Okay. Lots to digest here. Even though VGF deals ARE awesome right now, it's not your favorite and not in your budget at this time to take advantage of it. Plus, you already own PVB, which is literally walking distance away from VGF anyway.
I would definitely wait to see if Poly 2.0 is the same/different association. If it's a new association, assuming you love the new tower Poly 2.0, I may be tempted to sell your PVG contract to update to Poly 2.0.
With a family of 5, and two kids rapidly approaching teenager sizes/appetites, and still having a toddler with all their associated bulky gear -- I would rather shoot myself than try to figure out that human Jenga of strollers, leftover food, baby gear, grumpy kids who don't want to be quiet for napping siblings in the room, exhausted parents who are stacked like firewood in the same room with the kids, etc., etc. You also already have MK covered, so I would be hesitant to stack all my points around MK.
I'd be thinking long-term since you're young parents and the kids are going to just get bigger, may want to vacation with friends/cousins, and privacy becomes a desire for parents and kids alike with age. Shoot for resorts that have good one-bedrooms that sleep 5 or affordable two-bedrooms that you like.
We LOVE CC, too, but the rooms are small, and we'd always want a two-bedroom, even just for the four of us. Depending on the Reflections/Cabins Fort Wilderness revamp, that may be a nice option for your family for that vibe/area but with better room layouts for your needs in the future.
If you don't mind driving/buses, I'd consider OKW-extended. We just stayed there for the first time in a one-bedroom and LOVED it. It's us, parents (50s,) and our two kids (9.5 and 10.5) and our niece (12.5.) We had friends come over with THEIR five (parents, 40s,) and their kids (16, 12, 10,) to visit on the back patio, and no one was squished. The resort is great, and the points can be had for cheap resale. Their community hall was WONDERFUL for the kids, and IDK if we lucked out last week or if it's normal, but the kids played with the other kids in the pool spontaneous Marco Polo and water catch with a small ball, raced down the pool slides, had underwater contests, etc. It was really nice.
You're quickly going to be back in stroller mode, and I HATE the foyer/layout of the 2042 entrances with that pie-wedge entry for one and two-bedrooms. Plus, the weird maze of bathroom door entries is not cool. You may be thinking of just parks/location, but seven DVC trips in, we're ALL about the resorts and ease of use.
We own Riviera direct, and it is far and away all of our favorites, also with the kids (although we all loved OKW as our #2.)
Your 12 year-old will be allowed at age 13 to enter parks on their own. Not that YOU will allow that, but if you ever brought their friend/cousin, being at Riviera on the Skyliner so they can go back to the room/parks while you bring the baby back for a nap is a huge plus. It's a direct shot to Epcot and a simple transfer to HS.
We also love mobile ordering from Primo and having the kids fetch our food/coffee/pastries. They love the excursions, and we love the convenience, LOL. The resort is small enough they know it like the back of their hand, and we can keep eyes on them easily when at the pool.
Speaking of which, the Riviera pool is nothing exciting, BUT, I find it the easiest to keep an eye on all the kids at different ages. Check out the main pool by the hot tub. If you set up camp near there, you're right next to the gate for the toddler splash pad, plus the hot tub, plus the zero-entry nearest the slide, Bar Riva, and bathrooms for diaper changing. You may actually get to RELAX a little bit and not have to jump up and run all over to keep and eye on littles while your other kids are going, "Watch me! Watch me!" as they go down the slide for the millionth time.
Riviera has, IMO, the perfected room layout. The foyer/landing area is huge. You can easily maneuver a stroller in and out, and stroller access to the Skyliner is awesome. We have an
ECV user, and Skyliner is their favorite mode of transport. We're VERY interested in Poly 2.0 because we love the tower style and figure it'll be laid out similar to Riviera.
The split bathroom is really nice. You could put a pack and play in the main bedroom portion of the bathroom to let the baby nap in total darkness/quiet, and everyone can still access the bathroom from the living room. The bedroom is spacious, and the Murphy bed in the living room is very comfortable. Our daughter and niece always claim that bed and love the storage nooks on the sides for charging iPads, Apple watches, and storing treasures. Our son does the trundle under the TV and considers that his little fort area.
The Riviera alley-style kitchen is good for toddlers learning to walk and not crash into furniture. It's very spacious, IMO, and we love the storage hooks and shelf when you walk in.
As has been mentioned above, you probably will eventually spend more time at Epcot/HS as the kids age. You definitely have another decade of MK-focused stuff, but you already have that covered with Poly.
IDK if AK appeals, but the food options on site can't be beat. Animals are always a hit, and they do a lot of cool kid activities. This last trip we visited our friends at THEIR DVC resort for a pool day, and the kids made Simba/Mickey tie-dye shirts poolside and loved wearing them first day of summer camp yesterday. You can pick up a resale AK for a good deal, and if you ever score club level and don't have to cook for part of the trip, that's a win!
Lastly, I keep beating this same drum, but I truly feel the Riviera resale restrictions aren't as big a factor as everyone made it out to be. It's not doom and gloom. The latest resale resort had it averaging around $135=$145, I believe? I feel like the delta between direct and resale is pretty similar to other resorts when they first hit resale markets, but YMMV on that. We plan to pass our DVC on to the kids and like the 2070 end date. By then we'd be in our 90s, so doubtful we'd be alive to use it, but our kids would be in their 50s and, hopefully, able to enjoy it with their kids and maybe even grandkids.
