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2024 Park Hopping Info You Need to Know

Posted by: Steven Wilk May 31, 2023

MagicBand+ Spaceship Earth
Credit: Disney

Walt Disney World has made many announcements regarding changes to their theme park experiences. They have decided to bring back dining plans, eliminate hotel parking fees, and bring back extra magic hours, plus more. Some of these changes, however, won’t go into effect until 2024.

RELATED: Disney World Offers New 4 Park Ticket

2024 Park Hopping

Another one of the big changes that will start in January of 2024 is Walt Disney World’s elimination of the park reservation system for some Guests. However, it seems like the restrictive Park Hopper policy may still remain into next year.

Magic Kingdom Entrance with Disney100 decor

Credit: Disney

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According to Walt Disney World‘s official website, Park Hopper hours will not begin until 2pm. So if you are enjoying a day at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, or Hollywood Studios and hold a park hopper ticket, you can only park hop after 2pm. This was among many of Walt Disney World’s more controversial and restrictive theme park visiting policies that came about during the COVID era.

phone-cellphone-mobile-park-entrance

Credit: Disney

Some have suggested that the 2pm park hopping policy has less to do with improving the Guest experience and more to do with Walt Disney World being able to control the movement and crowd controls of its various parks. By being able to accurately gauge crowds allows Disney to adjust Cast Member scheduling, food and beverage inventories, and perhaps even cut transportation services.

RELATED: Disney World Extends Park Hours

Pre-Pandemic Park Hopping

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Credit: Disney Tips

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guests who held a ticket with a park hopper option were allowed to come and go among all four theme parks. There were no restrictions that regulated times or which Disney park you could go to. The only limitation were the individual park hours that helped a lot of people decide where to spend their mornings or end their nights. It doesn’t seem that Disney World has a plan to return to that type of liberal policy any time soon. But who knows what the future could hold? As someone once said…there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow.

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About Steven Wilk

Steven has a complicated relationship with Disney. As a child, he visited Walt Disney World every few years with his family. But he never understood why kids his age (and older) were so scared of Snow White or Alien Encounter. He is a former participant of the Disney College Program (left early…long story), and he also previously worked in Children’s publishing, where he adapted multiple Disney movies and TV shows. He has many controversial opinions about Disney…like having a positive view of Michael Eisner, believing Return of the Jedi is superior to The Empire Strikes Back, and that Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge should have never been built (at least not at Hollywood Studios). Every year for the past two decades, Steven has visited either Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Aulani or went on a Disney Cruise. He’s happy to share any and all knowledge of the Disney destinations (and he likes using parenthesis a lot…as well as ellipses…)