Thank you for your question to the Disney Parks Moms Panel about planning your first trip! Deciding on a resort can be an equally exciting experience as well as an overwhelming one, so I hope I can help. I think it is probably most important to explore the resorts first with your budget in mind. I like that when visiting the
resort pages, you can estimate the costs by entering the dates you'd like to visit. Then, you may want to also look over the
Special Offers page to see if there is a discount that would work for you.
I do really like the deluxe resorts and the amenities they have to offer with larger rooms and more dining. They are not as big (often only 1 bus stop) as some of the moderate resorts (up to 7 bus stops), so it is easier to get around within the resort. I also really appreciated that when our children were younger, it was a treat to stay at deluxe resorts with their closer proximity to the theme parks so that we could come and go more easily during the day for naps. Similarly, it was equally wonderful to splurge on rooms with views of the Magic Kingdom so that we could watch the fireworks from our balcony and then get to bed right away with little ones.
The moderate resorts are filled with plenty of Disney theming and all the perks of staying at a Disney resort. You'll find the rooms smaller, but still with plenty of space. However, the bathrooms in the moderate resorts have a curtain that can be closed to divide the room instead of an actual wall that the deluxe resorts have. If you think you'll be at the parks the entire day, saving money on the resort is often the way to go for many. You will also have rooms that exit into the outdoors instead of an interior hallway, and you won't have a balcony/patio.
As you look over the different resorts, please let us know if you have more specific questions.