Reviews of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by TLynch Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
Great family resort.
Pros:
Love the suites, the pool area is great, staff was great.Cons:
Unless you get a preferred room, for an additional charge, there can be quite a walk to the bus transportation.Reviewed by Hayls Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
LOVED The Little Mermaid Room
Pros:
awesome decor, kid friendlyCons:
a farther walk to main lobby than other resortsReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
My daughter and I had a wonderful time here last weekend. The room was very cute (we had a Little Mermaid themed room), and the theming around the resort was perfect for her at age 5.
Pros:
Clean room, great food court had a lot of selection, fun staff at the pool for the afternoon pool party, great theming around the resort.Cons:
noneReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/26/2018
Rating: (8) Recommended
Excellent for groups of 5-6. I have stayed at Contemporary (LOVED it, but it is expensive) and All Star Music (was very nice, fairly quiet on top floor, but very tight quarters). This AoA suite allowed our party of 5 ladies to spread out and the 2 bathrooms were SO convenient. I found the POP (prior to reno) to be worse than Motel 6 (when I stayed I got the only building not yet renovated). I thought the Food Court was too crowded, especially because they had some of the drink stations shut down. AoA Food Court was adequately staffed, very spacious and all drink stations were open. In addition, I didn't have issues with the drink stations not \"recognizing\" my cup. I also found the walls to be quieter than the All Star. NOTE: I have T-Mobile and could not make calls within my room which was at the end of the hallway. I COULD receive and make texts. Would totally book this resort again. Recommend for families of 5-6. 1 Queen Bed in separate room/bath. 1 fold down Murphy Bed. Teens said it was fine - not the most comfortable ever - but perfectly OK. Double Sofa Bed - Teens said this was fine as well. Nicer than other sofa beds at Comfort Suites, etc.
Pros:
Pool areas rock; Food court offers many, many choices; Fairly quiet for Value Resort; Cast Members were super helpful (except for one in Food Court. There is always one. LOL)Cons:
Wait was a little long for buses in AM; No cell phone reception in room (T-Mobile)Reviewed by CustodialQueen Review Date: 09/25/2018
Rating: (10) Recommended
This resort is fantastic! If you are staying at a value resort, this is the way to go. The theming is perfect for all ages; we stayed in a Cars suite and it was adorable.
This area of the resort is the most immersive, in my opinion. There is a Cozy Cone Motel pool with cone cabanas. There are many photo ops with almost every major character from the film - Lightning McQueen, Sally, Mater, Luigi, Guido, Sarge, Doc. They are life-sized and detailed just as you would expect from Disney. The rooms take the theming to a whole new level, unlike the other value resorts which go for a more streamlined effect. Our room had Cozy Cone lamps, toolbox styled furniture, and even themed shower curtains.
It is worth it to even come visit and take a bus ride over if you have little fans of Cars, Lion King, Finding Nemo, or the Little Mermaid. Each area has life-sized photo-ops that make for great photos.
The check-in, food court, and sundries shop are all combined in a manner identical to other value resorts. The food was the same Disney value resort offerings, but they did have some different offerings as well.
Pros:
Fantastic theming! Amazing photo-ops! Rooms are ultra-themed unlike some of the other value resorts.Cons:
NoneReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 09/20/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
As far as value resorts go, Art of Animation is phenomenal. The exterior designs from buildings to landscaping are exceptional in each themed area. For example, the grasses and plants in each section mimic the movie depicted in that area. It's so clever. Rooms are basic but fun. Suites have ample space for families, with the bathrooms being particularly useful. We have stayed in both Little Mermaid and in Lion King. Noise has never been an issue (first floor both stays), and the walk to and from the main building is pleasant. The food court offers many options but is very often busy (and has the food court problem of needing to make several stops if everyone wants something different). Food is tasty and somewhat creative for the most part.
Pros:
Exterior design is excellent. Convenient food court and amenities. Proximity to Pop Century is a bonus. Nice pathways for walking/jogging. Family suites are very useful. Pools are terrific.Cons:
Some wear and tear. Food court often very busy.Reviewed by bellebookworm9 Review Date: 09/15/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
This was my third stay at Art of Animation and it really is one of my favorite resorts. I’d previously stayed in the Family Suites but this time we decided to try The Little Mermaid as there was, surprisingly, a travel agent discount available.
I arrived around noon after traveling all night and morning from the west coast. I did not have a room assigned in the My Disney Experience app yet, so I went to the front desk. I was assisted very quickly and asked if I had a floor preference. I had actually sent a fax a few days earlier, since the Room Request section of Online Check In has been non-functional for months, but it appears it wasn’t read. Anyway, I asked for the highest floor and I was immediately granted Room 8802. Highest floor, near the elevator, overlooking the Flippin’ Fins Pool.
I often hear that The Little Mermaid rooms are far away from everything. As an overweight, out of shape 27-year-old walking at a fairly brisk pace, I could make it from Building 8 to Animation Hall in about 8 minutes. My mom arrived later that night and she uses an ECV at Disney. One thing we noticed was the handicapped parking spots near the buildings are somewhat limited. The closest row to our room only had four handicapped spots that were often full by the time we returned at night. Not a big deal since she was riding the scooter at night back to the room to charge it, but not always convenient during the day for an afternoon nap, when we would leave the scooter in the car rather than reassemble it and then dis-assemble it again to return to the parks.
Our other major annoyance was, of all things, the bathroom fan. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so irritated by this in any other Disney hotel and I don’t recall this being an issue even in the Family Suites. It is motion activated and set off by any little movement out in the vanity area, which is just ridiculous. And since it only runs for maybe a minute at a time, it keeps restarting, and it’s quite loud. The only solution we found was to keep the bathroom door closed, which makes the vanity space feel smaller than it already is.
Minor issues: the “privacy†curtain across the vanity area had a gap of several inches at one end, which definitely made it not quite so private. The Wi-Fi and cell service was somehow greatly improved over previous visits, but it seemed like the traded that for the cable TV, which would freeze and pixelate every few minutes no matter the channel. Drawer space in the dresser is quite limited. We had barely enough room for the two of us.
Room size was fine for the limited amount of time we were there. I thought the beds were a little on the firm side, but my mom thought they were fine. We heard almost no pool noise from inside the room. We like the décor of the rooms at Art of Animation which is why we keep staying there and I absolutely would stay there again. I finally made it a point to swim in the Big Blue Pool, even though it was only for about 10 minutes, just to say I did it. Neat to hear the underwater clips from the film. I only used the bus transportation once, round trip to Magic Kingdom for the Disney After Hours event. It was adequate. Did wait 20-30 minutes leaving the park at 11:30pm. Ink and Paint Shop is well stocked. We can always find something we like at the food court. Of note to CPAP users, they do have distilled water available for purchase, but you must ask for it at a food counter. They don’t have it accessible to prevent people from buying it as drinking water. Unfortunately, like nearly everything at Disney, the markup is outrageous - $4.25 for a gallon.
Of note for those concerned about this resort being dog-friendly. I saw maybe three small dogs the entire 5-6 days and all were well under the control of the owners. We never heard any barking. I asked at the desk and was told there are areas in each building reserved for the dog-friendly rooms. These are typically on the first floor and face either the lake or green space.
Finally, guests with a handicapped tag or license plates do receive free parking at the resort, even after the ridiculous nightly parking fees were announced. You must speak to the front desk about this, because they charge based on your MagicBand being scanned at the front gate. When I went to talk to them on our third night, they refunded the nights we had been charged (though their computer system apparently makes it a bit of a hassle) and also set it up so we would not be charged for the rest of the nights. You can probably avoid this by telling them at check in, but as I said, my mom wasn’t with me when I checked in and she has the tag.
Pros:
Love the theme, friendly cast, bigger rooms than other Values, still has a table and chairs with two bedsCons:
Limited handicapped parking, bathroom fan is incredibly annoyingReviewed by boarddad Review Date: 08/29/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
We moved to Art of Animation after a disappointing experience @ Caribbean Beach. It was pretty late when we got to AoA so, although the check-in took quite a while, it was to be expected. We had a 1br suite in Lion King Bldg. 10. The walk to the busses and food court was not bad. Busses ran efficiently the entire stay. AoA is across the water from Pop Century and the two are nearly identical outside of the themeing. They are building a gondola at the Mermaid end that will be shared by both resorts (should be a nice touch). The room exceeded our expectations. 1br Suites have a master br with bathroom, a living room area with a comfortable pull-out bed, and a dining area with a very well engineered murphy bed that converts from the table, and a second bathroom. 1br suites have a microwave and a small refrigerator that we made good use of. We had heard that noise was a problem in AoA but that was not the case. The pool was OK but lacked a slide of any sort. We spent just a couple of hours at the pool (big blue pool - little Mermaid and Cars pools are smaller, I think quiet(?) pools - both looked nice). It was clean, well stocked with towels and had constant entertainment. Worth noting; we could not find an open deck chair the entire time. Would definitely recommend a different resort if the pool is a big deal to you. All in all, a great place to make a "home base" of for your WDW stay!
Pros:
A good fit for a family of 5Cons:
pool could be betterReviewed by stallisman Review Date: 06/22/2018
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed in the Lion King Suite with 4 adults.
First, the only negative. The master bedroom seems to be larger than necessary which leaves the rest of the room smaller.
Normally our group gets two rooms at a moderate resort. Now we get the suite. The advantages are numerous. Mainly, it keeps our group together rather than having to separate, even with connecting rooms. We found converting the sofa and table beds very easy to do, taking only seconds. And while not quite a nice as regular beds perhaps, they were good enough for some large size adults. And on this trip we even used an air-bed spread on the floor with no problem. So the stories that these are hard to set up and that there's no place to put the cushions are not accurate.
The only inconvenience may be that an early riser might want to use the table or sofa before the sleeper is up. As for the suite, watching TV from a sofa is far nicer than from your bed. And having a coffee maker in a kitchenette rather than in the bathroom is ideal. Then there's also a fridge and microwave and some plates and utensils as well.
The rest of the resort is standard I guess, and we prefer the food court across the lake at Pop Century to the one at AOA.
Pros:
having your party in one roomCons:
Smaller room than it could beReviewed by shageek Review Date: 01/08/2017
Rating: (9) Recommended
Very happy with this resort. We have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside. This is our first value resort. In many ways, I liked it more than the moderate! The Themeing was wonderful (Even my non-Disney loving husband enjoyed the theme). If you want a really "Disney" feel I would recommend this resort.
The Food court was very good and the staff was overall very friendly.
It took us less time (even with it being a more crowded time of year) to get to all of the parks. (Hollywood studio 5 minutes, Animal Kingdom 10, Epcot and The Magic Kingdom 15 minutes). I was very pleased with the travel time (We rented a car)! This alone made it worth it! We could even watch the fireworks and hear the music from Hollywood Studios at night!.
The only negative was the beds and the room definitely felt smaller (I expected this though). I also had one issue with a cranky server at the food court. My son was sick and I was a little frazzled that night but she was not very helpful and every request I asked was met with a short and snippy comment. This was only one section of the food court. Overall everyone was wonderful!
