Welcome Vivienne!
I'm glad that you came to planDisney for help! As a first-time guest, I'm sure you are excited and want to make sure that you maximize every moment of your trip! I think that three days of park hopping can be enough to help you enjoy a lot and make many magical memories.
I don't know what your must-do attractions are but I love spending a full day at Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT. I prefer to use Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park as the Parks I hop to and spend a shorter time in. Here is what I suggest:
Day 1:
Magic Kingdom ParkI consider this Park to be the symbol of Walt Disney World Resort. With Cinderella Castle in front of you as you walk down Main Street, U.S.A. the magical feeling of being in a special place hits you heavily here. I would consider purchasing a Lightning Lane Multi Pass for this Park as it has the most attractions with Lightning Lane entrances and if you stay on top of it you can get quite a lot done.
Day 2: Consider starting at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park as it tends to open up an hour earlier than all the other Parks. This can be confirmed by the My Disney Experience Mobile App which you can download once you arrive in the States. I would spend a few hours here and then hop to another park. If you use Lightning Lane Multi Pass you can start your bookings at this Park and then once you complete a ride, modify them for your next Park if the timing works better.
Day 3: Make sure to spend as much time in
EPCOT and explore the World Showcase. I love this Park's appreciation of our world and how it has delicious food and fun rides. Make sure to join the Virtual Queue for
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at 7 AM. There are only two ways to enjoy this ride and that is with Virtual Queue access or if you purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass. This is my favorite ride and I try to ride it at least twice on every trip. Park Hopping to
Disney's Hollywood Studios or Magic Kingdom Park is easy from EPCOT due to the Disney Skyliner and Monorail.
My good friend has Celiac disease and she loves visiting Walt Disney World Resort because it gives her so many safe and delicious food options! Make sure that before you order your food you speak with a Cast Member and learn your options. I do not recommend using Mobile Food & Beverage Ordering as you need to have that discussion every time. Her favorite places to eat are Scat Cat's Club- Cafe in Disney's Port Orleans Resort- French Quarter for their beignets, and Casey's Corner in Magic Kingdom Park. She also found delicious options at Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Trattoria al Forno at Disney's BoardWalk.
I hope this was helpful and you have a lovely time!
Happy Planning!
-Nimmy