Hi Patty!
Welcome to planDisney!
As an off-property guest, you’ll be able to book your
Lightning Lanes beginning at 7 AM Eastern, 3 days prior to the start date of your ticket if you have a date-based ticket. So if your ticket’s start date is December 26, you should be able to book your Lightning Lanes for the second part of your trip on December 23.
You’re also right that you’ll be able to book your first two days' worth of Lightning Lanes 7 days prior to your
Disney World resort check-in date! That booking window will also open at 7 AM Eastern, and I recommend booking as soon as you can for a better chance at snagging the return times you’re hoping for.
If you don’t happen to get the return times you had in mind, you can modify your Lightning Lane selections at any time leading up to your trip and on your park day, pending availability. It’s also good to note that
dining reservations will affect the return times you can book for your pre-selections. But on your park day, you will be able to overlap return times with no limitations. So, I like to check back in the morning on my way to the park to see if there’s any new availability.
It sounds like you’ll be catching the tail end of the
holiday celebration at Disney World this year! If you get a chance to enjoy all that’s offered at
Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays, I highly recommend it! If you search for Festival of the Holidays in your
My Disney Experience app, you can check out the full guide for the festival.
I hope you have the best time! If you have any other questions, let us know. We’re always happy to help!
Jenn J.