Lisa:
My family has stayed at both resorts and found pros and cons to both.
Because you live in Florida, the theming for Port Orleans Riverside's Alligator Bayou may not feel as special as the theming of the French Quarter. Being from South Mississippi, I feel more "at home" at this resort... Also, the FQ is the smallest resort at Disney and easily walked with children, although that may not be a concern for you as I suspect you will drive to the resort and won't need to rely on bus transportation. The rooms at both resorts are similar in size and theming, unless you get a
Royal Room at Riverside.
If you're planning to go when its warm, you'll probably want to take into consideration the pools. By far, Riverside's pool provides more for children--one of my sons still talks about
Ol' Man Island, and he was last there in 2006! Both resorts provide boat access to Downtown Disney and each have restaurants on property, granted you have more options at Riverside.
To me, it comes down to how much time you'll spend at the pool so I give Riverside a leg up.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney