JRJ,
I just posted in regard to another post, but here's more to your broader question.
Truly, the food, in my opinion, at all CL's is quite similar.
At all resorts, breakfast looks pretty similar.
If you are looking at photos, and see variation, it may just be what Disney calls 'seasonal'. Like maybe some day s they can't get strawberries, and substitute melon. Just like all over WDW: melon and red grapes are pretty common. Berries are more rare. Many CL's put outa tray of fruit, but sprinkle a few berries on top as a garnish. yogurt cereal, pastries, etc.
Appetizers are also mostly pretty similar: a few hot starchy/meaty items (mini meatballs, skewers, DUMPLINGS- esp fried ones, maybe mini pizzas),a veggie plate (think raw broccoli, grape tomatoes, celery), a cheese plate (cheddar, blue, and a soft cheese, 5 grapes as a garnish), a cracker plate, rolls, beer, wine. Often cold salads- like caprese, or something chopped with olives. BC has tiny lobster salad portions one night a week. (or did), CR also has a seafood salad one night a week. Some also have something like California rolls one night a week, maybe a tiny bit of raw tuna.
I might give GF a slight bump for quality of offerings...but food is not the only aspect of CL that matters. One thing I dislike at GF, is how far away the self parking lot is. It's across the street from the resort! It's quite bit further than most. Poly next door, has much better parking.
Let's see: AKL - great view in lounge, very good food (our stay was short and long time ago). Rooms are a little smaller, our room was not on same floor as lounge, LOVE AKL on the whole, rooms slightly dark, animals huge plus, transportation small negative, best beer - we really need to go back!
BWK - great food, great lounge, no view from lounge, main pool just so-so. I thought I'd like it, but it was too deep, too busy. Resort is very spread out, so it's a long walk across resort, very close to HS/Epcot/Swan/Dolphin, beautiful theming, very clean. Also, I don't know how to say, but the layout is such that the staff lets you in/out of lounge area.
BC/YC- love bright rooms, love pool, great staff, lounge not quite as deluxe as others, but overall excellent food, lounges have no view, great to HS/Epcot/Swan/Dolphin, great landscaping
Remember Piccabu is open all night! (Dolphin)
WL- great price, rooms too brown, smaller rooms, St CL can equal room w/view, Staff very helpful - but almost too eager sometimes, only resort to lay out strict rules ( THIS tv is only for cartoons. This tv is only for adult news.), food was tasty, but by far the least fancy. Lots of stew and cobblers. Of all the lounges, in that sense the food was unique. Tasty, good- but less fancy, appetizers had nice salads, small pool, close to amenities at Ft. WL
GF- outer - (which seemed similar to inner) - best quality food offerings in the sense that it was the only to offer full range of milk (0%, 1%, whole) and plain yogurt. Most offerings though are American food. Staff good, but not exceptional, has slightly different (or did) toiletries than the others. nothing too different - green H2O.
CR -Atrium - food very good, most boring theming of any resort, nice view from lounge, staff mixed- sometimes excellent, sometimes indifferent, old building!, elevators break down frequently, many folks confused by layout (so you end up acting as tour guide for folks who can't find monorail/dining), often check-in done at front desk, convenient to MK, good self parking lot, okay to Epcot- far from WS! Will see business guests.
(CR - top floor- similar to 14th floor, but smaller. food is replenished less. It has been remodeled since we stayed. )
Actually getting to the WS for dinner is far from all the monorail resorts.
Poly- great view in lounge, food is good, lots of skewers, unique beer, staff was just so-so, lounge is BIG- so can be noisy, transportation just okay - to use monorail- you must go outside along uncovered walkways, then up stairs/tiny elevator for monorail. (elevator very crowded w/diners too!), rooms dark, our room was not on same floor as lounge, so that was less convenient, one of few WDW resorts where we had noise from room next door- maybe just us (we like the values too!), parking great., no hot tub- but main pool has water jets (like hot tub), great theming, lottsa leis
CSR business- great value, unlike others- no coffee at 6:30am, lounge opens at 7am (the rest offer just coffee 6:30am-7am), appetizer foods are less (chips, dips, cheese), staff was excellent!, I think liquor was also less: they had beer and sangria- only CL to have sangria, Breakfast is pretty much like all others, had great fruit! Liked location, but must walk outdoors to get to lounge, parking great, they also had board games on hand, and a computer
Oh - and each resort has candy on your pillow at night w/turndown. Let's see:
chocolate: WL, CR, GF, Poly
Taffy: BC, YC, BWK
I don't recall what AKL had. No turndown at CSR.
Another thing to consider....I only did it once, and it is pricey, but each CL has or had - unique treat offerings if you look on room service offerings. (like last page) It's kind of overkill, but they often include something like chocolate covered strawberries. Each resort has a special menu. If you want some little fun treat sent to your room- and don't mind paying through the nose - it can be fun. You might end up with a chocolate Mickey or something. Maybe some have discontinued since they are encouraging guests to use Disney Floral instead.
At turndown, all resort will replace used towels.
None offer bottled water to take to the parks! that's the ONE big thing missing from all! One time, one resort did offer it (a fluke?), but only on one stay. Next time, no water!
If you are worried about cost, not that it pairs well with CL tastes- CSR is a great option. I'd stay there again any day. They just need to make Pepper Market as good as it once was. It is not quite the same as the rest, but staff was super sweet. They do not have IPO, but I can live with making my own ADR's.
I could also write another big post about how many of them deal with food allergies (though not all).
Oh, and another thing to know is generally- the lounges only have food 7am-10pm. They leave out a fruit basket (apples oranges, maybe pears), and fill the cooler with soft drinks, but the cooler drinks get taken. But some lounges close up at night, and others remain open for sitting. I'd do a solid list, but that changes over time. Lounges that can't close include CR, AKL, GF Lounges that lock up include WL, BC, CSR. (I think YC, and BWK close?) At WL the tables are still available, but no drinks.
We've more or less stayed at least once at every resort now, except ASSp, and DVC resorts. We really like variety, and Pop/AoA are great too! Every resort has pros and cons.
I saw a post somewhere that indicated that CL rooms were in all building, but I can not find the post now. Thanks a bunch for helping me. 
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. We are surprising my mom with this stay, so I have a great deal of anxiety over staying at a new resort , stay CL and keeping the surprise. 
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I like the way the lounge is set up better then WL. It feels like you're sitting along a hallway at WL to me rather then in a lounge. But I've only had breakfast at WL CL when we were Flag Family. I hear good things about it. 
I didn't tell them I switched. We did a split stay last August GF/YC and oldest daughter didn't want to leave GF! Can't wait to surprise them! 
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