Personally, I wouldn't put view as no. 1 at any of the mods since they all have outdoor corridors, no balconies, and your view will be of the walkway outside of your door. If it is still important, then you may want to request a corner room as they will have two windows as opposed to one.
The bayou atmosphere is a little more rustic, while the mansions are more stately, so I guess it's just what appeals to you the most. ABayou has several small buildings set up in clusters, while the mansions are very large single buildings with more formal gardens surrounding them.
The main pool is on an island in the center of the resort that is accessible by bridge. Since the mansion buildings are so large, your distance is mostly due to where you are in the building and how close the building is to one of the bridges. This also holds true for distance to bus stop, food, parking lot, etc. AB section is more dependent on the building. I know that bldg 14 is popular. I think 27 and 18 are also pretty close. Parking is easy for all, since everything is spread out and parking is located at each building. There are quiet pools near all of the buildings.
To me, at this time, the biggest factor would be a refurbed room vs. a non-refurbed, as I think there is a big difference between them after recently staying in both. Second priority would be location. Because of this, I would recommend Magnolia Terrace for location to main pool, main buildings, and the bus stop - and wouldn't pay extra for a preferred view.
If you've never been there, it might be helpful to see a resort map
http://www.mousetyme.com/files/Dixie_Landings.jpg
Let me know if you have other questions on POR - it's a great resort.