Lightening and Sally welcome guests.
When someone asks me about Art of Animation, I always say the same thing: It's the smartest thing Disney has ever done when it comes to resorts. Three well-themed pools, suites that sleep six, and a fantastic food court make this a favorite with just about everyone who has the pleasure of staying there. Let's talk about what Art of Animation has to offer.
Room Types:
Art of Animation falls into the "value" category of Disney resorts, but in name only. The theming is simply the best on property. While some guests may prefer a more "grown up" theme to the large icons that recall four of Disney's most popular movies and provide the resort's theme, I found the look of the resort absolutely charming. The suites are themed after the movies Cars, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. The standard rooms are all themed after The Little Mermaid. You'll find these themes carried out not just in the furnishings and outdoor icons, but right down to the walkways and foliage. If there's a such thing as over saturation when it comes to theming, it comes close here, but never quite reaches the point where it's too much.
Treasure in the Little Mermaid section.
There are two types of rooms at Art of Animation: Family suites and standard rooms. Standard rooms sleep four (plus one child under the age of three) and have a small vanity with a sink in the main area, a tub/shower combination, television, a small refrigerator, two double-beds, and a table and two shares. There's also a large pool and different areas with icons from the movie. The Little Mermaid rooms are the farthest from the lobby, but still actually quite close when you compare it to other resorts like Animal Kingdom Lodge and Boardwalk. I would estimate these rooms are about a ten to fifteen minute walk to the bus and lobby.
The suites are where Art of Animation really shines. These rooms sleep six comfortably. You'll find an "Inova' bed when you first walk in, which starts out as a table with four stacking chairs. You simply pull down on the handles on the upper portion of the table and it turns into a double-bed. A fold-out couch in the living area also turns into a double-bed. There's a full bath with a tub/shower combination, a sink with a vanity, dresser with a flat-screen television, plus a kitchenette with a coffeemaker, small microwave, sink, and refrigerator. There are paper plates, napkins and utensils in the kitchenette, plus a little bit of storage space. There's also a "master" bedroom with a queen-sized bed, television, large dresser, nightstands, and a full bathroom with a large walk-in shower.
The Inova bed in the Cars suites.
As noted above, the suites have three themes: Finding Nemo, which has the largest pool on Disney property; The Lion King, which has a play area; and Cars, which has a smaller, very well-themed pool. The Finding Nemo suites are directly across from the lobby, so they are generally considered a "premium" location, although as of this time you won't pay more per night. The Cars and Lion King suites flank the lobby as well and are close enough that you can easily walk to the lobby in about five minutes. All suites have the same layout and amount of space.
Master bedroom in the Cars suite.
Art of Animation has become very popular with multi-generational groups. What I've noticed is that the parents and kids will usually get a suite while the grandparents take a Little Mermaid standard room. While in most resorts, it's easy to get a "travel with" number so you can all be together (with adjoining rooms in most cases), this won't happen in this case because each section (with multiple buildings) has a different theme and there is some distance between these areas. If you're looking at this type of situation, consider booking a Lion King suite along with the Little Mermaid room as this will get you closest to the Little Mermaid section. When you check in, make sure you ask to be as close together as possible. Regardless of where you decide to stay, keep in mind that this is not a huge resort. In fact, it's one-half of Pop Century that wasn't completed until now. Therefore, it's reasonably easy to navigate from anywhere on resort property.
Amenities:
Art of Animation was designed as a "green" resort and you'll find nods to that commitment everywhere. There's less packaging in the food court, where you'll find boxes rather than plastic containers, plus real dishes and silverware. The pools use salt water rather than chlorine. And the plant life, which adds so much to the theming, was chosen to require less water and for its ability to withstand Florida's hot summers. I like this trend and hope to see more of it on property.
The "infamous" pastrami burger from Landscape of Flavors.
One of the best things about Art of Animation is the food court, called Landscape of Flavors. There are four sections in the food court, each one echoing the theming you'll find elsewhere on property. You'll find a wide variety of food here, much more so than at other resort food courts, including a pasta bar, sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizza, a tandoori oven, take-away items, and even a an assortment of fresh gelato made right on Disney property. For adults, Art of Animation's food court is easily the best on property, with so many healthy and varied choices, but kids may find less to love. If you have picky eaters, try the pizza or plain pasta.
At 310,000 gallons, Art of Animations "Big Blue Pool" in the Nemo section is the largest on property, with zero entry sides, varying depths for swimmers of all abilities, underwater sound, and a water splash area that's fun for younger children. You'll also find a small bar with a refillable mug station. Guests from any section of the resort can swim in the Nemo pool, making it very popular. If you'd like a more quiet experience, both Cars and the Little Mermaid have well-themed, smaller pools. The smaller pools are also easier for solo parents to corral kids, so keep that in mind if you're on duty alone that day. One additional point about the pools: Art of Animation's pools are so nice that I often suggest that parents of younger children (say, under ten or so) skip the water park option. With so much to do, there's really no need to spend the extra money.
The Cars themed pool features "cozy cone" cabanas.
In the lobby, you'll find a large game room and gift shop. The store here is well-stocked and features plenty of toys, snacks, clothing you may have forgotten (such as socks and flipflops), pool toys, and of course, sun screen, all of which is more expensive than you would find back at home. There's a very limited amount of food, such as cereal, milk, sandwich meat, and bread, so if you're going to do any cooking in your room, you're much better off buying off site or having groceries delivered.
There's one bus stop at Art of Animation, right in front of the main building, and that's where you'll find buses to all four parks and Downtown Disney. As of this writing, Art of Animation does not share a bus with Pop Century, its "sister" resort across the lake. I've stayed at Art of Animation three times so far and I haven't had any issues with the buses, although that's a very personal thing: We all know that the longest bus ride is always the one you're on, regardless of where you're staying. If you're staying in the Nemo suites, you can easily walk to the bus stop by taking a short cut through the lobby. Guests in the other areas may want to bypass the lobby and go around the side of the building.
Life-sized replicas of your favorite Cars characters
are a huge favorite.
Finally, as a parent, one thing I loved about this resort was the ability to do laundry. Sure, it's not very glamorous but it's a necessity even on vacation. At Art of Animation, they've gone high-tech in the laundry rooms, which are available in several areas of the resort for your convenience. Just slide your credit card in and choose your washer or dryer. As expected, the laundry rooms were clean and well-lit.
Pros and Cons:
On the plus side, Art of Animation is great for:
- Larger families who still want to stay at a value resort.
- Guests who want an immersive experience even at their resort. There is literally no portion of the resort that doesn't take you into one of the movies, right down to the smallest details.
- Parents who want space away from the kids (or others they're traveling with) at night. The master bedroom offers a lot of space to work and relax.
On the minus side, Art of Animation might not work for someone who:
- Wants to be in the middle of the action. Located on the far end of property, your trip to the Magic Kingdom can feel very long. Add about ten minutes to any theme park commute as compared to a resort like Port Orleans or the All Stars. Keep in mind that while every effort has been made to camouflage I-4, you're still near the highway. The noise level is minimal but if this is an issue for you, Art of Animation might not be your best choice.
- Wants a more mature theme. This is a great resort for true fans of the movies, but couples on a honeymoon or romantic getaway may find it too "kid-friendly" for their tastes.
- Likes slides and a lot of trees and shade at the pools.
I loved Art of Animation and to be honest, I found it difficult to find any "downsides" to the resort. This is such a beautiful resort to experience and you can tell that the cast members are proud to work there--for good reason. Give it a try on your next visit to see The Mouse.
