If you’ve planned a Disney World vacation lately, you already know that every dollar counts. As a mom of 2, I know how important it can be to save money on your Disney trip, because things can add up fast.
Magic Kingdom
Between park tickets, resort stays, dining reservations, and those adorable souvenirs you just have to have, costs can really pile up. That’s why it’s worth taking a closer look at one of the biggest add-ons guests often purchase without a second thought. It might sound like a “must-have” for a magical trip, but skipping it could actually save you a surprising amount of money and even a little stress.
So, what exactly are we talking about? The Park Hopper option lets guests visit more than one Disney World park per day. For example, you could start your morning in Magic Kingdom, grab lunch in EPCOT, and end the night watching Fantasmic! in Hollywood Studios. It’s flexible and fun, but that flexibility comes at a price.
Adding the Park Hopper to your ticket costs about $70 extra per person per day, which can really add up for families or longer vacations. So let’s see if it’s really worth the cost. You also have to add them on for your entire trip if you do it in one transaction. If you want Park Hoppers for some days and not others, you’ll need to buy them in separate transactions. However, keep in mind that it’s cheaper to buy more tickets in one transaction, as the cost per day decreases.
Scanning in!
While Park Hopper tickets can sound tempting, not everyone needs them. Families with small children often find it easier to stick to one park per day. It can mean less rushing, fewer meltdowns, and more time to enjoy the attractions at their own pace. If your group has lots of dining reservations, especially table-service meals, you might also find it hard to fit in multiple parks. Sit-down meals can easily take an hour or more once you factor in check-in, ordering, and dining time, and that can cut into your time to ride attractions. Guests who like to explore every corner of a park or enjoy slower days (hello, midday break) usually get more value from a standard one-park-per-day ticket.
Disney World Theme Park Tickets
That said, Park Hopping isn’t without its perks. It can be a great option for short trips when you want to hit the highlights of multiple parks in just a few days. If you’re a Disney pro who knows the layout and transportation system like the back of your hand. In that case, hopping lets you pack in more experiences, such as starting your day with Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom and ending it with the Happily Ever After fireworks in Magic Kingdom. For guests who like to maximize every minute, it can make a trip feel extra exciting.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Still, there are definite advantages to spending your entire day in one park. You’ll save valuable time by avoiding the transportation shuffle between parks, which can easily eat up an hour or more, especially if you’re relying on Disney transportation. Staying put means you can slow down, enjoy the atmosphere, and discover hidden gems that are easy to miss when you’re racing around the resort. The downside? You’re limited to one park’s offerings for the day, but with so much to do in each one, that’s rarely a bad thing.
Disney World Bus
At the end of the day, skipping the Park Hopper could save you $70 per person, per day, without taking away from the magic. For many guests, that money could easily cover a fun sit-down meal, a few iconic snacks, or even give you more souvenir shopping money.
Crowds at Magic Kingdom
For more money-saving tips for your Disney Vacation, be sure to follow us at DFB!
Disney Experts Share 20 Pieces of Advice You Should NOT Follow Anymore
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Do you often add on Park Hopper to your Disney tickets? Tell us what your experience is in the comments below!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
We have skipped PH for the last few WDW trips as we’ve visited many times and now prefer to do one park per day at a more leisurely pace. But just to clarify, the charge isn’t a flat $70 per day; rather it is based on how many days are on your multiday ticket and when you are visiting. A one-day Hopper will indeed add at least $70, but a five-day Hopper adds roughly $90 – 100 per TICKET, not per day. For DL, the PH option IS $70/day for a one-day ticket, but only $50/day for a two-day ticket, $36.67/day for a three-day ticket, etc. But it’s a good tip to consider skipping PH to both save money and enjoy a more relaxed park experience.
We only got park hopper one time…many years and trips ago. Not at all worth it to us as we only need to do one park a day. If you plan your park days carefully you can maximize without time consuming park hopping. But we understand others love it, but def not worth that extra money per day for us.
I’ve been an AP Holder for many years, so I don’t know for sure, but I don’t think the Parkhopper option costs $70 PER DAY! It used to be $60 for an entire 10 days, and while I understand that WDW prices have risen over 600% more than the inflation rates, I pretty sure it’s more likely $70 for up to 4 days, per person, or less, $100 for 5 days and up or around that. Or it could be a variation of that.