I have stayed in a standard room (Home Run) and preferred (Surf's Up) building. Considering the amount of walking that you do in WDW, the minimum additional distance to a standard room is minimal. While it was nice to have a quick trip to get coffee in the morning, it was just as nice to have a quiet early morning walk, when I stayed in the Home Run building, which is the farthest out at All Star Sports.
Just a note, I didn't pay extra for a preferred room, it was given to us at check-in. I wouldn't pay an extra $10 (or is it more) per day to have the preferred room.