Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Christine!
Thank you so much for bringing us your great question. I'm happy to help you understand how your
theme park ticket media works and how to best maximize your options.
With single-day theme park tickets, you are all set to enjoy all the magic your park of choice for the day has to offer! A single-day ticket really is the best way to maximize your time, and when you select your park choices around Extra Magic Hours, you have access to the magic even longer (Extra Magic Hours is a benefit exclusive to guests staying at a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotel).
Should you desire to transfer to a second theme park after you have already entered a park, you definitely will have to purchase a Park Hopper Pass, even if you only want to visit a second park on the same day for a dining reservation - it's still considered Park Hopping.
The good news is all four Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks offer exceptional dining experiences! So enjoying one of the many restaurant available in the theme park you are visiting that day will not be a problem!
Another tip: With so many Resort hotels within walking distance of most theme parks, you can always take a break form the park, dine at a Resort hotel location, and then return to the same theme park for all the nighttime fun!
I hope this information is helpful in your planning, Christine! I would love to hear back from you with any additional questions you may have. I'd also love to share my dining recommendations with you - I have my favorites for each park.
Happy Planning!
Faith