That two people consent to take part in this experience is frequently considered to be evidence of intimacy in a relationship when, sadly, the mere material fact of a penis in a vagina is in no way a guarantee of emotional closeness. A whole mystique about intercourse has evolved out of this whirlwind of emotion and high-stakes sexual activity. All this works together in a powerful synergy to make one of the most common, even mundane, expressions of human interaction into one of the most controversial and charged acts in all our culture. You ask if intercourse results in a different kind of orgasm than oral or manual sex play. On a purely physiological level, it's generally more pleasurable for men than women.
Men usually orgasm from intercourse alone, and women infrequently do.
But as you are obviously aware, a whole lot more affects the quality of lovemaking than which meaty bits are rubbing together, or even if anyone achieves orgasm. When you ask sexually sophisticated people to describe their most mind-blowingly wonderful sexual experiences, What The Bodies Did is a pretty minor component of the description. It's the context, it's the energy, it's the circumstance surrounding the acts that makes one particular instance of something that's been done a thousand times before so incredibly memorable. All this is a hugely long-winded way of saying, again, that you're on the right track, young man. Keep on keepin' on, and best of luck to you.