Seven, I agree. Whether in YMAA or in the long fist school of the sorely missed Chang Su Yao that I have seen, Lian Bu Quan comes first and before Gong Li.
However, in YMAA we consider Lian Bu like a good starter for stances, mobility (weight and stance shifting) and linking techniques, but that's about it. Gong Li is considered like some big exercise for your legs, usage of hips to issue power, and issuing power in general. Mind you, we learn the applications for both forms, and not only the obvious first level applications but we do not really consider these forms as "combat forms", rather solid foundations for good gong fu. It's just that as Dr Yang says "True Long Fist starts with Yi Lu Mai Fu and Er Lu Mai Fu" (the two forms coming next in our curriculum).