Dining At The Art Of Animation Resort
Landscape of Flavors Food Court: This is the only restaurant in this resort. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, theres a wide variety of choices. To get to the restaurant you can either enter from outdoors, or you walk through the resort store. Of course thats going to be tempting! Check out the placement of the entrance in the photo below.
Theres an interesting mix of food choices; here. Some would be considered mainstream, some are on the exotic side and some are considered healthier eating. Surprisingly, this food court actually has tandoor ovens where they cook naan bread, and a variety of other dishes.
Some of the breakfast choices include create your own omelets, challah French Toast, vegetarian or non-vegetarian breakfast sandwiches, egg white omelets, various types of pancakes and waffles, and a full breakfast platter, smoothies and green spinach drinks.
Lunch and dinner includes a wide variety of options. Some of the more exotic choices include Mongolian grilled fish, Asian chicken bowls and Tandoori boneless chicken thighs. Some of the more mainstream choices choices include pizza, pasta, create-your-own salads, sandwiches, soup, burgers and chicken nuggets.
The food court is made up of various stations as in the photo below. Each station offers different types of choices. Youll choose a station, get your food from that station, and then go to other stations if youre wanting something else from them. Then youll proceed to the cashier and pay.
In The Disney Resort Complex Near Disneys Theme Parks And Other Attractions
The resort is conveniently located on the southern edge of all the world-famous attractions of Disney World. Disneys Pop Century Resort is situated directly across Hourglass Lake , but thats it for outside attractions that are within walking distance. Many major attractions are a short drive away, including Epcot Center, Magic Kingdom Park, and SeaWorld Orlando, all of which are within 10 to 15 minutes away, while Disneys Hollywood Studios is just a five-minute drive. All of the restaurants, shops, and hotels along International Drive are 13 minutes away, and the Orange County Convention Center is a 17-minute drive. It takes approximately 25 minutes to reach Orlando International Airport.
A Busy Classic Disney Resort With Delightfully Thematic Grounds
Disney fans are in for a treat at this thematic resort that opened in 2012. The huge complex is chock full of larger-than-life replicas of beloved Disney and Pixar characters, including a massive statue of The Little Mermaid and elaborate, recreated scenes from Cars. The check-in area of this 1,984-room resort is understandably loud and a bit hectic at times, as families come and go in droves. Once checked in, crowds tend to disperse among the expansive grounds that include three pools and lots of other things to do and see. Getting around can involve a good deal of walking, especially from The Little Mermaid wing thats farthest from the shuttle bus station and food court — but all of the colorful thematic decorations and Florida sunshine make the journey through this classic Disney resort a memorable one. Geared toward families with kids, the Disney decor delights little ones, but might feel kitschy to some guests.
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Is The Art Of Animation A Good Resort
We think so! Sure, it isnt the cheapest resort at Disney World and it doesnt have all the bells and whistles of a deluxe resort or the immersive design of the moderates. However, thanks to the riot of colors and over-the-top theming, Art of Animation has oodles of pixie dust and charm. The rooms are simple yet comfortable and downright adorable, although the exuberant details might be too much for some people. Plus, all of the giant characters sprinkled throughout the parks make for ideal backdrops for that perfect family photo.;
Disney Art Of Animation Resort Review: Family Suites
When my daughter and I stayed at the Art of Animation in December we were treated to a tour of one of the resorts Family Suites. I didnt know what to expect in terms of the layout or size of these suites, though I did know they were supposed to sleep up to six and have two full bathrooms.
The Family Suites are housed in the buildings closest to Animation Hall, the main building of the resort. There are; three themed areas of the family suites: Cars, Finding Nemo and The Lion King.
Unlike all other Value Resort rooms, these open up to an interior hallway instead of directly outside. The main entrances to each building put you right at the elevators for the upper floors.
Ill apologize right now for the low photo quality. I got my new camera right after this trip so future photos will be better!
The first room you encounter when you enter the suite is a dining room with a table and four chairs.
The coolest feature of these suites is that the table is a full-size Murphy bed. Weston demonstrated how easy it was to pull the bed down using a handle on the side of the unit.
On the right wall of the dining room is the entrance to the first bathroom. I especially liked the light fixtures and tile work, which reminded me of the rooms at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
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Disneys Art of Animation opened in May 2012 as the 5th value category resort on Disney property. The resort was built on the site originally slated to be the Legendary Years section of Disneys Pop Century, but was abandoned after the economic downturn of September 11th.; The reimagination of the project quickly became one of the favorite places to stay for those looking for value and fun Disney theming.;
One of the major reasons for this resorts popularity are the family suites that were originally tested at Disneys All-Star Music Resort. They were so well-received, Disney decided to devote 3 separate themed sections to the family suites at Disneys Art of Animation Resort. If family suites arent needed, they do have one themed section with standard rooms. Well get into all the details below as we explore the best reasons to consider a stay at Disneys Art of Animation Resort.
Booking Disneys Art Of Animation Resort
The first thing I want to note about booking Art of Animation is that its common for Disney to hide the lowest prices from you. If you search during a deal period, Disney usually shows the lowest deal price first.
If the deal is only applicable to the family suites, Disney will show that price first even though a lower priced Little Mermaid room is available. Heres a search result where Disney was showing me annual passholder discounts:
It looks like rooms will start at $324 pre-tax because only the suites are subject to this offer on these dates. But if I click through and get rid of the discount, I see that there are Little Mermaid rooms available for $191 pre-tax:
Of course, we like to have our go-to travel agent, Lauren Quirk of Travel With Character LLC, handle all this for us.
You might beat Disneys prices on third-party sites like Expedia or Booking. As always, if you book through a non-Disney site you should be sure to link your reservation to your My Disney Experience account both as a means of confirming it and to be sure you get all the perks associated with your stay.
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Pop Century Vs Art Of Animation
Both Art of Animation and Pop Century really do benefit from having a dedicated bus transportation system from each Resort. This makes it so much more efficient than many other of the more expensive Disney Hotel Resorts.
Should you choose to stay at Art of Animation or Pop Century?
Both are good choices. They are close to the parks with great transportation systems, have good food options, pools and other amenities.
The difference between Pop Century and Art of Animation really is in the room choices. Many people think they are similar but really they have very distinct options and price differences.
I really do think you need to consider carefully if you actually want to stay in a standard room in the Little Mermaid section of Art of Animation Resort. The rooms are expensive for what they offer. If you only need a standard room you really should give a lot of thought to Pop Century instead.
However, if you need accommodation for 5 or 6 people, or just because you want more space, and two bathrooms, an Art of Animation Family Suite can be a great option. This accommodation type really is unique within what Disney World on property resorts have to offer.
What do you think? Which will you choose in the Art of Animation vs Pop Century debate?
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Art Of Animation Hotel At Disney World
The Art of Animation hotel is themed around four of the most beloved animated Disney movies of recent times.
From the entrance of the resort to the inside of the hotel, you are greeted with sculptures of characters from Cars, The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and Lion King.;
These movie themes form the four distinct areas of the Art of Animation Resort.
Basics Of Disneys Art Of Animation Resort
Art of Animation is the most expensive of the value options at Walt Disney World. Along with Disneys Pop Century Resort, Art of Animation is priced above the three All-Star Resorts. Non-discounted nightly room rates for Little Mermaid Rooms at Art of Animation in 2021 range from $188 to $353 and in 2022 from $195 to $367. For Family Suites, non-discounted nightly rates range from $442 to $856 .
Staying at Art of Animation, you get the perks of any Disney stay. Youll have access to free transportation to and from the parks and Disney Springs. And when FastPass+ was around, you were able to make your FastPass+ reservations 60 days in advance rather than the standard 30.
If youre considering Art of Animation, you may want to read some of our other posts, including reviews of the other value resorts. We have a ranking of the Disney World value resorts. We also have a guide to all the hotels of Walt Disney World.
Here are our reviews of all the value resorts :
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Review of Disneys Art of Animation Resort
And if youd like to see where this resort falls overall, check out our Disney World hotel rankings.
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Disney Art Of Animation Or Pop Century Resort
The Art of Animation and Pop Century Resort are two unique places to stay in Disney World.
They have certain similar features and benefits, but they offer fundamentally different accommodation.
They are both what is known a Disney Value Resort. They are for people looking to find great, Disney owned accommodation, but who are on a limited budget.
Most who stay in Pop Century or Art of Animation are families with children. Usually young children.
Dont go to either Disney Value Resort expecting a quiet place to stay. These are busy resorts with a large number of young children. Dont come here expecting a great place for a romantic escape!
These two Disney World Resorts are very popular and on the surface they may seem to offer very similar things.
However, once you start to look you can see that there are fundamental differences between the two resorts. After you learn more about each resort you can decide which one will be more tailored towards you and your familys interest.
I will talk about all of the main features that you are looking for in a resort hotel, including the details like reviews and distance from the Disney World parks.;
So which of these Disney Value Hotel Resorts should you choose to stay at? Lets start at the Art of Animation Resort.
Pools At Disneys Art Of Animation Resort
This resort has three delightful pools One large pool and two smaller pools. The large main pool also has a pool bar, and wet and dry play areas . All the pools are gated. Only guests of this resort are allowed inside.
Water Temperature: Though the water is supposed to be heated to 82 degrees, but even if it is, it can still feel pretty chilly, depending on the outside air temperature and your level of sensitivity. We find that were unable to swim in the winter, but there are almost always more hardy souls in the water.
We have noticed that at times Disney does not heat the pools at all, but when weve alerted a Cast Member and requested heating, theyve usually complied. Also, the larger main pools can be more difficult to heat in the cool weather, and theyre rarely at the advertised temperature of 82º Fahrenheit, while the smaller pools tend to heat better.
Towel Service: On last check towel service is available at the main Big Blue Pool, as well as at the two smaller pools.
Lifeguards: According to Disney, the main pool called The Big Blue Pool will always lifeguards during its regular hours. The two smaller pools will vary, at Disneys discretion, but the feedback we receive is that these two pools are guarded. However Disney says that sometimes they will have lifeguards and sometimes they wont. Youll want to double check once youre onsite.
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Animation Fun At Three Amazing Pools
Three of the Four Themed areas at the Art of Animation Resort have their own pool. Each Pool area has all of the Disney Characters you have come to love on screen, and it is like walking on the set of a real animation film as you stroll around the Art of Animation Resort. It will be impossible for the kids to contain their excitement as they see the different Art of Animation Pools. As you walk out of the Animation Hall, the main building for the resort, the excitement begins to stir.
Pool Information at Disney Art of Animation:
Disney’s Art Of Animation Resort Overview
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. 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.
The Art of Animation rooms, exterior spaces, and pools are themed to one for four Disney-Pixar films: Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid, Lion King, or Cars. The Landscape of Flavors food court is the best on Disney property, featuring a variety of customizable fresh food options.
Art of Animation hotel map
The majority of the resorts accommodations are 1,120 “family suites,” each of which accommodate up to six guests. Additionally there are 864 standard rooms, each accommodating four guests. The suite buildings have interior hallways to the guest rooms instead of the exterior walkways found at the standard rooms and at Disneys other value resorts and at Disney’s moderate resorts.
Look for Building-sized Disney and Pixar characters.
Get to Know Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
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Disney Pop Century Room Choices
When it comes to choosing the rooms, Pop Century doesnt have a suite option like Art of Animation does.
Disney Pop Century offers standard rooms which sleep up to 4 guests. They can sleep 5 if one guest is under 3 and uses a crib.
They have three different room views you can choose from:
- Preferred Pool View
- Preferred Room
- Standard Pool View
The rooms are recently refurbished and look great. They are themed for a decade between the 1950s to the 1990s.
I really enjoy the decor of the rooms at Pop Century, particularly now they have a Queen bed and new laminate floors. Not having carpet makes a huge difference.
Each room has a standard Queen Bed and a Queen Murphy bed which pulls down from the wall. In the day time this converts to a table. This is a great use of the space.
There is also a refrigerator in the room. Although it is small, it is always useful to have one in your hotel room.
Dont expect a huge room. At 260 square feet they are fine for a family with small kids. If you are taking the teens with you it may be more challenging!
The prices at Pop Century compare very favorably with the Art of Animation Little Mermaid Rooms.
For the dates I have talked about earlier, the Pop Century Standard View Room is $261 per night. For a Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation the room is $304. I would take the Pop Century room and take the savings.
