Don't know the answer to your Big Question.

Three other thoughts, though. First, you might consider making one of your travel days New Year's Day or New Year's Eve to get the most for your money. (Guessing that Christmas is out of the question for you.) Second, New Year's Eve hotel prices will be bucks up. Third, Disneyland is PACKED the days around and between Christmas and New Year's. One year we went there two days in a row between the two holidays and got turned away, the first for being there after 12:30, and the next, after 11:00. (It was with two young teenagers, on their schedule. They were up early, Day 3.) Anyway, the park was at capacity and "closed". They wouldn't even take our money to park.....

Edit: Fourth, we have had good experiences at the parks - everywhere, in fact - over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend. (Shhh...)

Oops, MLK Day will be 18 Jan.