Since I can remember, Disney World has always been my happy place. As a kid, there’s nothing I loved more than dedicating an entire day to spend in either one of the four parks: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and Epcot. By coming to UCF, I knew I’d eventually be making a lot of mini trips to the parks—especially because I’d finally become an annual passholder (my actual dream come true). With my kind of pass, I even had the option to do something called “park-hopping.” Essentially, I could visit more than one of the parks in a single day. Naturally, since I’ve already had the privilege of getting to experience all the parks individually, I decided it was time to switch things up and try something new. So, scoot in closer and let me tell you the tale of the 10 tips that’ll help you survive your first park-hopping experience at Disney:
1. Bring a Reusable Water Bottle
Rather than waste your money on overpriced bottles of water or make continuous stops at restaurants for free water cups, bring a bottle of your own. There are plenty of water fountains around the parks where you can stop to refill your bottle and keep it moving.
2. Pack Lightly
Avoid bringing a bag if you can help it. For one, you won’t have to wait in any bag-check lines, which can get super annoying if you’re visiting multiple parks on the same day.
3. Plan Everything You Want to See…and Eat
I cannot stress the importance of planning ahead enough. For instance, if there’s a show you really love seeing in Animal Kingdom, find out the times and make sure you schedule it for when you plan on being there. If there’s a restaurant you love going to, plan to be in that specific park by lunchtime. When I park-hopped, I went from Hollywood Studios to Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival for lunch.
4. FastPasses Can Only Be Made in One Park
Every guest is allowed three fast passes per day, but if you’re considering park-hopping, those three fast passes can only be made in one park rather than multiple ones. For this reason, I made sure to get all three of my fast passes at Magic Kingdom at back-to-back times.
5. Wear Something Comfortable
When you’re running around the parks, it’s important to dress for the occasion. Break out your most comfortable (and stylish) pair of sneakers; you’ll need them!
6. Make Sure You Know Your Way Around
Nothing’s more frustrating than getting lost and losing precious time that you could’ve spent doing something else. Grab a park map at the entrance, or download the “My Disney Experience” app to help you figure out where everything is at when it comes to rides, restrooms and transportation. There are buses you can take to every park, a monorail that connects the Magic Kingdom to Epcot, and even a boat you can take from Hollywood Studios to Epcot.
7. Take the Time to Take Pictures
Live in the moment, but don’t forget to snap a couple cute pics at each park while you’re at it!
8. Be Prepared for Inconveniences
You will come across monorail delays, or technical difficulties with rides—don’t stress. These things will happen, but at the end of the day, they’re also out of your control.
9. Remember Where You Parked Your Car
If you parked your car at Epcot, you need to eventually make it back to Epcot to get to your car. I’ve found that the easiest place to leave your car is at the Disney Transportation and Ticket Center since it has buses and monorails running into the late hours of the night.
10. Appreciate the Adventure
Park-hopping doesn’t promise you’ll get to go on every ride, or see every character, but you will get a range of a little bit of everything. Sometimes it’s not about getting the most done in one day, but the memories and experiences you make instead.
Park-hopping is an experience I fully encourage everyone to try at least once, especially if you’ve already been to each of the parks. Sometimes, it can be fun to deviate from the things we’re used to and without a doubt, you’ll be promised a day of excitement, laughter, and magic.