Hi, Antonia! I am so glad you brought this question to us! So many friends call me while planning their vacations, questioning which ticket configuration would be best for their family. The "Mickey Math" does sometimes get confusing, but I think I do have a good answer for you.
I took a look at
current ticket prices and I believe adding the Water Park & More option will be more economical in your situation. Since you already have the Park Hopper Option added to your 8-day Magic Your Way tickets, it will only cost you an additional $26 per person to also add the Water Park & More option. At this time, a one-day
ticket to the Disney Water Parks without blackout dates costs $60 plus tax. This is not only great savings for you, but you will get the added bonus of being able to visit the water parks more often! In our experience during long trips such as yours, we need a bit of a break away from the theme parks occasionally. On some days, we visit one of the theme parks for only a half day and "hang ten" at one of the water parks the other part of the day. During a ten-day trip a couple of years ago, I planned to only visit Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park one full day, but we ended up visiting both parks for a total of one full day and four half days! This really helped us relax and enjoy our vacation so much more.
I hope my crash course in "Mickey Math" helped you decide your ticketing conundrum, Antonia! Please stop by again if you have any further questions for us.
Brandy B.