Hi Bonnie,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. I'm so glad you stopped by with your question!
You are very smart to be thinking ahead for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Planning can be a lengthy process so the more you learn in advance, the easier it will be.
Magic Your Way allows you to create a vacation package that fits your family's needs and budget. I would recommend that you go ahead and take a look at the different options so you can think about what will be best for your family.
A 10-day ticket with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More Options can be purchased either separately or in a Magic Your Way package. Keep in mind that unused park tickets do not expire, so you could possibly purchase those earlier and spread the cost out a little bit at a time. Also, if you're planning to spend one or two days at the water parks, you may not need a 10-day ticket. You might find that an 8-day ticket would be sufficient, and you can always add an extra day or two to the ticket during your trip if you decided you needed extra days.
The cost of the dining plan varies throughout the year depending on the season of travel. I have found that allears.net is a great resource for finding approximate prices of the dining plans and prices on the menus at the restaurants. You may want to go online and price a vacation for a similar time of year so that you'll have a good idea of what the trip would cost if you were traveling this year.
I hope you find this information to be helpful and if you think of anything else, just let us know. We're here to help!
Happy planning!
~Carrie