We are WDW vets, who have also been going to DLR every year for the last several years. As a WDW vet, hoppers are absolutely a must for us at DLR. By WDW standards, DL and CA are basically one big park. Hopping is a 5 minute process. The parks are separated by a plaza about the length of a football field and you do not go through security again to hop between parks. The walk is basically shorter than getting off a resort bus and walking to the gate of the park in most instances at WDW. We sometimes hop several times a day. If the wait times in one park look significantly shorter on the app, we hop over and take advantage of the shorter lines. DH is particularly fond of the Karl Strauss brewery beer truck on the wharf at CA, and he has been known to disappear over there while DD and I go ride small world (DD likes riding it multiple times and he is done after one). He is usually back within the gates of DL by the time we are off the ride.
As far as where to stay, being WDW vets, we like to stay in the bubble, so we pick a Disney hotel. We like the DLH- it is a nice walk through DTD to the parks from the resort (and when people tell you it is a long walk- that is by DLR standards- it is nothing by WDW standards). To us, GC is basically a scaled down Wilderness Lodge. We like it, but we have stayed at WL multiple times at WDW, so we prefer DLH which is different from anyplace we have stayed at WDW.
POTC is far superior at DL. That should definitely be on your must do list. Carsland is amazing RSR puts Test Track to shame. Carsland is beautiful at night. At some point (day and night), you should enter it from the wharf area. The view is amazing.