Visiting Walt Disney World since reopening after the pandemic closure has been nothing short of an adventure! While Covid-19 protocols are ever-changing, a few things have remained the same since they were introduced: Disney Park Pass Reservations and Park Hopping. I hope to clarify the process for our loyal readers and clients!
In order to visit Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Park Pass Reservations are required along with a valid park ticket. Reservations should be made when your resort reservation is secured with a deposit, or stand-alone tickets purchased. But how exactly does this work for those with park-hopper tickets?
Disney Park Pass Reservations should be made for the FIRST park you wish to visit in a day. You must physically scan into the theme park for which you have the reservation before you are allowed to “hop” to another.*
When can you “hop”? You may enter your second theme park of the day after 2 pm! But the scan into the reserved park must happen before you “hop”. After 2 pm, on any given day, you may hop to as many additional parks as you are able. Hopping then works the same as pre-covid days, after 2 pm.
Your Genie+ will move with you, and if additional Lightning Lanes are available, you’ll be able to choose there as well.
Do you have a dining, lightsaber, tour, or other reservation for a theme park other than the one you made your park pass reservation for? Be sure those reservations are after 2 pm, and you have a hopper ticket to get to your desired destination.
What if the park I want to “hop” to was sold out of park pass reservations? As the park pass reservations are to regulate early morning crowds and for staffing purposes, it is rare you will be denied to “hop” to a sold-out park. If there are capacity issues, Walt Disney World will post signage as to which parks are ‘closed’ to new guests, and/or a number to call to hear where you can go.
NOTE: While being denied hopping was common last summer when reintroduced, it has been a rare occurrence as of late. The last known inability to “hop” was on October 1, 2021, for the 50th Anniversary celebration at Magic Kingdom.
Hopefully, this has helped ease your mind on the use of park-hopper tickets in the new world of park pass reservations!
If you have additional questions, reach out to your Me and The Mouse Travel, Travel Specialist, and they will be happy to assist you further!
*Hopping policies can change at any time. Please check with your Travel Specialist for the most up-to-date information!
