Hi Jennifer,
Fall is one of the best times of year to visit Disney World! The decorations are epic, the food is delicious, and the events are some of the best of the year. It sounds like you have everything lined up for your upcoming trip and are fine-tuning some last-minute details.
There are only a few scenarios that still
require theme park reservations. If you are an Annual Passholder or have purchased student group tickets, Sport and Convention tickets, or Disney Military Salute Tickets you will need to make sure that you have a theme park reservation. If you purchased a date-based ticket you do not need to worry about theme park reservations and can choose which theme park you want to head to each morning.
Since you are visiting during a busier part of the year, I do recommend purchasing
Lightning Lane passes ahead of your trip. Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel can purchase Lightning Lane passes seven days before the first day of their trip for the entire trip up to 14 days! Even if you are not staying at a Disney Resort hotel, you can purchase Lightning Lane passes 3 days before your trip and there are still tons of rides and attractions available for booking. I always purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass for the day I plan to visit Magic Kingdom. There are so many rides and attractions at Magic Kingdom that having a Lightning Lane for at least 3 of them helps maximize what you can do in a day!
Don't forget to check out the
EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival on your visit. It is one of the coolest events of the year featuring food booths from all over the world! The food is delicious and there are so many options to try that we often take advantage of the Park Hopper Option here several evenings on our trips during the fall season to grab dinner or an evening snack.
Happy Planning,
Jenna