Hi Sara,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am delighted to greet a fellow North Carolinian!
If you need accommodations, I suggest that you review the
Special Offers to see available discounts for the dates of your visit. We always stay in a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel because we take advantage of the many
benefits for resort hotel guests. If you plan to purchase tickets separately, you can review the
ticket options and purchase the Ticket With Park Hopper Option which will allow you to visit more than one theme park per day. Or, you could purchase the Ticket With Park Hopper Plus Option which will include a certain number of water park visits in addition to theme park admission. My family typically does base tickets (1 Park Per Day Ticket) which allow us to enter and re-enter one park per day. With crowds and transportation time, we find that we maximize our ride time if we stick to one park per day.
Sara, before you decide if the park hopper option is best for your family, consider the transportation time from your lodging to the theme parks and between theme parks. We use the My Disney Experience Mobile App to find estimated transit times between locations. If you type in a location, the app has a "Get Directions" feature. The other point to consider is that you can only make initial Fast Pass+ selections for three attractions at one park per day that you have valid theme park admission. Check the height requirements for rides using the
attractions list to determine which parks would be best. I would definitely do Magic Kingdom and Disney's Hollywood Studios!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell