Everything Park Hopping - Please Read Post 1

[TheSouthernBelle]

So, I'll be at WDW 4/23 or 4/24 and want to hop from epcot to MK, is the process still the same, just head to the park you want to hop to and tap in? Just making sure I'm not missing some hopping queue you have to check before you leave your park pass reservation park first. TIA

 

[scrappinginontario]

So, I'll be at WDW 4/23 or 4/24 and want to hop from epcot to MK, is the process still the same, just head to the park you want to hop to and tap in? Just making sure I'm not missing some hopping queue you have to check before you leave your park pass reservation park first. TIA

As long as you have tapped into Epcot and don't arrive at MK until at least 2 PM, you can enter at any tap stile.

 

[RobinEJ]

Hi! I am new to park hopping with the new rules, wondering if they ever let you hop before 2pm? Specifically I want to hop to Epcot after a quick morning at studios. I am guessing the answer is no but in the past for the parties and such they have let you in earlier then posted start. Appreciate any insight

 

[chad_1138]

Hi! I am new to park hopping with the new rules, wondering if they ever let you hop before 2pm? Specifically I want to hop to Epcot after a quick morning at studios. I am guessing the answer is no but in the past for the parties and such they have let you in earlier then posted start. Appreciate any insight

As of now, park hopping begins at 2 PM. It may be adjusted in the future, but as of now, that is the rule.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Hi! I am new to park hopping with the new rules, wondering if they ever let you hop before 2pm? Specifically I want to hop to Epcot after a quick morning at studios. I am guessing the answer is no but in the past for the parties and such they have let you in earlier then posted start. Appreciate any insight

The 2pm is strict. You may get a few minutes leeway, but no more than that unfortunately.

 

[jrsharp21]

We are headed to WDW 9/24 - 9/28. We had originally planned to purchase 4 day hopper passes. With the park hours for September not out yet, I am a bit hesitant to purchase hoppers. I am afraid of the parks possibly having early closing times, say 6pm or so, and not really being worth the cost to park hop (that is if the 2pm restriction is still ongoing then). Is a sound plan to just pay the 4 day base ticket now, get our park reservations, and then possibly add park hopper option later on when park hours are released and they are open late?

 

[GBRforWDW]

We are headed to WDW 9/24 - 9/28. We had originally planned to purchase 4 day hopper passes. With the park hours for September not out yet, I am a bit hesitant to purchase hoppers. I am afraid of the parks possibly having early closing times, say 6pm or so, and not really being worth the cost to park hop (that is if the 2pm restriction is still ongoing then). Is a sound plan to just pay the 4 day base ticket now, get our park reservations, and then possibly add park hopper option later on when park hours are released and they are open late?

It’s best guess on this one. Disney just extended hours for all days through nearly end of June to later closing. I don’t think that’ll change come September.

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.

it’s your call, but I’d add on now and if you don’t like the hours a week before your trip, just have the hopper removed from your package.

 

[chad_1138]

It’s best guess on this one. Disney just extended hours for all hours through nearly end of June to late closing. I don’t think that’ll change come September.

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.

it’s your call, but I’d add on now and if you don’t like the hours a week before your trip, just have the hopper removed from your package.

My thoughts exactly. As soon as Food and Wine was announced, I jumped on adding park hoppers for our July 17-31 trip.

 

[Tom_E_D]

It’s best guess on this one. Disney just extended hours for all days through nearly end of June to later closing. I don’t think that’ll change come September.

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.

it’s your call, but I’d add on now and if you don’t like the hours a week before your trip, just have the hopper removed from your package.

If you buy tickets separately, you cannot simply delete the park hopper add-on from your tickets and expect a refund. Tickets that have been linked to MDE (necessary to make park reservations) are non-refundable.

If you buy your tickets as part of a room and ticket package, I believe the date to change the tickets and get a refund is the date the package becomes non-refundable, which is 30 days before your arrival date. (There is a temporary "flexible cancellation" policy for arrivals before April 30, but that doesn't apply here.) So, you can't wait until "a week" before arrival and get a refund for cancelling the park hoppers on your package either.

 

[Robo]

If you decide that you want to hop, add the Hoppers after you arrive.
You can even wait to upgrade (or not) until you are outside the first “Hopped-to” park’s gate to see if it looks too crowded.

 

[Tom_E_D]

We are headed to WDW 9/24 - 9/28. We had originally planned to purchase 4 day hopper passes. With the park hours for September not out yet, I am a bit hesitant to purchase hoppers. I am afraid of the parks possibly having early closing times, say 6pm or so, and not really being worth the cost to park hop (that is if the 2pm restriction is still ongoing then). Is a sound plan to just pay the 4 day base ticket now, get our park reservations, and then possibly add park hopper option later on when park hours are released and they are open late?

I would wait until the park hours are extended to a late enough closing time that you will want to have hoppers, then add them. Hopefully, the hours will be extended before all the parks become fully booked (if they do) and they suspend hopper add-on sales.

 

[Landry]

Is the Park Hopping currently restricted to Disney Transportation? If you have your own vehicle can you use that?

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

Is the Park Hopping currently restricted to Disney Transportation? If you have your own vehicle can you use that?

Yes, you can.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Is the Park Hopping currently restricted to Disney Transportation? If you have your own vehicle can you use that?

Yes, you can.

If you are staying offsite, be sure to save your parking receipt to avoid being charged a second time if you move your car to another park.

 

[BrianL]

Question as I have juswt decided to add hopping to our tickets - I understand that the parks can be at capacity and not allow hopping. Has this been happening in practice? Jsut curious because I don't want to get stuck. We did have late-lunch plans for Epcot that we would be hopping to. I doubt Epcot is likely to fill up, but everything is so weird right now. Thanks!

 

[GBRforWDW]

Question as I have juswt decided to add hopping to our tickets - I understand that the parks can be at capacity and not allow hopping. Has this been happening in practice? Jsut curious because I don't want to get stuck. We did have late-lunch plans for Epcot that we would be hopping to. I doubt Epcot is likely to fill up, but everything is so weird right now. Thanks!

As of now, no park has denied park hopping, even when every park was at capacity for spring break, everyone was able to hop to other parks.

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

Question as I have juswt decided to add hopping to our tickets - I understand that the parks can be at capacity and not allow hopping. Has this been happening in practice? Jsut curious because I don't want to get stuck. We did have late-lunch plans for Epcot that we would be hopping to. I doubt Epcot is likely to fill up, but everything is so weird right now. Thanks!

As PP stated no park has prohibited park hopping. I will be hopping next week and even though it’s not yet been an issue I call the hopping hotline. (407) 560-5000 it’s an automated line that confirms all parks are open to hop.

 

[BrianL]

As of now, no park has denied park hopping, even when every park was at capacity for spring break, everyone was able to hop to other parks.

As PP stated no park has prohibited park hopping. I will be hopping next week and even though it’s not yet been an issue I call the hopping hotline. (407) 560-5000 it’s an automated line that confirms all parks are open to hop.

So, as I expected, extremely unlikely. I just wanted to be sure. Thanks!

 

[bdiddy]

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?

 

[GBRforWDW]

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?

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