Advice Needed (Deluxe vs. Art Of Animation)!

[TeamSy]

We always stay deluxe and usually just alternate between them. We have never stayed at a value before so I'm not sure what to expect if we decide to. We never even considered it because of the transportation options (or lack thereof). BUT... Our daughter is OBSESSED with The Little Mermaid, and I know they have Little Mermaid rooms at the Art Of Animation. I think she would get a kick out of the hotel room being themed, but I'm a little nervous we'd miss out on the usual amenities. Has anyone ever stayed at both and can offer some advice?

 

[dansdad]

We always stay deluxe and usually just alternate between them. We have never stayed at a value before so I'm not sure what to expect if we decide to. We never even considered it because of the transportation options (or lack thereof). BUT... Our daughter is OBSESSED with The Little Mermaid, and I know they have Little Mermaid rooms at the Art Of Animation. I think she would get a kick out of the hotel room being themed, but I'm a little nervous we'd miss out on the usual amenities. Has anyone ever stayed at both and can offer some advice?

Would you be okay with having double beds instead of queens? It will be different, but as long as you go in with the right expectations you'll be okay. We regularly switch it up between all 3 levels of resorts and have no problem staying Value. Having said that, we're not big fans of the Little Mermaid rooms and won't do those again.

 

[TeamSy]

Would you be okay with having twin beds instead of queens? It will be different, but as long as you go in with the right expectations you'll be okay.

We'd want a king bed if possible. Our daughter is still in a pack and play. Can you explain "right expectations?" I want to make sure we have them before we decide LOL. What aside from the less than ideal transportation would we need to be prepared for? Are the Little Mermaid rooms worth it??? She loves Ariel SO MUCH!!

 

[dansdad]

We'd want a king bed if possible. Our daughter is still in a pack and play. Can you explain "right expectations?" I want to make sure we have them before we decide LOL. What aside from the less than ideal transportation would we need to be prepared for? Are the Little Mermaid rooms worth it??? She loves Ariel SO MUCH!!

King rooms are by request only and cannot be booked. They are hard to come by so make sure you'd be okay with a room having 2 doubles. The rooms are much smaller than the deluxe rooms, only 1 sink, no ceiling fan, no coffee maker in room, no table service restaurant, no hot tubs, no pool slides, a busier feel.

 

[TeamSy]

King rooms are by request only and cannot be booked. They are hard to come by so make sure you'd be okay with a room having 2 twins. The rooms are much smaller than the deluxe rooms, only 1 sink, no ceiling fan, no coffee maker in room, no table service restaurant, no hot tubs, no pool slides, a busier feel.

Okay wow that's good to know! For the deluxes we always request a king and have never had an issue. We definitely would not be okay with 2 twins. Maybe it's just not for us then. Thanks for your input!

 

[TotallyTink]

King rooms are by request only and cannot be booked. They are hard to come by so make sure you'd be okay with a room having 2 twins. The rooms are much smaller than the deluxe rooms, only 1 sink, no ceiling fan, no coffee maker in room, no table service restaurant, no hot tubs, no pool slides, a busier feel.

I think dansdad actually means 2 doubles, not 2 twins. Still too small for me but not quite as bad as a twin!

 

[dansdad]

I think dansdad actually means 2 doubles, not 2 twins. Still too small for me but not quite as bad as a twin!

Oops. You are correct. Thanks.

 

[hammie59]

If all that you're used to is deluxe, then I’d say skip the LM rooms. Besides being smaller and lacking certain amenities, they’re quite far from the food court and buses. Maybe take a quick trip over there one day to explore the resort, it’s really cute. Lots of photo opts etc. We stayed in a LM room once for a few nights at the end of another stay just so my dd could experience it. If we ever go back to AoA, it’ll be in one of the suites.

 

[otten]

We stayed in a LM room on our first trip. The room theming isn't THAT impressive in my opinion. Definitely not worth staying there instead of at a deluxe.

The Little Mermaid theming, as well as the Nemo, Cars and Lion King theming around the resort is great though so what I'd do is stay at a deluxe and then take an afternoon to walk around Art of Animation.

 

[TeamSy]

I think dansdad actually means 2 doubles, not 2 twins. Still too small for me but not quite as bad as a twin!

Yeah doesn’t make a difference. I could deal with a queen but a double is too small lol!

If all that you're used to is deluxe, then I’d say skip the LM rooms. Besides being smaller and lacking certain amenities, they’re quite far from the food court and buses. Maybe take a quick trip over there one day to explore the resort, it’s really cute. Lots of photo opts etc. We stayed in a LM room once for a few nights at the end of another stay just so my dd could experience it. If we ever go back to AoA, it’ll be in one of the suites.

That’s a great suggestion! I feel like she would love the huge characters but we don’t need a room to see it! Although at that rate we’ll probably just stick to doing little mermaid stuff in the parks because taking a bus to another resort is kind of a pain! But it’s a good option! Thanks!

We stayed in a LM room on our first trip. The room theming isn't THAT impressive in my opinion. Definitely not worth staying there instead of at a deluxe.

The Little Mermaid theming, as well as the Nemo, Cars and Lion King theming around the resort is great though so what I'd do is stay at a deluxe and then take an afternoon to walk around Art of Animation.

That’s what I was sort of wondering! Like if it’s not all that special I’d probably just skip it, but I figured Disney usually makes these things pretty cool. We love the dining and transportation options at deluxes and would consider staying here if it was really that cool, but if it’s meh then I don’t think we will. Especially if as a PP said king rooms are hard to get.

 

[hammie59]

Btw, if you stay at an Epcot resort you can take the Skyliner to AoA for a visit. It’s supposed to be up and running this fall. One of the stations is at the International Gateway, so it would be very convenient.

 

[otten]

Yeah doesn’t make a difference. I could deal with a queen but a double is too small lol!



That’s a great suggestion! I feel like she would love the huge characters but we don’t need a room to see it! Although at that rate we’ll probably just stick to doing little mermaid stuff in the parks because taking a bus to another resort is kind of a pain! But it’s a good option! Thanks!



That’s what I was sort of wondering! Like if it’s not all that special I’d probably just skip it, but I figured Disney usually makes these things pretty cool. We love the dining and transportation options at deluxes and would consider staying here if it was really that cool, but if it’s meh then I don’t think we will. Especially if as a PP said king rooms are hard to get.

The theming around the resort was cool but tbh the room theming felt a lot like how you would decorate the bedroom of a Little Mermaid obsessed kid.

 

[kaytieeldr]

If the LM buildings are furnished like Pop, about 5% will have a king bed.

I'm not a big advocate of changing resorts, but you could do a couple of nights at AoA for your daughter, then switch to a Deluxe.

Or, since you like a king bed, Port Orleans Riverside Princess Room. King bed is a bookable category.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

As others have said, the room theming isn't great. We stayed at AoA the first year it opened and stayed in a Nemo suite. We were so wowed by the initial sight of AoA, the big statues, etc. My DS loved pulling down the murphy bed and seeing Nemo inside. Then . . . . we had to sleep there and it was SO uncomfortable and loud. If you like deluxe amenities, I don't think you will be happy and the novelty of walking into a room with some LM detailing will wear off pretty fast. I would stick with the LM themed attractions in the parks. If you have some extra time, maybe tour the resort, but I wouldn't stay there.

 

[westie55]

I have stayed in the LM rooms. I have also stayed deluxe many times.

I do think the room theming is good. The shower walls are decorated like Ariel's cavern! However, a child in a pack n play is a bit young to get that reference even if she recognizes Ariel (who is on the shower curtain). The statues all over the resort are amazing, especially in the Cars section. I stayed there when my son was an infant but I want to take him back to see his reaction now. I think he would go wild!

The biggest negatives of AoA are that you will need to ride a bus to get anywhere, so it isn't as convenient as being on the monorail or walking to Epcot. The beds are noticeably less comfortable than a moderate or deluxe. They are a bit firm and squeaky. Better than a sofa bed, though. Finally, there aren't dining options at AoA that you will find at the deluxes. No sit down restaurant, no on site character dining, etc. If this is something you take advantage of often, you will miss it at AoA. We didn't find the AoA to be overly crowded or loud. We had a very pleasant stay and I wouldn't hesitate to go back despite the transportation or the lack of sit down dining. The magic of the resort makes it a worthwhile stay for us.

 

[Nancyg56]

I am all about indulging the kids on a Disney vacation, but I would draw the line on this one. If you generally book Deluxe you will not be happy, and your child will really not notice what she was missing.

Personally, if I wanted to indulge a little girl on a Disney trip, and I would totally want to, I would book either a Royal room at POR or any room at POFQ. WHen my DGD was little she absolutely adored POFQ and I think it was the King Triton pool that pulled her in. She loved that pool, from the King Triton slide to the jazzy alligators, so we started there several times. The resort has enough amentities to keep adults happy, and plenty of visuals for kids.

POR has the Royal Rooms, which if I can take my friend's two girls back before they outgrow the "Royalness" I woudl book. I have never seen them, but pictures are pretty cool, and POR has plenty to offer adults while giving children the theme they like.

 

[Hi Pluto]

Our first time staying value after always staying deluxe was ASMu. The resort was fine, but we definitely felt the "Value". Longer walks to the bus stops at the parks, simpler and smaller rooms, longer bus rides, etc. It for sure made us appreciate the deluxes.

If you were to say you wanted AoA for the suites, I'd say that would be a way to try the value for the cute theming, but like others have said, the LM rooms are really not that exciting. Plus they are located very, very far away from the main building and buses.

 

[rdaky]

Don't do it! LOL

Everything about it is going to be a huge step down from what you're used to. You'll have smaller beds, less comfortable beds, lower quality bedding, a smaller room, a LONG walk back to your room (and outside if it's raining) a jam packed crazy food court as your only food option, and you'll feel like 8 million people are waiting for the same bus.

 

[k5xs]

We always stay deluxe and usually just alternate between them. We have never stayed at a value before so I'm not sure what to expect if we decide to. We never even considered it because of the transportation options (or lack thereof). BUT... Our daughter is OBSESSED with The Little Mermaid, and I know they have Little Mermaid rooms at the Art Of Animation. I think she would get a kick out of the hotel room being themed, but I'm a little nervous we'd miss out on the usual amenities. Has anyone ever stayed at both and can offer some advice?

We've stayed at both.

I'd say it depends on what "usual amenities" you are concerned about missing out on.

In our experience, value resorts are just as clean and are staffed by Disney cast members who are just as helpful and nice. The quality of food is just as good (though the dining options don't include sit-down or luxurious options).

If you're accustomed to water craft and monorails to get around, you're right, the only was to get anywhere is via bus (or Minnie Van). And though the buses tend to be more crowded, they seem to run more frequently.

But...

If your daughter is obsessed with The Little Mermaid, my goodness, I'd say that's an easy choice! We've stayed at AA a few times, but it's been in the Cars section, and it was ADORABLE!! The "Cozy Cone Motel" theme is a riot. And the theming in the room was hilarious (the shower was like a car wash, the sofa in the room (suite) was a car seat, and on and on).

I'd indulge your daughter.

 

[terri33inne]

My feeling on kids at Disney is we as parents have a small window of time when they are 'awed' by the magic (which is found in many places around Disney), so if I had a child obsessed with one movie highlighted at a particular resort I would try to stay there. However, if your daughter is still in a pack n play I would wait until she's a bit older. Even then, given your comments about deluxe I would probably just do my first 1-2 nights there, and then move to the deluxe.