Everything you need to know about park hopping at Walt Disney World – from getting tickets to making reservations.
With its four theme parks and two water parks, moving around during the day at Walt Disney World is tempting. And, better yet, it’s fairly easy to do.
Park hopping is a system that allows guests to visit multiple parks in a single day. For example, some people like to visit Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios in the morning and end the day at EPCOT or Magic Kingdom.
Here’s what you need to know...
Park Hopping at Walt Disney World
To park hop, you will need to purchase a ticket that allows you to “visit multiple parks per day.” In most cases, this is called a Magic Ticket and often includes extra promotional days inside the parks. Disney World uses dynamic pricing, so the cost of park hopper tickets will fluctuate throughout the year depending on demand.
Getting between the parks throughout the day is easy; there are buses, boats, monorails, and ride-sharing vehicles to choose from. Read our guide to Disney Transportation to help you make the most out of your park hopping experience. Transportation between the parks usually starts running at 10am.
In early 2024, Disney announced that those visiting Walt Disney World with date-specific tickets would no longer need to make a theme park reservation for the same day. This means that those booking multi-date tickets (where you indicate your first day upon booking) can park hop freely.
Purchase your Disney World tickets here.
How to Park Hop as a WDW Pass Holder
Annual Pass holders are also able to take advantage of the park hopping system. The only caveat is that on certain days, you will need to make a reservation for the park, which can take some of the spontaneity out of your trip. Annual Passholders can park hop freely on a "good-to-go" day or after 2pm.
View the reservation calendar and select your dates here.
How to Use Genie+ With Park Hopper
It’s possible to use Genie+ with a park hopper ticket. Two options are available: buy Genie+ for a single park (cheaper unless you’re visiting Magic Kingdom) or use the multi-park option of Genie+.
Pricing varies for multi-park Genie+, though it usually costs anywhere between $27 and $35 per person per day on top of park tickets.
Alternatively, if there’s an individual attraction that you would like to ride during the day, it can be useful to buy an individual Lightning Lane. This can be purchased via the My Disney Experience app and will set you back between $10 and $25 per rider.
Read our guide to Genie+ at Walt Disney World to learn more about the system.
Can You Join a Virtual Queue When Park Hopping?
While it used to be that guests had to be inside a specific park to join a virtual queue, that is no longer the case. If you’re visiting Animal Kingdom in the morning and want to snag a space on Tron in the afternoon, this is possible if you hold a park hopper ticket.
In fact, you don’t even need to be inside a park at all, as long as you have a valid ticket for the same day. You can access the virtual queue system in the My Disney Experience app.
As of 2024, Virtual Queues are in place for two rides at Walt Disney World: Tron Lightcycle/Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The first drop for spaces in the virtual queue is at 7am.
Remember – there’s no right or wrong way to park hop. You can choose to visit two parks or four, it’s totally up to you. However, one of the best ways to use the park hopper system is by starting at the park that opens earliest and ending at a park that closes later.
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