Mother, Son, Giraffe, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Animal Kingdom, Savannah
  • On Feb 26, 2012
    Heddie from NH 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.

    For my first trip to Disney I have purchased an 8 day basic ticket. Should I upgrade to a park hopper? Lots of conflicting advice. Want to experience it all, have 3 kids 12, 10, 8. Will we really make it to 2 parks in one day?

    Hey Heddie!  Whatever you decide will be fine when it comes to Park Hopper option or not but I will give you my thoughts for spending the money and getting it.

    My family always purchases the Park Hopper option and we are often vacationing for at least a week when we come to Walt Disney World.  The reason we do this is that we try not to do it all in one day at a park and like the ability to come and go to see the different special events.  We try to avoid the parks that have Extra Magic Hours as those can tend to be more crowded but we will then go to that park at night so we can enjoy this option. During the day we travel to another park where hopefully it won't be as busy.  Instead of using two park tickets for this we are simply "hopping".

    Probably the biggest reason we use the park hopper tickets is for dining. We love all the restaurants in Epcot for instance but we don't want to necessarily spend every day in this park. We play somewhere else and then head there for dinner and stay to enjoy the entertainment and Illuminations.  Sometimes it is just fun to head back to Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic or the Magic Kingdom for the night time parade and Wishes.  This spring we will do that as we have booked the Tomorrowland Terrace Dessert Party and will just enjoy one evening of the Magic Kingdom park in this way without using an extra day of ticket.

    If your budget doesn't fall within purchasing the Park Hopper option you can still enjoy eight great days at Walt Disney World.  Make sure you plan well so you have dining and entertainment covered for the parks and that you won't be missing anything that is offered. Remember you can still come and go from that one park without penalty...you just can't go to another park that same day without using another day of your ticket.
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Meet the Panelist: Kay, Indiana

Hello Adventurers and travelers! I am Kay and a past Adventures By Disney mom for the panel. But now I am excited to share vacation planning tips for those heading out for an incredible vacation to Walt Disney World. Learn More About Kay

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