Hi Melanie!
The first step is to decide where you will be staying at Walt Disney World. Disney resort hotels can be divided into four categories:
- Deluxe Villas
- Deluxe Resorts
- Moderate Resorts
- Value Resorts
My favorite Disney Deluxe Villa and Deluxe Resort is the Wilderness Lodge. My favorite Moderate Resort is Port Orleans Riverside, and my favorite Value Resort is Pop Century.
With regards to an itinerary, I recommend the following:
- Sunday Afternoon - Epcot
- Monday - Magic Kingdom
- Tuesday - Epcot
- Wednesday - Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Thursday - Disney's Animal Kingdom
That will give you a flavor of all four theme parks. I recommend Epcot for the first afternoon / evening, because Epcot is a very large park requiring more than one day. That will also give you a good feel for a Disney park, before going to the Magic Kingdom, the crown jewel of the resort. Then Monday night you can decide if you'd rather spend Tuesday in Epcot or the Magic Kingdom (or both by using the Park Hopper option on the Magic Your Way tickets).
Since it is your first time visiting to Walt Disney World, I recommend picking up the book "The Complete Walt Disney World" by Julie and Mike Neal. It is a great book for first time visitors, as it has a lot of tips and information but is not overwhelming. It is also a beautiful book full of color photographs.
I hope this helps to get you started! Write back with more questions when you are ready!