I would plan to spend a full 4 days in the parks...2 in DL alone, one concentrating on DCA, and a 4th one to hit anything you want to hit again.
Yes, 7 days would be enough time to see other things in the area. A week around DL is a great amount of time.
There are 3 Disney resorts, and the Good Neighbor Hotels are non-Disney properties that are approved to sell Disney tickets, etc. There is really nothing special about them other than that.
I don't know what your budget is like, but a couple of my favorites in the area are Desert Palm Inn & Suites, and the Candy Cane Inn. Both beautiful properties for reasonable prices, within a short walking distance of the front entrance.
