Hello Julie!
Welcome to planDisney! Thank you for your question as we are all so glad to help! I see that you are busy planning an exciting trip to Walt Disney World Resort and are trying to figure out what
ticket option will work best. Let's go over a few options and the rules.
- 1 Park Per Day Tickets- This is exactly what it sounds like. It's one park per day and this is usually what I end up purchasing.
- Water Park and Sports Option- This gives you the ability to enter the Water Parks (Disney's Typhoon Lagoon or Disney's Blizzard Beach) and visit other sports-related places like the miniature golf course!
- Park Hopper Option-This ticket lets you visit multiple theme parks in one day. This is great if you want to "hop" over to another Park and experience something new.
There are more variations on these tickets but they are just a blend of the three I presented above. Now, when purchasing tickets for multiple days, all the tickets must match. You cannot mix and match so that one day is a 1 Park Per Day and another is a Park Hopper ticket. However, if you want you could, for example, buy a two-day 1 Park Per Day ticket and use it over four days that don't have to be consecutive. You can then buy separately two Park Hopper Tickets that can also be used over four days and also don't have to be consecutive. This creates a four-day trip in the Parks with two days being one Park per day and two being Park Hopper days in any order you want. Just don't use the two tickets on the same day as that's a mess and with the
Theme Park Reservation system, it is not possible. One ticket is to be assigned each day and a Park must be selected for that day. If you have a Park Hopper ticket assigned to that day you can "hop" to any Park you desire at 2 pm. The negative to this idea is that it will cost more. It's a much better value to buy a three-day or more ticket as the price goes down the more days you buy.
Now, many of my fellow Panelists have strong feelings about "Park Hopping." Here is my opinion: I have little kids and I do not like to "hop." I like to enjoy one Park per day and take a break in the middle at a nearby Resort for a leisurely
table service reservation or a trip back to my Resort for some pool time. We then as a family like to return nearer to the end of the day to finish strong with a few more rides and a nighttime spectacular. Traveling to another Park with kids who are already excited about the one we started can lead to disaster and tears. Let's be honest, everyone will be tired by that 2 pm hop time- especially if you were smart and started your day by arriving at the Park's front gate 40 minutes before
Park opening. (My Top Tip!) I think spending time recharging and resting makes everyone happy. If you don't have little ones in tow then hopping may be an exciting way to experience more of your favorites in one day. The best park in my opinion to "hop" into is EPCOT. Start your mornings in one Park and leave the midday crowds to explore the World Showcase and all its culinary delights.
I am running out of space so I hope what I wrote helps you make your decisions. You can always come back and let me know if you have more questions! Have a magical time!
-Nimmy