Hey there, Jennifer! Thanks for visiting us here at planDisney with your question.
Park hopping is my very favorite way to spend a Disney day and I am excited to see that you will be doing some hopping during your Walt Disney World vacation as well! Since its return, at the start of this year, park hopping does look a little bit different than it did before.
Here's how park hopping is currently working:
- Guests wishing to park hop must have standard theme park admission with the park hopper option
- Guests wishing to park hop must also have park pass reservations for an initial theme park to visit each day
- Guests wishing to park hop must scan in and enter the theme park with the park pass reservation before continuing on to other parks later in the day
- Park hopping hours now start at 2:00 p.m. and last until each park closes in the evenings
Jennifer, even if it is after 2:00 p.m. you will need to visit the theme park with the park pass reservation first. Scanning into that park actually "activates" your park hopper feature. You won't need to spend any time at that theme park per se but you will need to actually enter it before continuing on somewhere else. Not too long ago, someone I know tested out this theory and they were able to tell that that particular person had not yet visited the theme park with the park pass reservation. They had to go back to the theme park with the park pass reservation before park hopping. To save you some time that day it's best to just go ahead to the theme park with the park pass reservation first. To make park hopping a little bit more convenient at this time, complimentary park-to-park bus transportation is currently being provided.
Have you heard about the
all-new Boo Bash that is being offered select nights at Magic Kingdom Park this fall? There's actually a party on September 3rd that might work with your travel dates. If you love Halloween as much as I do, this is going to be a must-do event! There's going to be trick-or-treating around the park, special character appearances, Halloween-inspired cavalcades and so much more. I'm pretty excited for special events to be returning to Walt Disney World and cannot wait to check it out.
I hope this helps you plan your day a little bit better, Jennifer. If you have any other questions before your trip, please come back and
ask me. I'm happy to help.
Have fun!