Are suites at AoA resort practical for family of 5???

[kkayluvsdis]

Hi All!

I thought that we had convinced ourselves that it was finally time to stay offsite (due to space and $$ savings) BUT now that the new Art of Animation resort is open I was wondering if that might be an option for us. I would be curious to hear about your experiences staying in a suite as a family of five? One of the biggest selling points about potentially staying offsite was having some separate space for my husband and I after the kids are in bed. I'm just not sure how that would work in one of the suites, given the layout. I have a 6 year old, almost 3 year old, and almost 1 year old! Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! I really want to find a way to stay onsite...even if I won't admit that to my husband
-Kelly

 

[kaytieeldr]

http://**************.net/wp-conten...ation-Resort-Family-Suite-Floor-Plan-6-12.jpg

If you put everyone to sleep in the bedroom, you'll have the living room and dining area to yourselves.

 

[AliceIn]

We stayed at the AoA with our family of 5. The kids used the dining/living area for sleeping. We had a separate room for ourselves. We were able to talk, watch tv, shower, etc., without waking the kids. It's a great perk to have that separate sleeping area for us.

 

[pooh4evr]

We have stayed in the suites at all star music twice and LOVED IT! We had plenty of room, DH and I had a room, and the 2 bathrooms were well worth the cost. I know the layout is a bit different than AoA, and it is a bit cheaper too, maybe that could be an option?

 

[lampshadehead]

Its great if your kids don't mind sharing a bed. Keep in mind that unlike the suites at Music, they only have three beds. We had no problem with a family of 6. There was a family at the check in desk switching to Music because they had older teens and they didnt like sharing.

 

[TDC Nala]

If the baby will be in a pack and play, then the other two won't have to share a bed if you put the kids in the living/sleeping area. But then you're stuck in the bedroom. If the kids will share the queen bed, put them in the bedroom with the baby in a pack and play. Then you use the pullout couch. It won't be very big though.

 

[TheRatPack]

I think it would work out just fine. Your little one probably doesn't sleep in a full bed now anyway....and the other two are still little so they will have no problems sleeping on the fold out beds/table bed.

 

[cheryterese]

Is it possible to sit outside your room at night? I'm wondering if there's a communal balcony area/walkway like some I've seen.

We are contemplating staying on-site for the first time with our family of 5 next trip but have been so spoiled with the space of 2 off-site visits that I don't know if we will do it. I'd like to give the kids the magic of an on-site stay though.

 

[lynn_s]

The suited do not have a balcony, and its inside hallways, so no good place to sit outside the room.

We just got back (Me, DH, 2 adult DD, DS 10) and had plenty of space. - DDs used the couch, DS the pull down bed, we had the bedroom.

Having the 2 bathrooms was great!

There is a TV in the LR and BR, so no issues for us at night.

I think you'd just have to decide if you wanted the kids in the main BR, or in the Living area (if they are light sleepers, and you wanted to use the kitchen area you may want them in the BR instead).

 

[Tiffany]

Is it possible to sit outside your room at night? I'm wondering if there's a communal balcony area/walkway like some I've seen.

We are contemplating staying on-site for the first time with our family of 5 next trip but have been so spoiled with the space of 2 off-site visits that I don't know if we will do it. I'd like to give the kids the magic of an on-site stay though.

The rooms at AoA are set up like a motel in that the door to your room opens onto a public walkway. That area is not meant to be used as a patio or balcony.

 

[jimandami]

The rooms at AoA are set up like a motel in that the door to your room opens onto a public walkway. That area is not meant to be used as a patio or balcony.

The suites actually have interior hallways, not the outside walkways like the LM rooms. However, there is no balcony or patio. Another option for the OP would be to rent points and do a 1 bedroom DVC, which would give you a balcony. We have stayed at AoA and done DVC and enjoyed both.

 

[Neesy228]

We stayed at the AoA with our family of 5. The kids used the dining/living area for sleeping. We had a separate room for ourselves. We were able to talk, watch tv, shower, etc., without waking the kids. It's a great perk to have that separate sleeping area for us.

This is what we did too. Our oldest took the living room with the tv, our two youngest were happy to sleep in the "table bed" (as they called it) and we had the bedroom to ourselves. Worked out great! We also loved having two bathrooms. I would definitely give it a try - it's a wonderful resort!

 

[Mom2six]

We stayed in 2 Finding Nemo suites this past September. We had 9 people. 4 slept in one suite, and 5 in the other suite. It worked fabulously. The kids adored the table murphy bed and the picture of Nemo sleeping with Marlin. The suite was surprisingly comfortable and felt really cozy. The theming throughout the resort was magnificent. If your children like the movies - Finding Nemo, Cars, Lion King and Little Mermaid, then they will LOVE AoA.

There was plenty of space for 5 people in the suite. There is not an excess of empty floor space though, so if you bring a lot of baby stuff, it could start to get tight, but I do think it is very doable. We had 2 single strollers and that worked out fine.

We plan on going back to AoA next September for the first half of our vacation.

 

[Mom2six]

There was a family at the check in desk switching to Music because they had older teens and they didnt like sharing.

Ha. If I had to switch rooms because my teens didn't want to share a bed, that would be the last time they went on vacation with me! I always tell them that if I share a bed, so can they. Of course I actually like their father.

 

[raven69david]

7 of us went to AoA on opening day and stayed there for 1 week. We had no problem fitting all of us in there comfortably. We had a great time, with two 7 years olds, one 3 year old and 1 infant, along with adults in the room. If you can't fit 5 comfortably, then you aint trying or are super picky about what "practical" means to you. I have pics of the room in a trip report I did back in June when I returned from my visit, but there are tons of other pics out there of the rooms. The pics don't give you the depth of the rooms but they were huge and we were extremely comfortable in the room.