When Florida’s summer rain hit while I was spending a day at Magic Kingdom, I decided to wait it out, and have lunch, at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Family friends stayed there many years ago and I remembered how impressed they were with the detail and fun of staying at a Walt Disney Resort where they were immersed in Disney theming. I thought it would be good to take a look at a resort which offered a contrast to where I was staying at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Braeden would absolutely love staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. I can imagine him wide-eyed and full of enthusiasm at every turn. Every wall, bathroom and outdoor area is themed with characters from some of Disney and Pixar’s classic animated movies. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort offers guests the opportunity to stay in rooms themed on movies including Finding Nemo, Lion King, Cars and The Little Mermaid.
Walking into the lobby of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort I was immediately engaged by the colour and sketches from some of our favourite movies which decorate the walls.
It’s a great insight into the craft of animation. Having taken part in an animation drawing class at Disneyland years before, I know I have no future as an animator. What looks like a simple sketch is far more detailed and clever.
After an enormous slice of pizza in the cafeteria-style restaurant I took a walk around the resort. It was one of the many moments on my trip when I wished the kids were with me to see the amazing magic created by the Disney imagineers.
The walk or wheel to the accommodation is accessible and I felt like I’d jumped, Mary Poppins-style, into a movie screen and landed in the Cars movie. Life-size characters are dotted around the resort providing up close experiences and fantastic photo opportunities. It may take longer than usual to get from the lobby to the hotel room, simply because it’s such an engaging route.
When I asked my friend Sue why her family liked staying at Disney’s Art of Animation so much she said it was because “the Disney magic didn’t stop when we left the theme parks.” Her family loved the themed rooms and noted the attention to detail even on the carpet and bathroom tiles. Sue says, “the pools were fun with larger than life statues and music playing under the water.” They had fun watching outdoor movies by the pool and participating in other organised activities like learn to draw classes each day. They also liked the convenience of the food onsite and transport to the parks. Sue’s family also loved the Disney character wake up calls, helping them to get them to the park on time. 
Pool hoists are provided into two of the pools onsite.
A splash pad is available in the Finding Nemo themed pool area.
I didn’t have an opportunity to stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort however you can read a detailed review of the accessible accommodation on Wheelchair Jimmy’s website where he rates the hotel’s accessibility 4/5 and provides excellent information about the accessible features of the rooms.
When I’d finished touring around Disney’s Art of Animation Resort it was time for me to head to Hollywood Studios for the afternoon. The Skyliner has a station conveniently located at the resort which connects guests effortlessly with Hollywood Studios. I have to say this was my favourite Disney transportation and I imagine the step-free access to the gondola makes this one of the easiest access options too.
When we travel to Walt Disney World as a family I don’t think we will be able to pass up staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. I’ll look forward to sharing our experience when we do. In the meantime, if you’ve stayed at the resort I’d love to hear what you thought.
Leave a Reply