When it comes to staying on Disney-owned property at Walt Disney World Florida, there are PLENTY of options! These options become pricey very quickly when you start looking at one-bedroom suites. That’s why we chose to stay at the “value” resort, Art of Animation (AoA) when we recently traveled with our then 16-month-old. The extra room gave us the option of putting him down for naps and bedtime while we moved around freely in the other room. Though the room wasn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it was pretty affordable since we used a Disney Visa Cardholder promotion. AoA is a very family-friendly resort themed to Walt Disney Animation with larger-than-life decor throughout. Continue reading Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review for our full overview!
Check-In
We were able to check in on the Walt Disney World app and use our phones as a key to open our room. We also had linked Magic Bands that could open our door. Everything worked perfectly and we had no issues accessing our suite! They also have a standard check-in area at the front of the resort, which is very well-themed to Walt Disney Animation. There’s even a little area for kiddos to watch movies while they wait for check-in.
You can also have your groceries delivered to the front desk. We used Instacart and had them deliver our groceries to the resort. They were held in a temperature-controlled environment until we picked them up. This was VERY handy! I highly recommend using a grocery service if you are looking to save a little money, or if you just need to save room in your suitcase. We ordered from Publix and had zero issues!
Art of Animation Rooms
AoA is mostly comprised of family one-bedroom suites. There is one section of standard rooms themed to the Little Mermaid. The rest of the resort is split into either The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars themes.
I have stayed in the Little Mermaid standard rooms before, and they are small (the same size as any other value resort), and very far from the front of the resort. They are very well-themed (like the rest of the resort) and would be super fun for a Little Mermaid-obsessed kiddo! Just be sure you are up for a lot of walking to get around!
Art of Animation Suites
This trip we stayed at the Cars suites and I LOVED the theming! While it’s not as spectacular as Radiator Springs in Disney’s California Adventure, it is the closest thing the Florida resort has to it! The room was well-appointed and actually didn’t feel as over-the-top as you might expect by looking at the rest of the resort. There were cute decorative elements, without being obnoxious.
The main benefits of the suite include a table area with a pull-down murphy bed, a pull-out sofa bed, two full bathrooms, and a kitchenette. We ended up sleeping on the pull-out sofa, which was… ok. It was a bit firm for my taste, but your mileage may vary. 
One thing I will point out is we were FREEZING at night (and this was in August!). So, (I guess) yay, the AC works well? We ended up buying a blanket and taking the bedding from the main bed to finally feel comfortable at night.
We took full advantage of the mini-fridge for our baby’s milk and other snacks we knew he would eat. Also, we would purchase parfaits the night before for breakfast so we would have something quick to eat before heading into the parks.
The bathrooms were great, though I would say the floors could use a good scrubbing. Now that I’m a Mom I seem to notice floor cleanliness a bit more than I used to! As far as noise goes, we were on the back side of the Cars area with the parking lot outside our windows. It was very quiet the whole time we were there. I honestly think we didn’t have a lot of other guests around us since we barely heard anything during our stay. It was fantastic for this light sleeper! 
Dining at Art of Animation
One area that value resorts tend to lack is dining. There is only one dining hall area. Art of Animation has “Landscape of Flavors”, so your options are a bit limited. Though, this resort does have the Skyliner (which I will talk about in a minute), so you can fly on over to several other resorts for more options. Also, Pop Century Resort is right across the lake from AoA. Pop is a very walkable distance for some slightly different cuisine.
Landscape of Flavors is the food court for AoA, and it is probably one of the best-value resort food courts. They have rotating options available throughout the year. You can usually find the standard fare like burgers, pizza, and pasta. Though I was shocked at how good the Tandoori Chicken was, especially the naan bread!
We ate at Landscape of Flavors A LOT, so we had most of the “entree” options. They were all decent, though the Tandoori was probably my favorite. We also ate the pre-packed (in the refrigerated area) Greek salad quite a few times. We really enjoyed it! All in all, not the best stuff you will eat on your trip, but you probably won’t be too upset about it. Like I said before, if you need more options, you can always cross the lake or hit the Skyliner for so much more!
There is also a pool bar called The Dropoff. There you can get small snacks and drinks. I didn’t get a chance to try it, but every time we walked by I was so tempted to grab a frozen concoction!
Amenities
Shopping
The Ink and Paint Giftshop had lots of great souvenirs and basic staples to choose from. Since we were cold in our room, we actually purchased a really cute Stitch throw blanket for our bed! They also had pre-packaged snacks and some medicine if you needed anything. Very nice shop, and I perused it quite a few times.
Business Center
Though you can get free Wi-Fi throughout the resort, the business center was a quiet place for those in need. My husband had an online class he was taking and was able to utilize this space.
Arcade
We didn’t venture into the arcade, but they did have a small one with plenty of games! I would assume it gets busy on a stormy day!
Jogging Trail
Though there is no gym at AoA, they do offer a nice jogging trail around the resort. It is 1.38 miles and it looked lovely! I was sad to miss out on running this trail as we were pretty busy (and it was VERY hot) when we were there!
Campfire Activities and Movies Under the Stars
They also offer fun activities and movies! We didn’t get the chance to enjoy them, but I’m sure they would be a perfect way to end a resort day with your family!
Play Area and Splash Pad
Another fun way to get your kiddo’s energy out is at the splash pad and play area! I wanted to try out both of these areas, but we didn’t have the time. The kids that I saw playing in them seemed like they were having a pretty great time though! I loved the Nemo theme as well!
Pools at Art of Animation
Last but not least, the pools! AoA has the largest pool on Disney property appropriately named the Big Blue Pool. This pool is themed to Finding Nemo and pipes music under the water, which is very unique! The Big Blue Pool was always hopping whenever we walked past. They have games going on and music playing. It seemed like a really good time!
They also have two other pools, which are much quieter. We were staying near the Cozy Cone pool, themed to Cars. It was SUPER cute! They have loungers inside traffic cones, adorable! There is also a Little Mermaid pool called the Flippin’ Fins pool!
Transportation
Transportation is an area of AoA that has gotten significantly better with the addition of the Skyliner. Now guests can soar through the sky to Epcot or Hollywood studios in their own gondola-style bucket! My kiddo LOVED this “ride” and honestly, it was his favorite thing of the whole trip! The Skyliner also stops at the Caribbean Beach resort and Riviera Resort.
There is bus transportation to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We never had any issues with the buses, they were always timely with great cast members. If you are driving your car, there is plenty of parking at the resort. In fact, there was a huge parking lot behind the Cars section which would have been an easy walk after a long day of going to the parks.
Is Art of Animation For You?
Art of Animation is a delightful family resort. It is covered in Disney touches and is probably the most Disney immersive resort at Walt Disney World! We loved the big bright characters and cute touches around the resort. While AoA might not appeal to everyone, it will be some folk’s favorite place to stay, especially families with kids!
Even though my guy was only 16-month-old he loved the colors and sounds around the resort. The staff were all friendly and helped us feel like we were truly in the Disney bubble. We actually have a room booked here again for the WDW Marathon weekend, and I cannot wait to return! For our needs, we really can’t do much better than AoA. Plus, the Skyliner is so much fun! I know my little guy cannot wait to get back and ride it again. Overall, it’s a fantastic and very DISNEY, place to stay! See ya real soon Art of Animation!
Want to read more about our Walt Disney World Trip With a 16-Month old toddler? Check out the whole story HERE!
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