Hi Danielle!
Welcome to planDisney!
When purchasing a 1-day
park ticket, you will need to choose the date on which you’ll be visiting the park. So, once you figure out which day you’d like to go to
Epcot, you can go ahead and purchase your ticket.
It’s good to note that theme park tickets are pending availability/park capacity, so while you can purchase tickets on your park day, I always recommend purchasing them in advance to ensure availability if you can.
If you’re looking for a little more flexibility and your itinerary allows for a couple of park days, you could look into purchasing a 2-day park ticket. With that purchase, you will have a 4-day date range to use your two park tickets (subject to change). That way, you can be a little more spontaneous when it comes to picking your park days during your vacation.
Another thing to consider when deciding when to purchase your tickets is whether or not you’re going to purchase
Lightning Lanes. If you want to use Lightning Lanes during your time at the park, your Lightning Lane booking window will open up to a week before your visit. So, you’ll want a valid park ticket linked to your account before that booking window opens to make the most of your Lightning Lane purchase.
If you’re staying at a
Disney World resort or select good neighbor hotel, your Lightning Lane booking window will open at 7 AM Eastern, 7 days prior to your resort check-in date. And if you’re staying off property, your booking window will open at 7 AM Eastern, 3 days prior to the start date of your ticket.
I hope that helps as you plan your trip! If you have any other questions, let us know!
Jenn J.