First, some of the things you definitly have to see when visiting the Resort are:
Magic Kingdom park:
- It's A Small World (great, great version in Paris)
- Phantom Manor (completely different from the US versions)
- Big Thunder Mountain (overall the best Big Thunder experience you'll ever have)
- Indiana Jones et Le Temple Du Peril (very fun coaster)
- The Adventureland area around the Swiss family tree
- Alice's Curious Labyrinth (if you enjoyed the movie)
- Space Mountain (altough the overall ride experience was better with the theming and music they played the first years, don't miss out on this one!)
The Studios:
- Cinémagique (no explaining to do here, you just HAVE to see this)
- Crush Coaster (unique experience and a great tribute to the movie)
- Tower of Terror (altough very similar to DCA, it has it's differences)
- Armageddon (might be dissappearing soon so grab your chance
)
No matter how long you are staying at the resort, even if it's for a day. Try and visit both parks but avoid dining at the Studios! The Magic Kingdom park has some very nice places to eat:
My absolute favourite in the self-service category is
Bella Notte, which is themed to Lady & The Tramp, there's also the
Cowboy Cookout (great chicken!) Chalet De La Marionette serves the same as Cowboy Cookout but is located in Fantasyland and is themed to the Pinnochio film. In Adventureland there's this perfectly themed Pizza/Pasta place too called Colonel Hathi's Outpost.
If you're willing to pay the extra for a waiter and table-service then there's some great French cuisine at L'auberge De Cendrillon, this is themed after the Cinderella movie including the Chariot outside. "Walt's An American Restaurant" is also worthy of mentioning, some very unique sculptures and photographs inside. If these 2 don't appeal that much then there's also a great variety of fish and seafood at the restaurant located next to Pirates of the Carribean called "Blue Lagoon", very nicely themed and inside the actual attraction. These table-service restaurants are almost always
only opened for lunch so you should be quick.
Things to avoid are the long lines at Big Thunder & Space Mountain, use the fastpass service there. Studio Tram Tour is a joke compared to the US versions, if you've seen everything of the Studios I mentioned above then you basically saw everything you had to there.
Parades and shows are ok, especially the seasonal ones that will still be running then. Mickey's Winter Wonderland is the show I recommend the most, which is located back in Frontierland. Try seeing it while working your way around the park, start with Frontierland and go clockwise until you've made your way to Discoveryland (Tomorrowland)
As for tickets, I seriously recommend buying them at the Studios park entrance as soon as you arrive, if that's too crowdy try the Magic Kingdom entrance. Once you have your tickets try picking up the things I mentioned in the Studios first, and around 11'ish you should be in the Magic Kingdom. (Don't lose too much time at Crush's Coaster or The Tower for that part. Make it Crush if you have to choose, you have 2 Towers back in the States
)
As I stated in your other thread, try going the 2nd of January. If you have any other questions or things you'd like to share, feel free to
