We have been in the same situation. We have always stayed at the moderates, mostly at POR, and once took my mother, so we were in the bayou with the trundle bed. I actually like the rustic atmosphere in this section as much as that of Magnolia Bay. The only downside was the sleeping arrangements. Because neither one of my kids (then about 10 and 6) would sleep on the trundle, I slept there. It wasn't terrible since I am relatively small, but it would have been better if one of my DDs had slept there or if they were small enough that one could have fit in the bed with me and DH (and the other with my mom). On our next trip, we took both my mother and my aunt, and they had connecting rooms at POR, which was wonderful.
Last year we stayed at POP due to budget. It was only me, DH and our girls. I was nervous about whether we would like POP and I have to say that while it was fine, all of us missed POR. POP did surprise me with how clean it was - cleaner than POR I think - and the food court was very nice. But, in our opinion, POP just cannot compare to POR for aesthetics and ambiance. We find POR very relaxing and don't mind the long walks or the wait for a bus because the grounds are so beautiful and lush and we like to visit the bar once during our trip to enjoy Bob the piano man. In comparison, at POP there is just lots and lots of concrete, and no shade or seating at the bus stops makes it very unpleasant (one morning we had to wait nearly 40 minutes for a bus to EPCOT. I realize that this was unusual, but it was very unpleasant standing in the sun for that long. The other thing my kids missed was the slide at the pool.
We would go to POP again, but it would not be our first choice. This trip, we were lucky enough to get the 4-3 offer at the Beach Club, and it is costing us only $400 more than we paid last year at POP (we must have paid rack rate, because our cost was high). Believe it or not, we are still worried that we will miss POR, but this is probably the only time we could afford a resort like BC, so we are giving it a go and the girls are excited about the pool.
It's obviously a personal decision, but for what it's worth, I thought I would share my experience with you. Either way, have a great time!