Hello, Nanette!
Planning your little princess's first trip to Walt Disney World is so exciting!
With a specific budget in mind, it's best for you to compare the cost of a stay at both
Disney's Port Orleans Resort and
Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Also consider the cost of a stay in a Royal Guest Room at PO-Riverside versus, perhaps, a stay in the soon-to-open Little Mermaid Rooms at AoA. Each one will afford your little one some very special princess features! How magical!
Regarding transportation, I'd take a look at this
WDW road map, so that you can see where each resort is in relation to the parks. This will give you a better idea about the difference in transportation time between the two as well. PO is located closer to both Downtown Disney and Epcot, while AoA is located closer to Disney's Hollywood Studios. The biggest difference in transportation is that PO offers a boat as well as a bus to Downtown Disney. Other than that, you'll be relying on complimentary resort buses for your transportation.
There are plenty of Character Greetings throughout the parks, so your daughter will be able to meet her favorites wherever she goes! Consider a character meal, though, for a really special interaction with several princesses right at your table! For this purpose, we always pick
Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, in Epcot's Norway Pavilion, as it is less expensive than a similar meal at Cinderella's Table in MK, yet the princesses are there, too.
Send more questions as you think of them! I'd love to help you plan the perfect first visit to WDW!