Reviews of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by kcosby Review Date: 02/09/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Our family stayed at Art of Animation on Sunday, January 27th and left Friday, February 1st. We arrived around lunchtime and decided to eat at the Landscape of Flavors. Food was very good and the produce was fresh. After lunch, we checked in and even though we couldn't go to our rooms immediately. they advised that they would text me when it was ready. Enjoyed exploring the different sections. I was most impressed by the Cars section of the resort. We stayed in the Little Mermaid section (Building 9 on the 1st floor - yes!). Rooms were great for the time we were there. Discovered the refrigerator was part of the dresser so that made drawers limited but plenty of hangars did the trick for our clothes. Ate breakfast every morning at Landscapes of Flavor and was not disappointed. Loved the croissants! Would go back again tomorrow. Enjoyed the resort thoroughly!
Pros:
EverythingCons:
Distance to room from the main lobbyReviewed by disneymom1012 Review Date: 02/13/2013
Rating: (6) Not Recommended
My family of 6 and my parents, brother and his family stayed 5 nights recently and were very disappointed in a few things about this resort. Our suites were in the cars section (about as far away from buses and dining as possible). The theming was excellent and my four sons loved seeing their favorite characters from Cars.
We got to the resort about 1:30 and our rooms were not ready yet. About an hour later my mom got a text that their room was ready, so we all went to their room so the kids could get ready to swim while we waited on our room. Mousekeeping was cleaning the room next door. We supposed this would be ours, so we checked frequently to see when they were done. The cm's that were working did not seem to be in a hurry at all and our room was not ready until 3:45. This pushed us quite a bit getting to our 5:15 dinner reservation.
The suite was laid out well and fitted our family. I can see how 6 adults would not be comfortable, though. We absolutely loved the shower in the master! We are even talking about trying to do something similar in our house! One complaint we had about the room is that each evening when we got back to the room with 4 tired kids, the beds would be put back into the table and the couch. So, we would have to lay the kids on the big bed until we could get the beds fixed again. It would be nice if they would just leave them in the bed position once they are out. We didn't use the dining table at all.
Our biggest problems with the resort were the size of the resort and the bus transportation. I will say that we are a little spoiled as far as the size goes, we have stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter the last 3 trips and love how small and quaint it is. No matter where your room is, it is not far to bus stop, dining, or parking lot. This is not the case at AoA, everything is a hike.
The bus transportation was a nightmare. We know that the bus system is not perfect, but it is supposed to be a service not a hindrance. Most every return trip to the resort was an incredible wait, but one night in particular was a nightmare. We had late reservations at Be Our Guest and were leaving an hour after fireworks and park closing. We expected some wait at the bus stop, but when we arrived the line was out of the queue and we waited for 40 minutes to get on a bus with 6 six tired children in our group. While we waited we noticed that the other bus stops were empty or there were only a few people in line. This was unacceptable and my mother complained to management. The manager on duty was kind and apologetic, but confessed that this is a continuing problem and she does not understand why they can not get it resolved.
We really enjoyed the theming of the resort and that we all fit in one room. But the problems are not worth it. We will not stay here again!
Pros:
Theme and suitesCons:
Size of resort, transportation, and serviceReviewed by Lyrid_M Review Date: 02/13/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
DGF and I went to the AoA a little while back, and the resort really was everything I wanted it to be. All the CMs were very friendly and attentive, the buses ran smoothly (Even after MNSSHP, the line for the bus really moved), and I loved the Big Blue Pool (Something about hearing the music underwater really caught my attention).
I love how they have the Food Court laid out. Never waited in line to order food longer than 5 minutes, and not to mention the food was actually better than most CS places around the world! I read some people upset over the dinnerware options, but I for one like the environmental approach. Honestly, is it all that to throw your silverware in a bin, toss plates in another, and toss the trash out, all in one spot? Panera Bread has been doing this for years.
Also, the LM rooms were nice for us. Just enough space to fit our stuff for the week, and never felt cluttered. Bathrooms feel roomier than at the other value resorts, too. And as a side note, the walk from the LM wing, Bldg. 9, to Animation hall is less than a 5 minute walk. Tedious at night for a refill, but we were usually thirsty long after the machines had been turned off for the night, anyway.
Summary of this long winded review is this: We loved it here. We'll probably be coming here for years to come, and I'm okay with this. As a matter of fact, we've already planned out next vacation there for the beginning of 2014. Let the countdown commence!
Pros:
Food Court, Pools, Atmosphere, CMs, Buses, Rooms (LM wing)Cons:
Wi-Fi, Cell service (Room only)Reviewed by calves Review Date: 02/27/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
Stayed here for one night after Thanksgiving 2012. We thought the theme was excellent and each section was beautiful But LM rooms were far from everything! Loved the pool and the food court but just prefer the moderate to deluxe hotels
Pros:
Beautiful theming!Cons:
CrowdedReviewed by ShannonCL Review Date: 03/04/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We just returned from a 2 night stay at the AOA, Lion King suites. My son LOVES the Lion King and Simba so this was a must! We spent one night previous at Pop and drove over to AOA in the A.M. Our room was ready at 10am! The rooms are very spacious. There were 2 adults and our 5 year old son, but we could easily fit two more adults or 3 more children. Having 2 bathrooms is great! The theming is adorable, and we will return to try the Cars section. Mousekeeping was perfect. My son loved the convertible bed, mostly because of the sleeping Simba picture. It was very comfortable and just the right size for him, but could've slept two kids, or an adult and small child.
We loved the walk in shower in the queen room, I plan on calling to find out who makes the shower doors, they are gorgeous! The Nemo pool looked great but it was too cold to swim for us Floridians.
However, it was very crowded, which made the food court hectic. I did miss the calmness of a deluxe resort. The food was delicious though. The hotel is huge and a walk from the LM section would be far. Buses were packed and standing room only even on a weekday. The lobby, gift shop, food court, and arcade were always busy. Overall it was worth it, I will return during a less busy time of year, or when the hype dies down.
Pros:
Theming, large suiteCons:
CrowdedReviewed by WingsAt46 Review Date: 03/09/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
Wow! My granddaughter (4) and I visited for a week in early December 2012. Our suite was great! Near the Little Nemo pool (NOT a little pool) we had 2 full bathrooms- one with a tub and the other with a shower, a small kitchen area (microwave, sink, and college dorm sized fridge), a very comfortable bed, along with a Murphy bed and a sofa pull-out, we had plenty of room and plenty of storage.
The food in cafeteria was good, not hot enough, and didn't look quite like the pictures but was surprisingly tasty!
The temperature inside the arcade was FRIGID so all I wanted was to get out of it but g-daughter enjoyed playing until her $5 ran out.
The bedspread was the heaviest of anything I've slept under. I could hardly move my legs and felt pinned to the mattress! We laughed about it every night.
Just returned from a week in Saratoga Springs (2/25-3/2/2013)and with so much to complain about I suggested to my husband that we get our money back and return to Art of Animation for $162 LESS per night. He just didn't want to pack up and move.
Pros:
food, pool, life guards, theme, grounds, cast membersCons:
no cell phone reception in room or near walls of buildingReviewed by thebeachdreamer Review Date: 03/11/2013
Rating: (9) Recommended
We stayed in the Finding Nemo section for the last 2 nights of our 12 day vacation. It is absolutely rich in Disney themeing....just beautiful. The size of the suites with two bathrooms was wonderful! The resort is new, but I did notice the furniture is already starting to show wear and tear. The light paint colors will make it hard to cover up for long. I must admit we were not crazy about the choices at the food court. We stayed at POFQ the first 10 nights and the selection and taste was so much better. The bus was quick and frequent. I would not stay if I had to stay in the Little Mermaid section...it is sooooo far away. If a family can afford, this is an fun choice!
Pros:
Size of SuitesCons:
CostReviewed by MClark301 Review Date: 03/18/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We stayed in Building 4 Room 1415 which is a Nemo suite. My husband and I loved having a sleeping area separate from the kids! The main room has a small fridge, microwave, and coffeemaker. Housekeeping did nice job and kitchen area was restocked daily with paper plates, plastic utensils, cups, and coffee pods. Plastic furniture in room gives it a pre-school type feel, but the kids loved the decor. The resort exterior decor is really fun. The Big Blue pool was spacious and clean. Kids loved the underwater music. Heard lots of complaints about the food court. The food court is small and seems more expensive than similar food items within the Disney parks. We purchased breakfast items, snacks and drinks at the Publix store instead.The room had a nice amount of space for the 5 of us, but I wish Disney would invest in bunk beds as there are still only 3 actual beds in this suite (a double murphy bed over the table - very easy to pull down; a double sofa sleeper, and a queen in the bedroom). Bus service was good to and from each park during our stay, but we were there during an 'off-season' March 3-7.
Pros:
One separate sleeping area; Two bathrooms; Great pool area and exterior decorCons:
Room decor initially feels like pre-schoolReviewed by charmed Review Date: 03/27/2013
Rating: (10) Recommended
We would recommend this value resort to everyone- We will stay there whenever we travel to Walt Disney World.
Pros:
Stayed in Little Mermaid-Great place to stay-Loved the decor- Cast members did great job keeping it clean and supplied- everyone was friendly- pools were fabulous- great poolside movies every night- food at food court was delicious- We wish all food courtCons:
we have no consReviewed by Chrisb908 Review Date: 03/28/2013
Rating: (7) Recommended
We stayed in the Little Mermaid room at AOA March 16-24, 2013. The theming is awesome, four story tall Ariel, Tritan and Ursula. The rooms are small, although enough for my family of three. Again, theme is great, loved bathroom tile, Ariel's Grotto. Our room on first floor near lake with view of Pop Century resort, great location to be in no noise from passersby. Walls, however, very thin, heard neighbors shower. Mousekeeping ok at best. Only got one "towel character" after leaving $10 tip, rather than $5 daily tip. We slept late one day, but out of room by 11 am. Room not cleaned. Expected more for $40+ total tip. Towels are awful, scratchy. No towels at pool, have to use room towels and call mousekeeping for extra. Really long walk to food court which is very crowded at times. Quick service food good, very overpriced. Long lines to checkout. The big pool area in Finding Nemo area, is awesome, you can hear music under water, kids play area with slide, "pop up water" area, which was a big hit with my 6 year old daughter. Movie every night outdoors, also a big hit. Area for kids to draw in front of resort. Bottom line would stay again, only because of theming, but prefer moderate resorts.
