You will likely get a lot of responses on this one.... I know a lot of people think that if you are able to walk the parks for a week, the size of the resort should be inconsequential. I have been to POR with 2 young kids (5 & 7 at the time), and my parents who are in their late sixties.
When we stayed at POR, we got free dining. Free dining was not available in the preferred rooms, our only option was a garden room. We stayed in the Mansion section (Magnolia Terrace in the inner courtyard facing the river). As far as distance to the food court, that was actually a pretty good location. There was also a bus stop behind our building. Even considering that it was a pretty good location, my Dad struggled. He has some pretty big back and hip issues. It takes all he has to spend a day in the parks. By the time we get back to the resort... he's down for the count. My husband and I spent a lot of time running back and forth to the food court to refill my parents mugs, or get them things they needed. My younger daughter is also really tiny. At 5, she was probably the size of an average 2-3 year old. She walks really slow, so when we would try to run to the food court quick... it took forever (unless we carried her).
In retrospect... I actually would have done things the same way if given a choice. For our family, the free dining was a heck of a deal. With little kids, we did a lot of buffets and character meals. We saved a fortune. However, if the discount wasn't a consideration... and the only difference was the upcharge between garden view and preferred, I would have paid that in a heartbeat. It would have made things so much more pleasant for my parents. Even though we were doing the running for them (which I didn't mind), they actually kind of enjoy strolling up to the food courts and main areas. Especially as the week went on... it just wasn't happening.
Sorry for the long winded answer..... but I hope that gives you something to ponder at least.