Hi Sara, welcome to planDisney!
You know your Walt Disney World Resort vacation is getting close when you start to get specific about the logistics of your park days. I start by strategizing what my first
Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation will be at each park. My husband enjoys perusing restaurant menus
online and determining his must-try meals. My kids like to brainstorm what kinds of silly faces they can make in attraction photos. Let's talk about some Disney details that pertain to your trip.
All Guests over the age of three must have
valid admission, a
theme park reservation for each park day, and a
method of entry (MagicBand, admission card, or Disney MagicMobile pass) for theme park entry. It sounds like you'll be using admission cards for your trip, which are roughly the size of a credit card. The 50th Anniversary designs feature
Fab 50 character statues, which makes them great souvenEARS.
During your park days, your admission cards will be used to scan in at park entry,
Lightning Lane attractions, and with
Disney PhotoPass photographers. When experiencing a ride via the standby queue, your admission card is not needed, though you may want to use it to claim an attraction photo at the end. All Lightning Lane attractions have one touchpoint located at the Lightning Lane entrance, which is clearly marked. Some attractions like Frozen Ever After at EPCOT have an additional touchpoint. Side note: you are eligible to make your next Genie+ Lightning Lane reservation as soon as you clear an attraction's touchpoints.
Lanyards are a great idea for kids that wish to practice some independence in the parks. Admission cards are more secure around their necks than they are in shallow pockets, and that's one less thing for mom to carry, as well. There's a very real possibility you'll end up wearing multiple lanyards at some point, but even that's more convenient than digging cards out of your wallet for every Genie+ Lightning Lane attraction. My kids take great pride in scanning in at theme park entry and attractions. They used to fight over who got to scan in with Disney PhotoPass photographers until we established a rotation.
Thanks for touching base with planDisney today. We're happy to talk Disney details anytime!
Choose magic,
Jennifer