Hi, Ann! Welcome to Walt Disney World! You are going to enjoy Caribbean Beach. The rooms have recently been refurbished and the pool area is really fun!
You really do not need the park hopper option. It is nice if you have it and really plan to park hop, but you will be fine without it and NOT adding it is a great way to save some money.
I strongly recommend making advance dining reservations. Tables fill up quickly and without some planning, you may have to resort to all counter service dining locations during your vacation. Some places you might want to book that would be fun for your kids (based on availability, you might have to be flexible on your times)
-Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre OR 50's Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios
-Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge
-Teppan Edo in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot
-Rainforest Cafe in Downtown Disney or Animal Kingdom
-Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom
For a complete list of restaurants with menus and pricing, go to
www.allears.net and click on DINING. To make your advance dining reservations, call (407)WDW-DINE.
Have a wonderful vacation and make sure to pick-up your First Visit button at guest services.