Hiya, Shae!
Welcome to planDisney from a fellow
Disney Vacation Club Member. Can you believe that you'll finally be returning "home" to Walt Disney World in just over a month? Before you know it, you'll be strolling down Main Street, U.S.A., munching on a Mickey-shaped pretzel, and taking in all the excitement of the
Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration –– I have a feeling that
there's plenty of magic coming your way! Like you, I was a little unsure if the Disney Park Pass system and park hopping would play nicely with each other, but I'm happy to report that I've had great experiences using them together, so far. Let me share a few details about combining the Park Hopper Option and Disney Park Pass reservations to help you make sure your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort vacation goes off without a hitch.
Since you're planning to use the
Park Hopper Option during your visit, you'll only need to make
Disney Park Pass reservations for the
first park you plan to visit each day. After that, you'll be able to hop over to any other available Walt Disney World theme park beginning at 2 PM. While there's always a chance that a park will reach its capacity limit –– especially during busy holidays –– I can tell you that I've heard few reports of this happening. In fact, when my parents were visiting over Presidents' Day Weekend (one of the busiest Walt Disney World weekends of the year, so far), Disney Park Pass reservations were completely full for all four parks and they had no trouble park hopping, even to
Magic Kingdom Park.
The one thing I suggest, however, is giving the Park Hopper Hotline a call at (407) 560-5000 before you head to your second park each day. That way, you'll be able to make sure the park you're hopping over to hasn't reached capacity. Not only will this keep you from wasting precious park time with an unnecessary trip, but you'll also avoid the disappointment of learning that the park is full at the main entrance. Also, remember that in the unlikely event a park is full, availability can open up as Guests leave, so you may want to try again later in the day.
Thanks for bringing your question to planDisney, Shae. I hope your upcoming Walt Disney World Resort visit is filled with pixie dust and plenty of park hopping from start to finish!
See Ya Real Soon,
Amy