Hi Alex,
I'm excited to hear about your family's upcoming trip! The parks and resort hotels will be decked out in festive decor so December is an
extra magical time to visit. Let's see if we can set you up for a merry and magical experience.
You've made an excellent choice by prioritizing
Magic Kingdom Park and
EPCOT for this particular trip. If you're only planning to enjoy two park days you can easily fill your time from rope drop to
fireworks without ever needing to hop to a second destination. I love spending an entire day at Magic Kingdom Park, and can often fill a second day and still not get to every attraction and entertainment offering available. I'd recommend sticking with the standard 1-park per day ticket, vs. the
Park Hopper Option so you can take your time and really experience all the magical details that make them so special.
If you're hoping to experience more parks during your trip EPCOT is easily accessible from Magic Kingdom Park via the
Monorail. You can start your day in Magic Kingdom Park and head over to EPCOT in the afternoon after a quick Monorail transfer at the Transportation and Ticket Center. This would free up your second day to experience Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park and/or Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Guests need valid admission in addition to
theme park reservations for visits prior to January 9, 2024. December is a busy time of year, so you'll want to check the
park reservation availability and secure your preferred destinations in advance of your arrival. If you do decide to go with Park Hopper Option tickets, you'll only need to make a reservation for the park where you plan to begin your day. You can hop to a second park beginning at 2 p.m., subject to capacity, but will not need an additional reservation.
Disney Genie+ Service has replaced the past Fast Pass+ system and is an extremely valuable tool to maximize your time. I almost always purchase it for my Magic Kingdom Park days, as it offers the most
Lightning Lane entrances, saving me countless hours of standby line waits. You'll be able to purchase Genie+ beginning at midnight on the day of your visit and can begin making your attraction selections at 7 a.m. Additionally, you'll have the option to join Virtual Queues or purchase up to two Individual Lightning Lane a la carte, as separate purchases from Genie+. I'd recommend reviewing the list of available experiences to see which you'd most like to enjoy during your trip.
I don't always purchase Genie+ on my EPCOT days but I definitely recommend trying to secure a complimentary Virtual Queue boarding group for
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, which in my opinion, is the best attraction at Walt Disney World Resort.
I'd love to offer more personalized suggestions and recommendations so feel free to
write me back directly if you have additional questions.
Magic and memories,
Amy