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Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Last updated: April 25, 2024

Disney’s Art of Animation is a highly-themed, value-level resort at Walt Disney World. Art of Animation includes both standard hotel rooms and “family suites,” which are indeed perfect for families.

$209 - $963

Lodging Area

Bus, Skyliner

Guest Overall Rating

Based on 376 surveys. (See our Ratings and Research page for details)

Lighting: B

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Resort Tour

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Lion King Suite Overview

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Cars Suite Room Tour

modal#open click->video-modal#modalVideo">Little Mermaid Standard Room Quick Tour

Exceptional theming, particularly Cars and Lion King areas

Skyliner connection to Hollywood Studios and EPCOT

Best pool of the Value resorts

Family Suites are innovatively designed and themed

Interior hallways in some buildings

Walking trail around Hour Glass Lake and connecting bridge to Pop Century

Just one bus stop

Most expensive Value resort

Terrible in-room mobile reception

The number of made-to-order meals available at the food court can mean long waits in line

The resort's standard rooms are rarely discounted

Poor soundproofing

Art of Animation was perfect for us in the Nemo Suites for 6.

February 4, 2020

As a family of six on a moderate budget, Art of Animation was our choice for a larger room. The Skyliner made travel to EPCOT and the Studios easy. And the bus ride to animal Kingdom was short, but the ride to Magic Kingdom could sometimes seem long.

As a family of six on a moderate budget, Art of Animation was our choice for a larger room. The Skyliner made travel to EPCOT and the Studios easy. And the...

November 23, 2019

We found Art of Animation's food court much nicer than Pop Century. AoA's was less busy, cleaner, and provided more dining options.

August 10, 2019

We booked a Little Mermaid standard room. It is woefully due for a renovation. We normally stay at Pop Century and have been spoiled by their revamp.

March 16, 2019

The bus service was great to AOA, and we could always hop on a Pop Century bus and walk across the bridge if needed. Resort was clean and very fun for our young children.

The bus service was great to AOA, and we could always hop on a Pop Century bus and walk across the bridge if needed. Resort was clean and very fun for our...

March 2, 2019

We enjoyed Art of Animation, and for the cost (one of the cheapest resorts but still on Disney property), we would totally stay there again

February 3, 2019

Slightly larger than comparable rooms at other Value resorts, standard rooms are around 277 square feet. All of these rooms are in the Little Mermaid section of the resort.

• Dresser with drawers
• Full-length mirror
• Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi)
• Flat-panel TV
• Coffee maker and starter supply of coffee pods
• Ironing board and iron
• Digital thermostat
• In-room safe
• Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and bar soap

A curtain divider separates the main sleeping area from sink/bathroom area, and a solid door separates the toilet and shower from these. This allows up to three groups to get ready at the same time.

The suites are a reasonably priced option which include two rooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette If you have a family of five or six, or if you just don't want to sleep in the same room as your kids, the Art of Animation family suites are one of the best lodging options at Walt Disney World.

• Room with Queen Bed(s) and en-suite bathroom
• Double-Size Sleeper Sofa
• Double-Size Table Bed (table with 4 chairs that converts to a full-size bed)
• Separate Bedroom with Door
• Open clothes hanger bar
• Starter supply of disposable kitchenware: paper plates, bowls, and cups; plastic forks, knives, and spoons

Family Suites at Art of Animation have two bathrooms. One is small and functional, nearly identical to the bathrooms in the standard rooms. The main bathroom is spacious, with a large glass-door shower.

Little Mermaid Bedroom

Litttle Mermaid Sink and Dressing Area

Little Mermaid Tub and Shower

View from Little Mermaid Room 7872

Art of Animation Little Mermaid Room Floor Plan

Lion King Suite Master Bedroom

Lion King Suite Fold-Down Bed

Lion King Suite Fold-Out Couch

Lion King Suite Microwave and Beverage Chiller

Cars Suite Second Bathroom

Lion King Suite Master Bath

Lion King Suite Second Bathroom

View from Finding Nemo Suite 5829

Art of Animation Family Suite Floor Plan

We’ve mapped and taken photographs of the views from every single room on Walt Disney World property! Our Room Finder helps you find the perfect room for you and then request that room from Disney.

There is no full-service restaurant at any Disney value resort, including Art of Animation. The food court, Landscape of Flavors, is organized like a food court at a mall.

Landscape of Flavors Landscape of Flavors offers made to order burgers, sandwiches, and pastas. You'll find an occasional upscale (for a food court) item here, like saffron seafood pasta, a tandoori chicken sandwich on naan, or the "surf and surf" (crab cake and fried shrimp) burger.

The Drop Off Pool Bar The pool bar at the Art of Animation Resort, The Drop Off sits next to the main Big Blue Pool. Despite the existence of some snacks and small bites this is mostly a place for drinks. Like all Disney bars the tropical-themed drinks are very sweet, but they are refreshing on a hot Florida day by the pool.

Ink and Paint Candy, snacks, and drinks.

Art of Animation In Room Delivery

Refillable Mugs Allows guest self-service soft drink refills from quick-service locations in hotels ( NOT in theme parks ) for $21.99 for the length of stay.

SWIPE TO EXPLORE

The largest (and our favorite), The Big Blue Pool, sits directly behind the main lobby and food court. All pools are heated and feature sculptures of characters from various animated films.

Located just off the Animation Hall lobby is the Pixel Play Arcade , which has a decent collection of relatively recent video and arcade games. Most games cost $0.50 to $2.00 per play.

Free Disney Movies Under the Stars are shown most evenings, weather-permitting.

A small business center offers computer and internet access, including printers.

One lap around Hourglass Lake is a scenic 1.20-mile/2 km course. You won't find a gym, fitness center, or spa at Art of Animation.

Disney resort guests get into each theme park 30 minutes earlier than off-site guests, every day.

Disney's Skyliner , an enclosed ski-lift-like gondola system, provides fast access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios with very pretty views.

Practical Matters

Check-in is 3:00pm Check-out is 11:00am

All Disney resorts participate in Disney’s Online Check-In program. If you’ve checked-in online and provided a mobile phone number or email address, you will receive your room number electronically. Then you can go straight to the room and use your smart phone or MagicBand to open the door, skipping the lobby altogether.

These rubber and plastic wrist bands can function as your room key, park admission, charge card, and more! MagicBands cost money, but if you'd like a free option you can use the official Disney World app on your phone or request an RFID-embedded card at the front desk.

Park tickets are best purchased online in advance either directly through Disney or via our Least Expensive Ticket Calculator . However, if you arrive without park tickets, head to the concierge desk in the hotel lobby.

Dining reservation are best made online in advance or on your phone or tablet during your visit. You can also use our Disney World Reservation Finder .

Washers and dryers are availabile in laundry facilities at each Disney World hotel. Cost is $3 per wash, and another $3 per dry cycle. A small selection of soap, fabric softener, and dryer sheets are also sold, for around $1 each. Only credit/debit cards can be used for payment. For more information, see our Disney World Laundry Facilities page.

If you lose something in a theme park or during your stay at a Disney-operated hotel, visit Disney's Lost and Found website or call (407) 824-4245.

Disney hotels have gifts shops near their lobbies with a decent collection of Disney-branded souvenirs. You will also find basic pharmacy items such as sunscreen, aspirin, allergy and cold medicine, baby diapers and formula, shampoo, and the like. Resort hotels with Deluxe Villa rooms offer an assortment of groceries, as well.

Disney recommends a third party company, Kid's Nite Out , to provide babysitting services at the resort hotels. See our Disney World Child Care page for more information.

Art of Animation is located in the Wide World of Sports Resort Area. All modern GPS apps, and Google Maps, will have clear driving directions to it. As a backup, look for Disney road signs directing you toward the Wide World of Sports once you're on property, and then look for signs for Art of Animation once you're close.

Disney Skyliner gondola system has a station on the bridge in between Pop Century and Art of Animation. From the station, the ride to Epcot's International Gateway entrance is about 20 minutes while the ride to Hollywood Studios is about 12 minutes (plus waiting time in line).

Disney provides free bus service from Art of Animation to the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, and Disney Springs. Art of Animation's bus stops sit along the front wall of the Animation Hall lobby. Buses run about every 20 minutes, but varies through the day.

If you have your own car, it's faster to drive yourself to Disney's Animal Kingdom, the Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach water parks, and Disney Springs. Disney's transportation system is faster to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney's Hollywood Studios.

You can walk between the Art of Animation and Pop Century. The Skyliner can take you to the EPCOT resorts, Caribbean Beach, and the Riviera. For all other resort destinations, the fastest option is an Uber, Lyft, or taxi. Disney's bus service is free but slow, and will probably require you to use an intermediate destination like Disney Springs, to get to your destination. And that can take a couple of hours each way if you're unluckly.

if you have a car, the easiest way to get to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, and other tourist destinations is to drive. Alternatively, Mears Transportation operates shuttle services between the Disney hotels and other theme parks.

tabs#change">Driving to the Resort

tabs#change">Getting to the Parks and Disney Springs

tabs#change">Getting to Another Hotel from Art of Animation

tabs#change">Getting to Universal Orlando

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PHOTOS! Tour a Lion King FAMILY SUITE at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort!

By Quincy Stanford 2 Comments

If you’re headed to Disney World soon, you might be wondering where you should stay!

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

There are a LOT of options for accommodations in the Most Magical Place on Earth and we want to make sure you stay at the spot that’s best for YOU. What better way than to take you on tours of the rooms? Well, if you’re traveling with the fam, you’re going to want to see inside the rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort … .

We stayed the night at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in one of the Lion King Family Suites . Other room types include the similarly-laid-out Cars Family Suites and Finding Nemo Family Suites, and the standard Little Mermaid rooms.

These family suites sleep a whopping six guests comfortably!

Family Suite

When you walk into the room, you’ll see that it’s laid out with a dining area …

…a living area …

…a bathroom …

…a bedroom …

…and another bathroom !

As you can see, these rooms are SPECTACULARLY themed, but we know what you’re thinking: If there’s only one bed, how are six guests staying here? Well, surprise! The dining table converts to a murphy bed …

…and the sofa is a pull-out double bed too!

But let’s get into the nitty-gritty, starting as you enter!

The family suites at this resort are off of interior hallways and open into that dining area. In this space, you’ll spot the murphy bed, complete with a dining table and chairs .

Of course, you’ll spot some birds on the murphy bed, plus bugs and grubs on the table! Typically, we wouldn’t be too fond of bugs where we eat…but they did look pretty tasty in The Lion King .

The overhead lights even look like clouds!

The chairs are a cool, cartoon leaf design.

The wall has a bird art piece here as well.

Pull those chairs out of the way and the murphy bed down…

…and you’ll be greeted by a sleeping Simba!

Either side of this bed has a bedside table complete with a drawer .

This is probably about the time that you’ll notice that the floor has a cool pebble texture.

Next, let’s head into the first bathroom!

This room has a single vanity with plenty of counter space.

Under the sink, you’ll spot some extra supplies in case you need them.

There’s plenty of lighting, and the mirror has a cool themed design too!

Past a sliding door, you’ll find the toilet and shower room.

The shower curtain is a VERY fun print of Timon and Pumbaa washin’ up!

And pull the curtain back to reveal a beautiful Circle of Life sunrise tile wall!

This bathroom is equipped with refillable Disney toiletries …

…and expect a wider showerhead with decent pressure .

Ok, back to the common area! The main space has a living area and a kitchenette .

This room is also where you’ll spot the thermostat which was set to 60 degrees when we arrived.

The kitchenette is a cabinet in the corner of the room that features several amenities.

The top shelf has an ice bucket with cups …

…and microwave with accompanying supplies .

The countertop features a good amount of counter space, a sink, a paper towel roller …

…and a coffee machine with everything you need for your cup o’ joe (or tea).

The cabinet under the sink has a fire extinguisher and additional paper towels.

Then there’s the mini-fridge which is a larger size than the ones featured in standard Disney World hotel rooms!

Next to the kitchenette is a trash and recycling bin .

The sofa has a neat orange print on it and a whole tower of giraffes standing over it.

Remove the cushions and pull the handles, and you’ve got yourself another double bed !

In the corner, there is a flower-themed standing lamp with a table and one of the hotel phones.

In front of the couch, you’ll find two stools adorned with Lion King lyrics and designed like tree stumps!

The curtains have a standard privacy curtain…

…and a blackout curtain with a jungle design.

As for your view, you could end up looking out towards a parking lot, courtyard area, or some of Art of Animation’s awesome character sculptures.

Hey, Simba! We can see all of Pride Rock!

The living area has ANOTHER chair too, a green scoop seat.

Then, you’ve got a full dresser that looks like it was pulled right from the jungle.

It has four drawers with plenty of space…

…and built-in outlets.

Above the dresser is a standard, flat-screen TV (tuned to the Disney info channel of course!).

The corner of this room features a storage cubby with a spare pillow and blanket as well as some hangers.

The large drawer here has pillows for use on the sofa bed.

Annnnnd on to the bedroom!

This room features a queen bed with Zazu sitting above (with much aplomb we might add).

The side tables each feature a flower-inspired lamp…

…plus a drawer and cubby space.

You’ll find the same curtains on another window in this room.

Plus the same dresser and TV.

By the door, there’s a small closet-designated space with more hangers, an ironing board, iron, safe, and a luggage rack. Plus another extra pillow.

The final bathroom is a one-room space off of the bedroom.

It has another single vanity with a themed mirror.

You’ll find added supplies in here too!

The shower here does not have a tub and is instead a glass door walk-in .

It has the same refillable toiletries…

…and the same AWESOME Circle of Life wall.

Whew! And there you have it! That’s a full tour of a Lion King Family Suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney coverage and updates!

Click here to check out some of the construction at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort!

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What do you think of these rooms? Tell us in the comments! 

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November 21, 2021 at 12:03 am

Any idea how big the windows are in the suites? We love decorating our windows when we stay.. the windows at AoA seem shorter than Pop or All-Star.

November 22, 2021 at 9:04 am

Cyndi, great question. They are shorter than the All-Star windows. I don’t have the exact measurements, but based on photos and my own stay in the Suites, I am guessing 6′ wide (at most) by 4′ tall. I wish I had more specific dimensions for you. Have fun decorating!

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Art of Animation Family Suites Review

Art of Animation is a Walt Disney World Value Resort. The hotel offers a mix of standard hotel rooms and family suites with a theme that is full of odes to a few of Disney’s great animated films. This post will take a detailed look at Art of Animation’s family suites, including photos and our thoughts on the value.

We’ve reviewed Art of Animation previously and my thoughts on the resort haven’t changed much since then. I certainly prefer the transporting themes that the moderates or deluxe resorts offer instead of the oversized statues based off of Disney intellectual property. That said, I think most kids would disagree with that idea and some adults would do the same.

The inclusion of the Disney Skyliner at the resort has made a stay here all the more inviting, as that is the best way to get around WDW. My beef with Art of Animation is the same as it’s always been – that you could stay a short walk away from the resort at Pop Century, have nearly the same experience and at a fraction of the cost. In fact, if you aren’t looking for a larger family suite room then that is absolutely what we recommend. The smaller rooms at Pop Century are nicer and there isn’t a big enough difference in amenities (there’s hardly any difference) to make the extra cost worth it.

Once you start looking at the family suites is where things get interesting at Art of Animation. Disney World hotels are largely void of 1-bedroom suites in the value and moderate categories. The All-Star resorts offer some but they are few and far between. While there are a few other options out there, which I’ll discuss at the end of the post, Art of Animation offers a fun and themed larger room.

Before looking at the actual room, some quick information on the hotel. Art of Animation offers three types of family suite rooms each themed to a different classic Disney film – Cars, Finding Nemo and the Lion King. While the room layout is the same, the décor is different. Finding Nemo themed rooms are closest to the lobby and Skyliner while the others are a little quieter. We were lucky enough to have a pretty good location and ended up in a Finding Nemo themed family suite. Let’s take a look!

Inside the door is a murphy bed that doubles as a table, if you’re looking for a place to have a meal. The bed is full-sized and clearly has some colorful art to it! I’m a fan of the murphy beds that have been added to the rooms over the years as they offer some space if needed.

The living room area featured a pull-out couch, a little kitchenette and a TV. I’ve slept on much worse mattresses than this although it wasn’t extremely comfortable or anything. Kids won’t think twice about sleeping on it though. The fish and lamp are nice touches to the room.

Here’s a look at the other side of the room which features a dresser, a few hangers and an uncomfortable chair. As you can see, the room is quite busy and certainly has an over-the-top style. I didn’t think the décor was quite as hectic in person, for what it’s worth. And I never thought the room looked bad by any means. These rooms will just be more to some people’s tastes than others.

There’s a bathroom in between the murphy bed and living room. The shower was pretty nice and the sinks were on the outside of the room which is always my preference when it comes to hotels.

This is the bedroom in the suite and it can be closed off from the rest of the room with a door. This room was a little more understated, with a queen bed and simpler walls. Again, the lamps offer some fun details and the color scheme adds a little more purple in here.

The master bathroom is actually one of my favorite that I’ve seen in a Walt Disney World hotel room. The lighting and mirror continue the nautical theme in a tasteful way and the rest of the bathroom is simply nice. I always prefer the walk-in shower as opposed to the shower/bath combo. Both the master bedroom and bathroom are definitely geared more towards adults relative to the rest of the family suite which was a smart move.

Overall, I came away impressed by the room. While it’s clearly busy and geared more towards kids, the room was a nice size and knew when to dial it back a little bit. I probably wouldn’t recommend staying here for a group of adults but this room is nearly perfect for a family of four or five with small children.

As for the value, there aren’t a lot of comparisons to draw from. Family suites at Art of Animation are quite a bit more expensive than the All-Star family suites but they are also much nicer. Otherwise the choice comes down to Art of Animation or a 1-bedroom suite at a Deluxe DVC Resort, if you want to stay on-site. Every once in a while Old Key West and Saratoga Springs have comparable prices to Art of Animation and, if that’s the case, then you’re probably better off staying there since the rooms are furnished nicely and have a lot more space. The one caveat is if you have kids who would love the theme of these rooms.

Art of Animation Family Suites range anywhere from $330-$550 per night, depending on the time of year. They aren’t cheap and the upper half of that range is simply not worth it. There are plenty of off-site options that offer larger rooms at at least half the cost. That said, some people really like to stay on-site and I definitely get that. The lower end of the price range might be fair and I think finding the room for under $400 would make me consider it. Otherwise, I’m just not sure it’s worth it and you may be able to score a better deal by renting DVC points or getting creative with your hotel searches.

Value aside, the family suites at Art of Animation can be a little over-the-top in their decorations but otherwise offer a nice room for a family to stay in. There’s adequate space and the in room amenities are up to par. It’s simply the price that hurts Art of Animation.

Overall Rating – 8/10

Have you stayed in the Art of Animation family suites? Let us know your thoughts or questions below in the comments! Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our planning guide for help! If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney, please subscribe to the blog and like our social media pages. You can do both of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!

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Categories: Hotel Reviews

Tagged as: Art of Animation , Art of Animation family suite , Art of Animation Finding Nemo , Art of Animation Resort review , Disney World hotels , Walt Disney World

11 replies »

This room looks so relaxing, I bet I’d sleep like a baby!

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We stayed with 4 kids one being an infant. Worked out great the infant stayed in a roller Crib we moved into the master bathroom at night and she had her own quiet dark room. 2 bathrooms is a huge plus getting 6 people showered and ready at night or in the morning.

Oh that’s great!! I’m glad you had a nice stay!

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Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review

Art of Animation Resort is a Walt Disney World Value Resort with family suites themed to Lion King , Finding Nemo , and Cars . This hotel review features room photos, pool & restaurant info, pros & cons, and whether AoA is worth the money.

In the sense that it mostly consists of family suites, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (AoA) is a bit of an anomaly as compared to the other Value Resorts. For the most part, the other Value Resorts are all small standard rooms that cater to parties on a budget who still want on-site perks. Those also exist at Art of Animation, but they’re not the focus. (All standard rooms at AoA are themed to The Little Mermaid , which we review separately here .)

Art of Animation’s family suites push the envelope a bit with the ‘Value Resort’ designation. For one thing, they cost significantly more than other Value Resorts, with AoA family suites routinely costing between double and triple the price of All Star standard rooms. For another thing, the style of accommodations is materially different than other budget hotels at Walt Disney World. We’ll cover this in detail later in the review, and offer comparisons to some other comparable hotels.

In terms of its theme and style, Art of Animation is pretty much exactly as described above. The main lobby has a strong animation motif, with details that suggest various stages of the animation process. Outside of the main lobby, the artistic process is mostly glossed over. There are some sketches of characters on the sides of the buildings, but other than that, each individual section is more about recreating environments from their respective films than about taking a peak behind the curtain at the underlying process.

Design-wise, this was a good decision. Kids are the target audience here, and they probably care more about the animated film itself than taking a look behind the scenes. While the execution of some of these environments, particularly the Cars area, is well-done, it’s worth noting that these are still the “big box” Value Resorts you might be used to at Walt Disney World. Most of the ‘theming’ is window-dressing consisting of oversized characters and objects, and vivid colors on these large, big box hotel buildings.

Because of this, Art of Animation is one of those love it or hate it things. Art of Animation is like the Crocs of Disney resorts. The people who love Art of Animation love it because it just makes them happy. To them, it’s fun, whimsical, and reminds them of the magic of Disney animation.

To the people who dislike Art of Animation, it’s tacky, loud, and abandons traditional means of nuanced Disney theming in favor of something that gets by on clunky looks and characters. Sort of the same idea with Crocs, and any of the above adjectives could be used to describe the footwear.

While I’m not quite as sold on Crocs, I love Art of Animation. The difference to me between Art of Animation and Crocs (I really can’t believe I’m keeping up this ostensibly absurd comparison) is that Art of Animation visually does work on a certain level, whereas Crocs are universally hideous. Kids are almost guaranteed to love it, which is a big reason why  Art of Animation ranks highly on our list of the Best & Worst Value Resorts at Walt Disney World .

No, Art of Animation doesn’t hit the same high notes thematically as Wilderness Lodge, the Port Orleans Resorts, or BoardWalk Inn, but it does have redeeming qualities and brings something worthwhile to the table. It is not the pinnacle of themed design nor is it something that academics or even fans of themed design will someday devote thoughtful analysis and critique. The short and simple of it for me is that it is a fun resort thematically. That’s it, and in this case that’s enough.

With that said, let’s take a look at the rooms. Some people will view these as fun…and others will see them as obnoxious. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and you can be the judge.

First up: Cars. Excuse the fisheye lens here, but I wanted to give you an idea of the layout of the family suite. The door to the left (just barely in the frame) is a full bathroom. Moving around the room, you see the living room, then the main bedroom with its attached bedroom, and on the right is the kitchen table, which converts to a pull-down queen bed.

In total, the room is about 565 square feet, which is just over twice the size of a standard room. The space is used incredibly well in these rooms, so it truly feels like a suite.

A closer look at the main living area. As you can see, it’s heavy on the Cars theming. Great for kids and those who are kids at heart, possibly not ideal for honeymooners.

Note that the carpet has been removed in all of the AoA family suites since these photos were taken. We’ll have a fresh review of the new-look Cars family suites soon, so stay tuned for that.

Same idea in the bathroom.

These rooms are themed from top to bottom. Great plus if you have kids, very busy in a general design sense.

A look at the outside of the Cars wing. We both agree that the Cars wing is the best in terms of exterior theming. It’s like Cars Land except with skimpier theming, no restaurants, and no attractions. That’s not meant to be a dig–for a value hotel area it’s really cool. Sarah and I disagree in terms of interiors.

I prefer Lion King, whereas she prefers Cars. She actually returned to the Cars wing on girls’ trip with her sister, who also liked the hotel. The less scrutinizing, casual young-person Disney guest perspective on the hotel from her was that it was a really fun and cute hotel.

Layout in The Lion King suites is exactly the same.

This table is just inside the door. Here’s how it looks as a table, and how it looks as a bed…

The perfect arrangement if you’ve ever wanted four of your closest friends to sit in chairs around your bed and watch you sleep!

The Lion King rooms are just as over the top as the Cars ones, but I feel like there are fewer clashing pieces of decor, although the color scheme itself does clash more. Pick your poison, I suppose.

What I prefer is that it pretty much is “jungle stuff,” even if that presents a wide array of colors. I just think it’s more harmonious for whatever reason. Then again, maybe I’m just biased towards The Lion King.

Restroom adjacent to the main bathroom–note that it’s a walk-in shower as opposed to a bathtub with shower.

Standalone bathroom with a tub. All of these rooms are consistent in terms of layout, so the Finding Nemo rooms are just like these, except with Nemo stuff. After looking at rooms online, we weren’t wowed by those rooms, but if there’s a Finding Nemo fan in your party, you should look at those rooms. Also, they are the closest ones to the main lobby.

On the exterior, we agree that The Lion King is the weakest. There’s a lot of dead space, and none of it is illuminated at night. Don’t let the photo above fool you–that is a really long exposure and looks better than it would look at night when viewed with the naked eye.

Now let’s take a look at everything else at the resort outside of the rooms, because Disney’s Art of Animation has some excellent amenities!

Landscape of Flavors, the food court, is one of the most inspired food courts at any Walt Disney World hotel , and is superior to any other Value Resort. Additional amenities include a play area, arcade, free a jogging trail, WiFi, and movies under the stars.

The best amenity of all is the Disney Skyliner gondola station, which Art of Animation shares with Pop Century Resort. This connects these sister Value Resorts to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot via Caribbean Beach. Access to two parks and several hotels (including the character dining at Riviera Resort) without getting on a bus is huge.

Since going into operation, we have used the Skyliner many,  many times, and are huge fans. From our perspective, the value the Skyliner adds to Art of Animation cannot be overstated. It’s great to be able to utilize non-bus transportation for getting around Walt Disney World. Read our Skyliner Gondola Review: Walt Disney World’s Most Magical Flight on Earth for more info and commentary.

Even when you do need to use buses, the good news is that Art of Animation does not share bus transportation service with any other Walt Disney World hotel.

This means that, along with Pop Century, it has the best bus transportation in all of Walt Disney World . Sort of odd that two Value Resorts would share this crown, but whatever, I guess.

Another thing to take into consideration when booking a room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is the walk. The Finding Nemo suites are closest to the main (Finding Nemo-themed) pool, with The Lion King and Cars wings being about the same distance away, maybe a 5-7 minute walk from the lobby. The Little Mermaid standard rooms are a bit of a hike, maybe 8-12 minutes from the lobby depending upon how quickly you walk.

The Little Mermaid rooms are also disadvantaged in that they do not have internal halls, whereas the suites do have internal halls between the rooms. To this extent, the suites are less like the other Value Resorts and the standard rooms are more like the other Value Resorts.

Above is the main, fittingly named “Big Blue” pool.

The Big Blue Pool is the only Value Resort pool to not allow pool-hopping (likely to keep the riff raff from Pop Century out! ;)) and is pretty cool. Disney really hypes up the underwater music, which is a cool touch. I actually prefer the Cars pool, which is quieter and has a neat look with the Cozy Cones nearby.

My biggest issue with Art of Animation is the pricing of the suites. These suites range from about $400/night to about $650/night. (The range of regular prices is $474 to $570.) That varies significantly based on dates, with winter and early fall off-season costing the least, and holidays costing the most. Typically, two standard value resort rooms combined will cost you less than a single family suite.

Now, this isn’t an apples to apples comparison as there are certainly benefits to the single family suite as opposed to two adjacent single rooms, but that still gives me pause, and makes me question just how much of a value these suites truly are.

Interestingly, though, if Walt Disney World were to re-classify Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in a higher (or its own) tier, I think it would pass for something higher. If you actually like the theme at Art of Animation, it might pass muster as a Deluxe-caliber resort. I still don’t view them as rooms that are worth over $450/night, but if you can score a discounted rate at one, I do think ~$350/night for a party of 6 is reasonable. Everyone’s opinion of value-for-money differs, though.

Transportation, pool, and other amenities are all top-notch, and really the only significant amenity missing as compared to the Deluxes is a nice table service restaurant and a good location in relation to a theme park, and these two things aren’t even something all Deluxes have. We aren’t suggesting that you should compared Art of Animation to a Deluxe when determining whether you should book it (we do not think it’s Deluxe-caliber), just pointing out that the argument could be made.

In terms of theme, price, and category, Art of Animation compares interestingly to Cabana Bay Beach Resort over at Universal Orlando Resort . For those unfamiliar with it, Cabana Bay is very similar in nature, offering both value single rooms and value family suites. Its look is one of a 1950s retro, with a lot of midcentury modern and Googie architecture, and styling drawn from beach and car culture. It’s the kind of style that has become popular in recent years thanks to stores like IKEA and shows like Mad Men.

Cabana Bay has a lower price and a theme that is more adult. What it lacks is the Disney theming and on-site advantages of a Walt Disney World hotel. To many people, this will be an absolute deal-breaker. Our Florida visits focus primarily on Walt Disney World, so staying on-site in a Disney-owned hotel is a must . Your mileage may vary on that, depending upon your priorities in Orlando. I think both hotels have their place, and each will be the ‘clear-cut’ winner for some guests depending upon their vacation plans, design preferences, and budget.

The Art of Animation family suites price-point makes them something we don’t strongly recommend unless you want to be on-site at Walt Disney World, need to sleep 6 people, and the layout of a family suite is desired. In fairness to the Art of Animation suites, maybe viewing them solely in terms of capacity and thus comparing them to two standard rooms at a Value Resort is missing the point.

One bedroom villas might be the more apt comparison, and these compare fairly to those, price-wise. The living area in the suites is totally different than simply doubling a standard room, after all, and the suites are actually larger than two standard rooms combined, even if the total capacity of the suite is only 6, versus 8 between two standard rooms.

Overall, this review was a very long-winded way of saying the Family Suites at Art of Animation and the hotel as a whole are really cool, but also not for everyone’s personal tastes and party size. While we both really enjoy Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, we also have concerns about it and how it compares to similarly-situated options.

Hopefully, our playing of devil’s advocate and presentation all of the pros and cons of Art of Animation was helpful to your decision…and didn’t complicate it further. Ultimately, we like Art of Animation and will definitely return here. We will probably stick with The Little Mermaid standard rooms in the future, but if we had a party of 6 and we wanted more of a “resort” type room for our Walt Disney World trip, we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again–especially in the Cars wing.

Need help planning your dream Walt Disney World vacation? Let a professional help you for free. Click here to get a quote from a recommended, no-fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner . They get their commission from Disney, so there is no charge to you for them to book your trip and help you plan!

Want to do it yourself, but not sure which Walt Disney World hotel is right for you? Check out our Walt Disney World Hotel Reviews page , which offers quick-hit capsule reviews of the strengths and weaknesses of every Walt Disney World hotel, plus links to our reviews and photo pages for every hotel we have reviewed. For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!

Your Thoughts

Do you think Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is for you? Have you stayed here? Do you want to stay here? Agree or disagree with our resort review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!

Written by Tom Bricker

We have stayed here twice. First time we were booked in a Little Mermaid room, but were upgraded to a Nemo Suite. It was great for 3 adult women to have 2 full bathrooms, but was a bummer when we moved from there to the Princess room at Port Orleans Riverside! lol. My husband, 18 year old son, & I stayed in the Cars Suite in Sept 2021 (we booked this on purpose – always wanted to stay in the Cars Suite) and LOVED it! The space was the same as the Nemo one, of course, but the decor & theme was so much better! I’m with Sarah; Cars Suites are the best. I usually agree with your options Tom, but I don’t think I could be paid to stay in the Lion King Suites – they make my eyes hurt! lol.

opinions. not options. oops.

Worst resort. We booked the little mermaid resort back in october, when we landed on december, we found we have been moved to cars suite room which looked like a motel. That was very unprofessional of them to have changed the reservation without my consent. It was disgusting to hear the front desk give an excuse that it has a kitchenet, really ??? After wasting 2 hours and numerous calls , and talking to manager, had my room in little mermaid back. The room is like night and day. So if this room was available what gave disney the rights to mess with a reservation?, Top it all there is a trash sitting in front on the room for a day, soo unhygenic in covid times. Very unprofessonal staff.

I read your comment and just have to say: seriously? Worst resort? It’s disgusting that they upgraded you without your consent? You are the guest that makes people not want to work in the service industry.

Trying to settle on a resort for an upcoming trip. We don’t really “need” all the room in a suite, but it seems like the kitchenette would be a plus and would save on some dining expenses, particularly breakfast. I didn’t see any comments on the kitchenettes. Anyone have any input?

Does Art of Animation have room service?

Ok. I always read your blog more for photo advise. But I’m in a pickle. And hope you could give Some advise. I wouldn’t consider us snobby people but some may. We typically stay at the beach club. Sometimes I get my way with the yacht club. But I guess they are they same. We typically are there for a conference and have transport from Epcot resorts that’s why we stay there. Could also do Caribbean beach but we prefer y&b. So now we are planning a trip with cousins. Two families 10 people kids range from infant to 12.m with 4 adults. One family is really tied in a family suite at aoa. I tried to let us rent a 2 bed villa but they really want to stay at aoa. So I’m torn what to do. Will aoa live up to the category I’m used to. Am I over thinking it. I should also mention it’s a better 10 day trip in July. With out needing to worry about a conference we wanted to stay on the monorail line but with them at aoa it’s hard to meet up in the mornings and such. I am just overwhelmed with a bigger group. Any thoughts?

The rooms are nice but the beds are not as comfortable. Esp the pull out ones. The detail on the rooms and décor is very well done. If you are going to be out of the resort a lot then it is ok. If you want time to relax at the resort then not as nice as other. We typ like to stay at the Poly and love the monorail access. Have stayed at the AOA several times as well.

Stayed in Lion King suites Oct 2019. Plenty of room, beds very comfortable. Couch looking a little worn. And that cute little chair was the most uncomfortable chair I ever sat in, good thing didn’t need it. Big blue pool very impressive. Skyliner the best. Expensive but wanted to try it at least once. Back to Pop.

We stayed at Art of animation for 9 nights. I was not impressed at all! Will not recommend this resort. Rooms are extremely small. Really uncomfortable! Not enough space to pack out anything. We were four 2 adults, 5 and 8 year old. For the same price you can definitely find something much better.

In the suites, or the Little Mermaid rooms? The suites are HUGE with what amounts to three “rooms” and two bathrooms. It’s enough room for 6 people. If you’re talking about the Little Mermaid rooms, then those are some of the tiniest rooms on property and i would never recommend them to anyone.

What time did you try to check in? I think check-in is 3pm so if you are trying to check in early the best advice I have is to ask very politely if they have an available room. Sometimes you can get an even better room than your original choice! I’ve always asked nicely for special requests such as: early access to room, a different floor, a closer room, etc. Almost every time we’ve gotten our request! The time before last that we went to WDW we couldn’t get into our room early but managed to get a closer room. Check the “preferred room” locations really carefully because we’ve gotten pretty close rooms that weren’t officially “preferred” too.

While I have not stayed at the Art of Animation Hotel, I have stayed at all of the All-Star Resorts several times. I have visisted A of A to see the lobby, food court, and themed areas which are terrific! There are very big differences between the All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports, and the Art of Animation Hotel.

Since Art of Animation is quite near the Skyliner (it’s between the A of A and Pop Century Hotels) that should be a consideration for future stay. The All-Star hotels cost significantly less than the Art of Animation and I would check room or suite sizes very carefully too. You don’t want a tiny room which is fine for us two, at an All-Star Hotel if you need a much bigger room for two adults and three children. You’d be squished in the room we always get at the All-Star Hotels. Also, All-Star Hotels, have lots and lots of children, as will Art of Animation for the most part but can be very noisy and crowded during meals. I would do lots of research before making your room decision:

Do you want to be near the Skyliner? How much do you want to spend? What room size do you want? Food Court at Art of Animation or Food at All-Star Hotels (which we like just fine. Weren’t that thrilled with the pulled pork sandwich at Art of A. food court). I would check prices VERY carefully. Think about room decor-an Art of Animation suite or themed room is going to be spectacular while the All-Star Sports, Movies, and Music rooms are a bit, but not terribly much, “Disney.” On appearance alone I think your children would prefer an A. of A. room or suite. I strongly recommend this website, other websites, and my “Bible” for all Disney trips “Birnbaum’s” Disney World Guide. I hope you and your family have a WONDERFUL TRIP! I believe a lot of the success of a Disney trip is due to good research prior to leaving!

I just returned from a trip to Disney and I stayed with my daughter, son in law and 3 small grand children. We stayed in the Lion King Suites and had plenty of room for the six of us. The room was colorful and the beds were very comfortable. My grandchildren loved to walk around and look all the different decorations around the resort, and the pool was by far their favorite place to go. I can’t wait to return and will be staying there again!

I did not care for AoA Little Mermaid rooms. The mural in the shower was very dark and as other WDW resorts wifi and telephone usage is virtually non existant. The walk to the main building and bus stop from Little Mermaid was very long. We won’t be staying there again.

I have spent the last 2 vacations at art of animation 2018. 2019 . The busses to the parks need to be re evaluated….the walk to and from the busses is most definitely the longest and painful after a full day at any park. This year the timing scheduling was way off…waiting longer than usual times for busses between 20 and 30 minutes more and not enough busses at prime times when the crowd is Hugh. While the food court is very good I felt this year they were very cautious to give an ample adult portion and had to request on numerous times for a little extra. There were a few room cleanings that weren’t satisfactory to me with a rush of missing waste baskets and not emptying the recycle bin until full with previous days food in it and the rugs are not cleaned and washed properly in the last two years of the family staying at this resort. The rugs appear dirty with stains and the scent of the room reflects on it. The landscaping on the property is beautiful but my feeling is that they should pay attention to the room cleanliness as a priority. This is a big factor on changing hotels for me as it always seems like I have a flare up of sneezing and colds from these rugs……they are dirty and appear to look dirty. I feel the service has been downgraded since the last visit with checking and baggage retrieval and delivering to the room with comments made from the staff in those areas as example I’m not sure when you will receive your groceries as I am here all alone and it would faster if you brought it up yourself don’t sit well with me when I am paying 500 plus for a suite and my hard earned money that took me an ample amount of time to save for the trip to have responses like this. Last but most important the WiFi and internet service was very poor. If the hotel is reading these comments, please react with thankfulness because there are too many competitors looking for your business these issues should be addressed.

We will be taking a trip May of 2020 and are trying to decide between Art of Animation and All Star Movies. We have younger kiddos who love the full on Disney theming experience. We stayed at Art of Animation last time and loved it. I wish the Little Mermaid rooms weren’t so far away but other than that it was great. So for a family of 4 who will probably spend most of their time in the parks would you pick Art of Animation or a Preferred room at All Star Movies? I’ve heard they remodeled and it is good but the comments about the busses really are kinda making me second guess. It’s around a 400 difference in cost.

I have stayed at both resorts and would pick Art of Animation. I just got back and we had 3 small children with us, I could not imagine staying any other place with small children.

We liked all star movies with all the early movie themes there. Rooms were adequate and how much are you in the room except to sleep and go. I would save the $400 and buy stuff at the parks but that is just me. I don’t have little kids to deal with.

The rooms are very small I went with my daughter and my 2 year old and 4 year old grandsons there was no room to walk it was one of the new room the AC was so slow I went downstairs to have them fix it housekeeping was a joke in 5 days I stayed there she showed up 1 times with towels and hand it over to me finally I went to speak to the manager he was very nice and a houskeeping finally showed up the best part of the hotel was the pools I won’t stayed there next year also check when check in time is I had to wait over 2 hours to get my room with two screamin toddlers after 7 hours of traveling

Just came back fro AofA…would not recommend it….Little Mermaid room was small, long hike to the Food Court and buses…..bed was comfortable but high up…I had a rough time getting in(5ft 2in)…the Skyliner was a plus but only to Epcot and Hollywood Studios……if you are not a fan of heights be forewarned there are no buses to Epcot or Hollywood Studios from this resort…I usually stay at All Star Resort but wanted to treat my Grandkids to something different…..will definitely go back to All Stars…..smaller resort, shorter walks to food court and buses to all parks

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Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Rooms: 2022 Guide

Disclosure: This Art of Animation rooms page contains affiliate links. Read  full Disclosure Policy .

We’ve come to have the same general expectations out of the rooms at a value Disney resort – two queen beds or one king, living and sleeping space in one, split bathroom area with a door for the toilet and shower and a privacy curtain separating it from the rest of the room. You might have a murphy bed or a bit of hanging space, but for the most part it’s a standard hotel type situation.

One of the things of Disney’s Art of Animation that sets it apart from the other value resorts is the rooms.

While one section of the resort does have that standard value style room, the rest follow a model Disney calls family suites .

Originally at Disney’s All-Star Music resort, family suites provide extra space for those travelling with kids or a larger group, but at a more affordable price than some of the deluxe resorts or villas.

Now, that doesn’t make these rooms cheap, but it does cut the cost in half compared to a one-bedroom suite at a deluxe resort. You are also giving up some of the amenities of the deluxe resorts, and the rooms reflect that.

However, if you’re travelling with kids or not spending a ton of time in the rooms, Art of Animation is a perfect fit!

Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation

• Little Mermaid Standard Rooms
• Finding Nemo
• Conclusions

Standard Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

If you know the history of Disney’s Art of Animation, you know that originally was supposed to be the second section of Disney’s Pop Century Resort across the lake. However, with the attacks on September 11, the tourism industry in Florida took a hit. As a result, the project stalled out, leaving the partially completed buildings sitting there like a ghost town.

Around a decade later, after the success of the family suites at All-Star Music, Disney decided to revisit this area and convert it into a new resort – Disney’s Art of Animation.

However, since a section of the resort had already been built in the same value-room style over at Pop Century , rather than gut those buildings and begin again they keep a block of standard rooms. These rooms make up the Little Mermaid area over at Art of Animation.

Standard Room Amenities

Much like Pop Century , the buildings of rooms at Art of Animation have a T- shape, with the flat part of the T facing in towards one another. These rooms also have the exterior hallway seen at other Disney resorts, rather than entering a building and then coming to the door of your room. Because of this, the decoration on the outside of the buildings is a bit different, and again is similar to the Pop Century and All-Star buildings.

The Little Mermaid area has its own pool, the Flippin’ Fins pool, with a larger-than-life Ariel and all her friends surrounding the space. You feel like another fish or sea creature, splashing around and having fun under the sea! Some of the rooms do face the pool, with others facing the courtyards or parking lots. Unlike other resorts, Art of Animation does not have the choice of pool or preferred rooms when booking. If you want to request a particular room location, you will need to call 407-934-7639.

In the rooms themselves, you’ll find the following:

• Internet – Free WiFi Service
• Coffee Maker
• Telephone with voicemail
• In-Room Safe
• Iron & Ironing Board
• Mini-refrigerator

These amenities are standard for Disney’s value resorts, providing easy conveniences for the morning in terms of making a quick meal or coffee to get you out the door. You can also store items in the safe you don’t want to leave out or unattended – I know I’ve left my wedding rings off and in the safe while at a water park.

Again, in a value room at a value resort, you’re going to get what you pay for. However, that doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing comfort or quality.

Art of Animation Standard Rooms Layout

In the Little Mermaid standard rooms, you have the option between one king bed or two queen beds, sleeping a maximum of four adults. If you’re travelling as a single or a couple, I always recommend going with the king bed option. You get more living space and more bed space, so where’s the downside? Also in the living area you have a small table and chair set, your dresser with flat-screen TV, and a multi-peg hanging space (usually in the shape of a helpful octopus!).

We’re staying at Art of Animation, got the Little Mermaid room pic.twitter.com/b9XDGJiK91 — Nick (@Nick_HBS) June 7, 2021

In the bathroom, you’ll see the typical split-bath setup. The sink and vanity are in one area, separated from the beds by a privacy curtain. The bathroom mirror has plenty of light, and an attached backlit makeup mirror if needed. This is also where you’ll find the hairdryer should you need it, along with some small drawer space for your toiletries. Through the bathroom door you’ll find the shower and bathtub combo, as well as the toilet.

Fitting with the style of the rooms at Art of Animation, every aspect of the space fits with the Little Mermaid theme. The walls and floor have a beautiful blue tone to mimic the sea, while the other decorations incorporate seashells and marine life. A coral motif surrounds the bathroom mirror, and the furniture in the room has a vintage look as though they were found by Ariel in a shipwreck. Ariel herself is on the shower curtain, before revealing her grotto on the shower walls. If you have mermaid-lovers in your group, you might want to consider these rooms!

See a full view of the Little Mermaid rooms with this video!

Art of Animation Family Suites

The remaining three sections of rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation all use the family suite model. This type of room allows for a maximum of six adults all in one space, while providing living spaces that are more distinctive and additional bathroom space. Disney found success with these suites for families with younger children, or even older kids that need a bit more room. Additionally, the incredible theming of each area brings a beloved Disney film to life, perfect for your little Mousketeers.

Family Suite Amenities

All the rooms in the Art of Animation family suite blocks have the same basic amenities:

• Kitchenette

You’ll notice that they are similar to the amenities in the standard rooms, with the addition of a microwave and a kitchenette. At the same time, don’t underestimate what that extra sink and microwave can do for you. A microwave means that you can heat up quick meals in your room, leading to a hot breakfast or quick lunch. You can even bring leftovers back from a previous table service meal, and eat those! That is such a money saver, one that I personally have used, and it also cuts down on food waste.

Layout of the Art of Animation Family Suite Rooms

Even though the décor is different in each section, the layout of the family suites follows the same basic floor plan. When you walk in, there is a small eat-at table with chairs, which converts into another bed in the evening. Since it is a murphy bed, there are two bedside cubbies with chargers that you can use, or you can utilize them for extra storage.

To the right is the first of two full bathrooms with a separate sink and bathing area. This has a shower and tub combination, which is great for families with young kids. Both entrances to this bathroom have pocket doors, which helps save space and prevents your kiddos from whacking one another with the door.

Connected to the eating area and the bathroom is the living room, where you’ll find the kitchenette along with your sofa (which unfolds into a queen bed) as well as a TV. Other touches, like chairs and end tables, vary from section to section based on the décor. You also have a hanging space with drawers in the living room, so if this is where one or two people are sleeping they can unpack their things.

Finally, is the bedroom and attached second full bath. The bedroom has the only official bed in the suite, which is queen-sized, as well as its own TV and dresser. You also have a hanging area for clothes, although there isn’t a full closet. Connected to the bedroom is the bathroom, which replicates the decorative style of the first bath. However, instead of a shower and tub combo, you have a walk-in shower. The sink and shower are also all in one space here rather than separated, although the vanity is larger than in the first bathroom.

Lion King Family Suites

What really sets the suites apart from one another is the decoration. Again, the rooms at Art of Animation bring you into the world of the movie. Therefore, in the Lion King section, every aspect of the room is a rich color, using jungle and savanna plants along with your favorite characters. The showers both have gorgeous sunrise murals, an homage to the opening scene of the film, with Timon and Pumbaa on the shower curtain in the first bathroom.

Much of the furniture has a beautiful zebra wood quality, a neutral but fun contrast to the brighter elements of the room. When you fold down the table bed, Simba sleeps peacefully in a jungle hammock, watching over your little ones while they rest. The dresser tops look like leafy green foliage, and the headboard of the bed features a moment from the iconic song, I Just Can’t Wait to be King .

In the courtyard outside the rooms, statues of your favorite characters stand majestically on Pride Rock or skulk amongst the Elephant Graveyard. The Elephant Graveyard is also a play area, with tunnels and areas for your kids to run around. This is the only section without a pool, but the Big Blue Pool in the Nemo section is only a short walk away.

Check out this video to see a full walkthrough of the Lion King family suites!

Cars Family Suites

Over in the Cars section, you walk right into Radiator Springs to meet Lightening McQueen, Mator, and all their friends. Since the family suite buildings have internal hallways, the outside of the building has a flat canvas where the beauties of the Arizona landscape come to life. In the town, you’ll find places like Sarge’s Surplus Hut, Fillmore’s Organic Fuel, Luigi’s Casa della Tires, and even the Wheel Well Motel. In the center, the Cozy Cone Motel serves as the pool area, complete with cone-shaped cabanas where you can lounge in peace.

Speaking of cone-shaped, cones take on a central theme in the room itself. These rooms have interesting combination of car-themed amenities and nods to the three Cars films. The floor and furniture go with the idea of a car garage, while the bathrooms have a car-wash theme. The idea in these spaces is that you have become a car in this world, and so you would appreciate these components.

On the top of the nightstands and dressers, you might see postcards from Lightening and Mator as they travel around the country and to the World Grand Prix from the second film. Mator also is your sleeping companion in the table bed, snoozing under his towing and salvage sign. Don’t forget to look for artwork of your favorite Cars characters on the walls!

Finding Nemo Family Suites

The last of the Art of Animation rooms are the Finding Nemo family suites, which are the most expensive of the three sections. This is largely because of their central location within the resort and the proximity to the Big Blue Pool, which is the largest pool at Walt Disney World. If you were looking for some sort of preferred option, this would be your best bet.

From an amenity standpoint, the Finding Nemo space has the most to offer your kids. Not only is there an amazing zero-entry pool with fun sea creatures, but also at the one end of the pool complex is the Nemo splash zone. Your littles can stomp, splash, and play in the water and sprayers in this area without being overwhelmed by bigger kids in the pool. On the other end of the complex is Squirt’s Righteous Reef, an interactive playground perfect for an afternoon activity or your non-swimmers.

Finding Nemo Room Décor

These are actually the most subtle of the Art of Animation rooms, taking on a calmer atmosphere than the other two sections. Beautiful cool cools of blue and purple decorate the space, with pops of orange and other bright tones here and there. While you definitely see characters in the artwork, they don’t dominate the room. Predominately, the decorative features are ocean elements like coral and seaweed, although these take on more colorful hues than their real life counterparts.

In the bathroom, you shift into the submarine from the first movie, so it takes on more gray tones with some of the military components. No surprise, in the bathroom you find Bruce and his shark buddies – but remember, fish are friends, not food! Both bathrooms follow this theme, which is like the other suites.

Dozing above the table bed you’ll find Marling and Nemo, cozy in their sea anemone home. All the hard furniture, including the outside of the table bed, has a pretty blue background with coral and stylized versions of the characters in the foreground. Again, this makes you feel like you have become a fish yourself, swimming around in Nemo’s home.  

Take a look at this video to get the full Finding Nemo experience!

Which of the Art of Animation Rooms to Choose?

This is always the question – how do I know which of the rooms is right for me? At Disney’s Art of Animation, deciding between rooms boils down to three basic questions.

1 – Am I Travelling with Kids?

If this is a solid yes , we recommend the family suites, unless your kids are little or dying to stay in the Little Mermaid rooms. Growing up, if my parents could have had the ability to get their own room, give my sister and me our own beds, and had a bathroom all to themselves , I’m willing to bet they would have done it.

Family suites, with their incredible decoration, also bring that each bit of magic that kids love. They will only be into this sort of thing for a period of time, so take advantage of it while you can.

2 – How Much Time am I Spending in the Room?

One of the times I recommend a value resort is when you know you aren’t going to be in the room a lot. Whether that’s because you’re going to be out at the pool, shopping and dining in Disney Springs, or going hard at the parks, there’s no reason to spend big bucks on a nice room that you’re primarily using to sleep. Again, the family suites are still the better option if you have kids, but if you’re just going as a couple cut your cost in half and book the standard rooms.

3 – What is My Budget?

Normally I would put this higher on the list, but at Art of Animation, the previous two points rank higher in terms of rooms. However, you don’t want to forget this piece. Even with children, you might find that the family suites are a bit out of budget. We get it – they can get up to $500 a night, which is hefty for a value resort. If that’s the case, go with the standard room and bunk your kids in the same bed. Again, you can only put four people in a standard room, so that might make your decision for you. On the other hand, if you’re trying to save money and everyone is down to share a bed, the standard rooms are the way to go.

What about Theming?

The obvious question in this instance is whether or not it matters which movie you get to “inhabit.” If yes, then let that help make your decision. If no, use these other factors to help narrow down your choice. At the same time, I get it – your daughter is obsessed with Simba, so staying in the Finding Nemo section is not going to work for you. Think about your family and their preferences, use our tips , and you won’t go wrong.

Grace Hoyos, Staff Writer

Grace is a life-long lover of all things Disney, particularly the parks at Walt Disney World. She is also an avid Disney Cruise Line enthusiast who regularly dreams of the white sands of Castaway Cay. Grace loves the fact that her Disney trips give her time to spend with her family, enjoy incredible food, and try new experiences.

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FULL TOUR of the BIGGEST Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Hotel

It’s time to head over to one of our favorite value resorts in Disney World — Art of Animation !

Did you know that this resort has family suites that can fit up to 6 guests ? There are three different themed family suites to choose from — The Lion King, Cars , and Finding Nemo . Today, we’re taking you inside a Finding Nemo family suite to see what it looks like before you book!

Quincy, Emma, and Fry Bucket recently got to stay at EVERY themed family suite at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and you can see how their stay went right here:

Now, we want you to imagine you’ve just opened the door to your Finding Nemo family suite and you’re standing in the doorway. Follow our lead, and we’ll do the rest!

When you step into your room, look to the left, where you’ll find the dining nook .

And above it is the world’s cutest bubble light!

If you look to the right from the door, you’ll see the main bathroom .

This is a full bathroom, meaning it has a toilet, sink, and shower.

The toilet and shower are located in a separate room in the bathroom, meaning the door between them and the sink can be closed.

Back outside of the bathroom, right to the left of it, you’ll notice the kitchenette . It’s complete with a microwave, sink, refrigerator, coffee maker, and extra storage space.

To the left of the kitchenette, you’ll find the main seating area . This includes a couch (that turns into a bed), lamp, table with a Hey! Disney machine on it, two green plush stools, and a red chair.

This bed also becomes one of the two beds located in this main room.

Directly in front of the couch/bed, you’ll find the TV mounted above a dresser. To the right of the dresser is another drawer and a place to hang your clothes.

Crush is the star of this dresser, and we think it couldn’t be cuter.

Looking to the left will bring you back to looking at the table, which is also the second bed in this area of the room!

Yes, it pulls down to be a whole other bed that can sleep two adults. We love the painting of Marlin and Nemo behind it too.

If you noticed that door frame to the right of the second bed, this will take you to the master bedroom in this family suite.

Across from the bed, you’ll find another tv on top of a dresser, with clothes hanging area to the left of it.

This dresser features Mr. Ray!

If you turn around, you’ll face the bed.

To the right of the bed is an adorable nightstand that features Pearl.

On top of the nightstand, you’ll find a jellyfish lamp that has multiple different outlets.

And if you walk into the second doorway in the room (located to the left of the bed), you’ll find the master bathroom .

We love the inscription on this mirror — fish are friends!

This shower doesn’t have a curtain and instead has a glass door.

These are the shower amenities located inside the shower.

And that’s a full tour of the Finding Nemo family suite at Art of Animation! If you or your kiddos love the film, we think this is a great choice to stay at, especially if you’re traveling to the parks on a bit of a budget, but don’t want to pay for two connecting rooms.

As always, stay tuned to AllEars for all the latest Disney World news and hotel tours!

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We stayed in a Finding Nemo family suite at Art of Animation: here’s our review

By: Author Allyson Koerner

Published: May 19, 2023 Updated: January 24, 2024

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is not only one of the most vibrant and well-themed resorts at Walt Disney World, but it’s also one of the most family-friendly .

The resort is located in the Wide World of Sports area and celebrates the animation of Disney and Pixar movies. There are different suites themed after select movies, including Finding Nemo , The Lion King , and Cars . There are also standard rooms, which are all inspired by The Little Mermaid .

While it is considered a value resort, the family suites are far from cheap for the average family. But, we’ll get into that in a bit.

We stayed in a Finding Nemo family suite at the beginning of May 2023. We checked in on April 30, 2023 and checked out on May 6, 2023. So, we were in a suite for a total of 6 nights.

We’ve stayed at Art of Animation before, but for some of us (myself included), this was the first time staying in a Finding Nemo -themed suite.

Here, we go over our stay, the suite, the pros, the cons, and everything in between. Let’s keep swimming into our Finding Nemo family suite review.

In this article

Why did we choose to stay at Art of Animation?

On April 30, 2023, Heather, Felicia, and I, flew to Disney World for a week-long trip.

We had two main priorities for this particular visit: test touring plans at all 4 theme parks with and without Genie+ and write dining reviews for multiple restaurants, including 5 character meals .

Because this was a lengthier and heavy-loaded work trip, we didn’t want to be cramped or feel as if we were living on top of one another.

We all enjoy working together very much, but it was of utmost importance that we had our own respective work areas to type away on our computers. Plus, our own beds to crash in after long days.

So… we settled on a Finding Nemo family suite at Art of Animation.

After going through a checklist of what we wanted (and didn’t want), it seemed like the perfect fit.

• We each would get our own bed
• There were 2 bathrooms to share between 3 people
• There was a table to work, plus a couch and living area space
• The kitchenette would make breakfast and coffee easier for those super early mornings (Felicia may or may not have packed a mini single serve Keurig in her suitcase for me since the non-Keurig coffee makers in select Disney World rooms are garbage) — this is also a money saver compared to buying breakfast at the food court or in the parks
• The 2 forms of transportation ( buses and Disney Skyliner ) are a huge perk for traveling to and from the parks
• The Finding Nemo suites are close to both the lobby, buses, Skyliner, and main feature pool, giving us prime location (for a heftier price)

Arrival and checking in

Heather arrived in Orlando first. She had a very early flight (with a layover) that got her to MCO (the Orlando International Airport ) just before noon.

As for Felicia and myself, we flew together. I was lucky enough to have Felicia stay with me the week prior to this trip, so we were able to travel to the most magical place on earth together. It was really nice to have the company, especially since I have about an hour and 40 minute drive to the airport anytime I travel.

Luckily, as soon as Heather landed (about 11:50 a.m.), our room was ready! It was a Disney Resort hotel miracle! If you’ve traveled to Disney World before, your room typically isn’t ready until after check-in time at 3 p.m. To have it ready this early was a huge win.

Heather checked in via the My Disney Experience app before our trip, which we always recommend. It saves you time rather than going to the front desk upon your arrival.

Felicia and I landed in Orlando a couple hours after Heather, around 2 p.m. By the time we got to Art of Animation (a little after 3 p.m.), Heather had already had a tasty lunch at the food court and put away all of the groceries we had delivered from Walmart.

Speaking of groceries, Heather called Bell Services to bring our groceries to our room, since they had been delivered before she arrived to the hotel.

Now, it’s important to note that sometimes the hotel will tack on a fee for Bell Services to bring groceries to your room. We were charged $6. When calling Bell Services, they usually tell you if there is a fee. If not, simply ask.

And, if you don’t want to pay that extra charge, you can go to Bell Services yourself and they will give you a cart to carry your groceries to your room. You will have to return the cart once you’re finished.

For us, the $6 wasn’t a big deal and made it much easier for Heather since we had a bigger grocery order and Felicia and I hadn’t arrived yet to assist.

How was our stay in a Finding Nemo family suite?

Art of Animation as a whole is extremely well-themed. Our Finding Nemo rooms was no different. There are so many touches from the movie that little ones and Finding Nemo fans will especially love.

One of the things that we wish was different in the rooms are the ceiling light fixtures that resemble bubbles. While super cute, we love a good ceiling fan in a hotel room. A few of the hotels on Disney World property have them, like French Quarter and Saratoga Springs .

Some of us like to sleep with a fan on or it’s just nice to have a fan to move some extra air around on a hot day. While this isn’t a hotel room dealbreaker, it certainly would be an added bonus.

Thankfully, the rooms don’t have carpet, but the same can’t be said for the hallways. The only time this was an issue was on our arrival and departure days. Have you ever tried to pull multiple suitcases, albeit heavier ones, on a long, carpeted hallway? It’s basically a workout.

Again, not a big issue, but just something to take into account if you are staying here.

The room also doesn’t have enough hooks to hang bags, swimsuits, clothes, makeup bags, etc. While there are hooks in the bathroom for towels and two other spaces with hangars for clothing, it would’ve been nice to have a few more hooks for organizational purposes.

Now, we must discuss the shower in the bathroom off of the main living area. If you stay in room 5834, beware! Heather and I shared this bathroom and the shower was absolutely terrible.

We love good water pressure, but this was too much pressure. It was so strong, we thought we were going to be knocked to the ground every time we encountered the water.

To make matters worse, in the one corner of the shower, you could feel this warm current of air that was misty and gross. Oh, and the shower curtain would blow and get stuck to us no matter how hard we tried to avoid it.

Of course, this doesn’t mean every shower in the Finding Nemo rooms are like this, but don’t say we didn’t warn you.

As for Felicia’s shower, she had zero issues and said it was lovely. Heather did shower here once and agreed. I was a brave human and stuck with the monster shower.

Moving onto the beds. They were all extremely comfy. I slept on the pull-out couch, Heather had the pull-down table bed, and Felicia was in the queen bed. While it did get a little tiring towards the end of the trip to make up my bed each day, it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

You technically don’t have to make up your bed each day, but we wanted the couch and table for work and sitting purposes. Plus, it gives you more space.

Speaking of working, Wi-Fi is always important and we didn’t have issues. It never seemed to be slow. Thank goodness for decent service, because you never know!

Overall, our room was in good condition and clean. Housekeeping came every other day. If you place the “Do Not Disturb” sign on your door, make sure to remove it so they can enter to tidy up.

Our room was in a great location. Because we booked a Finding Nemo room, we were in a “preferred” building, meaning we were in close proximity to the lobby, food court, buses, main feature pool (The Big Blue Pool), and the Disney Skyliner.

We stayed in Building 5 on the top floor (the 4th floor).

To walk to the buses, Skyliner, and main building, it took about 2 to 3 minutes. This was a huge perk, especially after all of the walking at the parks.

To access the pool, all we had to do was take the elevator to the first floor, walk out the doors and — bam — it was right there. So convenient!

We took advantage of The Big Blue pool twice. Because this is the main feature pool, it is usually on the busier side. Though, it wasn’t too bad during our visit.

We were able to easily find lounge chairs both times we went to the pool.

Keep in mind that there are moments during the day where they clean the pool and nobody is allowed to swim. This happened to us once as soon as we got to the pool, but we didn’t have to wait too long, nor did we mind hanging, chatting, and enjoying our beverages.

There are two other pools that are considered “leisure pools” — the Cozy Cone Pool in the Cars area and the Flippin’ Fins Pool by The Little Mermaid standard rooms.

The Finding Nemo pool also has an adorable splash pad called the “Schoolyard Sprayground.” This is great for little ones. There is even a playground nearby, Squirt’s Righteous Reef.

Tip : If you bring beverages to the pool and want them to stay cold, you can turn a Finding Nemo pail into a makeshift cooler. Fill it with ice and you’re good to go!

We purchased this (and applied our Annual Passholder discount) at the Ink & Paint Shop for about $8! Talk about a deal.

Noise level

We didn’t have any issues with noise. We couldn’t hear the pool, but we were also on the opposite of the building away from that area. We also never really heard anyone next to us.

The only time we could hear people was in the mornings right outside the main living area window. I peeked out one day and discovered the noise was coming from a group of Cast Members. It appeared that they were all chatting prior to starting their work day.

This really wasn’t a problem, because the noise never lasted too long. Plus, we were out of the room pretty early each day.

Art of Animation has one main dining location: the Landscape of Flavors food court. Overall, it’s a decent Quick Service spot.

We ate here one day for lunch. Felicia had a salad, Heather ordered a kids’ hamburger, and I got the Impossible burger.

A couple mornings I also tried the egg and cheese bagel breakfast sandwich, which is usually my go-to breakfast choice at Disney World hotels. They are typically very good and the same can be said for Landscape of Flavors’ breakfast sammie.

Everything we tried was good! But, we certainly couldn’t eat here every day for lunch and dinner. Thankfully, we ate inside the parks and at other hotels.

There is also a pool bar next to The Big Blue Pool and close to the food court — The Drop Off Pool Bar. We didn’t visit the bar during this trip, but we have before and it’s a solid pool bar. In addition to a big drink menu, there are select snacks you can purchase.

Hey Disney!

The biggest surprise about room was we had a Hey Disney!

What is Hey Disney!? It’s a magical voice assistant available to guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel in Disney World and Disneyland.

Disney partnered with Amazon to create Hey Disney!, which is also the first Alexa Custom Assistant available on Echo devices.

You can request help and more from Hey Disney!, including:

• Ask questions about park hours, dining information, resort transportation, and more
• Make specific guest service request, like asking for extra towels or room service (we did this and it worked!)
• Get the daily weather with Mickey
• Listen to your favorite Disney stories and soundscapes inspired by Disney films and destinations (we listened to The Princess and the Frog soundscape and it was lovely)
• Set daily alarms and timers
• Learn fun facts and trivia

It’s pretty easy to use. There is also a pamphlet that you can read for further assistance.

While we didn’t use it too much during our stay, it’s a fun feature. It’s also nice if you’re in the middle of getting ready for the day and don’t want to check your phone to yell, “Hey Disney! What time does Magic Kingdom open today?”

Hey Disney! is completely optional and a complimentary feature during your stay.

• Now, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of a Finding Nemo room and the Art of Animation resort as a whole…

Finding Nemo family suite breakdown

Before diving into our thoughts about the suite (and the resort, itself), we think it’s important to go over what makes up an Art of Animation suite.

When booking a Finding Nemo family suite, you’ll either get a view of the courtyard, pool, or parking lot area.

We had a view of one of The Lion King family suites building, as you can see here:

Like the other family suites, these suites are located inside a hotel-style building . Unlike many of the other hotels on property that are motel-style, here, you enter inside a building with interior hallways to get to your room.

The elevators are also inside.

These suites can sleep up to 6 adults. The sleeping arrangements include:

• 1 Queen Bed
• 1 Double-Size Sleeper Sofa
• 1 Double-Size Table Bed

Here’s what each one looks like:

All of the family suites have one bedroom attached to the main living area. As you can see here, the bedroom contains a queen bed that sleeps 2 adults.

For those traveling with little ones, you can easily fit a crib or a pack ‘n play next to the queen bed.

• Learn more about cribs and pack ‘n plays at Disney World

Double-Size Sleeper Sofa

In the main living area, you’ll find a double-size sleeper sofa. As you can see below, the couch pulls out into a bed.

You will have to remove the ottoman and the couch cushions before pulling out the bed.

It’s easy to fold the bed back into the couch, which we did every morning to make space and so we had more places to sit.

Double-Size Table Bed

Upon entering the family suite, you’ll see there is a table with 4 chairs. This is great to eat meals, work, play games, etc.

This table pulls down into a double-size table bed (there are handles on both sides). Make sure you move the chairs before pulling down the bed. It’s very easy and not heavy at all.

What makes this table bed so nice is that you can fold it back up to allow more space in the main living area and so you can use the table.

• Tip : For the sleeper sofa and table bed, there are extra pillows and blankets above the rack with hangars in the main living area, along with some in the main bedroom.

The suites also have two bathrooms.

This one is attached to the main living area, with the vanity area separate from the toilet and tub/shower.

The second bathroom is in the bedroom with the queen bed. This one has a walk-in shower (no tub).

The toilet sits between the shower and the sink area.

As you can see, while there is no tub in this bathroom, there is more counter space.

Kitchenette

All of the Art of Animation family suites also have a small kitchenette next to the sleeper sofa.

There isn’t a toaster, but there is a small refrigerator, coffee maker (not a Keurig), a sink, and a microwave.

There are also disposable plates, cups, bowls, silverware, and napkins provided.

There are several areas to store your belongings, including:

• Underneath the queen bed
• 2 racks to hang clothing and jackets (in bedroom and in main living area)
• 2 dressers (in bedroom and in main living area)
• Chest in the main living area

The following amenities were available in our Finding Nemo family suite:

• Ironing board
• In-room safe
• Plenty of USB ports and outlets

What makes the Finding Nemo family suites different?

All of the family suites at Art of Animation sleep the same number of guests, have two bathrooms, have a kitchenette, and have the same amenities, but they vary in theme, price, and location .

The Finding Nemo suites are the most expensive, as they are considered the “preferred” rooms of the resort.

They are the closest of any buildings to Animation Hall (the main lobby, front desk, Ink & Paint Shop, and Landscape of Flavors food court), the buses , the Disney Skyliner , and the main pool called The Big Blue Pool (which is also themed after Finding Nemo ).

While Art of Animation is technically a “value” resort, the suites are quite expensive. The Little Mermaid standard rooms are value price, but they are a typical motel-style room and a far distance from transportation and Animation Hall.

Let’s break down the pricing for Finding Nemo suites…

For 3 adults staying April 30, 2023 through May 6, 2023, a Finding Nemo suite came to $576.67 per night. Without tax, that’s $3,460. With tax, it’s $3,892.53. This is also without any discounts applied.

This doesn’t include park tickets or any additional expenses, including flights. So, yes, staying here isn’t cheap for a value resort. But, you are paying more for a suite that has an additional bathroom, access to a kitchenette, and sleeps more guests than the standard room.

• Important: pricing can and will vary, depending on the time of year. Typically, room rates will be higher during busier seasons, like Christmas.

Full disclosure : we booked a special rate, so we saved some money. You should definitely double check to see if there are any Disney World discounts you can apply to your stay.

• Learn more about Disney World discounts

Let’s compare the same amount of nights over the same dates if you were to book The Lion King or Cars family suite (they cost the exact same):

• The Lion King family suite : $539.17 per night, $3235 total (without tax), $3639.38 total (with tax)
• Cars family suite : $539.17 per night, $3235 total (without tax), $3639.38 total (with tax)

The total difference, including tax?

While a little over a couple hundred bucks may not seem like a big difference, it is at Disney World. This could be used on character dining, an experience, or Genie+ .

• Tip: When booking, you can choose “Family Suites,” which is cheaper than the other options. This is also a mystery room, because the theme of your room isn’t assigned until you check-in. If you don’t care what theme you get, this is a good way to save some money at Art of Animation.

• How much does it cost to go to Disney World?

Finding Nemo family suites pros and cons

• Cute theming
• Great for families and bigger groups
• Good work space for those on a business trip or plan to work on vacation
• Sleeps up to 6 adults
• 2 bathrooms allows for more people to get ready at once, either for the park day or before bed
• Fits crib and/or pack ‘n play
• The kitchenette allows you to heat things in the microwave, and store cold items in small refrigerator
• Location (close proximity to main lobby, front desk, food court, gift shop, buses, Skyliner, and feature pool)
• Within walking distance to Disney’s Pop Century Resort
• No toaster and coffee maker isn’t good
• The bathroom in the bedroom doesn’t have a tub and only one sink
• Expensive, especially for a value resort (also the highest cost at the resort)

Art of Animation pros and cons

We’d be remiss if also didn’t mention the pros and cons of the overall resort. Hopefully the following will give you a better idea of why you should or shouldn’t book a room at Art of Animation.

• Cute and family-friendly theming
• Both suites and standard rooms are available for booking
• 2 transportation options (buses and Disney Skyliner)
• Dedicated buses, meaning they don’t share with other resorts
• A big food court that has decent offerings
• A nice pool bar with a big drink menu
• 3 pools (one feature and 2 leisure)
• Dog-friendly accommodations
• Within walking distance to Pop Century
• Expensive suites for a value resort
• Most expensive out of all the value resorts
• Buildings are spread out, especially The Little Mermaid rooms that are far from the main building and transportation
• Despite being decent, only one dining option
• Sometimes cell phone service and Wi-Fi can be spotty (thankfully we didn’t have this issue during our stay)

Be sure to check out our complete guide to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort .

Should you book a Finding Nemo (or any Art of Animation) family suite?

We really enjoy Art of Animation. It’s truly a good value resort. We’ve never had a bad stay here, including this particular trip.

The Finding Nemo suites are great if you want to be in close proximity to the main offerings of the resort.

Being able to walk a short distance from our room to the food court, to transportation, and to the feature pool was really nice — especially after all the walking we did at the parks.

So, should you book one? If you’re not worried about budget and are concerned about having a longer walk to your room, then, yes, a Finding Nemo suite is very much worth it.

If you don’t want to spend as much and don’t care about having a farther walk to your room, then we think the other suites ( The Lion King and Cars ) are a solid option.

While The Little Mermaid rooms are much more affordable and cutely themed, that walk is a lot after a long park day. If you want access to similar amenities, including staying on the Skyliner, we recommend booking a room at Pop Century instead.

But, this review isn’t about standard rooms, it’s about the suites.

Is an Art of Animation suite worth it? Yes, for the following reasons :

• If you have a bigger family or group
• If you want more space
• If you want access to some type of kitchen area
• If you need more than one bathroom
• If you want a resort that has a fun theme the whole family will love
• If you want to pay less than a deluxe resort, but still have access to multiple forms of transportation and other resorts (via the Skyliner; Pop is also within walking distance)
• If you want to make getting to some of the parks easier (avoid waiting strictly for a bus)
• If you don’t want to book and pay for 2 rooms

If you want the following, do not book here:

• More dining options at your resort, including Table Service and lounges
• Less of a family-friendly vibe and more of a deluxe/adult aesthetic
• To avoid lots of families and littles ones
• Being able to walk to a park
• A resort located in a theme park area, rather than the Wide World of Sports

Again, we really like Art of Animation. But, like with anything at Disney World, there’s a lot to think about when booking a hotel.

We encourage you to do your homework and figure out exactly what you want. Be sure to compare pricing and see what fits your budget or will be worth it in the long run.

It truly depends on your what you’re willing to spend and what you’re hoping to get out of not just your trip, but your resort.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or want help, try making reservations through a qualified Disney travel agent. We recommend Small World Vacations.

VIDEO: Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Tour (rooms, pools, dining)