What is a Walt Disney World Park Hopper and Do I Need It?

What is a Walt Disney World Park Hopper and do I need it?

There are two types of Walt Disney World tickets that my clients use – there is the traditional ticket that is called a Base Ticket and there is the Park Hopper (technically, a Base Ticket with the Park Hopper Add-on Option).

A Base Ticket allows you enter visit one of the four Walt Disney World theme park per day.  You can go in and out of that theme park as many times as you want in one day, but if you have a Base Ticket and go to two different parks in the same day that will use up two days.

For example, on Monday you get up first thing in the morning and head to the Magic Kingdom.  Around noon you head back to your resort for a little pool time and a nap, then late in the afternoon you head back to the Magic Kingdom for dinner and more fun. No problem.

However, if you have a Base Ticket and on Monday you get up first thing in the morning and go to the Magic Kingdom and then in the afternoon you decide you want to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios your MagicBand won’t work – you will not be admitted to Hollywood Studios.  You can only go to the Magic Kingdom that day.

In order to visit more than one Walt Disney World theme park in the same day, you need a Park Hopper ticket. With a Park Hopper you can do all four theme parks in the same day if you want and come and go as much as you want.

* There is also the Park Hopper Plus Add-On Option that includes admission to the two Walt Disney World water parks, the two miniature golf courses and the 9-hole regulation golf course.

If you think Park Hopper Plus is something you would be interested in, let’s talk – there might be a better way to go.

– Should we get a Base Ticket or a Park Hopper?

As usual, the answer to this one is ‘it depends’ since every family’s situation is going to be different.

I always have a Park Hopper (it’s part of my Annual Pass) because we like to come and go and move around and do lots of things at the last minute – but that may not be best for your family.

Part of the service I provide is helping you determine which type of Walt Disney World ticket is best for your family.  We’ll talk about how your family likes to vacation, how old the kids are, what sort of Walt Disney World experiences are important to your family, etc.

There is an additional cost for the Park Hopper and we’ll talk about that as well.