Disney Art of Animation Resort

Disney’s Art of Animation is opening in May and I wanted to give you an idea of what to expect when you stay there.

There are two different types of rooms you can book, a regular room or a suite. If you are looking for a standard room, you are going to need to book well in advance because there are less standard rooms than suites. In addition, there is only one theme for the standard room, which is Little Mermaid. If you have boys, this might not be a good fit. I am not sure why Disney Imagineers didn’t make it something a bit more gender neutral like Nemo or Lion King.

If you are a family of 5+ and don’t mind paying the extra freight to stay in a suite, here are the main differences:

Each suite can sleep up to 6 comfortably.
Has 2 bathrooms per suite.
Has dining area (table actually turns into a bed)
Nearly 300 feet larger than the standard room
Minifridge
Microwave
You will have a choice of theme: Nemo, Lion King, or Cars.

Now, here in lies my honest opinion (having not gone there yet). Visually, this resort rocks. Disney has paid attention to detail and has made this resort a family favorite. This resort is going to cater to young families with children under 8 and multi-family groups. This isn’t a big deal for most Disney goers, but you can only imagine how crowded the pools might be with all those little children. Luckily, you will have 3 pools to choose from.

The external vibe is very much similar to Pop Century and All Star Resorts (where I have stayed). It is similar to a hotel layout where you are on long hallways. I can imagine large families sharing a few suites in a row and letting their children run up and down the hallways (at all times of day and NIGHT). This makes me think that this resort is going to be LOUD. If you are looking for a quite reprieve, this will not be the resort for you.

Foodies won’t be too excited with the choices of on-site dining. There will be a quick service option that gives you an array of food choices, but if you are looking for something a bit more upscale, you will have to go to another resort.

All in all, I think this resort will be fun for young families who don’t mind crowds or noise. While it is a value-level resort, the studios have more of a moderate price point. If you are a family looking for more room to spread out, then this would be a good fit. If you are a family of 4-5 and don’t spend much time in your room, you may want to choose a moderate resort (like Port Orleans Riverside) that has rooms with trundle beds that sleep 5 comfortably.