Shirley:
Although I am a big fan of
Port Orleans: Riverside, with its grounds that are equivalent to a Disney Deluxe Resort, rooms that offer more square footage, and a boat to Downtown Disney, if your plan is to maximize your time in the parks and spend very little time in your room, I would recommend staying at
Pop Century. However... You mentioned that you would use your savings from staying at Pop Century over Port Orleans to upgrade the Quick Service Dining Plan that is offered with the Value Resorts
Delicious Savings offer. Did you know that you automatically get the upgraded
Basic Dining Plan if you were to choose Port Orleans under the same offer? (Be be aware that there are black-out dates for POR.) Before you choose a resort like Pop Century that offers smaller rooms, an average food court and large pool with the crowds that you mention you'd like to avoid, I'd talk to your Disney-certified travel agent to look at the cost difference between Pop and an upgraded dining plan and POR with the upgraded dining plan included. If you're going to upgrade your dining plan anyway, the nominal cost--if there is one--to move from a Value resort to a Moderate resort will make a big impact on your first trip to Disney. One of my family's first trips that the kids all remember was to POR with the free dining offer and to this day we still talk about its pools, landscaping and eating whatever we wanted at the table service restaurants.
Wishing y'all a magical vacation!
Whitney