Hi Amanda,
I am happy to help you plan your first trip to Walt Disney World! I am also a Marylander, and we always choose to fly to Walt Disney World. From Baltimore, it is about a 900 mile drive. Travel websites will tell you that this drive takes about 14 hours, but this of course depends on how you drive, and how much you would need to stop with your children. It would be a very long day, and adds a day to vacation on each end for travel. We like to fly out of Baltimore Washington International airport to Orlando International Airport. There are several daily direct flights. The flight takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It costs more to fly; however, you essentially gain a whole day of vacation on each end of your trip.
There are so many
resort hotels at Walt Disney World. I suggest that you begin by determining your budget, and decide if you would like to stay at a Value, Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa resort. You can filter the options on the link I provided by these resort categories. Next, look at the themes of the resorts and think about which would appeal most to your family. For a value resort, consider Disney's Art of Animation Resort, where you can step into the animation process of some of your favorite Disney and Pixar movies. Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a lovely tropically-themed moderate resort. At the deluxe level, perhaps a stay at Disney's Contemporary Resort, where the monorail zooms right through the hotel, would be a good choice. Finally, if you would like the extra space of a Deluxe Villa, consider Disney's Beach Club Villas, which offers an amazing pool area with a shipwreck waterslide. These are just my suggestions; be sure to check out others that you find appealing to your family.
I would love to help you plan more; however, I am limited in the amount of space that I have to answer, Amanda. Please do write back if you have any further questions!