Park Hopping at Walt Disney World
In Disney World, Park Hopping is currently allowed only after 2PM.
On November 20, 2020, Disney announced the 2021 return of Park Hopping at Walt Disney World. Park Hopping resumes on January 1, 2021.
- Guests will still make a Disney Park Pass Reservation for one park per day.
- At 2PM (at a later date, this time may change to earlier in the day), Hop-able Parks will appear on My Disney Experience. Guests can make their way to the second park and at this time do not require a reservation to Park Hop.
- Park Hopping will be available from 2PM (again, subject to change) until park closing.
- When you leave a park to hop to a second park, you will not automatically be able to return to the previous park unless that park has Park Hopper availability, even though you originally had a Park Pass for that park.
- Park-to-park transportation is available beginning at 1:30PM ET. This includes the EPCOT Monorail.
Park Hopper Tickets
Park Hoppers are essentially an add-on to the standard theme park ticket at Walt Disney World. For a per-day, per-person fee, your one-park tickets can transform into Park Hoppers. This allows the user to ‘hop’ from one park to another (and another and another if you so wish) in a single day.
Guests using the Park Hopper option can start the day at one park, leave that park, head to another, and scan in to enjoy another park. There is no limit on the number of times you can visit a park with a Park Hopper, and there is no maximum number of park entrances per day with a Park Hopper. Some guests even attempt four parks in one day!
Note: Annual Passholders have the ability to Park Hop with their passes without adding anything extra. Learn more about Annual Passes here.
The Park Hopper Plus ticket is an add-on that also includes a certain number of admissions to Disney World extras like water parks or mini-golf. Click here to visit our page on different ticket types and ticket FAQs for full details.
Benefits of Park Hopping
Guests choose to add the Park Hopper option for lots of reasons, and each guest will need to consider their needs before deciding if it’s right for them. Park Hoppers can be beneficial if:
- You only want to experience certain attractions in each park (i.e. just the thrill rides), and you prefer to hop to another park when you’ve completed everything in one.
- You want the flexibility to grab Genie+ Lightning Lanes in any park on any day.
- You only have a few days to experience Walt Disney World, and you want to squeeze more than one park into each day.
- Your group likes to be spontaneous, and the ability to hop between parks is part of the fun for you.
- You like to dine at specific restaurants, and Park Hopping allows you to make Advance Dining Reservations wherever you want on any given day.
Drawbacks of Park Hopping
Some guests find that they don’t use their Park Hopper as much as they thought, thus making it an unnecessary burden on the budget. Park Hoppers might not be right for you if:
- You like to stick to one park per day to get the full day’s experience. It’s rope drop ’til closing time for you!
- The hassle of traveling from one park to another isn’t appealing — plus it takes some time away from your park hours.
- You are traveling with kids or other guests who might not adapt well to changing parks midday.
- Â This is your first Walt Disney World visit, and Park Hopping is one added stress you don’t want to deal with.
- As of December 8th, 2022, Park Hopper tickets vary depending on the date, meaning you could end up spending a lot more on your ticket on popular dates to visit.
How to Park Hop
If you decide to Park Hop, you’ll need to plan on how to get from place to place. Most parks have multiple options, so we’re providing you with a snapshot of your options below. Definitely do some research before you leave home (or ask a Cast Member onsite) so you know what your options are.
From Magic Kingdom to:
EPCOT: Take the Monorail from Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center, and transfer to the EPCOT Monorail. If the Magic Kingdom Monorail isn’t operational, use the ferry boat at Magic Kingdom to get to TTC, then Monorail to EPCOT. If neither Monorail is operational, see if Disney has deployed a bus at Magic Kingdom to transfer guests to EPCOT. If there’s no Park-to-park bus service, you’ll need to take a bus to a resort, then transfer to an EPCOT bus from there.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: See if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus at Magic Kingdom, and, if so, take the bus to DHS. If there’s no bus, you’ll want to take a bus to a resort and connect to Hollywood Studios from there. You might want to head to a Skyliner Resort (Riviera, Caribbean Beach, Pop Century, or Art of Animation) and use the gondola system to connect to DHS.
Animal Kingdom: See if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom. If so, take the bus. If not, you’ll need to take a bus to a resort, and transfer to an Animal Kingdom bus from there.
From EPCOT to:
Magic Kingdom: Take the EPCOT Monorail to TTC, and transfer to the Magic Kingdom Express or Resort Monorail. If the Monorail to Magic Kingdom isn’t operational, use the Ferry Boat. If neither Monorail line is working, check for a park-to-park bus. If there isn’t one, you’ll need to take a bus from EPCOT to a resort, then transfer to a Magic Kingdom bus.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Take the Skyliner from EPCOT’s International Gateway to Caribbean Beach Resort Skyliner station, and transfer to the Hollywood Studios line. If Skyliner isn’t operational, you can walk between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. You’ll take the path from EPCOT’s International Gateway past BoardWalk Inn & Villas, then continue on to DHS. By this same logic, you could grab a Friendship Boat at one of the EPCOT-area Resorts to DHS. If you’re traveling from EPCOT’s front entrance (by Spaceship Earth), check for a park-to-park bus or take a bus to a resort and transfer to a DHS bus from there.
Animal Kingdom: Check to see if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus. If so, take it. If not, take a bus or Skyliner from EPCOT to a resort, then transfer to an Animal Kingdom bus from there.
From Disney’s Hollywood Studios to:
Magic Kingdom: See if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus. If so, take it! If not, take a bus (or Skyliner) from Hollywood Studios to a resort, and transfer to a Magic Kingdom bus from there.
EPCOT: Take Skyliner to the Caribbean Beach Resort Skyliner station, then transfer to the EPCOT line (which goes through Riviera Resort as well). If Skyliner is not operational, see if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus. If so, use it. If not, take a bus from DHS to a resort and transfer from there. You could also walk between Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Take the path toward BoardWalk Inn & Villas, then continue on the path toward EPCOT’s International Gateway.
Animal Kingdom: See if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus. If so, use it. If not, take a bus from DHS to a resort, then transfer to an Animal Kingdom bus from there.
From Animal Kingdom to:
All other parks: See if Disney has deployed a park-to-park bus. If so, use it. If not, take a bus to a Disney Resort, and transfer to a park bus from there.
Learn more about transportation options on our Transportation main page, or go directly to pages for the Transportation and Ticket Center, Disney Buses, the Monorail, Skyliner, and Boats!
Note: When transferring at a resort, be aware of the transportation options at the resort. You may be able to take a Monorail, Skyliner, or boat ride between the resort and a park rather than waiting for a bus. When you’re making your daily plans ahead of your trip, do your research to make transfers as efficient as possible.
