Disney World bringing back Park Hopping, raising parking price

Covid changed how Disney World operated.

After a period when the theme parks were actually closed, Walt Disney reopened them with a lot of safety precautions in place.

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There were mandatory health checks at the gates and masks were required except when eating or drinking in a stationary location. Lines were socially distanced and attendance was capped at well below normal levels.

Even the experience on some rides was different to prevent people from infecting each other. "Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance," for example required people to stay in one place during the shuttle portion of the ride. That impacted their experience as there are different views from each window.

In many ways, these were small changes, but taken together, they had a heavy impact on the experience of visiting each of Disney World's four theme parks.

In the time since vaccines were introduced, Walt Disney (DIS) - Get Free Report has slowly returned to normal operations. Masks and social distancing are now unpleasant memories and near-full crowds have returned (Disney has capped attendance at numbers slightly below pre-pandemic levels to improve the guest appearance).

For months, however, one pandemic-related restriction has lingered, Disney World ticketholders who paid the "Park Hopper" option used to be able to bounce between parks as they wanted. You could have breakfast at Magic Kingdom, bounce to Epcot for lunch, then take the boat to Hollywood Studios to visit "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" for some Blue Milk to wash it all down.

Park hopping disappeared for months during the covid comeback and then came back on a limited, afternoon-only basis. Now, Disney World has fully reinstated "Park Hopping," dropping one of the last vestiges of covid-related restrictions.

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Disney World brings back park hopping        

Park hopping has always been a popular part of the Disney World experience. Dinsey offers four parks in Florida — Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom — and being able to travel between them as you want has always been a major perk (for people who pay the upcharge for Park Hopper tickets).

Park Hopping is a major benefit for mixed-age groups where maybe the youngest kids want a Magic Kingdom-heavy experience while teens and adults might want to spend more time at the other three parks. With full Park Hopping, families can split up, visit the parks they want, and come back together for meals at an entirely different park.

"Beginning Jan. 9, 2024, guests with a ticket with Park Hopper benefits or an Annual Pass will be able to once again visit another theme park at any time of day during park hours (subject to capacity limitations). As a reminder, since returning in 2021, Park Hopper access has only been available after 2 p.m. each day. Now, there will be no more waiting – you can decide when it’s time to visit another park," Disney shared in a press release.

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On days when annual passholders need to make a theme park reservation, they can Park Hop after entering at the park where they hold a reservation.

Disney World raising parking fees  

In addition to bringing back Park Hopping, Disney World has also slightly increased the cost of daily parking at its theme parks from $25 to $30 per day. That brings the company in line with what rivals Universal Studios and SeaWorld (SEAS) - Get Free Report charge.

Disney World hotel guests still get free parking as do annual passholders. 

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"Walt Disney World is not increasing the price of its date-based theme park tickets – the option the majority of guests purchase – this week. Walt Disney World has now offered its lowest ticket price for one-day, one-park tickets (at $109) for five years," the company shared in an email to TheStreet.