When it comes to booking a Disney Resort there are four tier levels available at Disney World and each one is themed / priced to meet everyone's needs.

Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness

750 acres of forest with charming trails, pool, and entertainment with lots of wild deer, rabbits, ducks, and aramdillos. Tent & RV spots available

Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness

located in the same area as the Campsites, these Cabins allow you to stay in Fort Wilderness but without the tent or RV. These are classified as a Moderate Resort.

Value Resorts are the least expensive resorts that Disney offers on their property. These are also among the largest resorts as they are the most popular. They are further away from the parks so travel may take a bit longer but these are the most kid-friendly, Disney themed (like in your face, obvious theming) resorts in the entire area. There are no table service restaurants at these resorts, only Quick Service, so if you are getting a Dining Plan, keep this in mind. Standard Room sizes are an average of 260 sq. ft and sleep 2 adults with 1 child and an infant max. These are also an Inn or Motel style not a hotel which means that they can be nosier (depending on the view) as there is no block between your door & the pool. They have very bright colours as plastic which is great for kids but some people feel that it makes them "cheap".

Pop Century

four buildings, themed for various decades from the 1950's to the 1990's, make up this value resort that is connected to Epcot & Hollywood Studios via the Skyliner and all the other parks by bus. It features a food court and a pool. Walking distance to Art of Animation.

Art of Animation

themed for animation from Disney & Pixar movies. Mostly family orientated with Family Suites that sleep up to 6 and allows for dogs. They have a food court, the largest pool of all the resorts, and Skyliner access to Epcot & Hollwood Studios (buses for the other parks). This hotel is also ususally considered "Value +" because it is more expensive than Pop Century or All-Star and the amenities are better. Walking distance to Pop Century. The themed Little Mermaid suites are roughly the same price as a standard room at a Deluxe Resort.

All-Star

This is split into three smaller "resorts". These have all been recently refurbished with more Disney touches / theming.

- All-Star Movies: themed with larger than life animated characters with a Fantasia themed pool and food court.

- All-Star Music: themed for various music genres from rock to jazz, calypso to Broadway and country, they also feature Family Suites that sleep up to 6, a guitar shaped pool, and a food court.

- All-Star Sports: a lot of high-school sports teams stay here due to it being so close to ESPN's Wide World of Sport, this resort is as you guess, themed for a variety of sports. It also features a surfboard themed pool and a concession themed food court. Usually the cheapest of all the Value options.

These resorts are in the middle when it comes to pricing and features. All rooms have queen beds in their standard rooms and are themed more based off of their location than off of Disney but still have hidden Disney details to keep you in the Disney mood (ex. designs on bath curtains, carvings, etc). Average rooms are about 325-340 sq. ft. and certain resort standard rooms will sleep up to 5 adults (i.e. Riverside). Pools are more elaborately-themed, resorts are closer to the parks than the Value resorts, Riverside & Caribbean Beach are two of the largest resorts on property, all are roughly the same distance to the Magic Kingdom, have sit down restaurants & food courts, concierges in the lobby, more on-site amenities (ex. fishing, horseback riding), and lots more to explore / walk around.

Port Orleans: French Quarter

themed for Mardi Gras. This is the smallest of all the resorts and is aimed more at adults / honeymooners. Connects to Coronado Springs via boat and all the parks by bus

Port Orleans: Riverside

themed after the Bayou and "the romance of rural Louisiana", here you'll find a pool with a waterslide (you can use it if you are staying at the French Quarter - both resorts are connected via a walkway or bus), they Tiana themed rooms, dog friendly accommodation, and a dining hall

Caribbean Beach Resort

this resort is made up of 5 different buildings (Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad, and Aruba) which all have their own white sand beaches with hammocks, a colonial fort restaurant, pool with slide inside of an old Spanish citadel fort, Pirate themed rooms, and Skyliner connection to Epcot & Hollywood Studios (bus for the other resorts). There are no elevators at this resort. Closest park is Epcot.

Coronado Springs Resort

freshly renovated with a Spanish / Mexican / and Southwest American feel on a lake, here they have Club rooms (additional perks like 90-days to pick Fast Passes, access to the Chronos Club, etc), a pool with a waterslide as well as a Mayan pyramid, and a gym. Closest park is Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios.

Considered luxurious, these are the most expensive properties onsite and are made to be destinations of themselves. Rooms range 380-420 sq. ft. and usually have a King or 2 Queen beds + a daybed to sleep up to 5 people comfortably. Expect upgraded linens, the possibility of balcony's and TV's in the bathroom mirror, closest access available to the parks, multiple sit down restaurants & bars, club level rooms, fitness centers, spa's, boat rentals, concierge, a higher staff to guest ratio, and wandering entertainment.

the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

themed for "Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication". Here you'll find the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a pool with waterslide, Deluxe Villa's, World-Class Spa, sit down dining and evening cocktails, health club, and a Salon. Connected to the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Magic Kingdom & Epcot via monorail. They also have ferryboat & bus transportation to the other parks.

the Polynesian Village Resort

A tropical oasis that makes you feel like you are in the South Pacific (but with a view of the Magic Kingdom). This is one of the original resorts. connected to the Grand Floridian, Contemporary, and Magic Kingdom & Epcot via monorail. They also have ferryboat & bus transportation to the other parks. They also offer Villas & overwater Bungalows (these are part of the Disney Vacation Club).

the Contemporary

the original DisneyWorld resort, this ulta-modern hotel reatures aware-winning dining, a 90-foot tall mural by the woman who gave the "it's a small world" it's design, two pools, views over Bay Lake, walking distance to the Magic Kingdom, Deluxe Villa's, and two buildings - the Contemporary tower & the Garden Wing. Connected to the Grand Floridian, Polynesian, and Magic Kingdom & Epcot via monorail. They also have ferryboat & bus transportation to the other parks.

the Wilderness Lodge

"rustic elegance"; themed for America's Northwest / turn-of-the-century National Park lodge. Enjoy nature trails through the pine forests, rocking chairs on a creek, totem poles, a fireplace in the lobby, two pools, and Deluxe Villas

the Beach Club

themed for New England with lagoons, spas, and pools in Stormalong Bay, rent powerboats, enjoy Club Level, the gym, grab ice cream at Beaches and Cream, and use the amenities of the Yacht Club Resort. Located on Disney's Boardwalk, walking distance to Epcot & Hollywood Studios but you can also take a ferryboat or the Skyliner if you don't want to walk. The other parks have access via bus and / or ferryboat.

the Yacht Club

Also New England themed with nautical touches, you can use the amenities of the Beach Club located on Disney's Boardwalk, with lagoons, spas, and pools in Stormalong Bay, gym, and the Yachtsman Streakhouse. Located on Disney's Boardwalk, walking distance to Epcot & Hollywood Studios but you can also take a ferryboat or the Skyliner if you don't want to walk. The other parks have access via bus and / or ferryboat.

Boardwalk Inn

themed for turn of the century Atlantic City where you can find a clown themed pool, carnival games, and exciting nightlife. Located on Disney's Boardwalk, walking distance to Epcot & Hollywood Studios but you can also take a ferryboat or the Skyliner if you don't want to walk. The other parks have access via bus and / or ferryboat.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

this U shaped resort is inspired by the African kraal and is set on 4 savannas with over 200 animals & birds roaming, a large pool with waterslide themed as a water hole, award-winning dining, lots of exotic animals, Deluxe Villa's, and the largest collection of African art in the USA. This is closest to the Animal Kingdom and uses buses to get to all of the parks. We love it for the animals but hate it because it's soooo large / spread out.

1. Items can be delivered to your room for U$6 per package (ex. mail, groceries, etc) or if you'd like to skip this cost then just ask for them to be delivered to Bell service & pick them up on your way to the room
2. If you are having items shipped to your resort, they will be rerouted through Disney's mail sorting company first to make sure there are no dangers to the hotel before they will make their way to the resort. I had ordered a few items that I could only get in the US (and some items from Disney.com) and I ordered them 3 weeks before our stay, they arrived on the second to last day of our trip.
   
3. if you are staying at the resort but you purchase something in the parks, you can get this delivered to your resort for free. They used to deliver the items to the room but you now have to go pick them up at the hotel's gift shop. Typically the items will be delivered the following morning so you cannot do this on the last day of your stay.
4. you can set a wake-up call and a Disney character will call you (normally Micky Mouse or Stitch)
   
5. switching resorts? Bell Services will transfer your luggage to the next hotel. Once you check in, just call Bell Services at the new hotel and ask them to bring your luggage to the room.
   
6. the Deluxe resorts usually host tours, check with the front desk to see what is going on
   
7. all the hotels usually host some sort of daily activity, just ask the front desk for an activity schedule