Hi Carol,
Thank you so much for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question.
Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort is one of my favorite resorts at Walt Disney World. I love the sleek and modern feel of the resort, and the walking distance to Magic Kingdom is wonderful!
Your question of which theme park to visit first is an interesting one. For young children, I often suggest that guests choose the park that they think their children will enjoy the most and save it for last. Since your children are a little older, you could use this strategy, or simply choose any order for the theme parks. This works especially well if you have a couple of days at the end of the vacation that you can be flexible with, and then let the family decide which theme parks to revisit. Given where you are staying, I think that a trip to Magic Kingdom early in the vacation is probably inevitable as you will be able to see it from your resort!
I so enjoy dining at Walt Disney World! In Magic Kingdom, The Plaza Restaurant is a hidden gem, serving sandwiches and salads in a quaint cafe setting. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, I enjoy the homey family feel at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano. Tusker House Restaurant is my favorite at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This restaurant features a buffet with African fare as well as more traditional American fare for the less adventurous eaters. Finally, Epcot is an amazing theme park for dining. I enjoy a meal at Chefs de France, a bustling French Bistro. I also truly enjoy La Hacienda de San Angel, which offers delicious Mexican fare as a counter service restaurant at lunch and a table service restaurant at dinner.
I would love to help you plan more Carol; however, I am limited in the amount of space that I have to answer. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have any further questions!