Vote for Boardwalk! Our home away from home twice a year. The resort is beautiful. If you get a chance to stay Club Level even better Plus, as others have said you can walk or boat to two parks and you have next door access to some good restaurants at EPCOT. Just a quick walk over to World Showcase. The restaurants on the Boardwalk are good too. Flying Fish is the all-time favorite.
My vote was for the Wilderness Lodge. I like the Bay Lake location and the option of taking a boat to the MK or to the Contemporary to catch the Monorail. The themeing inside the resort in my opinion is second to none, especially during the holidays. Most of all, I like the way it makes me feel when I am there.
I think you could make a legitimate arguement for any of the WDW resorts. Resort preferences are influenced by many factors such as price, location, past experiences, activities, comfort of room, etc. There are no right or wrong answers in this poll.
I voted for the YC. We had always stayed on the BC side and tried the YC for the first time in 2009 just to change things up a bit. I can't believe we waited that long to try it! It is now our absolute favorite. We are staying there again this May. I can't wait!
The only real difference IMHO is the BC is a more airy atmosphere with a lighter decor where as the YC is a darker nautical decor. Some feel the YC is stuffy and not very kid friendly: Horse Hockey on that. I think both resorts are among the best in WDW, but my first choice is the YC.
As to the OP. I have to agree with a few others, your choices are not limited to the monorail resorts if you don't want to depend on transportation every where you go. The Beach Club and Yacht club are both great. They have an awesome pool area with Storm along Bay, Epcot is a very quick walk, DHS is also an easy walk, but the boat is easier. You have some very good restaurants in both of these resorts, and the options are endless in the World Showcase. Good luck, and have a great time.
My favorite resort is the Wilderness Lodge, but based on what you describe, I would recommend a different resort based on your transportation desires.