Hi Zoe,
I am glad that you are finding the Disney Parks Moms Panel to be helpful. We on the panel love helping you to plan magical vacations!
Where you request your villa is going to depend on your traveling party and what is important to you.
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa is quite spread out; however, if you have a car you can park very close to your villa. If you do not have a car, being close to a bus stop, or close to the main area which includes the dining and High Rock Spring Pool, might be important to you. Some guests prefer to be in a quieter location, or with a view of Downtown Disney. I suggest that you and your traveling party decide which of these characteristics is important to you, and then have your request noted on your reservation. You can do this the same way you made your reservation - if you made it through Disney Vacation Club, call Disney Vacation Club Member Services at 1-800-800-9800, or if you made it through a travel agent or Disney directly, contact them. Please do know that while Disney will do their best to honor all requests, they cannot be guaranteed.
As to how to get to the theme parks in the morning, I suggest that you take transportation from within the resort. While Downtown Disney is undergoing exciting renovations to become Disney Springs, there is a lot of construction occurring. This construction does sometimes close the walkways between Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa and Downtown Disney, so they may or may not be open while you are there. The construction has also sometimes been impacting traffic, including bus service, in the Downtown Disney area. Finally, though Disney has sometimes tried running buses between Downtown Disney and certain theme parks, they do not always do so.
Please let us know if you have any further questions, Zoe!