you to visit any or all of the following on the same day; Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. As noted below, a general park hopper ticket doesn’t get you access to water parks, golf, or sports complex, that is a different ticket, the Park Hopper Plus Ticket. Additionally, if you just want access to those extras, but without park hopping, that is another ticket, which is a Base Park Ticket with the Water Parks and Sports option. 

When can you Park Hop at Walt Disney World?

Park Hopper hours start at 2 PM each day and end at the park’s scheduled close time. Guests are now able to check the Park Hours calendar and the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date Park Hopper hours, as they could start earlier at a later date, depending on the day and park.

Do you Need a Park Pass Reservation to Park Hop?

With the updated Park Hopper experience, Guests must make a theme park reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park prior to visiting another. At this time, a theme park reservation is not required after the first park, however, reservation requirements are subject to change. Park Pass reservations at Walt Disney World are no longer required starting January 9, 2024. 

Can I Book a Virtual Queue After Park Hopping?

From time to time, a virtual queue may be used for select attractions. Access to a boarding group is subject to availability and not guaranteed. Guests visiting from another theme park using an Annual Pass or the Park Hopper option may not be able to join the virtual queue in a park where they do not have a theme park reservation.

Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Types

There are two different types of Park Hopper Tickets at Walt Disney World, each with a different list of options and costs. Here’s the breakdown of what you get with each kind of ticket. 

Park Hopper Ticket

The Park Hopper Ticket allows you access to multiple parks within a single day.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• EPCOT
• Magic Kingdom

Park Hopper Plus Ticket

The Park Hopper Plus Ticket allows you access to multiple parks within a single day, and several extra admissions to other attractions per the below. 

Ability to Park Hop any or all of the parks…

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• EPCOT
• Magic Kingdom

…Plus admission of the equal number of days purchased to any of the following. 

• Blizzard Beach
• Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
• Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
• Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
• ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
• Typhoon Lagoon

Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Cost

• 1-day ticket: $67.10 – $78.81 more
• 2 or 3-day ticket: $79.88 – $90.53 more
• 4-day or longer ticket: $90.53 – $101.18 more

Now keep in mind, the more days you purchase on your ticket, the cheaper both the ticket and the Park Hopper will be. On a 3-day ticket, the Park Hopper prices decrease to about $22 per ticket per day, which isn’t really that expensive, but keep in mind, that’s per person, per day. A family of four visiting Walt Disney World with a 3-day ticket would save over $250(depending on the ages of the children) by choosing not to have the Park Hopper.

Disney World Park Hopper Ticket and Genie+

If you’re wondering how the park hopper ticket works with Genie+ or Lightning Lane, then here are a few details to know before you go. 

• Your first Genie+ reservation does not need to be at the park where you have a Park Pass Reservation. But, if it isn’t, you’ll need to make sure that it is after 2 p.m.
• As long as you have a Park Hopper benefit on your ticket, you can make Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations at different parks. Just keep in mind that you can’t park hop until after 2 p.m., so your return time would need to be after that.

Do You Really Need the Disney World Park Hopper Ticket?

Here’s a disclaimer. We are currently Walt Disney World Annual Passholders, with the Incredipass. As out-of-state Disney junkies, we get the honor of paying the highest-cost season pass, so the Park Hopper ticket for us is already built in. But, when we used to do just ONE annual Disney trip a year, we NEVER, EVER got the Disney Park Hopper Ticket. Why?

Well, for one thing, every park at Walt Disney World has so much to offer that we really wanted to take it all in. And the best way to do that was to Plan One Disney Park Per Day. And yes, even Hollywood Studios, which is a small park could still fill our time if we took the time to experience it all. The same goes for Animal Kingdom Park, which sometimes closes at 5 pm. We wouldn’t use that day to go to another theme park but instead head to Animal Kingdom Lodge for dinner. 

For another, the Disney Park Hopper Ticket can be pricey! And we just aren’t keen on rushing around like crazy people between multiple parks in a day and having to pay for it. 

Now, are we saying the Park Hopper is a definite no? Of course not. I think there are many times when a Park Hopper is very useful and worth the convenience. Honestly, not having one will require a little more thought-out planning. Thankfully we have lots of posts on planning.

If you’re depending solely on Disney Transportation, keep in mind that during busy times, waiting for buses, boats, and the monorail can take up a lot of your day. Whereas if you are driving or staying at a Disney resort within walking distance of a Parks, transportation is not as much of an issue. In fact, there are certain situations in which a Park Hopper Ticket is IDEAL. 

For instance, if you’re staying at the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, OR at the Disney BoardWalk Resorts, you are within walking distance of both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. In this situation, you can really maximize your park hopper ticket, because you get such easy access to both parks via a walking path and skyliner. 

Disney World Park Hopper Ticket

There you have it! Our somewhat biased take on the Disney World Park Hopper Ticket. Whether you need one for your vacation is completely dependent on how you’re planning your Disney Vacation. Hopefully, this post has shown you the inner workings, pros, and cons of having this extra ticket and can help you decide what’s best for you!