Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review
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Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is one of its Value Resorts, located in the Wild World of Sports resort area. This beautifully themed resort opened in May 2012. Art of Animation boasts 984 standard Little Mermaid Rooms and 1120 Family Suites themed after Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Lion King.
Art of Animation has 3 pools, the largest of which, The Big Blue Pool is the largest hotel pool at Disney! This is my Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review by a Mom who stayed there with 2 toddlers.
Spoiler alert, with its amenities, theming, family suites, and Skyliner access is the best of the value resorts, by far!! We stayed in a Little Mermaid room because we had a Princess-loving little one whose favorite princess at the time was Ariel so we could not pass up the opportunity.
I hope you enjoy my Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review!
1) The Pools
Oh my goodness the pools!! We have also stayed at several Deluxe resorts and I personally think the pools at Art of Animation are better than all of them! There are 3 pools to choose from and despite being there during April vacation, none were ever too crowded to find a table and chairs to settle down.
Finding Nemo Pool Area
The Big Blue Pool
This area contains the 300,000+ gallon Big Blue Pool (the largest in all of the Disney World resorts). It is a zero-entry pool so little ones can stay ankle-depth with ease.
The Schoolyard Sprayground
This splash pad in this area is perfect for babies and toddlers. There are little water spouts that pop up that little kids love. Conveniently located right next to the Big Blue Pool, the location allows your family to split up if you have older kids, while still being in close proximity to each other and keeping one central chair or table.
The Drop-Off Pool Bar
While the snack options are just a few snacks (chips, cheese curls, or pretzels), the drink options are bountiful at The Drop-Off Pool Bar. They have a variety of non-alcoholic drinks like bottled water, smoothies, and lemonade. Alcoholic beverages include specialty cocktails (on the rocks or frozen) beer, wine, and sangria. The Drop Off Pool Bar is open daily from 11 am-1030pm.
Righteous Reef Playground
A playground!! Geared towards little kids with Squirt at the helm, the Righteous Reef Playground offers a slide and climbing space away from the water.
Flippin’ Fins Pool (Little Mermaid area)
Over by the Little Mermaid buildings is the Flippin’ Fins pool. We used this pool once for an hour or two on arrival at the resort and the kids loved the giant Ursula, King Triton, and Ariel statues they could see from here. The pool features the ”Under the Sea” orchestra but it really is a basic pool, so be prepared to hold your non-swimming little ones. There are plenty of chairs and tables with umbrellas and overall this area is less crowded than the Big Blue Pool area.
Cozy Cone Pool (Cars area)
The Cozy Cone pool over by the Cars building offers a horseshoe-shaped pool surrounded by Traffic Cone-shaped cabanas. These cabanas are first come first serve and there are 8 of them so good luck! There are a bunch of chairs by this pool as well, but not as many tables as the others.
2) Cast Members
Out of every Disney World Resort, we have stayed at, the cast members at Art of Animation have been the kindest. They truly aim to help you and your family navigate vacation in the most positive way. Cast members waved to the kids everywhere we went, complimented my daughter’s princess outfits, and seemed truly happy to see us there. I have not had the same experience at some of the other resorts.
3) The Theming
Art of Animations’ outdoor theming is truly magical. You will know the second you step on the resort that you are at Disney, which is why you are there right?! Every building is covered in huge murals representing Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King. There are 3 story-tall Little Mermaid characters, massive sea anemones and jellyfish, a bamboo jungle with Puma and Timon strolling by, giant parking cone cabanas, full-size Cars characters and let’s not forget the squawking seagulls from Nemo!
Little Mermaid Rooms
Does your child love princesses? The Little Mermaid-themed buildings think of everything from the shower decorated as Ariel’s grotto to the huge statues outside. Please note these are traditional standard hotel rooms, not suites. Each room is about 277 square feet in size and has 2 double beds, 2 small chairs, and a little table along with the TV stand/dresser. These rooms do have a mini-fridge in the dresser. A pack-n-play will fit but it is tight!
The Little Mermaid buildings (buildings 7, 8, and 9) are on the far edge of the property with 2 of the building having mostly parking lot views. Building 7 is right on Hourglass Lake and has the potential for beautiful views. Walking with 2 toddlers it probably took us 10 minutes to get to the Food Court and Big Blue Pool, but it’s Disney so you will be walking all day, every day!
4) Family Suites
Art of Animation has 1,120 family suites, that sleep up to 6 adults. They measure ~565 square feet, just over double the size of the Little Mermaid Rooms. Each family suite has 1 queen bed in a separate room with a door and a large living area with a double bed-sized sleeper sofa. The table and chairs have a dual purpose-there is a Murphy bed that folds down into a double-sized table bed.
Suites have a kitchenette area with a mini-fridge (bigger than the Little Mermaid Rooms), a microwave, small counter space, and under-counter storage. The living area has a dresser in addition to a storage cubby. Family suites also have 2 bathrooms!! All family suites are off of interior hallways, unlike the standard Little Mermaid rooms which have exterior hallways.
Lion King Family Suites
Have an animal lover? Check out the Lion King area and Family Suites. Big figurines of Pumba, Timon, and of course Simba greet you as you walk through this area of the resort, through the bamboo forest.
The Lion King rooms feature jungle greens with bright pops of colors amidst flowers and animals. Be on the lookout for Simba and Zazu resting after a long day. You’ll also find Puma and Timon along with that iconic Circle of Life sunrise in the bathroom.
The Lion King Suites (buildings 6 and 10) are located between Animation Hall/Finding Nemo area and the Little Mermaid buildings. One building faces the parking lot and the other faces the lake so again there is potential for beautiful views from the lakefront building if you are facing the right direction.
Finding Nemo Family Suites
Looking for an underwater experience? Check out the Finding Nemo area of the resort. Closest to the Big Blue Pool and Nemo splash pad, the Find Nemo also contains Family Suites.
Brights blues and purples adorn the floor-to-the-ceiling under water-themed rooms. Nemo, Marlin, and plenty of bright and colorful coral decorate the suites. Be sure to keep an eye out for Bruce and his shark friends in the bathroom!
The Nemo buildings (building 4 and 5) are centrally located and the closest to the Skyliner, bus stop, and Animation Hall which houses the Landscape of Flavors. There is one building on each side of The Big Blue Pool and judging by their locations I would guess the views are a little nice than the Little Mermaid Parking lot views for sure!
Cars Family Suites
Car lover in the family? No worries, there is an entire Cars area (one of the few Cars dedicated spaces at Disney World). Cars buildings also house Family Suites. The Cozy Cone pool is located in the middle of the 3 Cars buildings and there are large replicas of the Cars characters around for photo ops!
Dressers are made to look like tool chests and paintings of the stars of Cars movies adorn the walls. The bathrooms are designed to be car washes, which is such a great idea!
The Cars buildings (buildings 1, 2, and 3)are at the opposite end of the resort from the Little Mermaid buildings, but not as far out since they are right next to the Big Blue Pool area and quite close to animation Hall, the bus stop, and the Skyliner.
5) The Price
Art of Animation is a value resort at Walt Disney World. These are Disney’s lowest-priced resorts. However, short of spending a lot more money to stay in a Deluxe Villa, Art of Animation’s Family Suites seem to be the only rooms that can accommodate 6 adults.
6) Skyliner Access
The addition of Skyliner access to Art of Animation is truly the icing on the cake for this incredible resort. Board the Skyliner, located behind the Nemo buildings at the edge of Hourglass Lake, and hop right over to Hollywood Studios and International Gateway at Epcot, no road transportation is needed. Have reservations for character dining at Topolino’s Terrace located at The Riviera? No worries, Skyliner takes you there!
Heading to Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, or Magic Kingdom? No worries the Walt Disney World Bus Services comes to Art of Animation to safely transport you to those parks. The bus stop is located at Animation Hall. Buses start 45 minutes prior to park opening and run 1-hour past park close daily.
7) Landscape of Flavors Food Court
Landscape of Flavors is located in Animation Hall, where you check in at Art of Animation, and adjacent to The Big Blue pool area. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served with a variety of options for each. There is something for everyone to enjoy, even the pickiest toddlers.
The convenience of this food court-style dining is perfect for families. The lines move fast and the hours are great for early risers opening at 7 am. For the night owls, they are open late until 11 pm so you can grab a snack on your post-firework return ”home.”
Tired parents are you listening?! Specialty coffee drinks!!!! YESSSS! Get your caffeine here folks!
There is plenty of seating inside, offering small tables for two and larger tables for groups. We never had trouble finding a table and there was always plenty to choose from during prime meal hours.
Lunch and dinner include several American food themes- pizza and pasta, burgers and chicken, salads, sandwiches, and an entree selection that includes more traditional meals. They also offer a bakery and beautiful cakes and cupcakes. There are a few canned and bottled alcoholic beverages available such as seltzers, wine, and beer.
If anyone in your party has allergies, check out the menus for Landscape of Flavors. They have specific menus that are soy allergy-friendly, peanut/tree nut allergy-friendly, milk allergy-friendly, fish/shellfish allergy-friendly, and egg allergy-friendly. Along with gluten/wheat-free options.
8) Little Extras
There are a couple of little extras at Art of Animation worth mentioning. Animation Hall where you check in and home to Landscape of Flavors showcases art from the Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King movies. Animation Hall houses Pixel Play Arcade for gamers to play. Art of Animation also offers Movies Under the Stars for families to enjoy, when the weather allows. Finally, a 1.38-mile jogging trail along Hourglass Lake is a beautiful place for a nice walk (stroller-napping kids anyone?!) or run on vacation.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review
I truly believe that Art of Animation is the best value class Disney Resort. Art of Animations’ cast members and pools give the deluxe resorts we have stayed at a run for their money! Throw in the convenience and extra space offered by the Family Suites, that gorgeous Disney theming and an onsite food court with options to please the entire family and I think it covers all of your bases for your next Disney Trip!
I hope my Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Review helps you and your family’s vacation planning process. Let me know if I missed your family’s favorite thing about Art of Animation in the comments below!
