We are staying in the cabins for the first time ourselves this week. In fact, this is being written from one!
We've always stayed in either Port Orleans Riverside or Wilderness Lodge, but had to use the cabins this time as we had a party of 6 and I really didn't want to fuss with two rooms. We did rent a golf cart and are finding it indespensible, especially since two of our party are just under 3 years old.
For the pluses, I will say that this is the most relaxing place I have ever stayed. It has been quiet, and we settled right in like it was home.We open the door in the morning and don't worry about the twins... they love tracking down anoles and have even spotted a pair of ducks, to their delight! It has a homey feel to it that is absent in any hotel room I have ever stayed in.
On the negative side, if you are used to one of the other resorts you will find that transportation is really the pits by comparision. Study the maps and bus routes carefully! Commit them to memory, write them on the back of your hand or your forehead if necessary, but know what transportation gets you where. For example, the boats are the only way to the Magic Kingdom, and they come and go from the marina. The busses to Epcot however, leave from the Outpost Depot a mile down the road.
So what you really want to avoid is going to the Magic Kingdom in the morning (cart parked at marina), zipping over to Epcot in the afternoon, and then returning from Epcot. Uh oh.. cart is at the marina, so now you need to take the Settlement Orange (or Purple, or maybe Yellow?) bus down to the Marina to get your cart. There are alternatives, but they all involve multiple busses and a bit of extra time, which at 10 pm tries the patience of adults, never mind young children. Oh, and don't wait for the Disney Studio bus at the Outpost Depot, cause it picks up and drops off at the Settlement Depot, which is a short walk from the Marina. It did seem to take a couple of days to get the hang of planning our day and not waiting for half an hour at the wrong depot.
Would I stay here again? Yes..without a doubt. I don't think it would be the best place to stay for a first-timer, or if I were interested in getting the most done in the least amount of time. Even if you get the transportion right it seems to take more time to get to or from anywhere. That aside, I have never enjoyed a vacation more...