Hey there, Teresa! I'm so glad you've stopped by planDisney with your question.
Park hopping is actually my favorite way to spend a day at Disney and I am so glad it's made its way back to us earlier this year.
Since its return, park hopping does look a little bit different at this time. Currently, to park hop, Guests must have valid theme park admission with the park hopper option. Then Guests wishing to park hop must make
park pass reservations for an initial theme park each day. Guests must scan in and enter the theme park with the park pass reservation first before continuing on to other Walt Disney World Theme Parks later that day. Park hopping hours are now between 2:00 p.m. and last until each park closes in the evenings. Once you have made your initial park pass reservation each day, there is no need to make additional ones to hop throughout the day.
So that's the technicalities of park hopping but let's break it down even easier. Once you've purchased your Walt Disney World theme park tickets that have the park hopper option, you can go ahead and make a park pass reservation for the first park you'd like to visit each day. One day, your park pass reservation is for Magic Kingdom Park. You will need to go to Magic Kingdom Park, even if just for a moment to scan in, before heading over to Epcot around 2:00 p.m. to enjoy the rest of the day. You can also park hop anytime after 2:00 p.m. So let's say you wanted to sleep in and enjoy your Disney Resorts Collection Hotel pool during the afternoon, that's totally fine. When you are ready to enjoy a theme park (no matter what time) you do have to go to that theme park with the park pass reservation first, even if it's after 2:00 p.m. Again, you don't have to spend much time there if you've changed your plans for the day, but you do have to scan into the park with your MagicBand or ticket card. This sort of "activates" your park hopper feature each day.
Teresa, I think you are really going to enjoy park hopping while you are at Walt Disney World. Most days, you can find me enjoying early morning attractions at the theme parks, checking off some of my must-do's before the parks tend to get busy for the day. Then around lunchtime, I love to head back for a swim. Once I've had my fill of the Florida sun, I like to clean up and head over to Epcot to enjoy snacks and drinks around The World Showcase for dinner. It's a perfect way to spend a Disney day.
I hope this helps you understand how park hopping is working a little bit more, Teresa. If you still have some questions about this or anything else, please feel free to come back and
ask me. I'm happy to help!
Have fun!