1) Is there just Artists' Palette or is there another restaurant?
The Turf Club Bar & Grill is in the same building as Artists' Palette. They serve lunch and dinner until 9pm. AP is one of the more unique counter service restaurants onsite. They have a range of flatbreads and chef specials that are often better than TS food. They're open until 11pm.
2) Is there a map of the resort around somewhere? I need to figure out if I should request a certain section. I hear "The Springs" is near bus stops and food.
Here's a distance map to help you figure out exactly how far apart things are. SSR's area is roughly equivelant to the Boardwalk and Beach Club area.
http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/BroganMc_photos/SSRmap_enhanced.jpg
And here are some recent pictures of the resort from my May trip.
http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u311/BroganMc_photos/DisneyMay07/
The resort is beautiful, and now complete. It has the feeling of a luxury spa retreat. Lots of little lakes, landscaped walkways, wildlife and benches to sit and watch.
As for a section, everyone tends to have their favorite for different reasons. In general:
Congress Park gives you the view of DTD and the shortest walk there. But it is also farther from the resort center.
Springs is right at the resort center, has some beautiful water views but is also the last stop on the bus route.
Grandstand is as close to the resort center as Springs, although it has mostly golf course views. It is also closest to the ferry dock.
Paddock tends to be quieter, has the biggest lake views, and if you're near the pool there you are actually just a short bridge walk from the center.
Carousel is the smallest section, is more removed from it all by the resort entrance, and tends to be the last one people want.
3) Is the bus transportation OK? How long is bus ride to MK or EPCOT? How long are the waits?
In May my longest wait was 5 minutes. Keep in mind the bus does a loop through the resort at each section, so it'll be another 10-15 minutes if you get on at the first stop. The route is Grandstand, Carousel, Paddocks, Congress Park and Springs. From the Springs, you are between 10-15 minutes to your designated park.
The longest ride is to Animal Kingdom because it is at the exact opposite corner of the property and it stops at Blizzard Beach first.
I am getting a little anxious reading some negative reviews. Someone put my heart at ease, please!
A lot of those negative reviews were posted while the resort was still under construction and/or in comparison to smaller resort without the walkway sprawl. More recent reviews have been very positive now that the resort is finished and people are learning the advantages to all those walkways. My favorite activity was to get up at dawn, grab my refillable mug, get some hot chocolate at AP and stroll around the resort until breakfast.
Oh, just so you know, there are pools in 4 of the 5 sections. The main pool has the water slides and zero entry. Grandstand has water play areas and movies at night. Congress Park's has a view of DTD and Paddocks is beautiful for an afternoon retreat. There are also BBQ areas and playgrounds.
Enjoy your 2 bedroom! I'll be there the month before in a 2bedroom of my own.
We have stayed there serveral times. We always take the monorail from Mk to Epcot and it takes approx. 30 minutes. I am guessing about the same for a bus since you have to wait for the bus at MK first. 
