Hi, Sandie!
I completely understand that feeling of being overwhelmed when trying to plan our first trip to Walt Disney World. Not to worry; we Moms Panelists are here to help! :-)
When you first arrive in Walt Disney World, the parks will still be rather crowded; this tends to happen near any holiday because so many Guests visit when work and school have closed for an extra day. As such, I looked at crowd levels at touringplans.com, an unofficial website that predicts crowd levels. January 2-4, the overall crowd level at WDW is a 10 out of 10, so you might want your non-park days to occur then. On those days, enjoy your resort, book a Table Service reservation at a WDW Resort Hotel (no ticket needed to get in) and head to
Downtown Disney. If you decide to head to a park, Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are predicted to have the lowest crowd levels on those days.
On January 5, Epcot and DHS are also predicted to be the least crowded while Magic Kingdom's level is lowest on January 6. You'll have low crowds on January 7, 8 and 9, with crowd levels predicted to be in the 1-2 out of 10 range; THAT's the time to head to the parks, Sandie!
If you are staying at a WDW Resort hotel, you'll have access to
Extra Magic Hours, so take advantage of those, too. Prioritize your choices each day and, if you have a smart phone, download the free app
My Disney Experience. This great app will keep attraction wait times, character appearances and dining options right in the palm of your hand.
Send another question as you plan your trip, Sandie! We love to help!