I love the changes, in large part because I can really just run along and not railroad the players, I could do that before but these rules help me do that.
I have to agree with this. Moving from xp to advancement points is a good thing for AL. I think it's a powerful tool in enabling the DM and players to explore many kinds of resolutions to a scenario beyond fighting.
That was always an option, these rule changes do not change that in the least.
I've heard this before. The truth is that it is simpler for a DM to feel justified in providing ascribed xp for defeating monsters than saying they earned it via other methods. Therefore they know they are good if they give the xp for combat but might feel less inclined to provide the equivalent amount for solutions not involving fighting. Yes, it's been an option, but a more fuzzy one than just awarding xp for stomping monsters.
Lastly, I ran ToA for a year and had to think of lots of extra encounters to present to my players to provide them necessary advancement because the AL allowance for 'roleplaying xp' was downright paltry. Now it's just hours played, straight and simple (provided I feel the story is being served/advanced).
You say that providing XP for overcoming encounters is a "fuzzy" option, but then say that the new method is better because you can award AP based on whether or not you feel that the story is being served/advanced. That is much fuzzier than overcoming encounters. There is no criteria at all for this, merely that you "feel" that they deserve it.