Everything to know about Disney Park Hopper tickets

Disney Park Hopper tickets are a popular upgrade to base tickets at Walt Disney World.

This ticket add-on allows you to visit more than 1 park per day. While the option of being able to hop from one park to another has it benefits and is quite appealing, we don’t always recommend it.

Plus, it’s an extra cost to what is already an expensive vacation.

Over the years, there have also been some changes to how park hopping works. But, that’s why we’re here, to explain Disney Park Hopper tickets, how they work, the cost, and if and when you should buy them.

Here’s everything you need to know.

In this article

How Park Hopper tickets work

If you’re just beginning your Disney World planning, you’re probably discovering that you’ll have several different ticket upgrade options to choose from.

The most popular ticket upgrades are 1 Park Per Day base tickets, Park Hopper tickets, Park Hopper Plus tickets, and the Water Parks and Sports option.

Here’s what those mean:

Standard Theme Park Ticket (also called Base tickets)

This is where you start. These tickets get you into 1 park/day. They are the least expensive option; however, like with all tickets, their price depends upon the length of the ticket as well as the initial use date.

From here, you can add on one of the options below.

Park Hopper tickets

Park Hopper tickets are an add on you can get for your base tickets. They are a set price (regardless of ticket length) and allow you to enter multiple parks each day.

However, unlike in the past, there are some restrictions and rules to know about:

Guests have to make a Disney Park Pass reservation for the first park they plan to visit AND enter that first park before visiting another.
At this time, a park reservation is not required after the first park; however, reservation requirements are subject to change.
There are specific Park Hopper hours during which this option is available. Park Hopper hours start at 2 p.m. each day and end at the park’s scheduled close time.

Important things to keep in mind if you are considering purchasing Park Hopper tickets:

Park Hopping is subject to the park’s capacity. Guests wishing to check on the status of Park Hopping can dial (407) 560-5000.
Designated Park Hopping hours are subject to change. They could start earlier or later. Guests are advised to use the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date hours.
Planning to hop to Epcot and catch a ride on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? That won’t work. if you’re visiting Epcot AFTER you visit your first park, you CANNOT join the virtual queue for Cosmic Rewind.

Park Hopper Plus tickets

All the new rules for the Park Hopper apply.

However, Park Hopper Plus tickets take park hopping one step further by also allowing you entries into the water parks (both Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon) along with other “Plus” options like vouchers for mini-golf, regular golf, and FootGolf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course.

The number of entrances to these “Plus” locations is equal to the length of your ticket. For example, if you have a 4 day Park Hopper Plus ticket, you get 4 days worth of entries into the main parks PLUS 4 entries into one of the “plus” locations (like the water parks).

Water Park and Sports

If you are interested in the “Plus” options of the Park Hopper Plus ticket, but you do not plan to hop to a different park, this might be a better deal for you.

With this ticket, you can visit only one theme park each day of your ticket.

In addition to the theme parks, based on the length of your ticket, you can also enjoy a certain number of visits to a water park or other Disney World sports-related experience, including:

Blizzard Beach
Typhoon Lagoon
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course – FootGolf and Golfing
Fantasia Gardens and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Courses

There’s a bit more to learn about tickets – including how long each one is valid for. You can find all of that info in our complete guide to Disney World Park Tickets.

How much do Park Hopper tickets cost?

If choosing this option, add the following to the cost of each ticket (these prices don’t include tax):

$65 per ticket for 1-day tickets
$75 per ticket for 2 to 3-day tickets
$85 per ticket for 4 to 10-day tickets

Through 2023, the ticket price caps at $159, with the least expensive remaining at $109.

Below is a look at what ticket prices are in 2022 after they saw an increase in February 2022.

Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Prices

1-2 day no change
3 day was $415.77 – $555.88, now $416.37 – $555.88
4 day was $525.35 – $687.27, now $540.89 – $687.27
5 day was $554.09 – $721.38, now $572.47 – $739.92
6 day was $568.32 – $736.44, now $586.96 – $762.77
7 day was $582.59 – $752.08, now $601.63 – $785.48
8 day was $608.69 – $769.36, now $628.04 – $810.55
9 day was $626.53 – $782.46, now $649.96 – $827.00
10 day was $644.22 – $794.17, now $671.55 – $841.86

Is it worth the cost to upgrade a base ticket?

One nice thing about Disney World tickets is that in many instances, you can upgrade them in the parks.

That means you don’t have to decide before your trip if you will hop or not; you can wait until you are there.

However, the bad part about that is that no matter when in your trip you decide to upgrade, you’ll pay the full price.

The cost to upgrade isn’t less if you wait until the last day of your trip to add the Park Hopper option vs. doing it on the first day, so there is an advantage to upgrading earlier (rather than later) so that you can get the maximum value back out of your ticket.

We are firm believers that you don’t have to buy anything “extra” to have a magical vacation at Disney World.

Sometimes it may feel like the only way to have a good time is to dine at every character meal, go to every dessert party, and purchase every other extra or premium event that Disney offers.

But the truth is that you don’t HAVE to do any of those things, and even if you choose not to, you’ll still have a magical time. Do we like everything we just listed? Yep. They are all fun “extras,” but they are just that – extras.

Besides all the parties and desserts and princess makeovers, Park Hopper tickets are another extra that you might be considering. For most trips that span 4 or more days, they really aren’t absolutely necessary. But, depending on your situation they *might* be one splurge that makes sense.

When should you get a Park Hopper ticket?

Here are some of the top reasons when we think you should consider buying Park Hopper tickets:

If your trip is short and you want to still visit all 4 parks
If you are traveling during the holidays (or other super busy time of the year) when you might need to escape to a less busy park
If you know you’ll want to stay out later so you’ll be leaving a park that closes early and heading over to one that is closing later
If you are staying at an Epcot area resort (since it is so easy to “hop” over there for dinner or drinks in the evening)

We’re sure there are other reasons that somebody might consider buying a Park Hopper ticket, but they definitely aren’t a necessity in most instances.

They are a nice “perk” but not something that should make or break your trip. In fact, we think that if you are in doubt, skip them and save that extra money for something else.

If you’re interested in booking a trip to Walt Disney World, contact a travel professional at Small World Vacations!