Hey there, Natasha! Thanks for visiting us here at planDisney with your question. Your trip to the most magical place on earth is a little over a month away, it will be here before you know it! I bet you are getting so excited.
Natasha,
park hopping is my absolute favorite way to spend a day at Walt Disney World. I love visiting one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks in the early morning and checking off a lot of my must-do's before lunchtime when I think the parks tend to start getting busy. Then, I typically head back to the Disney Resorts Collection Hotel that I happen to be staying at for an afternoon swim. After I've had my fill of splish-splashing in the Florida sun, I like to clean up and head over to Epcot for the evening hours enjoying snacks and drinks around The World Showcase for dinner. It's a great Disney Day.
You are able to upgrade your tickets at any point before or during your vacation to include the park hopper option, Natasha but it's an all-or-nothing thing. You are not able to only upgrade certain days at this time. If you aren't familiar with park hopping since its return at the start of this year, it does look a little bit different. At this time, Guests wishing to park hop must have standard theme park admission with the park hopper option. You'll still need to make a
park pass reservation for the first theme park you'd like to visit each day. When the day arrives, you'll need to scan in and enter the theme park with the park pass reservations before continuing on to park hop. Park hopping hours now start at 2:00 p.m. and last until each park closes. You do not need to make any additional park pass reservations to park hop, just that initial one each day. To make park hopping a little bit easier for Guests, complimentary park-to-park bus transportation is currently being provided. When you are ready to park hop, and it's around or after 2:00 p.m., make your way out of the theme park you are currently at and head to the bus stop area. Look for the bus designated for where you'd like to go next. There should be a Cast Member working this bus stop area and he or she will want to verify that you do, indeed, have the park hopper option added to your ticket before boarding the bus. This is just a quick scan of your MagicBand or ticket card and then you'll be whisked away to your next destination.
If you don't think the park hopper option will work out for you, you could always spend some time at
Disney Springs instead. Disney Springs is free to enter and does not require park pass reservations. Disney Springs is the shopping, dining and entertainment hub of Walt Disney World. My family and I actually spend a lot of time at Disney Springs and love the live music they have scattered about during the evenings. If you are looking for a dining recommendation, my current favorite is The BOATHOUSE. There is something for everyone on the menu and it is delicious!
Natasha, I hope this helps you decide if you should upgrade your tickets to include the park hopper option or not. If you have any other questions before your trip, please come back and
ask me. I'm happy to help!