Hey howdy hey Frank and welcome to planDisney!
One of my favorite things about talking Walt Disney World Resort is how much is included and some tips on navigating the parks. I love that you are thinking about things now to plan out your ideal day and selecting your "Must-Do" attractions.
Let's start at the general
Theme Park tickets. You have the option for one day ticket or Park Hopper option. The one-day ticket lets you in one park per day, you can leave and come back to the park without issues. With the Park Hopper Option, after 2:00 p.m. you have the ability to leave the park and visit any other Theme Park without issues as long as there is availability. When you book your Theme Park tickets, you have access to the full park. There are some experiences like in Hollywood Studios with the
Droid Depot that you can build your own droid that does cost extra but not something that you have to do. My advice to all first-time park goers, save your money and spend the entire day in one park. There is so much to see in each park it is hard to do in one day let alone a few hours. Keep in mind that when you purchase your park tickets, you also have to make
Theme Park Reservations. This is just telling Disney which park you want to visit on which day to help them with capacity. It would be a good idea to get your tickets sooner rather than later to ensure you have your reservations.
An extra add-on while in the parks involves Disney Genie. Basic
Genie service is free and you can use it on your My Disney Experience app to select your "Must-Do's" to help navigate the parks.
Genie+ is an extra fee that you can purchase. This gives you the ability to book Lightning Lane passes, which decrease your time waiting in line for the more popular attractions in each park. You essentially book one Lightning Lane selection at a time and you can select the time frame you want to use this selection. Once the time has passed or you redeem your Lightning Lane selection, you can book another one. The other option is
Individual Lightning Lane purchases. These are available either in combination with Genie+ or by themselves. These are specific Lightning Lane purchases for a select few of the most highly sought attractions in the parks.
The last few things to budget for are food and souvenirs. Food is available in all four Theme Parks either from food carts, quick service or table service. I am a firm believer that food in Walt Disney World is an attraction and you should at least try one table service meal while in the parks. You do also have the option to bring your own food in the parks if you so choose.
I like to remind anyone traveling to Disney that once you are in the parks, your most valuable asset is time. Doing things like Genie+ and mobile ordering food allow you to spend more of your time doing things you want rather than waiting in lines.
Happy planning,
Nick