We are planning a 4 day stay in Orlando with our 3 year old. Can anyone suggest a hotel that we should stay in? We are also possibly looking into redeeming Amex miles for a hotel. Do we need a car? Also, and most importantly, which parks should we visit?
I have had so much help on this site in the past so thank in advance!

Might help if you give us more information. Are you only going to Disney parks or do you want to include the others (Sea World, etc.)? If just Disney, do you want on site or off site?

Taitai

You may wish to investigate Universal Parks, particularly Studios. It has a terrific section with a Dr. Seuss theme that is ideal for younger children. Your 3 year old may also enjoy Sea World if he/she is not unduly afraid of animals.

Disney is geared towards older children of all ages.

If you plan on going to only one resort (i.e Disney) you do not "need" a car, but by the time you pay for tranportation from the airport to your hotel and back, you probably could rent a car, and then have the convenience of a car. If you are planning on going to more than one attraction, then you really need a car. If you are going to the parks, its best and easiest to stay at one of their hotels. Your 3 year old will need breaks from the parks and you wont want to waste time schlepping to an outside motel or hotel. If its the theme parks you're after, i guess you could consider a couople of days at one place, then a couple of days at another. When I planned our last trip to Disney I relied on mousesavers.com for lots of info. Theres other websites that you can find if you google disneyworld or universal studios.
Not that you asked, but 3 is very young for these theme parks. There are many attractions that she wont be allowed to go on, meaning one of you will have to stay with your child while the other goes on the ride, etc. Dont be surprised if your 3 year old is fearful of the lifesize animated characters also. 3 is great in that the admission will be free or much cheaper. I think Disney is @ 75/day now for admission, and I'm sure Universal isnt far behind.
I would look for a place with a great pool as that may be more fun for everyone. Also, at least a refrigerator so you can stock up on drinks, snacks to have at your convenience instead of relying on jacked up prices at the various parks.
final thought-nothing worse than waiting in line for a long time, being the next up to get on the ride, attraction, only to have your child say, I have to go to the bathroom.

I've heard lots of stories of 3 year olds that are more enamored by the pool and amenities of the hotel than by the parks, so be ready for that Also, plan plenty of time to rest (I was 22 the first time I went, and I had to take a break at about 3 p.m. to go lay down for a bit.)

If you stay at a Disney owned hotel and only plan on Disney parks, then you don't really need a car. Transport to and from the airport is included with the hotel (it's a bus - Disney's Magical Express) and there is really, really great transport from Disney hotels to Disney parks.

mousesavers.com has a ton of great info. Also, I highly recommend the book the Unofficial Guide to Disney. It's updated each year, and has specific plans for each park geared towards the age of the travelers.

I would say that Epcot is the most adult and least enjoyable for a 3 year old, with the Magic Kingdom at the top of the list for someone that young. But it also depends on your child's interests. Does he or she love animals? Mickey? Etc.

Haven't priced Disney (Orlando)lately, but Universal 2 park one week tickets are selling on-line for $95. [We just bought six month 2 park tickets for Universal from Costco for around $90/ticket].

And, if you stay at a Universal park hotel, you'll get fast access-a separate line-for virtually all attractions-something Disney does not offer, and is worth its weight in gold. If you stay long enough you may get free tickets to the parks (we received 2 tickets for a 4 night stay earlier this month).

Enjoy your trip.

I took a three year old to Disney last year. Meltdowns ten minutes after the park opened were common. Be prepared to push a stroller all day and spending time in his/her little kids area.

Very likely you will need a car. There really isnt much in terms of public transportation. Remember the carseat.

We stayed at a Doubletree Hotel near Downtown Disney. VERY nice, a two-room hotel room complete with a small kitchenette (sink, fridge, microwave). They have a playground and children's pool as well as adult pool. I would choose this hotel again for staying with young children. If you are going to the Disney park, they offer a shuttle to/from hotel. However, since this stops at other hotels, we found it unreliable. Often full by the time we arrived, often late, and when waiting with a toddler, this isn't fun. I'd suggest a car just for the convenience of getting to/from the park much quicker (one time we did bus only, another trip we did car). I do believe this hotel now charges $8/day for parking (dumb!!) But it is a nice hotel!

I took my then just-turned-4 year-old son to Orlando in 2002. We stayed at the Radisson in Kissimmee. I don't know that I'd recommend this property over others in Kissimmee but I will say that staying in Kissimmee was significantly less expensive than staying within the Disney parks (it will pay for the rental car, parking and then some.) It's only a few minutes drive to the parks.

Our favorite parks were Animal Kingdom and Sea World. Both worked well for his age (and for me, as well!)

My experience was that my son was good for about 3-4 hours at a park each day. We generally had a leisurely breakfast and went to one of the parks for the morning. We headed back to the hotel after lunch and spent the afternoon at the hotel pool. I was very glad to have chosen a hotel with a great pool.

I opted to just wing it and not purchase multi-day tickets ahead of time and was glad that I didn't; it took the pressure off of having to "get our money's worth."

Btw, we went in late October and it was a great time to go. Warm enough to enjoy the pool but not crowded at all. We encountered very few lines, especially at Animal Kingdom and Sea World.

I would recommend either the Polynesian or the Animal Kingdom. The former is the best combination of location, theme, and ease of access to and from the Magic Kingdom. With a three year old you may want the ability to get to and from the Magic Kingdom for a mid-day nap or swim break.

The Animal Kingdom is great because of the ability to see animals walking around outside your room. When our kids were that age, they went nuts seeing the giraffe, etc up close.

But, getting to and from the Magic Kingdom via bus was not our favorite thing to do. If staying at the Animal Kingdom, consider a rental car so that you can get back and forth in a third of the time.

Personally, I wouldn't take a young child to Universal exclusively. The Dr Suess area is nice, but it has maybe 4 or 5 rides. The rest of the park really isn't geared towards young kids.

If you do stay at the Polynesian, really any of the Disney hotels, you really can get around easily without a car. Using the Magic Express from the airport is an easy way.

We prefer our own rental car, but I can understand why some rely on the buses and WDW transportation.

Most of Disney is geared for older kids but there are a bunch of little kids rides at Magic Kingdom - as well as some favorite charcters. It depends on who/what your little one likes.

I would also defiitely do Sea World.

Staying off Disney is less expensive - even with renting a car (dirt cheap in Orlando) and I would go for a suite - so you're not stuck sleeping the same time a toddler does.

There are a lot of great choices in any budget. I don't know how the AMEX point thing works so you'll have to get on the at website and check for your options. I did go to the site and they have some Disney hotels listed.

If you stay at a Disney Hotel and you just go to Disney theme parks, you won't need a car. The Disney parks have a lot for little ones so that is a good option. You can use Disney's Magical Express to and from the airport and Disney transportation within the parks.

The Disney Value resorts (3 All-Star Resorts and Pop Century) are brightly colored and are popular with kids. Disney also has moderate and Deluxe resorts. Port Orleans Riverside or Coronado Springs are my top choices in the Moderate department. Any of the deluxes will be very nice.

As for the parks - plan two days in Disney's Magic Kingdom, a day in the Animal Kingdom, and maybe a day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Epcot can be a good choice too - it just depends on your child. Here's an article on Epcot with toddlers: http://www.buildabettermousetrip.com...-children.html

Sea World is a great park for families but you'll probably need a car.

I like the Universal Parks but, despite have child areas, they seem geared to older kids and teens. Universal Studios might be an exception but Islands of Adventure definitely seems more teen-friendly too me.