Value Disney World Resort Comparisons

[Travel Guru]

I have a question about comparing the value resorts at Walt Disney World.

SIL wants me to plan a family trip (SIL, BIL, Niece (8), Nephew (1), MIL, FIL, hubby and I) to take advantage of the free DDP. I am concerned that the offer has been out for so long that we are only going to have crumbs left in terms of rooms at a Value resort (all they will have the money for) and in terms of trying to make ADRs this late.My strategy is to book as late as possible in Sept to give myself maximum planning time. When my family (4 adults) needed a Value for a couple nights in January, I researched the Values and POP won hands down. We loved the icons from our youths and thought POP was fun as long as we stayed out of the food court in the mornings :) I love the possiblity of getting a water view room and seeing some of Illuminations (although we did not get this, we got a view of a pool). We never had time to enjoy the themeing as much as we'd desired because we had a wedding to attend (didn't even play TWISTER!!), so we hope to go back someday and take a walk down Generation Gap Bridge and maybe even enjoy Illuminations from there.I have already been told that the time I am considering going POP is not available. Am considering modifying dates to get POP or just checking back daily as I hear rooms are supposed to be released in waves for the free DDP offer.Also, I've been looking at All Stars and I can see some definite upsides there--AK and BB may very well be the 2 places that we go on this trip. I love CBR for just the "pod" type rooming that give everything a much smaller feel, so I think I could like it at All Stars. Also, with 3 food courts it probably won't be the madhouse of POP's. And quite honestly it seems like AS could be a better area for kids because they would have no connection to the icons from the 50-90s that we enjoyed so much. Also heard *terrible* stories of kids groups and terrible noise levels at all the AS resorts.AS Sports is our last choice because the little boy will only be 1 and the rest of us won't get any kick out of the sports themeing. However, its upside is that you get first dibs on buses and are pretty much guaranteed a seat, plus you get off first if you are travelling with whiny, exhausted children. AS Music would be one of my choices if we could stay in the Broadway section. Plus the family we're travelling with are all very musically inclined, so they might like it. Again doesn't seem to offer much for the little girl 7--who quite honestly has been taught she's pretty much the center of the universe so she might be really disappointed.AS Movies would be my first choice and seems like it could have the most Disney-ness with icons that would mean something to the kids. I'd personally choose the 101 Dalmation section, but my understanding is that is a preferred bldg. That means every room is at the preferred rate right? With money being such an issue with them, I'm just not sure they'd want to spend the extra $50. The only non preferred bldgs in AS Movies is Love Bug which we'd find cute, but again the kids would have no connection to.For convenience yet not spending the extra for preferred, it looks like we should choose AS Sports--Touchdown, AS Music--Jazz, or AS Movies--The Mighty Ducks. The only one of those choices that would interest me or hubby is Touchdown, but none would offer anything that would interest kids (particularly a little princess) in my opinion.So there is my dilemma, any help/suggestions would be appreciated. Oh one other question. Hubby and I will want a king bed room. Can you get those without paying preferred rate at a Value?