Welcome aboard Amanda! I remember planning our very first Disney cruise and how exciting it was! I'm so glad you found the Disney Parks Moms Panel, as we love to help guests with their planning questions!
Disney Cruise Line assigns each of their staterooms a
category based on size, options, number of guests it sleeps, and location. Lower numbers are the more expensive, larger, more desirable staterooms. For example, a Category 4A, 4B or 4E is a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah that sleeps five. A Category 11A, 11B or 11C is a Standard Inside Stateroom that sleeps just three or four.
Staterooms can be assigned categories based on location as well. You might find that Category 11A and 10A are exactly the same staterooms, but the 11A is right under a Night Club, so it is assigned a lower category and lower price than the 10A which is on a different part of the deck.
I recommend starting by deciding which ship you'd like to sail, then look on Disney Cruise Line's website at its Deck Plan. There you can hover your mouse over each stateroom on a deck and get the information for it. You'll be able to see what is above it, down the hall, and it's exact location.
One thing I can promise you is that if you book a cruise with Disney, no matter what stateroom size or location you have, you are in for an amazing trip. Find a room that is priced for your budget and go from there. Let me know if you have any other questions as you plan, Amanda! I'm happy to help!