Reviews of Art of Animation Resort (Value Resort)
Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 05/27/2021
Rating: (5) Recommended
Housekeeping missed
Pros:
Near skyliner. Staff at Front Desk,Bell Services and the Gift Shop very helpful. Room theming on point. The grounds are so funny to walk through with Ursula, Simba, and all the rest.Cons:
Currently lack of housekeeping. When on vacation I love to come bsck from a busy park day to a clean room. Not currently happening. Towels and trash only done every other day. The walk from LMR was long, but you get used to it. A DW vacation is always lits of walking. We put on 25,000 steps each day. Would wait for housekeeping to be sa.e before returning.Reviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 05/05/2021
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
This is specific to the Little Mermaid building. Two adults are very cramped. Pay attention when you walk into the room for the first time, you’ll trip over the bed. If you have an ECV, you’ll love showing off your driving skills when you have to get it in and out of your room for charging. You are furthest away from the Skyliner but, if you have an ECV it won’t matter. That is if you can get out of your room in the morning without taking the door jamb with you. This is not to disparage the whole resort. I’d think, and hope, the family suites are much more convenient. The theming was terrific. If you don’t care about the room so much, two adults would be fine. If you have children, the Little Mermaid is a definite no-no.
The Skyliner was awesome, however.
Pros:
On the SkylinerCons:
Little Mermaid room size. Distance for the Skyliner.Reviewed by MehargMagic86 Review Date: 04/22/2021
Rating: (10) Recommended
I stayed here with my husband, parents, sister, and brother-in-law back in 2014 before the skylinter was put in and I loved every minute of it! I am a huge Little Mermaid fan and I loved staying in the Little Mermaid themed room, it was a childhood dream come true! All the different sections of the resort are really cool and creative. I loved how there were playground areas even with soft ground for the kids to be able to play on safely. So far out of the resorts I have stayed at this is my favorite one! I absolutely love the lobby, gift shop, and food court areas. We had gone at the beginning of December so seeing all the Christmas decorations just added to the magic of the resort! They also have drawlings that you can purchase in the gift shop of the disney characters. With the new addition of the Skyliner it seals the deal for me on going back now that I have kids.
Pros:
Great interior design, great exterior design, very immersive, great food, variety of shopping, friendly cast memebers, and safe play areas for the kidsCons:
The imersive disney character touches in, around, and outside the resort may not appeal to everyoneReviewed by FoolishMortalRG Review Date: 04/13/2021
Rating: (8) Recommended
We stayed here on our last trip (pre-skyliner). The theming was seriously amazing and over the top- which was right up my family's alley. The Big Blue Pool is hands down the best pool offered at a value resort (might beat out some of the moderates ?). The Cozy Cone pool cabanas were also a plus! We loved dining in the Landscape of Flavors. We stayed in the Little Mermaid section and my only complaints were that the walls seem to be paper thin and we heard toilets flushing all evening and morning long as well as some conversations- we were on the top floor so I can only imagine there is more noise on the lower floors. This is quite a haul to and from Animation Hall and the transportation which I knew, but these rooms are never discounted so you're going to pay for these extra inconveniences and that is what keeps me from rating a 10. Also- we have teens who loved the theming but we quickly realized how this also attracts a lot of families with really young children- so if a peaceful resort is what you're looking for- this isn't it!
Pros:
Excellent theming, great food for a "food court" setting, Pools are all extremely themed. Skyliner transportation has to be a pro.Cons:
Thin walls, lots of little kids/ noise, Non-Suites are furthest away.Reviewed by HannahS Review Date: 04/03/2021
Rating: (3) Not Recommended
The poorest of resort we’ve stayed at since beginning our annual trips in 2005.
The theming and reasonable prices drew us to trying this value resort. Our kids loved exploring the fantastic character themes and great for a family photo shoot. We found the dining options and transport to be more than sufficient for our needs.
We stayed in the Little Mermaid area for a week and experienced so much noise from not only the adjoining rooms but also those that sounded further away - we could hear cupboard doors closing, word-for-word conversations, toilet usage, the list goes on - and all of this was above my kids and the tv and at all times of day.
Room cleaning was also an irk of mine, with cobwebs, hair all over the bathroom and bread tags and clothing tags on the floor - it appeared that a sheet change was all that was completed before our arrival. It took 3 days of asking and a supervisor to get our room cleaned appropriately for our check-in.
IMO poorer quality than the All-Stars resorts and we’ve stayed in cheaper motels for better quality. We travel from the UK for 3-4 weeks and I’d have been even more upset with my choice if we’d have booked our entire stay here.
Pros:
Great theming Excellent transport optionsCons:
Better quality built motels for much less expense. Lots of noise carries between rooms.Reviewed by bexiechick98 Review Date: 03/23/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
I stayed at AoA in December of 2019, but I believe my review still stands for our current environment. This resort is perfect for a couple of college kids who don't have money to splurge on hotels & ammenities. I went with a group of friends, me and 5 others, and stayed in the Lion King family suite. And it was perfect! The rooms were nicely laid out, there was a ton of space, and also has 2 bathrooms, and between 5 people it was probably what spared many fights. The theming is everywhere, but for kids who grew up with those movies, it was delightful. I only give it a 9 because there were children everywhere & the food court was super noisy, but you're only there for a short while. Also, it's near the Skyliner, which is now my favorite mode of Disney transportation. A great resort for college-aged kids who want to have a goofy environment to stay in!
Pros:
Fun theming, affordable, near the SkylinerCons:
Limited dining options, children are everywhereReviewed by Juliet73 Review Date: 03/15/2021
Rating: (8) Recommended
Just came back from a 4 night stay, our first at AAR. The rooms were great--comfortable and clean, with some great Disney touches. Loved the unique shower tiles in the Little Mermaid Room. Compared to other resorts, getting around was very easy and we enjoyed seeing all the large statues as we made our way to/from Dining, the busses, and the Skyliner. Getting around by Skyliner was fantastic! However, be prepared for some pretty long lines if you are trying to get to the parks/back to your resort at the same time as everyone else. It also adds travel time when you need to switch lines, but the ride is so pleasant, we didn't really mind. Big Blue pool was closed but we enjoyed the quiet pool--it was heated, which was great because the wind made it chilly otherwise. Since we travelled during Covid, a few observations: hand sanitizer was everywhere, people really did a good job of keeping their masks on, and social distancing in queues was generally well-observed. We felt quite safe while on property (at the airport, less so where there was no social distancing and hand sanitizer was hard to find). We preferred the 6 foot social distancing in all the lines, which felt like a constant, slow move forward instead of a lot of stopping and going. While we usually prefer the moderate resorts for the theming, decor, waterslides at pools and greater dining and shopping options, this was a great resort and that we highly recommend.
Pros:
fun theming, statues around the resort, clean, Skyliner!Cons:
Very limited dining during Covid.Reviewed by iflagum Review Date: 03/14/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
We loved this place and will be back.
Pros:
Way cool decor, great food court, The Big Blue Pool!Cons:
It’s freaking huge. If your in the little mermaid rooms it’s quite a haul from the bus stop. Same goes with the food court and everything elseReviewed by Victoria222 Review Date: 03/01/2021
Rating: (9) Recommended
We loved Art of Animation!! If you have kids this is the resort for you!
Pros:
Amazing atmosphere, great front desk and bellmen, awesome store, and the sweetest cast members working at landscapes of flavor who went above and beyond to accommodate allergies/picky kidsCons:
House keeping every 3rd day isn't something I loved but not a deal breakerReviewed by Anonymous Review Date: 02/19/2021
Rating: (9) Not Recommended
Stayed in family suite and it was very nice. Loved the resort. But now the cost has almost doubled! Not a budget resort by any means.
