Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[Tom_E_D]

So we scheduled 3 days at HS to give us as many chances to get a boarding pass as possible (HUGE Star Wars fans here so we can't miss this). We have 1 day at each park and then our last 2 days we usually like to hop to all 4 ending at MK. So those last 2 days I reserved both days at HS in case all goes south with the boarding pass on our first try. If we get it on our first full day at HS, we are going to keep the 2nd morning at HS (because we would have anyway) but for the 3rd morning, I was originally going to try to change to Epcot since that may be easiest to snag last minute but now I'm thinking we may not want to go back there and could just go to DS for the morning before heading to MK for our last evening. Do I have to tap into HS that morning or can we just cancel the park reservation (once we have gotten the boarding pass on one of the previous days) and go to DS and then tap into MK after 2pm? Or does not going to HS mess up our MK for later in the day? Can you go to any park after 2pm if you haven't made a reservation for there and do something else in the morning...like resort or DS?

To park hop, you must have a reservation for that day and must first go to the park you have the reservation for. Why not switch your reservation to MK, if you can? As long as it's your first park of the day, it doesn't matter whether you get there before or after 2:00. If MK isn't available, keep your HS reservation or switch to another park that is available and go there first.

 

[bdiddy]

You must tap into the park where you have your reservation. You could even go to DS in the morning, head to HS by 130 and tap in, then head straight to MK and tap in there for hopping at 2 if you wanted to

Thank you! Maybe I should still try to change it to Epcot if it's available last minute. It's easier to get to MK from Epcot then HS right? Although isn't the Epcot/MK monorail loop not running now? Maybe it will be by June though. We may have to play it by ear!

 

[bdiddy]

To park hop, you must have a reservation for that day and must first go to the park you have the reservation for. Why not switch your reservation to MK, if you can? As long as it's your first park of the day, it doesn't matter whether you get there before or after 2:00. If MK isn't available, keep your HS reservation or switch to another park that is available and go there first.

I went back and forth on that so many times but I am so worried we will get shut out of a boarding pass. It's seriously a must-do in our family so I felt like we needed to have as many chances at it as possible. The good thing is we'll have had 4 full days at each park so those last two days we can wing it if we have to. We'll just have to tap into the other park and head to MK. Thank you!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Thank you! Maybe I should still try to change it to Epcot if it's available last minute. It's easier to get to MK from Epcot then HS right? Although isn't the Epcot/MK monorail loop not running now? Maybe it will be by June though. We may have to play it by ear!

Correct about the mk/epcot monorail. If it were me, I'd probably start the day in MK then hop to Epcot, just because of the hours. But if you're starting at Disney Springs, it probably makes more sense to do Epcot first.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Do I have to tap into HS that morning or can we just cancel the park reservation (once we have gotten the boarding pass on one of the previous days) and go to DS and then tap into MK after 2pm? Or does not going to HS mess up our MK for later in the day? Can you go to any park after 2pm if you haven't made a reservation for there and do something else in the morning...like resort or DS?

In order to hop to another park you need to tap into your first park. Just to clarify, if you cancel your HS park reservation, you do not have an 'originating' park to go to first unless you can successfully book another park reservation. Depending on when you are going, park reservations are very full so canceling one does not guarantee that you will be able to pick up another. Be very cautious about cancelling park reservations unless the Park Reservation Availability clearly shows there should be availability.

When park reservations were first introduced, it was rare for them to fill. This is not the case any longer and many days are reaching capacity so making changes at the last minute are not as easy to do as they used to be.

 

[wdwobsessed]

Hello all!

Do you think we’ll have any trouble park hopping to EPCOT in the evenings the first week of August?

I would usually say no sweat ... but F&W fest is going on! I’m still leaning towards it being ok though.

I’d rather book my mornings at other parks.

Thoughts??
Thanks!

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Hello all!

Do you think we’ll have any trouble park hopping to EPCOT in the evenings the first week of August?

I would usually say no sweat ... but F&W fest is going on! I’m still leaning towards it being ok though.

I’d rather book my mornings at other parks.

Thoughts??
Thanks!

No you shouldn’t have trouble. Park hopping has always been allowed so far.

 

[Mm889123]

I’m sure this has been asked before so in apologize in advance.
We have park hoppers and reservations for epcot the day we have dining reservations in magic kingdom. If magic kingdom is currently reading at capacity in the reservation calendar- will be still be able to hop there around 4pm?

 

[hes122]

There's been no reports as of yet to say that hopping to a park that's at its reservation capacity is being denied.

 

[mateezy]

Tomorrow we are going to Animal Kingdom. We want to add on Park Hopper to go to Epcot. My understanding is we have to do that before we tap in to AK. Do they have ticket booths open at AK where we can do that? The person at the hotel said they couldn’t do that.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Tomorrow we are going to Animal Kingdom. We want to add on Park Hopper to go to Epcot. My understanding is we have to do that before we tap in to AK. Do they have ticket booths open at AK where we can do that? The person at the hotel said they couldn’t do that.

Yes, there are guest services booths off to the left side of the entrance.


Have you already used your ticket or is it just a 1 day ticket?

Just a heads up that you will need to pay for park hopping for the entire length of your ticket. It's not possible to add it for just one day although you may be well aware of that.

 

[mateezy]

Yes, there are guest services booths off to the left side of the entrance.
View attachment 568646

Have you already used your ticket or is it just a 1 day ticket?

Just a heads up that you will need to pay for park hopping for the entire length of your ticket. It's not possible to add it for just one day although you may be well aware of that.

It’s a 2-day. And yes I know I’ll have to pay the price for a 2-day ticket, thanks.

 

[Tom_E_D]

Tomorrow we are going to Animal Kingdom. We want to add on Park Hopper to go to Epcot. My understanding is we have to do that before we tap in to AK. Do they have ticket booths open at AK where we can do that? The person at the hotel said they couldn’t do that.

It’s a 2-day. And yes I know I’ll have to pay the price for a 2-day ticket, thanks.

I don't believe you have to do the upgrade before you enter AK. Certainly not if that's the first day of your 2-day ticket. I think you can do it any time before close of business of your second day, although you'll obviously have to do it before you park hop to Epcot tomorrow.

 

[Just take my money]

Family of 5, can I go to my reserved park by myself in the morning and scan in all 5 tickets? I'm thinking there may be days we all won't want to start at the reserved park and this way we can be at park two at 2pm.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Family of 5, can I go to my reserved park by myself in the morning and scan in all 5 tickets? I'm thinking there may be days we all won't want to start at the reserved park and this way we can be at park two at 2pm.

No. Everyone must go and tap in themselves. A guest cannot tap in on behalf of another person.

 

[hygienejean]

Hi all. I have an AK reservation on 5/4. Thinking of hopping to HS for a few hours then heading to Epcot. Being that it is May the 4th do you think it will be mobbed with Star Wars fans and should we avoid?
thanks!!!! And May the 4th be with you all!

 

[EpcotPhoenician]

Hollywood Studios has been consistently hitting capacity limits, so I doubt it would be much different on May 4th.

 

[kevgraub]

Hollywood Studios has been consistently hitting capacity limits, so I doubt it would be much different on May 4th.

True, but it has not yet hit capacity limits with regard to park hopping. Reservations are consistently sold out, but hopping has always been allowed.

I can see the OP point here. It is very possible that there will be a lot more people than normal hop to HS on 5/4. That may be the first true test of a park getting shut down to hoppers.

Personally, I would avoid it that day and just go straight to Epcot after AK (maybe a lunch at one of the Epcot area resorts in between). It would not surprise me at all to see HS crammed the afternoon of 5/4. Obviously pure guessing at this point though.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Hi all. I have an AK reservation on 5/4. Thinking of hopping to HS for a few hours then heading to Epcot. Being that it is May the 4th do you think it will be mobbed with Star Wars fans and should we avoid?
thanks!!!! And May the 4th be with you all!

So far there has never been a day when any park has been closed to park hopping even when all 4 parks were completely full with park reservations. Will it be busy? For sure! Unless you're a big SW fan yourself you may wish to choose a different day to hop to DHS if you can as I'm guessing it could stay busier than it does some other days.

 

[flipflopmom]

Also, when parks reservations are full, Disney has been pausing park hopper add ons. Many experienced this issue over the last few weeks with heavy spring break crowds.

How did I miss this?!? Was this adding on once on site or prior? Freaking out a bit for late May trip.