[As this text is now moot as the OP's other TravelBuzz posts have been merged with this thread, the text has been deleted by the Moderator.]
Since your trip is not until January, I say be patient and wait for those who are in the know to chime in. If you think your questions weren't clear enough or need more clarification from the replies, you can then follow up.
If I were you, I would just follow up with the links and suggestions in
this early thread and try to understand the rules. Nevertheless, welcome to FT!