Hi Shalisia,
Welcome to planDisney! We are so glad you stopped by with several great questions!
In looking at your arrival date, we have a lot to plan in a short amount of time!
First things first, all Guests need theme park reservations to enter a theme park. Check the
theme park reservation availability calendar to see which parks are available for the dates of your visit. Given the availability, you may want to shift your dates. For more information on Exchange Certificates, check out this great
explanation from my fellow panelist Amy. Since you are a Florida resident, you may need additional info on how to
verify your residency to purchase Florida Resident tickets.
If you are looking to stay a few nights at one of the resort hotels in our
Disney Resorts Collection, then you need to book that resort hotel as soon as possible. For a family of six, I would suggest a family suite at
Disney's Art of Animation or
The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. Even if you are close to the theme parks, it might just be a good time for a staycation. If some folks in your family will need theme park tickets, you can certainly book a
vacation package but, with a package, everyone has to get the same number of tickets. Be sure to check the
Special Offers as you make your decision. Check out the
Spring Into Magic offer - search with your exact arrival and departure dates.
If you have not done so already, create a
My Disney Experience account and
link that Exchange Certificate and resort hotel (if you have one) to your account. When attempting to link the Exchange Certificate, click on the option to Link Tickets. Once your certificate or tickets are linked, you need to immediately make
Disney Park Pass system reservations.
With your certificate linked, you can use a
MagicBand or Admission Card to enter the parks. Or, if you have an iPhone, you can now use
Disney MagicMobile service to scan your passes at the entrance to each park. My family loves MagicBands, so we still use those. It is, however, certainly nice to have options!
Shalisia, I hope this helps! I am sending you an extra sprinkle of pixie dust to help you make those plans expeditiously!
Magic and memories,
Donyell