9 Reasons to Stay at Art of Animation at Disney

Art of Animation at Disney World is a favorite resort for a lot of families. Why? Well there are quite a few reasons – nine to be exactly.

Family Suites

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The biggest reason families tend to love Art of Animation is because they offer family suites. If your group is larger than 4 people you will typically have to book a second room. While this provides extra space, your family is now split up into groups and it can be hard to manage. Some resorts offer adjoining rooms, but these are not always available or even guaranteed.

Family Suites at Art of Animation allow up to 6 guests and an infant under the age of 3, to sleep comfortably and stay together. There is a kitchenette, complete with microwave, coffee maker, and fridge. Each room also has two bathrooms which come in handy with that number of people.

The suites offer a master bedroom with a queen size bed, double sleeper sofa, and a double sleeper bed that folds up into a table.

There are three different areas of the resort that offer family suites. You can stay in The Lion King area, Finding Nemo area, or Cars Land. Which leads me to my second reason people love Art of Animation.

Theming

Disney World is known for it’s over the top theming, and while their resorts are no exception, Art of Animation truly goes above and beyond for a full Disney themed stay. You’ll find your favorite characters stories high surrounding the resort.

The four different areas of the resort are The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Little Mermaid. You can wander around the resort and feel like you are living in your favorite Disney movies.

My personal favorite is the Cars area. If you have ever been to Disneyland you will understand just how fun a Cars theme can be. Waking up to see the Cozy Cone Motel sign outside your room is an incredibly unique experience for any Cars fan.

Big Blue Pool

The Big Blue Pool is more than just your standard resort pool. It is the largest pool at any Disney World resort! The pool has a zero-entry entrance on one end, which I think gives it an even more high-end feel. It also is the only pool that features an eco-friendly saltwater filtration system, aka no chemicals!

The theming here truly is one of a kind and makes you feel like you are swimming with Nemo and his friends.

Schoolyard Sprayground

If your kids aren’t quite ready to swim yet, but still want to cool off, head over to the schoolyard sprayground! Right behind the big blue pool, you’ll see a large coral reef. You’ll find some of your favorite Finding Nemo characters hanging around too! It’s perfect for kids or adults who just want to cool down a bit and avoid the pool areas.

Playgrounds

If you aren’t trying to get wet but are looking for a way to have your kids blow off some steam for a bit, head to one of two playgrounds! You’ll find the Elephant Graveyard in the Lion King section guarded by hyenas obviously. Squirt’s Righteous Reef is in the Finding Nemo section and lets you chillax with Squirt!

Extra Pools

This isn’t uncommon for a Disney resort to have more than one pool. In fact, all of the value resorts have at least two pools. The difference at Art of Animation is that the additional two pools are also very well themed off the Disney movie area they are located in.

You’ll find Flippin’ Fins pool in the Little Mermaid section of the resort. Complete with Sebastian and the rest of the “Under the Sea Orchestra.”

The Cozy Cone Pool is located in the Cars section of the resort. It features large cabana cones that are free to use. However, they can go quickly so be sure to get there early if you have your eye on a shaded place to relax!

Landscape of Flavors

Landscape of Flavors is the food court located at Art of Animation and is often ranked in the top 5 food courts on Disney property. You will find a delicious selection of choices to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The real draw here, besides the number of options, is that the food is genuinely good.

It offers a variety that is not often seen at a food court, especially at a value resort. There are options for picky eaters and more adventurous eaters as well. There is a make your own pasta bar, gelato, and so much more!

Transportation

Art of Animation currently only offers buses to get you to places around Walt Disney World. These buses, however, tend to be the quickest out of all of the value resorts we have visited. The All-Star resorts share a bus system during the day. Pop Century‘s line at the end of the night has always been exceedingly long in comparison to Art of Animation because Pop Century has the most rooms of any Disney resort. They have almost 1,000 more than Art of Animation.

On September 29, 2019, Art of Animation and Pop Century will be getting the much-anticipated skyliner. It will connect both to Hollywood Studios and Epcot. While I can’t say this will make the journey to either faster, it will make it far more scenic and unique.

Proximity to Pop Century

Art of Animation and Pop Century were once supposed to be sister hotels, similar to Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter. Art of Animation was supposed to be an extension of the decades, but production was halted and eventually, the theming was switched to what it is today.

However, the fact that they were supposed to be “connected” resorts is why we have the generation gap bridge attaching the two resorts. It allows guests to visit both without having to take a bus or car ride!

I know I just said the transportation at Pop Century is horrible. However, sometimes if you are taking a break during the day, the Pop Century bus might come before Art of Animation. The bus stops are located next to each other at all of the parks so it is easy to see which bus will arrive first.

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