Question: Can you do the Candlelight Processional if you don't book a dinner package? And if so how do you go about getting entry into it? Some places I read you could do this. There's no dinner packages left available and besides, I don't like any of those restaurants anyway.
You can do the CP without a package - there's a line that you'll need to wait in. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that you have to devote a lot of time to the line without the package (and since I don't think there was CP last year, it may be busier than usual). My advice is that if you have a half-day (like your arrival or something), it might be good to grab some snacks and hit the line and make that the focus of that day (also a lot depends on which shows, etc). It's doable - but it isn't something you can usually just walk into.
Question: Is the Very Merriest After Hours worth it? It sounds fun, but it is very pricey. I heard there's tons of people, is it super crowded? I would enjoy the extra hours in the park. But also, I have photosensitive epilepsy, so I absolutely can't watch fireworks or light displays. I dunno if this is worth it to me.
This is the first year for this particular event (similar other events in the past, plus Halloween). Given your epilepsy, that might make a great opportunity to ride rides, etc and it's a win-win. I've gone during Christmas time (awesome) and to the previous iteration (Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party) - the party was awesome (granted I went before they got a lot more crowded, it seems). I went to Boo Bash this year and it was good (not sure it was worth the money - but it was the only way I was going to MK on this trip - so it worked).
Question: While we are on that subject... since I have photosensitive epilepsy, things like fireworks, strobe lights, etc. are a huge no no for me. Can you think of any rides I definitely should not go on?
Space Mountain, for one. Rock'n'Roller Coaster is another that I would think would be problematic. I don't have a definitive list - so, others might be more helpful. But that's what jumps to mind. DINOSAUR feels like another that might be problematic - but I could be wrong.
Question: Do you think the park will be super crowded when I go in the first week of December? Also, do you think
Genie+ and Lightning Lane is worth paying for in order to get to the front of the line?
A long time ago, first week of December was a great time to go, with relatively low crowds. That's increased (as overall park attendance has) over the past few years. Add in Covid stuff, DVC folks having a lot of points to use and the first 2 weeks of December are prime for those folks - and it won't be "slow" like it used to be. For what it's worth,
Touring Plans has that time frame as a 3-4 overall. I went in mid to late-Sept (before the 50th) and my dates were 2-3s (and some 1s for some parks). On the other hand, another typically low crowd time (late Jan/early Feb, avoiding holidays, etc) is listed as mostly 5-6s (and my sense was that the week I'm traveling was always the slowest as they did a lot of refurbishments at the time). Anyway, depending on what you want to do - my guess is that it won't feel too crowded and you should get a lot done.
You might've posted this before - is this your first time? Do you have particular things in mind? If it were me (and again - right now I don't know how long you'll be there, your touring style, etc), I'd contemplate buying G+ for Magic Kingdom and maybe some of the ILLS if they're super important to you (ROTR, FOP). G+ seems like a bust for Epcot and Animal Kingdom right now (based on number of attractions). Again - I'd hate to steer you wrong - but given my previous experiences and current TP estimates, I think you'll be in great shape.
Question: Do they ever sell out of park hopper passes, or how frequently does it happen? My reservation for Oga's Cantina is at night, I'm planning to park hop over to Hollywood Studios and I don't want to be shut out.
They don't sell out of Park Hopper tickets - though they can limit the parks if they're at capacity. There's really no reason that should happen to you when you go (it can be a problem Christmas week). I think you'll be perfectly fine and shouldn't worry about it.
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Question: How bad is Disney's transportation? I was reading online it can sometimes take an hour to take a bus between parks. What?! Is it easier just to Lyft or Uber myself between parks? Or is the transportation not that bad?
Again, some of this really depends on your style, physical ability,
length of stay, etc. It can take a long time - so if you're ever in a hurry, I'd say Lyft/Uber. If you don't mind the possibility of downtime, take the bus (it could help you rest, etc). When I last went, I stayed on property (so I recognize that's different than your trip) - but my plan was use the buses at open and close since they were more reliable/frequent then and I mostly did Uber/Lyft during the day (I had a really quick 3 day trip). Especially if you're park hopping and don't have a ton of days there, I'd say Uber/Lyft because park hopping can eat up a moderate chunk of your time (and the cost, for me, at least, was 10-15 dollars each way - and occasionally Lyft would give me a 5 dollar coupon after 3 rides, plus my credit card had some Lyft discount stuff).
I realize I wrote a lot - sorry about that, lol.
ETA - I went back to read the OP and made some edits (my bad - I should've done that first!). With 6 days, I really don't think you'll need G+/ILLS. If it were me, I'd choose either Park Hopping OR G+/ILLS - but I think you'll have no problem getting the things done that you want, and soaking up the holiday spirit (it really is awesome). And since this is your first time at WDW - there's a ton to do and explore. Can I ask what drew you to Park Hopping (when I first started going, it was never an option for me. I used it some as a young adult. But now, it just seems to eat up too much time, etc - but everyone's perspective is different). I will say that the one thing that would nudge me towards a PH would be staying on-site. For instance, for my next trip, I'm planning to take my two kids (one of whom still naps). I could see some benefits to going back to the room to cool down and then going to a different park after that, for variety (now you've got me thinking about them, lol). But for me, staying off-site and without your own car, I think you'll get more bang for your buck by staying at one park.