Hello, Marisa! Welcome to planDisney. I'm so glad you've stopped by to talk about my favorite thing -
park hopping at Walt Disney World!
You are right, Marisa. Park hopping does look a little bit different than it used to. Things changed a little bit when park hopping returned to us at the start of this year. To park hop, you'll need valid theme park admission with the park hopper option added on. In addition to tickets, you'll also need to make a
park pass reservation for the initial Walt Disney World Theme Park you'd like to visit each day. Park pass reservations are basically like a virtual placeholder in line at a particular theme park. This system was put in place to help regulate the number of people at each park. On the day of, you'll need to scan in and enter the theme park with the park pass reservation first before continuing on to other theme parks later in the day. Park hopping hours now start at 2:00 p.m. and last until each park closes in the evening.
So for example, let's say you'd like to do what you've mentioned above. Visit Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot and then back to Magic Kingdom in the evening. You would need to make your park pass reservation for Magic Kingdom Park that day. You'd need to go there at some point in the morning or afternoon before heading over to Epcot. You'll be able to enter Epcot at 2:00 p.m. and enjoy as much time there as you'd like. After you've had your fill at Epcot, you can head back to Magic Kingdom Park or any of the other Walt Disney World Theme Parks until they close for the evening. It seems complicated but I promise, it really isn't. As long as you have tickets and a park pass reservation for the initial theme park you'd like to visit each day, you are all set!
I hope this helps break down park hopping a little bit more for you. If you have any other questions, please feel free to stop back by and
ask me. I'm happy to help!