Hi, Raquel!
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and congratulations on planning your first family vacation to Walt Disney World! The best way to choose where to stay is by considering these 3 factors: budget, location and vacation style. Probably the biggest determining factor here is budget. There are three levels of Disney Resorts: Value, Moderate and Deluxe. I'm going to share my personal top picks in each category:
Value:
Disney's Art of Animation
Moderate:
Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside
Deluxe:
Disney's Polynesian Resort and
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge (this is a tie because my family - including our 7-year-old daughter - absolutely loves both of these resorts!)
You can price out your stay by following this link to the
Walt Disney World Resort website. You'll just need to plug in your travel dates and the number in your party (including children's ages).
After your budget, the next thing to consider is location. How close is the resort to the Disney World theme parks you'd like to visit? (If you're planning to visit all four parks, the location of your resort becomes less important.)
Also, do you plan to spend some time at your resort to enjoy the amenities (such as the pool and dining options) and recreational activities? If so, you'll want to factor this in to your choice of resort. All the resorts in each category have great pools. The Value and Moderate Resorts have food courts; some of the Moderates also offer table-service dining. The Deluxe Resorts are the most luxurious with larger rooms and more amenities in general. Several of the Deluxes offer Character and Signature Dining.
I hope this helps, Raquel! Please feel free to write me back if you have any questions about specific resort hotels. I'd be happy to assist you further!