Request a villa in Cascades or Fountains. Both are deep inside the resort, so no noise from the highway right in front, and both are right across from the market and close to pools, restaurants, and bars (if that's your thing).
The resort does provide shuttle service to Disney TTC, from where you can take Disney transportation to other parks and resorts. Renting a car does give you more freedom to come and go, but there is the parking fee of $20 at the parks to consider. No parking fee at the resort though. Uber is also an option that is very popular around WDW. We're planning to use that for our trip in December, staying at the Swan, for when we go to Universal and other non-Disney things.
The market at SVV is a bit over priced, but offers a great selection of staples. You can order
pre-stocking of groceries* and supplies, but they won't deliver until after you check in, and call for delivery during market hours. We arrived late at night, so couldn't get our stuff until the next day. There is a Walmart just down the road a piece too.
(Link to grocery pre-stock order is in the middle of the page, next to the link to Diamond Lane Check In - which I HIGHLY recommend using too)
Allow yourself ample time to enjoy the parks fully. Get park tickets for at least 4 days. Park Hopper is an option to consider, as it allows you to visit more than one park per day. There are several sites that offer discount tickets - they are Disney authorized, and totally legit:
The best known in
UnderCoverTourist.com - first go to
MouseSavers.com and sign up for the newsletter. Around the 15th, they will send one with a link for an extra discount. I have purchased from them before, and can attest to their legitimacy.
Then there is
ParkSavers.com - right now they are offering a
4 day Park Hopper pass with three days free, or 7 days for the price of 4. I bought these tickets for our trip in December, and have them linked to our My Disney Experience account and Magic Bands, so these are legit too.
Another authorized seller of discount tickets is
OfficialTicketCenter.com - I have not used them personally, but those in the know say they are legit.
All of the above have discount tickets for Universal Orlando, too, if that is part of your plans. Also SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and other Orlando area attractions.
There are several sites out there with tons of Disney (and other theme park) tips, tricks, hacks, and other information. My favorite is
Disney Tourist Blog. From restaurant and ride reviews, to packing tips, to freebies - they cover it all.
Another fantastic site is
Touring Plans where you can get customized park itineraries that will save hours of waiting in lines. They have lots of other great information and tools there too. I use their crowd calendar to plan out which parks we will visit on what days, based on how crowded they will be. The park hours and special events are also a factor.
Another one that has proven invaluable for me is their
dining reservation finder - just pick the restaurant and time frame, and it will send a text message when a reservation comes available. I was able to get two hard-to-get reservations two weeks before our last trip.
You are making dining reservations, right? If you aren't, you might spend a LOT of time waiting for a table, or be relegated to quick-serve dining. Get yourself a
My Disney Experience account. You can link your tickets for each member of your family there, and not only make dining reservations, but also get FastPass+ reservations as well. Use this in conjunction with the Touring Plans site to plan out your visit. Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) can be made 6 months ahead of time, FastPass 30 days if staying in a non-Disney hotel or resort.
Do not make the mistake of planning to just go in the parks without a plan or reservations - doing that guarantees HOURS of waiting in lines, even if you are going in low season. The week between Christmas and New Year's Day is historically the
most crowded time in the parks.
Weather at that time of year is also a consideration. Daytime highs will be in the 60s to 70s, but dropping into the 40s and 50s when the sun goes down. All parks have lockers you can rent to store cool weather gear and other things you might not want to tote around. From March to October, the main concern is keeping cool enough. At all times, sunscreen is a must. Winter is the dry season in Florida, but it still could rain. Take along disposable ponchos that you can get cheap at home or from Amazon, rather than paying $15 for one with Mickey printed on it in the park.
Comfortable, supportive shoes are essential. Be sure they are well broken in, too. You will be doing lots, and lots, and lots, of walking. On our last visit, my Fitbit said I averaged 10 miles per day in the parks. Best tip I ever got was to take along moleskin to cover blisters that might come up. I take a small first aid kit with bandaids, gauze, tape, itch cream, and antibiotic ointment, but there are first aid stations all around the parks too.
It's perfectly OK to bring snacks and water bottles. We take trail mix and protein bars. Any dining location with fountain drinks will give you a cup of ice water for free. We pour it into our water bottles, and add flavor drops like Mio or Stur.
Do your research and planning ahead of time so you know what rides, attractions, activities, etc., you want to see and do, which you want to skip, and
the best order in which to do them. Take into consideration your level of endurance, and build in rest times. FYI ... Magic Kingdom doesn't have a lot of benches or other places to sit and rest, however Animal Kingdom has lots of quiet paths and sitting areas. Are you going with children? Families often find it best to start the day early, go until lunchtime then go back to the resort for a few hours for lunch, nap, etc. before going back for evening events. We're a middle-aged couple without kids, so we often go from rope-drop to Kiss Goodnight with some down time in restaurants along the way.
Let me know if you have specific questions about Disney ... I'm a bit obsessive about knowing as much as I can about the places we visit, so I have done a lot of digging into all things Disney.