Mom And Son Running through park; RunDisney; incredibles shirt
  • On Dec 27, 2010
    Becky from MS Asked Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.

    Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.

    I asked about planning tips for a trip with my 4 and 6 year old girls, and you responded and said to avoid hotels with the extra hours option. I was wondering why, and if you could tell me which ones don't have it? It seems most of them do.

    Becky:

    Thanks for coming back for the followup question!  I actually said to avoid the theme parks with Extra Magic Hours if you buy the basic Magic Your Way ticket.  You can know those parks in advance by checking the park calendar.
     
    I typically recommend families of children buy the basic ticket rather than spending $54 plus tax per person for the Park Hopper ticket.  Moving from park to park with little ones can be cumbersome if you have a stroller and tiresome since it generally takes no less than 30 to 45 minutes to transfer from one park to another. A Park Hopper ticket, in my opinion, simply doesn't make cents with small children when you also need to go a little slower in the parks with them, also.  So, choose your park, explore and enjoy that park for the day.

    If I've convinced you to save the money and get the basic ticket, why avoid the parks with Extra Magic Hours if you have that ticket? Generally this is my advice for Early Magic Hours because not only will the park that opens early attract resort guests who want to take advantage of the early opening, but by mid-morning everyone else who was planning to go to that park that day will arrive. By lunch, I have found that the crowds in that park are thicker than the other parks. If I have a basic ticket, and not a Park Hopper, I can't just leave and hop to another park that's less-crowded. To me, an extra hour of rides in the morning is not worth purchasing a Park Hopper ticket nor the time it takes to pack everyone up and move to the another park. I can think of so many things to spend that money on that will actually create a memory for our family.

    Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
    Whitney
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Meet the Panelist: Whitney, Mississippi

My family of 6 appreciates Disney's value! Although Ft. Wilderness is our second home, we've enjoyed the resorts for business, reunions and romantic getaways. For me, Disney also means dining: last count, I'd eaten at 55 restaurants around the World! Learn More About Whitney

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