Hello Delia! It sounds like you are getting all your “ducks” (please excuse the Disney pun) in a row for your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacation! Four days of park tickets are going to provide you with a great experience! I’m glad you came to planDisney!
Yes, Guests wishing to visit the Disney Parks are required to have both a valid theme park ticket as well as a
Disney Park Pass reservation for the parks that they wish to visit during their vacation. You can make your park reservations through your My Disney Experience account on the Walt Disney World Resort website or on your
My Disney Experience mobile app.
You are correct that Park Hopping begins at 2:00 PM. However, in order to change parks (i.e. Park Hop) Guests must have a
Park Hopper option ticket upgrade. The upgrade will allow you to begin your day at one park and then "hop" to another.
While Disney Park Pass reservations are required for the first park of the day that you will visit, Guests do not need to make reservations for the park that they will hop to later in the day! You just have to be sure that you scanned in at your first park (the one for which you have a reservation) prior to hopping to your second park!
Delia, here is a PRO TIP for you! The Walt Disney World Resort wants to make travel for Park Hoppers as convenient as possible! Complimentary transportation from park to park is available at all four of the Disney Parks beginning just before 2:00 PM. So, you can begin your Disney Day at one park and then hop directly to the other without having to return to your resort hotel!
Happy Planning!
Jonathan