It's such a pleasure to welcome a fellow Old North State resident to planDisney! Your trip is just around the riverbend, Rebekah, so time is of the essence. Having the Park Hopper option will serve you well for a two-day itinerary where you want to see and do as much as possible, so let's get right to the planning.
I think it's awesome that you're kicking off your day in EPCOT with a character breakfast. If you're staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can enjoy Early Entry starting at 8:30AM. This is a great way to enjoy a ride or two before the park officially opens or prior to your breakfast reservation. Once you're done with breakfast, I recommend taking a look at the attraction wait times in the My Disney Experience app. You can make your way to the shortest line, or opt to purchase
Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Premier Pass. If you'd like to purchase Multi Pass, you can do that 7 or 3 days in advance of your visit. It all depends if you are staying on property. Multi Pass will allow you to pre-book 3 attractions, then redeem and book more attractions throughout the day, subject to availability. Since you have Park Hopper tickets, you can book Lightning Lanes at a different park once you redeem your first EPCOT choice. Premier Pass will get you one entry to every available Lightning Lane attraction with no scheduling required, but it can only be used in one park per day.
Some can't-miss attractions at EPCOT for me are thrill rides like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Test Track, and nostalgic picks like Journey into Imagination with Figment and Living with the Land. You can make a full day of your EPCOT visit by checking out the dining, entertainment, and activities in World Showcase, and I highly recommend getting a
Kidcot Passport at one of the merchandise locations. My daughter loved meeting the international Cast Members and learning about the different countries and cultures, plus the Passport is an awesome souvenir to take home.
If you want to hop to another park on this same day, let it be Disney's Hollywood Studios. They have my favorite nighttime spectacular of all-time,
Fantasmic!, and you may be able to experience some additional attractions if you use the Multi Pass strategy I mentioned above.
For your next and final full day, my vote is to spend the whole day at
Magic Kingdom. There is a reason this is one of the most visited theme parks in the world, and the magic simply cannot be beat: it is in the name of the park, after all! My favorite attractions here are Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. The entertainment is also top-notch, so be sure to catch the Country Bears Musical Jamboree, The Dapper Dans, and one or both of the parades: The Festival of Fantasy Parade and Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. Finally, no visit to the Magic Kingdom is complete without a viewing of the nightly fireworks spectacular, Happily Ever After. That show will be the perfect ending to your vacation, and I cannot recommend it enough.
These are just some suggestions of what you can accomplish in your time at Walt Disney World, Rebekah! You can use the My Disney Experience app to plan ahead and see your reservations, and you may want to consider using
Disney Genie Service to maximize your time. It will take your preferences into account to build the ultimate vacation itinerary, so definitely check it out.
I am wishing you an enchanted visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth!
Scott