Not all Disney vacations are right for park hopping, but if you weigh your park-hopping options and decide to go the multi-park route, it’s important to plan appropriately. Taking a leisurely approach to seeing multiple parks in one day could result in a lot of time wandering with very few attractions included in your stay. Make the most of your money and your time with these tips for park hopping like a pro.
Watch the Extra Magic Hours
Whether you’re staying at a Disney Resort or not, Extra Magic Hours (EMH) are something you want to be aware of. If you are staying on property, EMH give you some extra time in the day’s select parks which will make your park-hopping experience even better. Consider starting at the park with morning EMH and ending where the evening EMH are taking place to make the most of this perk.
If you’re not staying a Walt Disney World resort hotel, look up the day’s EMH parks and avoid these, instead. If you can’t get in early to enjoy the extra time, this feature works against you. By the time you make it into the park, top attractions will already have a line. You’ll find a similar issue with the evening EMH. If you plan to end your day at a park that has extended hours you can’t enjoy, you’ll just get stuck in the swelling crowds at the end of the day and have to leave before you enjoy any real payoff from it.
Schedule your FastPasses early
If you’re planning to park hop, choose FastPass+ reservations that take place early in the day. Ideally, you’ll want to show up at the first park of the day when it opens, and use up your three FastPasses before lunch. If one of your must-see attractions doesn’t have passes till later in the day, reserve a pass for something else and commit yourself to standby. You can’t afford late afternoon FastPasses if you want to make the most of your park hopping experience.
If you’ve used up all your FastPasses at the first park before you hit the second, you can sign up for three new FastPasses on arrival at the second park. This is the best way to maximize your use of the FastPass+ system. While you’re more likely to have a couple longer standby lines in the process, it will allow you a good shot at utilizing six whole passes during your whirlwind park experience.
Watch wait times from afar
Download the My Disney Experience app to your smartphone and use it to keep a close eye on wait times throughout the day. This will help you spot attractions with shorter waits, even when you’re across the park. Park-hopping requires a little more dedication and organization than strolling about leisurely with one park on your agenda. You probably won’t have time for multiple laps, so it’s important to know where you’re going and what you can expect when you get there.
Using the app, you can also begin to scout out wait times at your second park while you’re still en route. With this information in hand, you can make a beeline for the attractions with the shortest wait times and make a smart decision about which FastPasses are most valuable for the second leg of your day.
Make room for dining reservations
If you’re planning to hit more than one park in a day, time is of the essence. First, decide whether table service dining is really at the top of your list. It will undoubtedly take a bigger chunk of time out of your day. If you’re not a big foodie with key restaurants on your must-see list, counter service might be the best option for your day.
If you do want to take a break with a table service meal, you should absolutely make reservations for it. While it’s true that you can often get into great restaurants without a reservation, it will typically take longer, and you don’t want to watch these spare minutes tick by when you’re hoping to hit multiple parks in one day. If you’re planning to dine at the first park of the day, make reservations early so you’re not left lingering just for the sake of a meal. If you’re setting reservations for the second park, lean toward later dining times so you don’t have to rush too much to meet them.
Scope out smart transportation
Utilizing the resort’s transportation system is the best way to park-hop efficiently, but you have to plan carefully if you’re not staying on property. If you’re starting at Epcot, you can certainly leave your car there and take the monorail to and from the Magic Kingdom for a fun and speedy way to jet between the two parks. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to return to your car before that monorail stops running for the night. If Epcot closes hours before the Magic Kingdom’s EMH that night, you won’t be able to reach your vehicle again at the end of the day.
When in doubt, move your car. But if at all possible, try to avoid taking your car at all by staying at a resort hotel. If you’re utilizing the park’s public transportation system, make sure you evaluate all your options. Busses are always available between destinations, but there are alternatives as well. Boats run between Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can walk between these parks as well, and reach either one via a moderate stroll from the Boardwalk. The Contemporary Hotel and Polynesian are both within walking distance of the Magic Kingdom.
Keep these tricks in mind as you’re waiting for your bus. If you just missed a bus from Animal Kingdom to Magic Kingdom, but one is pulling up for the Polynesian, just hop on board and walk to Magic Kingdom. If you’re headed to Epcot and there’s an empty bus waiting for Yacht and Beach Club, you can use that and either walk or take a boat for the last leg of the journey. Utilize what’s available in the moment for the fastest transportation.
Prepare for the weather
If you’re visiting Florida during hurricane season (June 1 to November 30), it will almost certainly rain while you’re there. Probably around 4 in the afternoon. Keep an eye on the local weather reports and watch for inclement weather, particularly the state’s famous lightning storms. Keep in mind that outdoor attractions cannot operate if lightning is in the vicinity. If it’s supposed to storm and Kilimanjaro Safari’s is high on your to-do list, make every effort to get there before the weather does. When you’re park hopping, you can’t always afford to wait around for a ride to re-open, and a major delay can de-rail your entire day.
With enough forethought, you can make the most out of your park hopper and hit all your top picks in two or even more parks in a day. Just make sure you draft your plan early so you don’t miss out on your favorite features.
