Help for a beginner!

[kellsbells]

I would price up a few packages with different TA's to see where you are at (Virgin, TC etc). Then you can compare the price with Disney direct and work out how much the difference is without flights included and that should give you a good idea of what you have to play with. We usually book with Disney direct and then book flights diy when we see them for the right price.

(don't rule out a package though, I actually got a great deal with Virgin for next year which I couldn't have done cheaper diy)

If you want full DP then AKL is often the cheapest of the deluxe resorts and is a fantastic hotel so that could be one to look at for you. You could wait to see if room discount is offered after free dining ends as it can be the better deal for 2 people in a room (there is no guarantee that will happen for next year though with Galaxy's Edge opening)

Also (and this is just my opinion) I would consider for next year the impact Galaxy's Edge is going to have. We don't know exactly when it will open other than late Fall 2019 but it's safe to say it's going to have a big impact on crowd levels so might be worth considering going earlier in the year if Star Wars isn't your thing.