comparing resorts

My recommendations:

Disney All Star Movie hotel $1015
Pros - on Disney property, comes with complementary shuttle to all other Disney parks and resorts.  Also, being "on property" is the only way to buy the meal plan.
Cons - 3 people in one room, is a lowest priced Disney property short of sleeping in a tent.  With no car, you are limited to Disney parks and can't go to Universal, or to the grocery store, etc.  Sometimes long waits for shuttles.

-OR-
Windsor Hills condo from Home Away http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p64214vb#reviewsPage3
 $665 with full kitchen for the week including tax and cleaning charges.
$551.85 Villa Del Sol condo from Vacation Rental By Owner    http://www.vrbo.com/390678ha

$551.85 for 6/23 - 6/30 (coinciding with the lowest price airfare)
Pros - 2 bedrooms, kitchen, living area, got good reviews
Cons - have to have a car, can't buy the Disney dining plan

Three bedroom place Terra Verdes resort, 3 brm $598.95: http://www.vrbo.com/696468

The research: 

http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/disney-rates-2014.htm#carib

on property resorts are divided between Value, Moderate, and Deluxe with the prices for mid-May being approx $123-150/night for Value, $211-272/night for Moderate, and $389-550 for Deluxe (without any bargain hunting).

Ken and Holly stayed at Art in Animation, which is a value resort.  It got an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars on http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34352-d2336339-Reviews-Disney_s_Art_of_Animation_Resort-Kissimmee_Florida.html

The rooms are super cute for kids who like Little Mermaid, Cars, etc., but kids aged 10 and 12 may not be interested in the decor.

Staying at a Disney property entitles the guest to use Disney transportation which is a bus system that will take guests to all other Disney properties (there is no additional charge for riding the buses except the shuttle from the airport to the hotel and back.

Art of animation is $1212 for the week ($158/nt + tax from all 5 big on-line vendors) Got 4.5 stars avg from 3143 reviews is ranked Ranked #6 of 158 Hotels in Kissimmee
Disney All Star Movie hotel is $1015 for the week ($128/nt + tax) 4 *'s of 2939 reviews, ranked #134 of 326 hotels in Orlando.  Pop Century is $1076.90 ($137/night + tax) got 4 *'s in 6216 reviews is ranked #114 of 326 hotels in Orlando.  Professional reviews gave all of these resorts 2.5 *'s.

Best Westerm Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel uses the shuttle system, $89/night, $701/wk.

Polynesian $1,144/week for a 1 bedroom plus $70.  $1247.40 for a 2 bedroom (1 queen, and 1 room with 2 twins). ranked #2 of 158 hotels in Kissimmee 4.5 *'s from 450 user reviews.  

Barefoot Suites $750/week for a 1 bedroom, but not as well reviewed.  About 3% of people complained about the noise from Disney's Old Town.

Caribe Cove 2 brm condo $931.51 with full kitchen for the week including tax and cleaning charges. Most of the bad reviews were people who were surprised by the $100 cleaning fee. Hotels.com discloses this fee.  Ranked #9 of 158 Hotels in Kissimmee 4*'s 714 user reviews on tripadvisor.  Professional reviews gave it 3.5 *'s.

Buena Vista Suites, 2 queen beds in one room and a pull-out couch in the other, $841.68
on tripadvisor, 4 *'s 844 reviews, #127 of 326 hotels in Orlando.  Profe