Park Hopping Rumor?

[ChipTheRescueRanger]

If anyone from Disney senior team is reading this. Stop making things stupidly complex and user unfriendly and actually do something that guests will enjoy.

As you have been quick to take away perks and quick to make changes that dont suite guests

Maybe employ some staff that have actually been to Disney and understand what guests want.

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I guess if they want to never sell another PH ticket this could be a good idea. Who on earth would buy PH if they had to #1 make park reservations just to hop and #2 realize that means you would likely only get to hop to one park? Stupid idea. Now, that means someone probably did think of it but surely enough other someones pointed out just how idiotic that idea was/is

 

[travelpantfam]

We're trying Universal as part of our trip next time. It is CRAZY EXPENSIVE though.

1 or 2 days are more expensive than WDW. Plus, they sort of force you to get their park-hopper as that's the only way you can ride the Harry Potter train.

I picked Wednesday, July 20 as a random date:
Universal 1-day: $189, 2-day: $322 (with Express pass both days: $760)
WDW 1-day: $134, 2-day: $261(with Genie+ both days: $291

I found Universal to be quite the opposite (maybe I just got lucky with my dates). We are staying at Royal Pacific for 7 nights this August and our total for two adults and two children came to $3700.00. This includes park to park access, express pass (since this Universal's version of a deluxe hotel it is included), and the charge for the superstar shuttle to and from the airport. Now, I did book this late last year so the prices may have gone up a bit since then.

When I priced Disney for the same week at a deluxe hotel (Animal Kingdom Lodge) for 7 nights with park hopper my total came to just over $6000.00. This total didn't include Genie+ or any form of transportation to and from the airport.

I have never been to Universal, so I am excited and nervous to see why there is such a price difference when they are compared to each other so often.

With all this being said, I still have another Disney trip planned for next year (even though the price tag just about gave me a heart attack)

 

[Mrs.AMC]

The reservation system has never been about limiting capacity in the parks. It is give them data to control how much staff needed each day to maximize profits.

Well, it kinda started that way, for a hot minute, then is quickly morphed in to hey, even better than controlling capacity, we can control staff, and even better, also direct guests where we want them. Capacity is 100% out the window now

 

[Mrs.AMC]

I found Universal to be quite the opposite (maybe I just got lucky with my dates). We are staying at Royal Pacific for 7 nights this August and our total for two adults and two children came to $3700.00. This includes park to park access, express pass (since this Universal's version of a deluxe hotel it is included), and the charge for the superstar shuttle to and from the airport. Now, I did book this late last year so the prices may have gone up a bit since then.

When I priced Disney for the same week at a deluxe hotel (Animal Kingdom Lodge) for 7 nights with park hopper my total came to just over $6000.00. This total didn't include Genie+ or any form of transportation to and from the airport.

I have never been to Universal, so I am excited and nervous to see why there is such a price difference when they are compared to each other so often.

With all this being said, I still have another Disney trip planned for next year (even though the price tag just about gave me a heart attack)

You are going to quickly find that you run out of things to do at Universal. 7 days is just too long. Maybe you are looking for relaxing do nothing days though.
And yeah, I'd say you really got lucky with resort. That's not the usual price for RPR, though it is the lowest priced of their top tier resorts. Even it's not normally $3000 for 7 nights. Not even with an AP discount. May have even been a price glitch. Not sure. We have been AP holders for years so we stay there regularly.

 

[Smugpugmug]

We're trying Universal as part of our trip next time (most likely). It is CRAZY EXPENSIVE though.

1 or 2 days are more expensive than WDW. Plus, they sort of force you to get their park-hopper as that's the only way you can ride the Harry Potter train.

I picked Wednesday, July 20 as a random date:
Universal 1-day: $189, 2-day: $322 (with Express pass both days: $760)
WDW 1-day: $134, 2-day: $261(with Genie+ both days: $291)

I noticed that too while planning a December trip (WDW and Universal) with my family. My parents and I have WDW APs but my sister doesn't so she has to buy a WDW ticket. The price of a 1 day 2 park Universal ticket is more expensive than WDW, even with the park hopper added. The Express pass prices are insane but it is Christmas time so it's not too shocking. My family wants to go to Universal more than Hollywood Studios and AK, so we're skipping those parks to do Universal instead.

 

[bbeagle]

I found Universal to be quite the opposite (maybe I just got lucky with my dates). We are staying at Royal Pacific for 7 nights this August and our total for two adults and two children came to $3700.00. This includes park to park access, express pass (since this Universal's version of a deluxe hotel it is included), and the charge for the superstar shuttle to and from the airport. Now, I did book this late last year so the prices may have gone up a bit since then.

If you stay at Universal for more than 2 days, the price difference eventually flips in favor of Universal.

It's just really hard to ADD a Universal trip to a Disney trip without the costs being very expensive. But a 7-day Universal trip can be much cheaper than a Disney trip. There's just not as much to do there. You could fill up 7-days at Disney easy, not so for Universal, it's 3 days max - unless you're repeating things or using the pool all the time.

 

[travelpantfam]

You are going to quickly find that you run out of things to do at Universal. 7 days is just too long. Maybe you are looking for relaxing do nothing days though.
And yeah, I'd say you really got lucky with resort. That's not the usual price for RPR, though it is the lowest priced of their top tier resorts. Even it's not normally $3000 for 7 nights. Not even with an AP discount. May have even been a price glitch. Not sure. We have been AP holders for years so we stay there regularly.

I have heard from some others that seven days will be a bit too long even for our first time, but I am very much so looking forward to relaxing. I also have older children who are able to go off on their own so my husband and I can just wander the parks and people watch, which is something I feel like I never have time for in Disney World

 

[bbeagle]

We are staying at Royal Pacific for 7 nights this August and our total for two adults and two children came to $3700.00. This includes park to park access, express pass (since this Universal's version of a deluxe hotel it is included), and the charge for the superstar shuttle to and from the airport.

Season passes are $425/pp. So, for 4 people that's $1700. You got the Royal Pacific for only $2000 for 7 nights? That's around $285 a night. I've seen it for that price sometimes. At other times, it's $700-$900.

Great deal!

You can also get a Deluxe Disney Resort, like the Polynesian, for about $3000 for 7 nights by renting DVC. Then Disney 7 day tickets in late August for $481. So, I can get a pretty good Disney vacation for around $5000.

 

[bbeagle]

I have heard from some others that seven days will be a bit too long even for our first time, but I am very much so looking forward to relaxing. I also have older children who are able to go off on their own so my husband and I can just wander the parks and people watch, which is something I feel like I never have time for in Disney World

If you're planning on people-watching and relaxing, that will definitely work. You should have a great time!

If you're looking to relax, a 7-day Universal trip would be similar to a 14 to 17 day Disney trip.

 

[greeneyedchick]

If you're planning on people-watching and relaxing, that will definitely work. You should have a great time!

If you're looking to relax, a 7-day Universal trip would be similar to a 14 to 17 day Disney trip.

You can also hop over to Disney Springs or dine at a Disney resort if you run out of things to do.

 

[ChiDisneyFan]

Unfortunately it'll be here to stay, Chapek just renewed for another 3 years

 

[adamreisinger]

I will forever miss the sponteniety of waking up in the morning, checking the wait times in the app, and deciding which park to go to based on that. If they add having to reserve your second park for the day, that'll make things even more complicated and less spontaneous.

My guess, though, is part of the reason they're looking to do this is that Animal Kingdom has essentially become the hopper park. Reserve there, start your day there, and go to the park you actually want to go to (for which there were no reservations left) at 2pm. The place is practically a ghost town in the late afternoon.

 

[nluvwithdisney]

Strictly thinking from a selfish point of view, I would not object to dvc members to be able to park hop before 2. This will be our first time back since sept 2019 this coming September. I loved making fast passes 60 days in advance and would probably pay for it as necessary. Or gone are the days of just catching the first bus that comes for a park when you get to the bus stop lol.

 

[SL6827]

So they are going to charge you more to hop to more than one park a day? We never park hop, but crap!

 

[SLThomas318]

Agree with everyone in how obnoxious this would be! Park hopping is the only spontaneous thing left!

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Bob Cheapek doesn’t care about park people

 

[snikki]

Park hopper ticket revenue is easy money for Disney. They are making that money off of you without providing anything other than a choice.

But it does make me wonder if they want to limit park hopping due to the park reservation system helping them control staffing which helps with their bottom line. People walking through Epcot at 1 pm and going to DHS at 2 pm isn't what Disney wants.

 

[jade1]

I found Universal to be quite the opposite (maybe I just got lucky with my dates). We are staying at Royal Pacific for 7 nights this August and our total for two adults and two children came to $3700.00. This includes park to park access, express pass (since this Universal's version of a deluxe hotel it is included), and the charge for the superstar shuttle to and from the airport. Now, I did book this late last year so the prices may have gone up a bit since then.

When I priced Disney for the same week at a deluxe hotel (Animal Kingdom Lodge) for 7 nights with park hopper my total came to just over $6000.00. This total didn't include Genie+ or any form of transportation to and from the airport.

I have never been to Universal, so I am excited and nervous to see why there is such a price difference when they are compared to each other so often.

With all this being said, I still have another Disney trip planned for next year (even though the price tag just about gave me a heart attack)

Should be a great time IMO, esp a first time visit and if HP fans.

US Park Hopping is nice, esp for the train.

August is brutal so many breaks will be nice to have and not be in a rush-esp with EX Pass for when you do go in.

Recommend maybe early entry (beat the heat) like every other day, and sleep in the opposite days. Evenings are pretty nice after the 4PM daily storms.

 

[PalmettoPath]

This would really make the 4 parks, 1 day challenge even more challenging.