Disney World has recently rolled out some HUGE changes. Not only is the Disney Dining Plan back, but Park Pass Reservations are no longer required for most Disney World guests. On top of that, Park Hopping rules have changed once again and park hopping is back to the way it was pre COVID.

We know that this is a lot to digest and the last thing you want to be worried about on your trip is if you know all the rules. So we are here to help!

So, what is Park Hopping you ask? Well, it is the ability to visit more than one Disney World theme park in a single day. If you wanted to, you could visit all four parks with a valid Park Hopper ticket. Since Disney World reopened after COVID shut down the parks in 2020, a restriction was put on park hopping that only allowed you to hop to another park after 2PM. Now that has changed.

No More Restrictions On When You Can Park Hop

As of January 9, 2024, guests with valid admission can now hop at ANY time! This means that you can have a reservation in Magic Kingdom in the morning and then instantly hop over to say EPCOT to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind right after. No more waiting for the clock to strike 2! Just hop at your hearts content.

With this new freedom and the fact that park passes are no longer needed for guests with a park hopper ticket, there is so much more flexibility with a Disney World trip. It will now be easier to change your mind, plans, and to go with the flow!

Buses Start Running at 10AM

The parks typically open anywhere from 7-8AM but as of now, buses between the parks will not start running until 10AM. If you are wanting to hop before 10AM, you may need to look at other transportation options like the Skyliner, the monorail, or a paid service like Uber.

There is no bus between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT right now. If you are looking to hop between these two parks, the monorail is available!

These are the three times you still need a park pass reservation in Disney World!

Annual Passholders Are at a Disadvantage

On most days (other than good to go days and after 2PM) Annual Passholders still need a Park Pass Reservation. Due to this, there are restrictions on Genie+ reservations and Individual Lightning Lanes. If you haven’t scanned in to the park that you have a reservation for and you are trying to make a Genie+ reservation for an attraction that is in a different park than your park pass reservation, you will not see times listed until after 2PM.

This does go away after Annual Passholders scan into the park that they have a reservation for. So once you scan into the park you will see earlier times available. The problem is if an Annual Passholder was hoping to get an EARLY Genie+ reservation or Individual Lightning Lane in a park that is different from the one they have a park pass reservation for since those might fill up before the Passholder arrives at their first park and scans in.

Read more about this new disadvantage for Annual Passholders here.

Important Details

There is some important information to note:

• Guests need to have a valid ticket or Annual Pass with Park Hopping capabilities. You can learn all about the ticket options with Park Hopping — including pricing to add Park Hopping, which varies by date — on our Walt Disney World Tickets page.  
• The Walt Disney World Resort is about 43 square miles, and it’s going to take some time to get around. If you are park hopping because you have a Dining Reservation or a Lightning Lane reserved, be sure you are allowing yourself enough time to get between parks, get in the gate, and walk to your destination. A general rule of thumb is to allow at least an hour to “hop”.

• Theme park reservations may be required for Annual Passholders and guests with certain non-dated tickets to enter their first park. But after a guest enters their first park (the one they had the reservation for), they will be able to visit another theme park.
• The Disney Genie service made its debut on October 1, 2021. Disney Genie+ provides an optional paid service in addition to the standard Disney Genie. Disney Genie+ allows guests to bypass standby lines and enter the Lightning Lane (previously known as the FastPass line) at over 50 select attractions across Disney World by paying a base price starting at $15 per day, per ticket. Disney Genie+ works with Park Hopping, AND Individual Lightning Lane Attraction Selection, so guests who purchase either service are NOT limited to one park per day. Guests may buy either a single-park Genie+ option or a multi-park option (to accommodate Park Hopping) as seen below. You can learn more HERE.

Read MORE about Park Hopping in Disney World here!

Do you have any questions about park hopping in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

 

The post NEW Guide to Park Hopping in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.