Hello Jennifer!
It sounds like you’ve been hard at work planning a spectacular holiday visit to the Walt Disney World Resort! The holiday season can mean some of the largest crowds of the year, so you are wise to have a plan.
I’ve taken a look at the park hours and events on the Walt Disney World Website. On December 29, 2015, I also see that Fantasmic! is scheduled for 8:30 P.M. It is very unlikely to be seated early for Advance Dining Reservations during the busy holiday season, and you may even have to wait a few minutes after your 7:40 P.M. time to be seated. I do not think you would be able to make the 8:30 P.M. showing of Fanatasmic! For this particular night, you’ll have to decide which event is more important to you,
Minnie’s Holiday Dine or Fantasmic! Personally, since Minnie’s Holiday Dine is a seasonal event, I might chose that since you can plan to see Fantasmic! on your next trip.
On New Year’s Eve, you should arrive at the Magic Kingdom early, and you should not plan to leave or park hop. The park almost always reaches capacity by mid-morning. While the official event times for New Year’s Eve have not been released, it is likely that there will be an early showing of Wishes, and a late Fireworks Spectacular to ring in the New Year. I think your time of 9:10 P.M. might work out just fine, as you should be able to view the early showing of Wishes before dinner, and you should be finished dining in time to celebrate the New Year back out on Main Street, U.S.A. Keep an eye on the Walt Disney World Website and the Disney Parks Blog to see when more specifics are released for the night’s events.
I hope this helps with your planning, Jennifer. Please let us know what other questions we can help you with as you plan your magical vacation!
- Kate