Hey, Mallory!
Walt Disney World offers
different types of theme park tickets, so to jump right in with an answer to your first question, park-hopping depends on the type of ticket you purchase. There is a one park per day ticket, which allows you to choose one theme park and spend the day there. You can go in and out of that same park as often as you want throughout the day. There is also a
park hopper option you can purchase. When you add that to your ticket, you can move to any of the other theme parks after 2 PM. You would still need a t
heme park reservation for the first park of the day, but then you can go to any of the other parks once you hit 2 PM.
And oh, Mallory, how we miss the
Disney Dining Plan! This is a popular add-on to a Walt Disney World vacation, and so many people would love to know when it might return. My best advice is to watch the
Disney Parks Blog, which is a great resource for the latest news and events at Walt Disney World. In the meantime, my Panelist friend
Greg has an awesome substitute to help budget for meals. His family reviews the menus and purchases
Disney Gift Cards based on what they estimate they will spend. By the time he gets on vacation, the cost of his meals has already mostly been paid for. It's an awesome budgeting tool.
I hope this helps you with your planning, Mallory! Come back if you have more questions.
Anna