We do not care about most of the perks of staying onsite. Don't want to use the buses; the dining plan doesn't fit our style; would just as soon go home from the parks to a completely non-Disney environment because it's more restful (with a couple of exceptions); don't fly so don't need transportation from the airport, etc. etc. We're about as far from the customer Disney is aiming for as you can get, and still love Disney World!
Space is our first consideration on any vacation. There's a "sweet spot" for my family where we have enough room to prevent friction, but it's small enough we spend a lot of time together just hanging out. Usually the unit comes next (does it have all the stuff we want?), and then things like theming and pools. Money is not a big consideration, not because we're so rich it doesn't matter, but because we can usually find a fair selection at a price we're willing to pay.
When it comes to onsite resorts, however, most of that is out the window. We like 2 BR condos, but most of Disney's are too small -- Disney
always is at the bottom in the "space" category, compared to other Orlando options we've considered. Don't like the layout of most DVC 2 BRs, either, and hate their kitchens. But Disney's theming, in particular their themed pools when it comes to picking a place to stay, trumps a lot of that. And some of us are just really attuned to the "Disney magic." Disney resorts have a vibe to them that even the Swan and the Dolphin do not share. I seem to be fairly immune to brand name loyalty in general -- I rate foods the same way in blind taste tests as I do knowing the brand names, for instance -- but either there actually is some subtle difference, or Disney resorts benefit considerable from whatever brand loyalty my brain is capable of.
Picking between the resorts isn't that tough for me, either. Have always been a huge Port Orleans Riverside fan, probably for the land scaping and fountains and the view across the river and whatnot. Plus the sea serpent pool at French Quarter is my favorite pool, and of course you can go there from Riverside. Like Coronado Springs for all the walking paths and flowers as well, and I expect I'll like the Caribbean Beach too (only resort I haven't seen aside from Fort Wilderness). Same same with Saratoga Springs, although
not with Old Key West, for some reason. We may have been in a bad mood the one time we visited OKW, because it's the least favorite for the whole family. The Contemporary will always be a favorite because I followed its construction and because as a kid I thought their could be nothing cooler than a building with a monorail running through it -- that loyalty seems to have spread effortlessly to the Bay Lake Tower. But the BLT is the only one without a lot of green around it that I really want to stay at.
Doubt we'll ever stay in any of the hotels for more than a day or two, even if it's just hubby and I, but we'll probably give most of the DVC units a serious try at some point. Most of what we like about the resorts we can get without staying there, so for us the themed pools are the biggest draw, which can't be typical.
) and we are either at a park or pool so not in the room a lot anyway. Having said this, we almost always choose POFQ! 
