Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: An inside look
While planning our family trip to Walt Disney World, we decided to stay at a resort on a Disney property. While there are so many to choose from, my sister in law (who was doing most of the planning) really wanted to stay at the Art of Animation resort. At that resort, there’s a section for each of the movies: Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King, and Cars.
One thing I really liked about the resort was the experience from the second you drove onto the property. As you drive (or ride the shuttle) into the drive, you see larger than life Disney characters.
At the entrance, you can learn to draw Nemo or play bug toss into Pumbaa’s mouth. This is a great way to keep the kids busy while you’re waiting for the shuttle or car.
From the minute you walk into the resort, you are swept into the animation world of Disney. From drawings “in the works” to finished characters, the theme of this resort is very prevalent and makes you feel like a kid again.
While I would have loved to stay in a Lion King room (my favorite Disney movie), the Little Mermaid hotel is the only one with single rooms. The other three are family suites. While they are really nice, we opted for single rooms. Here’s a look at the inside of the Little Mermaid rooms:
One thing that was fun was the amount of props/scenery decorating the resort. It’ll make you feel like a kid! Each resort theme was very obvious even though we didn’t step inside any hotel besides the Little Mermaid. There are three themed pools on the property, including the largest pool on any Disney property: The Big Blue Pool which features many characters from Finding Nemo and even underwater speakers!
One nice feature of staying at a resort is that you have access to food around the clock. If you don’t want to go out for food or wait until you get to the parks, you can enjoy the resort restaurant and snack shop. Each restaurant has full meals available during the main breakfast, lunch and dinner times. They also have a snack shop area with goodies available during the rest of the day. A fun feature is the meal names are Disney related, and the waffles even have Disney characters!
If the gift shops at the parks are too crowded for you, browse 24/7 at the gift shop at your resort! You won’t find everything available at the parks, but there is a large selection at the resorts to please any souvenir need.
If you’ve stayed here, I’d love to hear what your favorite part was. If you’re thinking of staying at the Art of Animation resort, I hope these photos helped make your decision a little easier. Check out this post for some helpful tips to keep in mind when planning your Disney vacation!
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