Hi Chelsea,
Thank you so much for visiting the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your question. How exciting to be planning your daughter's first trip to Walt Disney World! I remember visiting Walt Disney World when my daughter was in preschool. The magic in the eyes of the little ones while they experience Walt Disney World is amazing. Do take a look at the webpage for
planning for Walt Disney World with preschoolers for some great tips and ideas.
I think that how you experience Walt Disney World with your three-year-old daughter depends a lot on your individual patterns as a family. I always found that taking my daughter back to the resort to nap, as well as keeping her bedtime as close to regular as possible, made for a happy child, and therefore, a pleasant trip for my whole traveling party! However, I know my child, and I knew that if I kept her out too late she would melt down and not have fun. I also knew that no matter how late my daughter was up, she would be awake before the crack of dawn. Some children do fabulously when they are out late, and simply fall asleep in their strollers if they need to. If you have a child who is able to sleep in, she might be better able to handle staying up for a nighttime show. When my daughter got old enough that she was ready to start seeing the nighttime shows, she was almost five years old, and we started with just staying out late one night per trip. This was a truly magical night for her - the night she got to stay up late to see fireworks! In the end, I think that this decision is really about knowing your daughter and what will make both her - and you - have an enjoyable vacation.
I hope that these thoughts are helpful for you, Chelsea. Have a wonderful time planning your magical vacation, and please do let us know if you have any further questions.