Hey there, Dana!
It's great to see you here with your question! It's also great to see you're planning for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. I'm sure you're already imagining all the magic that awaits you!
You're asking about when it's best to purchase theme park tickets for your Walt Disney World Resort vacation, and that's a really great question. Personally, I'd recommend purchasing your theme park tickets sooner rather than later, and here's why. You're going to want to make your theme park reservations using the Disney Park Pass system as soon as you can, especially in your situation where you already know the exact dates you're planning to visit. In order to reserve a Disney Park Pass, you'll need to have purchased your theme park admission first.
Using the Disney Park Pass system is really simple. After you purchase your
theme park admission tickets, go to the
Disney Park Pass system on the Walt Disney World Resort website. You can also access the Disney Park Pass system from the
My Disney Experience mobile app. Simply select your travel party by choosing who's going to the theme park, select a date, and select a theme park. If there are Disney Park Pass selections still available for that park and that date, you'll be prompted to confirm your reservation, and you're all set to go. It's really helpful to check for theme park availability first by using the
Theme Park Reservation Availability calendar. This will let you see if Disney Park Pass selections are available for the date and theme park you desire. After you make your theme park reservations, the reservations will appear in the "My Plans" area of your My Disney Experience account.
Your question about park hopping is another great question. Personally, I always recommend the
Park Hopper Option for theme park tickets because it gives you added flexibility in your theme park fun. Currently, there are specific hours set for Park Hopper hours beginning at 2 p.m. each day and ending at a park's closing time. It's a good idea to check out a park's hours on the My Disney Experience mobile app to help plan your park hopping. Really, though, I think park hopping is more of a personal preference about how you like to take in your theme park experiences. Some prefer the "let's see everything here before moving on to another park" approach, and others prefer to mix it up a bit with their theme park visits.
Dana, I hope these recommendations I've shared are helpful. Each of us here at planDisney love to share our tips and insights based on our own vacations to Walt Disney World Resort.
Here's wishing you a wonderfully fun Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Jerry