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.
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 and upgrade options to choose from.
The most popular ticket options are:
- 1 Park Per Day base tickets
- Park Hopper tickets
- Park Hopper Plus tickets
- Water Parks and Sports option.
The Park Hopper option allows you unlimited hopping (after 2:00 p.m.) between all 4 of the theme parks. This option can be added to base tickets, but the cost will vary depending upon the time of year (busier times of the year are more expensive).
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. Important Note: See Park Pass Reservation update below for travel after January 9, 2024
- 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. Although very, very rare, there may be days when park hopping is not allowed. 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.
Park Pass Reservations Update for Travel After January 9, 2024
Starting with park visits on January 9, 2024, theme park reservations will no longer be required for date-based tickets (these are the standard ticket options offered at Disney World).
So, when getting your ticket, you will select a start date for January 9, 2024 or later, complete your purchase, and then you will be all set.
However, for other admission types, including non-dated tickets like Annual Passes, theme park reservations may still be required to help Disney “continue managing attendance and delivering a great experience for everyone.”
How much do Park Hopper tickets cost?
Park Hopper prices vary according to the time of year, with busier times of the year (like over the holidays or Spring Break) being more expensive.
Walt Disney World Park Hopper Ticket Prices (Advanced Purchase Price)
If you want to upgrade your base ticket to a Park Hopper Ticket, here’s how much extra you can expect to pay:
- 1-day ticket: $67.10 – $78.81 more
- 2 or 3-day ticket: $79.88 – $90.53 more
- 4-day or longer ticket: $90.53 – $101.18 more
Here’s what that total price for a Park Hopper, with tax, looks like:
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 or even in the My Disney Experience app.
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.
Genie+, Individual Lightning Lanes, and Park Hopper Tickets
You can definitely use Genie+ and a Park Hopper ticket together. Here are a few things to know about how that works:
- Your first Genie+ reservation does not need to be at the park where you have a Park Pass Reservation. But, if it isn’t, you’ll need to make sure that it is after 2 p.m.
- As long as you have a Park Hopper benefit on your ticket, you can make Genie+ Lightning Lane reservations at different parks. Just keep in mind that you can’t park hop until after 2 p.m., so your return time would need to be after that.
When it comes to Individual Lightning Lane purchases, you can make those in separate parks, too. So, you could make 1 in the park where you start and 1 at a park where you hop to.
Do Park Hopper tickets expire?
How long a ticket remains valid depends on the type of ticket and whether you bought it as part of a package or not.
This is important to track because you want to make sure you use your entitlements before your tickets expire.
Because the tickets and extras (like the Water Park and Sports and the Park Hopper Plus entitlements) do expire, keep that in mind when planning your days.
Ticket-only purchases
If you purchased your tickets outside a vacation package (meaning you did not purchase your tickets and your resort reservation together), your tickets are valid for the length indicated below.
Note: if you choose to add on the Park Hopper Plus, you’ll notice that you get 1 additional day to use your ticket.
- 1-Day tickets are valid ONLY for the day indicated when purchased
- 2-Day tickets are valid for any 2 days within a 4-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (5 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 3-Day tickets are valid for any 3 days within a 5-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (6 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 4-Day tickets are valid for any 4 days within a 7-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (8 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 5-Day tickets are valid for any 5 days within a 8-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (9 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 6-Day tickets are valid for any 6 days within a 9-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (10 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 7-Day tickets are valid for any 7 days within a 10-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (11 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 8-Day tickets are valid for any 8 days within a 12-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (13 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 9-Day tickets are valid for any 9 days within a 13-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (14 days for Park Hopper Plus)
- 10-Day tickets are valid for any 10 days within a 14-day window that begins on the day indicated when purchased (15 days for Park Hopper Plus)
Walt Disney World Vacation Packages
If, however, you purchased a Disney World Vacation Package, your tickets are valid for the LONGER of either the standard valid length indicated in the list above OR the length of your stay.
So, for example, if you booked an 8-day package, but you have 3-Day tickets, your tickets are good for 8 days (the length of your stay) not the standard 5 days (per the list above).
AND, the reverse is true.
If you book a 3-night package, but you have 8-Day tickets, you’ll have 12 days to use up all of your ticket entitlements (per the list above) not just 3 days (which is the length of your stay).
VIDEO: How to Park Hop at Disney World
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