AoA...A Total Disappointment

[Hoosier37]

We've been home for two weeks and I have decided to post my review of AoA.

Note, we are not "deluxe" people. If you notice my signature you'll see on our previous visit we stayed at Pop, and we loved it there. I knew that staying in the LM section meant we would have a longer walk. I have avidly read reviews and looked at pics of AoA for the past year. I didn't go into this blind, but I also was surprised at how much I and my entire family disliked this resort.

First of all, while beautiful to look at, the walkways and landscaping are not designed with guests in mind. Especially in LM, we had people walking through grass and landscaping because it was so much further to walk on the sidewalks. We were on the fourth floor of Building 8 (Ariel) and we realized very quickly that the stairs on the ends opened up on walkways that went towards the parking lot behind the resort instead of into the interior of the resort.

The food court was an absolute nightmare, even at "off" times. Long lines, crowds of people standing around, no order to anything, and rude guests who could not put their plates and silverware away after eating. We ate lunch once, and while the food was good we never tried it again.

There were pieces of cardboard covering cracked floor tiles all over Animation Hall. The LM section's exterior walkways looked dirty. The LM room had an adorable shower with gorgeous tilework, but the room itself seemed very cheaply done with plain blue paint on the walls and cheap artwork.

My kids liked Big Blue well enough, but the walk was so long that they decided to try Flippin' Fins. And they felt it was a better pool, deeper, less crowded, and still with two lifeguards on duty. The underwater sounds didn't impress them at all.

Busing was actually not too bad. The covered lines were nice, and we never waited long for a bus. The gift shop as also well-staffed and organized. We checked in quickly through the online check-in line when we arrived. Check-out was another issue, as we never received our itemized list of room charges and I had to go and get it myself.

Mousekeeping did an adequate job, although on two occasions they did not clean in the bathroom at all.

Overall, we just didn't like the "feel" of the resort. I read a review online that said what we felt - it was like a cheap motel with really tacky cheap Disney decorations thrown up around it. And it looks a lot older and more rundown than it should - Ariel in front of our building has a crack in the rock she is sitting on, for example.

It truly felt like a cheap, value level resort to us in a way that Pop never did. I regret that we even stayed there, because even my children hated AoA.

 

[Missoutandabout]

Doh! That's a shame. I've only ever seen the resort from the DME, but it looked quite vast... with sidewalks going everywhere.

What resort do you think you'll try out on your next Disney trip? Something new or stick with Pop?

... Check-out was another issue, as we never received our itemized list of room charges and I had to go and get it myself.

By the way, unless this was a legitimate screw-up, this might be because you had an email address on file. They've stopped leaving the itemized receipts if you've given them an email address. I actually prefer the print-out but they'll email you the same document in PDF format on your check-out day.

 

[Hoosier37]

Doh! That's a shame. I've only ever seen the resort from the DME, but it looked quite vast... with sidewalks going everywhere.

What resort do you think you'll try out on your next Disney trip? Something new or stick with Pop?




By the way, unless this was a legitimate screw-up, this might be because you had an email address on file. They've stopped leaving the itemized receipts if you've given them an email address. I actually prefer the print-out but they'll email you the same document in PDF format on your check-out day.

Well, we received a message on our phone that we would receive the itemized list, and they apologized profusely for it not being delivered. And I never received it in an email either.

We think that on our next trip, we might stay in a moderate. We like to try different things each time. DH likes the looks of CBR, but I think we'll end up going to POFQ. It is beautiful, compact, and I think we would enjoy it.

 

[bumbershoot]

The food court was an absolute nightmare, even at "off" times. Long lines, crowds of people standing around, no order to anything, and rude guests who could not put their plates and silverware away after eating. We ate lunch once, and while the food was good we never tried it again.

Lines: were you eating at high-volume times like right AT lunchtime, etc?
Crowds of people standing around: were they in your way?
No order to anything: I don't understand. The AOA foodcourt felt just like the one at POR, POFG, and AS Sports to me, oh, and Sunshine Seasons, too. Go to the area that has the food you want to order.
Guests who don't put things away: guests are supposed to put things away? I'm fairly sure we did bus our tables, but I'm not sure it's an actual rule that guests must abide by.


Too bad you didn't go back. The food we got there was SO GOOD we would have put up with all sorts of silly guests to eat there again. And when DS dropped his whole tray of food on the floor and the manager rushed to help and get him new food, it made everything even nicer for us.



The cracks in the tiles in the main lobby area weren't there in Feb when we looked around...I wonder how those happened? Yikes.

 

[Hoosier37]

Lines: were you eating at high-volume times like right AT lunchtime, etc?
Crowds of people standing around: were they in your way?
No order to anything: I don't understand. The AOA foodcourt felt just like the one at POR, POFG, and AS Sports to me, oh, and Sunshine Seasons, too. Go to the area that has the food you want to order.
Guests who don't put things away: guests are supposed to put things away? I'm fairly sure we did bus our tables, but I'm not sure it's an actual rule that guests must abide by.


Too bad you didn't go back. The food we got there was SO GOOD we would have put up with all sorts of silly guests to eat there again. And when DS dropped his whole tray of food on the floor and the manager rushed to help and get him new food, it made everything even nicer for us.



The cracks in the tiles in the main lobby area weren't there in Feb when we looked around...I wonder how those happened? Yikes.

No, we did not try to go at peak times. We tried for breakfast at close to 10am. We were in and out of there at all hours, and it was always insane.

Since the trash cans and trays for silverware and plates were clearly visible and placed throughout the dining area, it is obvious guests should bus their own tables. And if they don't, it is extremely rude, especially when it is so busy and table space is at a premium.

Yes, the food was very good. But not worth the hassle of ordering and then waiting for the food to be cooked in a crowd of people also waiting, with no organization at all - some things were coming up faster than others. My daughter and I ordered at the same time, at the same line, and there was a nearly 10 minute difference in the times our two entrees were ready.

I don't think your experience in February can be fairly compared with mine in June, when it is fully booked and the food court is truly put to the test. We stayed at Pop over spring break in 2011 and ate there several times, even at peak times, and never experienced a mess like the one we saw at AoA.

 

[pigletto]

I don't doubt what you are saying. However, I've seen nothing but complaints about the POP foodcourt lately either. The exact same complaints too..messy, dirty, disorganized and chaotic.
I think this is the nature of these foodcourts in busy season and that either one would leave you with a far different impression on a quiet afternoon in slow season.
We've stayed at every value and I have never once been impressed with the foodcourts. They ranged IMO from fine to ridiculous depending on how busy they were.

I appreciate your review and I am sorry you didn't have a better trip. We have a one night stay booked in the Little Mermaid section and I doubt the walk will bother us for one night/day but I imagine it would be a different story if we stayed for a week.. especially in the heat of summer.

 

[emilyindisney]

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your stay!

We stayed in January and enjoyed our stay thoroughly. Of course, many of your points are valid. Though it is a new resort there are some flaws, and it is a value.

Hopefully they will look to clean up some of the things you mentioned in the future. I hope you enjoy the next hotel your choose to stay at!

 

[detarica]

Sorry that you had a bad experience. I imagine that all of the resorts were pretty crazy during the time that you went. I have stayed at AoA twice (LM and LK). Really enjoyed both times. I do agree that Little Mermaid is an incredibly long walk...think carrying a sleeping toddler at midnight...I think there should be two different bus stops....we actually drove to the bus stop several times mostly so that we had our car to take back late at night.

The food court is much better than the other value resort in my opinion. Open late with lots of grab and go options. I loved staying in the Lion King family suite and would love to stay there again. I felt like the LM room was very small, but I disagree that the theming was cheaply done. Especially compared to the All-star or Pop Century rooms.

 

[JennyDrake]

No, we did not try to go at peak times. We tried for breakfast at close to 10am. We were in and out of there at all hours, and it was always insane.

Since the trash cans and trays for silverware and plates were clearly visible and placed throughout the dining area, it is obvious guests should bus their own tables. And if they don't, it is extremely rude, especially when it is so busy and table space is at a premium.

Yes, the food was very good. But not worth the hassle of ordering and then waiting for the food to be cooked in a crowd of people also waiting, with no organization at all - some things were coming up faster than others. My daughter and I ordered at the same time, at the same line, and there was a nearly 10 minute difference in the times our two entrees were ready.

I don't think your experience in February can be fairly compared with mine in June, when it is fully booked and the food court is truly put to the test. We stayed at Pop over spring break in 2011 and ate there several times, even at peak times, and never experienced a mess like the one we saw at AoA.

You and I have much of the same review of AoA. I was there LM section last September. I'll post some of my review below, but I want to add that at AoA I saw something several times that I had never, ever seen at WDW in over 30 visits since 2005--people getting food at the food court and not even trying to pay--just going straight to their seats. I don't know if they were on free dining so "what the heck" or if they were just so fed up with the wait.

The REAL negative is the food court. It has a terrible layout and it is just BEDLAM. The queuing lines are not nearly as long as they need to be. Service was sluggish and I can't tell you why. It seemed a bit understaffed, but not terribly so. It took 10-15 minutes (one time 20 min) to get through the lines and get food, then stand in line again to pay. By the time you are seated, the food is tepid. Then you have to get silverware, drinks, find a table, etc. The noise level is HORRENDOUS even at non-peak times. And the traffic flow design (WHAT traffic flow design??) is very poor. There is no real flow pattern.

Seating is ample, which is nice. You get real plates and silverware which is good news/bad news. I found that I bristled at having to so bus my own table. You have to try to get the trash and remnants into a trash receptacle with a too small door that is spring loaded to close. Then you sort of recycling and the dishes in one bin and flatware in another. It reminded me WAY too much of bussing tables in a restaurant.

Food quality was OK but not remarkably better than AS, which is what I had hoped for... The food "looks" better than it tastes. Naan bread is VERY good and I really enjoyed the build your own fruit bowls and yogurt/granola bowls for breakfast.

 

[discookiemonsta]

I always find it interesting how peoples' opinions can vary! We stayed at AoA (having stayed at POP and POR a few times before that) in the LM section last December. Yes, we were there for 2 weeks over the Christmas holidays. We fell in love with AoA. We did not mind the walk to the LM section and we absolutely loved the food court. We really appreciated to 'cook to order' selections that make the food taste so much fresher as well as being served with real cutlery, plates etc.

Last year we were able to use a FD pin, which included the LM rooms. This year we have another Christmas trip booked, but as of now we have it booked at ASMo. We are all heartbroken not to be staying at AoA again, but without FD we'd be unable to afford the trip.

Anyway, just thought I'd share my AoA experience, especially since it was during one of the busiest times during the year!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I think the problem is the "value resorts" are cheap hotels dressed up to look cute.

You drop those hotels anyplace else, take away the cute colors and they sell for $50 a night a MOST LOL!


So those of us who don't get "excited" by the theme/colors tend to be disappointed with Disney "value" motels (yes folks they are a roadside motel LOL!)

 

[disd55]

No matter what resort you go to, everyone will have a different experience. We stayed at CSR, our first moderate, 2 years ago. We are deluxe people, as when we first stayed at a disney hotel it was Beach Club. When we stayed at CSR, it was nice and well themed but just too darn big! It wasn't enjoyable for us. All the deluxes are compact and moderates just don't compare. We go in August, and its hard to walk on those hot and humid days. The pool was so far across the lake from our Casitas Building. I wish there was a walkway/bridge going across the lake. There is at CBR. Now, most people say CSR is like the deluxe of moderate resorts. We didn't think that at all. It was our least favorite resort due to size and the mediocre food court.

So it is all preference. I'm sure there are people who absolutely loved AoA and can't wait to go back. I think what you need is a stay at a moderate. POFQ is very nice and small, and the boat to DTD is nice. Hopefully you like your next resort stay!

 

[lovedisney123]

Oh I am so sorry to hear this. I want to try it sometime and hopefully things improve.

We are planning to visit the food court on our next trip so I will be sure to try for off times.

So sorry your stay was not good.

 

[saskdw]

We've been home for two weeks and I have decided to post my review of AoA.

Note, we are not "deluxe" people. If you notice my signature you'll see on our previous visit we stayed at Pop, and we loved it there. I knew that staying in the LM section meant we would have a longer walk. I have avidly read reviews and looked at pics of AoA for the past year. I didn't go into this blind, but I also was surprised at how much I and my entire family disliked this resort.

First of all, while beautiful to look at, the walkways and landscaping are not designed with guests in mind. Especially in LM, we had people walking through grass and landscaping because it was so much further to walk on the sidewalks. We were on the fourth floor of Building 8 (Ariel) and we realized very quickly that the stairs on the ends opened up on walkways that went towards the parking lot behind the resort instead of into the interior of the resort.

The food court was an absolute nightmare, even at "off" times. Long lines, crowds of people standing around, no order to anything, and rude guests who could not put their plates and silverware away after eating. We ate lunch once, and while the food was good we never tried it again.

There were pieces of cardboard covering cracked floor tiles all over Animation Hall. The LM section's exterior walkways looked dirty. The LM room had an adorable shower with gorgeous tilework, but the room itself seemed very cheaply done with plain blue paint on the walls and cheap artwork.

My kids liked Big Blue well enough, but the walk was so long that they decided to try Flippin' Fins. And they felt it was a better pool, deeper, less crowded, and still with two lifeguards on duty. The underwater sounds didn't impress them at all.

Busing was actually not too bad. The covered lines were nice, and we never waited long for a bus. The gift shop as also well-staffed and organized. We checked in quickly through the online check-in line when we arrived. Check-out was another issue, as we never received our itemized list of room charges and I had to go and get it myself.

Mousekeeping did an adequate job, although on two occasions they did not clean in the bathroom at all.

Overall, we just didn't like the "feel" of the resort. I read a review online that said what we felt - it was like a cheap motel with really tacky cheap Disney decorations thrown up around it. And it looks a lot older and more rundown than it should - Ariel in front of our building has a crack in the rock she is sitting on, for example.

It truly felt like a cheap, value level resort to us in a way that Pop never did. I regret that we even stayed there, because even my children hated AoA.

Honestly to me it just sounds like you are describing a Value resort. We have never stayed at a Value and what you describe are some of the reasons why we never would. I know you say Pop felt different to you, but I'd be surprised if I felt Pop was any different than AoA. If you like the look of CBR over POFQ than I would recommend trying CBR with a preferred room, that way the size won't matter.

 

[amomma23]

Sorry it didn't work out for you. We stayed at LM in September and thought it was fantastic! Hope you have a better experience at your next resort.

 

[kerri0616]

We are huge fans of POFQ! I think you'll love it! We had our "last value stay" a few years ago at POP and we've never looked back.

Something for everyone, isn't there?

K

 

[Hoosier37]

We have considered that it was the heat and how busy the resort was that made us dislike AoA, and that although we loved Pop during our stay in March 2011, we might not have enjoyed it as much in June.

Still, none of us liked AoA, and the issues with the weird placement of walkways and landscaping, the craziness of the food court, and the long walk to standard LM rooms, all make it a resort we do not care to visit again.

However, if it had not been so hot and humid, we might not have minded the walk so much. A second bus stop would have been a wonderful thing though, as would a drink station at the Flippin' Fins pool.

It just felt thrown together and not as well-planned and organized. And perhaps with time they can adjust some things and make it a better resort. But I think for our next trip, my family is going to try a moderate...

 

[disnut8]

Honestly to me it just sounds like you are describing a Value resort. We have never stayed at a Value and what you describe are some of the reasons why we never would. I know you say Pop felt different to you, but I'd be surprised if I felt Pop was any different than AoA. If you like the look of CBR over POFQ than I would recommend trying CBR with a preferred room, that way the size won't matter.

So how do you know your stay at a value would be the same as the OPs? Some of the best rooms and experiences have been at a value. And some of the best rooms and experiences have been at a moderate. And some of the best rooms and experiences have been at a deluxe.

I guess I don't understand why people are so down on a resort without ever trying it out for themselves.

 

[mum2four]

Sorry to hear you didn't have a great stay at AOA. We returned from AOA about a month ago, and while we didn't find it a total disappointment, we did not love the resort.

I agree with you on the foodcourt. It was a one and done thing for us as well. Not sure how AOA's foodcourt compares to the other values, as we haven't stayed at any of the others. But, I think I'll just try and avoid foodcourts from here on out.

I also noticed the tile floor in Animation Hall was cracked and not holding up well. Surprised me because the resort is so new. For some reason, that alone was really off-putting for me.

Well, at least you can cross AOA off your list of places to stay for next time. You tried it and can now move on to someplace that is hopefully more to your liking. Like you, I went into it knowing it was a value resort and having an idea of what to expect, but I agree, it does feel cheaply done IMHO. My kids did enjoy the theming and all the statues at AOA, but we won't be back either.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[sjs314]

Doh! That's a shame. I've only ever seen the resort from the DME, but it looked quite vast... with sidewalks going everywhere.

What resort do you think you'll try out on your next Disney trip? Something new or stick with Pop?




By the way, unless this was a legitimate screw-up, this might be because you had an email address on file. They've stopped leaving the itemized receipts if you've given them an email address. I actually prefer the print-out but they'll email you the same document in PDF format on your check-out day.

Do you know if this new policy of emailing the checkout receipt is at all resorts or only at the values? I know we received the express checkout documents in December at the BWI.