Cassie,
Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
There are a lot of theories on what parks to visit and on what days of the week. It is easy to find any number of conflicting opinions, so it can quickly become confusing. Here are my suggestions on how to pick what parks to visit on each of your three days.
Rule #1: Beware the Holiday Party! The
Magic Kingdom hosts its popular
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on multiple nights in December. While the exact dates have not yet been announced, Sundays and Tuesdays often seem to be regular days of the week that the party is held. That means that while most parks are open to guests until around 9 pm or later, the Magic Kingdom closes its gates to all but those that have purchased the extra party ticket at 6 pm. That means that unless you also spring for the special event ticket, your park day would end at 6 pm. I would recommend you keep an eye out for when they announce the party dates and adjust accordingly. However, for now, I would plan my Magic Kingdom day for that Monday.
Rule #2: EPCOT is a weekend drawEven on Sundays,
EPCOT pulls in a larger crowd as people flock to the different restaurants in the World Showcase for a nice weekend dinner out. I would suggest that you go to EPCOT on Tuesday, both to minimize the crowds and so that you can end your trip with a nice dinner at one of these fantastic restaurants!
So that leaves
Disney's Hollywood Studios for your Sunday kick-off to the trip. That is a great park to start your adventure, as it has a lot of great attractions, shows, and dining experiences.
BOTTOM LINEI would make your theme park reservations in that order, being Sunday at Hollywood Studios, Monday at the Magic Kingdom, and Tuesday at EPCOT. When the dates for the Christmas party are revealed if you find that Disney has scheduled a party for your Magic Kingdom day then swap that with one of your other park selections.
Please feel free to
write me back directly with any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!Doug