Hi Doris! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel. You're right, Disney's Port Orleans Resort is lovely, but I can assure you that you can have just as good a vacation if you stay in one of the Value Resorts this time around! While I would not category any of the Value Resorts as being the 'smallest', there are ways that you can minimize your walk to and from the bus stops or lobby/food court. The three All-Star Resorts, which are virtually identical except for their themes; Sports, Music and Movies, all have a Preferred room category which you can book. While these rooms are slightly more expensive than the standard rooms, they are located in the buildings closest to the bus stops, lobby and food court. Disney's Pop Century Resort, the largest of the standard Value resorts, also has a Preferred room category, again, with these rooms being closest. The only Value Resort I would caution you against if you want to be close to the front of the resort would be Disney's Art of Animation Resort. Although I absolutely love this resort, the standard Value rooms (not family suites) at Art of Animation are very far from the main building and there are no Preferred rooms.
The best thing to help you decide which of the Value Resorts I mentioned would be right for you, is to visit the
Disney Parks website and look at the theme description for each. I've included a link that will take you right to the Value Resorts web page. My family particularly enjoys the All Star Music or Pop Century Resorts for their theming, and like you, we always book a preferred room to minimize walking. Good luck with your search, and please don't hesitate to come back to the Moms Panel to ask me any more questions you may have - I would love to help you! Have a magical day!
Kristen