Here's my very general WDW advise:

If you have kids in tow and it's a mainly Magic Kingdom holiday...then on the monorail is where you want to be.

If most of your time is going to be spent "down south" (Epcot, Disney-MGM, Animal Kingdom), then the Yacht Club, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Carribean Beach, Dixie Landings, Key West or Animal Kingdom Lodge is the place to be.

The Yacht, Beach and Boardwalk are best for Epcot and Disney-MGM, IMHO. These are Disney owned and operated and are right next door to them. You can stroll or boat right into both parks.

Most "adult only" vacationers stay in the immediate Epcot area, at either the Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk, Swan or Dolphin, so they can dine and drink around the World Showcase (Epcot) and then take a leisurly stroll back to their hotel via Epcot's International Gateway entrance.

To me, Animal Kingdom Lodge is fantastic and must be seen. But once you've stayed there, you don't really need to hang your hat there on return visits. Unless you are a real animal nut.

With the transportation system there, it's really only a matter of minutes between the shortest time and longest time to get to your destination, regardless of hotel.

I personally prefer to get around by car. No waiting for buses/boats or monorails. No having to "transfer" to get to some spots.

Plus, with my own car, I can often finish fireworks at one park and make it over the another park to enjoy another performance. Something almost impossible relying on Disney transportation.

[This message has been edited by PremEx (edited 10-15-2002).]