Hey there Nikole and welcome to planDisney!
Your family will be answering the call of the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort at a perfect time. There will only be 2 months left to the
50th Anniversary Celebration of The Most Magical Place on Earth. Fingers crossed that you'll catch a little lull in the crowds post-New Year celebration!
I'm from a big family that all vacation differently. Some of us are rope drop to park close, nonstop action, I'll sleep when I get home kind of Disney people. Some of us are more chill at our
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, shop at
Disney Springs, slower-paced types. Some, like me, have become hybrids over the years. Luckily everyone can choose the pace of their own adventure! Everyone in your party will need
Theme Park Tickets for the number of days you'll actually be in the Disney Parks and a
Theme Park Reservation via the Disney Park Pass System for each of those days. You'll choose the first day you'll be in the actual parks and that
Ticket will be valid for use from then until the expiration date. On days when you're not in the parks, you can choose to find other ways to occupy your time. I'll give you an example.
Let's say I plan on spending 7 days at the Walt Disney World Resort and I'm coming in on Sunday. I've booked Disney's Riviera Resort as my home away from home. I might buy a 4-day Ticket with
Park Hopper Option and make Theme Park Reservations for
EPCOT on Monday,
Magic Kingdom Park on Tuesday,
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park on Wednesday, and
Disney's Hollywood Studios on Thursday. Now Friday and Saturday I can hang out at my resort or maybe do some shopping at Disney Springs and relax before traveling home on Sunday.
Pro-tip: You can break up your Ticket any way you'd like over your stay. Put rest days in the middle, at the end, or sprinkled out across your stay. The possibilities are endless!
Nikole, I hope I've gotten you one step closer to the vacation of your dreams! If you have any other questions,
please come back for another chat!
Happy planning!
Taylor