I know this is a little late, but you are discussing my two favorite resorts. I had to join in.

My favorite area in Pop Century is not the preferred rooms. If you have a medical reason for staying there, that is fine. If you want to save some money and have what I consider to be the most enjoyable area, request the 50s area on the back of the middle building (behind the jukebox thing). You can see the fireworks from just outside of your room. The higher your room is, the better. There is an elevator. The walk to the main building with the food courts and bus stops is fairly short. There is a quiet pool there, and we've never been disturbed with noise.
Pop Century is a fun resort. It has a very "disney" feel to it. There's a poolside bar if you want an occasional drink. The buses only have one stop, so no waiting for them to reach yours. I think that is an asset. Others prefer multiple bus stops. There isn't any shade for the line, so it can be hot. We never waited too long though. I really enjoy the gift shop and wandering around the resort taking in everything there is to see. I wouldn't hesitate one moment to book this for another girls' trip.

Pop Century was my favorite resort at Disney World (yes, even over the deluxes) until I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed in the mansion section, and I fell in love. The grounds are beautiful. (I live in the desert. If you are used to green, it may not impact you as much.) The build your own pasta station is awesome. The table service restaurant is pretty good also. There is a bar if you are into drinking more than one on occasion with some live entertainment. The boat to Disney Springs is nice. There are multiple stops for the buses which are covered. We had one right outside of our building, but I would get impatient waiting to get there at times. One big downside is there are a lot of spiders, if you are like me and hate them. The bridges across the river are very romantic at sunset, and there is a horse and carriage ride you can take.

To me, French Quarter was rather creepy. I heard they took the masks out of the dining area, but it is definitely very mardi gras'ish. (yeah, I just made that word up). I thought the walk between french quarter and riverside was kind've long. I do have a muscle condition. A normal person may not think it is long. They have beignets there that are pretty tasty. If you stay here, post some pics so we can see the new dining area please.