Overview
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a Value Resort at Walt Disney World that is themed to immerse you in some of Disney and Pixar’s most popular animated films including The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars, and The Little Mermaid. What makes this resort so unique is that it is designed with large families in mind and the majority of the room types here are family suites. In total there are 1,120 family suites and 864 standard rooms spread across the four themed areas.
The resort is also one of the only dog-friendly hotels in Disney World, boasts the largest swimming pool of all the Disney hotels, and is one of only four hotels that are connected to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios by the Disney Skyliner.
Hotel Map
Thinking about requesting a specific section of the hotel when you check-in? Curious about how far you’ll have to walk to get to food? Forgot to pick up a map when you arrived? No worries! Here’s Disney’s Art of Animation Resort map!
You can also find signage with the hotel throughout the resort — just look for the large write and blue “Directory” signs!
Room Types
Little Mermaid Standard Room —Each Little Mermaid Standard Room can accommodate up to four guests and includes two double beds or one king-sized bed, a small table with chairs, and a bathroom with a shower. The rooms are also equipped with a range of convenient amenities, including a television, a mini-fridge, and a safe. Your room may have a view of a courtyard, pool, or parking lot. Just note that the Little Mermaid rooms are located the furthest from Animation Hall, which is the main building at Disney’s Art of Animation where food, transportation, and other amenities are located.
Family Suites — themed to Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo — The Family Suites make up the majority of the rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation. They are spacious and designed to accommodate up to six guests. Each suite is made of up two bedrooms with one room that has a queen-sized bed, and a living area with a double-sized sleeper sofa, a double-size table bed, and a dining table (which converts into the table bed with ease). 2 bathrooms and a small refrigerator are also included in each room.
There are three different sections of family suites each themed to a different Disney or Pixar Movie including The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. When you make your reservation, you can book a room in your preferred themed area, or you can simply book a Family Suite and be assigned a theme when you check-in. Choosing to book without a specific theme is a bit cheaper. All suites have a view of the courtyard, pool, or parking lot depending on your exact room number.
Where To Eat
Quick Service
Landscape of Flavors — Landscape of Flavors is the only dining option at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and it is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food-court-style service features multiple stations with different food options, a bakery, and a cooler area where you can find things like water, milk, and juice. There is sure to be something to please everyone in your party as standard American fare is served, such as pizza, burgers, and chicken, as well as breakfast staples of eggs and Simba waffles.
Keep in mind that the quick service restaurant can get busy during popular meal times since there are no other dining options at the resort.
Lounges & Bars
The Drop Off Pool Bar — The Drop Off can be found at Art of Animation Resort’s main pool – the Big Blue Pool. At the Finding Nemo-themed bar, you can find classic Disney cocktails at the full-service bar along with frozen treats and snacks. It also tends to feature seasonal drinks so keep your eyes peeled for a special menu when you visit!
Things To Do
- Pools – There are three pools at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort including the Big Blue Pool (which is the largest pool with a Finding Nemo-themed kid water play area located nearby), the Cozy Cone Pool
(which is smaller and located in the Cars section of the resort), and the Flippin’ Fins Pool
(located in The Little Mermaid section of the resort).
- Pixel Play Arcade — located in the main building. A FuelRod station can be found just outside of the arcade.
- Art of Animation Campfire Activities — located near Pride Rock in The Lion King-themed area from 5:30PM to 6:30PM seven days a week
- Movies Under The Stars – Usually takes place in the Big Blue Pool area nightly
- Jogging Trail – Approximately 1.38-mile loop. See signage for the official route
- Playground – The Righteous Reef playground is located in the Finding Nemo-themed area of the resort
Shopping
Ink & Paint Shop — Right next to the hotel’s food court, you’ll find the gift shop. Here you can find a variety of Disney merchandise including shirts, Minnie Ears, plushes, mugs, and toys, along with some toiletries and groceries. So, if you find that you forgot something at home (or just want to do some shopping), this is the place to go!
The Ink & Paint Shop is also where you can find exclusive Art of Animation Resort merchandise including a spirit jersey, t-shirt, mug, and color changing Minnie Ears.
Transportation Options
- Disney Skyliner – Transportation to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Note that you will need to transfer Skyliner buckets at the main station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.
- Disney Bus – Transportation to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and Disney’s Water Parks. In the event that the Skyliner is not running, bus transportation will also be available to and from EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Vacation Club
Disney Vacation Club is not available at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. All guest rooms are standard.
Pros
- If you don’t love having to ride the bus or drive your car to the parks, the Disney Skyliner is a big perk that comes with staying here! You can take it to get to both EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios – just be sure that no one in your party is afraid of heights.
- Disney’s Art of Animation is one of the cheapest Disney hotels with rooms that accommodate up to 6 guests. So, whether you’re traveling with a large family or just want some extra space, this is a fun and affordable option.
- For those who don’t want to leave their 4-legged family members behind, this is one of the few pet-friendly hotels in Disney World. Each room can accommodate up to 2 dogs at an additional cost.
Cons
- The Little Mermaid section is the only part of the hotel with standard rooms (a.k.a. the cheapest rooms). Because of this, these rooms book up months (and even years) in advance. And, if you are able to snatch one of the standard rooms, you’ll have a long walk to the bus, food, and anything else in the resort’s main building, as The Little Mermaid rooms are the furthest from Animation Hall.
- It’s a big resort and it’s one of the cheapest, so you can expect crowds at the pool, food court, and generally around the hotel. This also can mean that you’ll hear more noise outside of your room.
- As we mentioned above, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a pet-friendly hotel, so you may hear some barking at all hours of the day.
See room rates and book Your Stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort here.