Hello, Merideth!
Planning the perfect family vacation at a Disney Vacation Club resort in Walt Disney World is so exciting...because you simply can't go wrong! :-)
Regarding the choice between
Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas and
The Villas at Disney's WIlderness Lodge, both have wonderful features that you simply cannot find elsewhere. Consider what will be most important to you during your upcoming stay, though, to determine which one features more of what's most important to your family.
If your little guy loves animals, a stay at AKV would be perfect! The beauty of the resort, the villas and the savannah itself are simply breathtaking. At Kidani Village, too, there is a great wet-play area, Uwanja Camp, that's sure to be a highlight of your little guy's day. We've stayed there several times just so that the kids will have this fantastic perk right at our own resort. Getting to the other parks will take a bit longer, though; if you don't need to head back to the resort and back out again, this won't be an issue.
If you know that you'd like to head into Magic Kingdom often, then a stay at WL is the way to go. You can take a resort bus to MK, but can also opt for an easy boat ride straight to where the magic happens. Folks who stay at WL tend to become life-long fans, too, stating that there is so much to see and do here that they'd be happy to stay all day and never even enter a park!
In short, for this first trip to Walt Disney World, pick your resort based on its proximity to the park(s) in which you'll want to spend the most time. With "home" so close to the park gate, you'll be so happy that you selected this resort for your little prince's first trip to Walt Disney World!
Send more questions as you think of them! I'd love to help!