Season's Greetings, Melissa! What an exciting way to celebrate the holiday season - taking your daughter and grandchildren to the Most Magical Place on Earth! I know you're going to make the best memories, and I'm happy to help you plan!
Planning a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort can sometimes feel overwhelming because there is so much to see and do, but with your 4-day ticket, you'll be able to dedicate one full day to each of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks, offering you plenty of time to experience all of your can't-miss attractions, entertainment, and food options! Because you'll be visiting over the New Year, you should expect heavy crowds, and I'm going to offer a few tips to help:
- By dedicating one day to each theme park, you won't have to worry about the park reaching capacity or taking time away from being in the park to park-hop. While I usually love the flexibility of visiting more than one park each day, during the busy holiday season, I prefer to arrive early and stay in one park.
- On New Year's Eve, I'd recommend visiting Magic Kingdom Park or EPCOT as both offer special New Year's fireworks and other specialty entertainment like DJs and dance parties!
- Consider using Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass to reduce wait times for some of the popular attractions at each park. You can purchase this product 7 days ahead of your check-in if you're staying as a guest at a Disney Resort hotel or 3 days ahead of your visit if you are staying off-property.
- Consider booking a table-service meal for each day; my family prefers a mid-day meal to give us a chance to rest and recharge, and character meals are always a favorite! Check out Garden Grill Restaurant at EPCOT or Minnie's Holiday Dine at Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios! Advance dining reservations are open now for your travel dates, so be sure to check availability soon if you haven't already secured your reservations!
- Choose the attractions that are on everyone's list and prioritize those. Some of our family favorites are Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom; Spaceship Earth and Soarin' Around the World at EPCOT; Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disney's Hollywood Studios; and Kilimanjaro Safaris and Avatar Flight of Passage at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
- Check out some shows; these are a great way for the whole family to sit together and enjoy quality entertainment - don't miss Mickey's Philharmagic in Magic Kingdom and The Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom!
Melissa, I hope this helps! Remember there's no one way, right way, or wrong way to plan your days - just being with your family and experiencing the magic together is what's most important! if you have any other questions, come back and let me know! You've got a friend in
me!
Happy Holidays,
Alison