Art of Animation - how easy is it to get to the parks and is it worth it anymore?

[CheshKAT]

Sounds super convenient, thanks! I'll look into the pricing of Dolphin.

Be advised that Dolphin and Swan have resort fees as well.

 

[Brob2132]

I'm not trying to be a downer, but it's worth noting that getting to/from the parks when staying on property doesn't get rid of the stress completely. It's still an often-lengthy process. The busses are pretty much luck of the draw. I've heard of people having to wait an hour+ for a bus, no matter the level of hotel. Hopefully the Covid issues/staffing/etc. will be fixed by your trip but you really can't predict it and busses were hit or miss even before Covid.

The Skyliner also is not a direct shot to the parks unless you're staying at Caribbean Beach. You have to wait in line for the Skyliner, board, exit the Skyliner at the transfer station (I believe this is at Caribbean Beach but I've only ridden the Skyliner once so I'm not 100% sure), wait again, board the Skyliner at CB, and then it takes you to the parks. It's a neat transportation option but it can take some time. I've heard that the Skyliner lines at opening/closing rush can be quite long. We've stayed on property and off and both have their perks/downfalls.

I mean, you're going to an amusement park. There's always going to be stress associated with it. But as someone who did a short trip staying off property, I will never do it again. Our family found it significantly better staying on site and worth the expense.

We lived in Tampa for about a year, and we still stayed onsite when we went because the access/transportation was worth it to us. If you stay in the park and it's still too much, then it might not be your cup of tea.

 

[NotTheBatesMotel]

I mean, you're going to an amusement park. There's always going to be stress associated with it. But as someone who did a short trip staying off property, I will never do it again. Our family found it significantly better staying on site and worth the expense.

We lived in Tampa for about a year, and we still stayed onsite when we went because the access/transportation was worth it to us. If you stay in the park and it's still too much, then it might not be your cup of tea.

Right-everyone has to make that decision for themselves. I was just letting OP know it's not like staying in the bubble makes everything magical and effortless. A lot of people think that paying as much as Disney charges will give them this concierge-level experience and don't expect to wait over an hour for a bus. Many people are unaware of the Skyliner transfer and how long the lines can be. You still have to get to the parks and back and the timeline isn't up to you. Is dealing with theme park logistics worth it to us? Yup...hence why I'm planning my 15th trip to Disney and why I've visited parks all over the country. We've stayed on property and off and enjoyed all trips. I really didn't find staying off property to be much more of a hassle transportation-wise than staying on.

 

[Brob2132]

Right-everyone has to make that decision for themselves. I was just letting OP know it's not like staying in the bubble makes everything magical and effortless. A lot of people think that paying as much as Disney charges will give them this concierge-level experience and don't expect to wait over an hour for a bus. Many people are unaware of the Skyliner transfer and how long the lines can be. You still have to get to the parks and back and the timeline isn't up to you. Is dealing with theme park logistics worth it to us? Yup...hence why I'm planning my 15th trip to Disney and why I've visited parks all over the country. We've stayed on property and off and enjoyed all trips. I really didn't find staying off property to be much more of a hassle transportation-wise than staying on.

Completely fair and agree with your post. I was more empathizing with the original poster about how chaotic staying off site can be, to the point we won't ever stay offsite again. It sounds like they had a similar experience. If money is an issue (which it is for a lot of folks), I would rather save for an additional year to be able to stay in the park.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Right-everyone has to make that decision for themselves. I was just letting OP know it's not like staying in the bubble makes everything magical and effortless. A lot of people think that paying as much as Disney charges will give them this concierge-level experience and don't expect to wait over an hour for a bus. Many people are unaware of the Skyliner transfer and how long the lines can be. You still have to get to the parks and back and the timeline isn't up to you. Is dealing with theme park logistics worth it to us? Yup...hence why I'm planning my 15th trip to Disney and why I've visited parks all over the country. We've stayed on property and off and enjoyed all trips. I really didn't find staying off property to be much more of a hassle transportation-wise than staying on.

Agree
We have 40+ WDW trips, with 95% being onsite, and can say that if you leave a park at "rush hour" then it's going to be "chaotic" even if staying onsite. One of our trips, we stayed at GF and the 3 days we used the monorail to go to/from Epcot it averaged 90 minutes We think WDW does a great job with transportation but also know that (I will steal your line) staying in the bubble does not make everything magical and effortless. The times we stayed offsite we totally enjoyed it and did not find it any more hectic then staying onsite. We never decide on a resort based on transportation, to me that is such a minor factor and it has always been hit or miss.

 

[cgattis]

Yeah, I think it's gonna be AOA for us unless the Dolphin goes significantly on sale again. Although not as convenient as the Dolphin, it's close to half the price.

But from what you folks are saying, getting to and from the parks from the AOA is still going to be WAY easier and more convenient than staying off property again. At least we won't have to try to find out car in the parking lot then still drive off property to get back to our room.

That’s weird, because we’re booked at Dolphin for thanksgiving week, because a suite was almost half of AoA, plus walk to two parks. I really wanted to stay at AoA again but just couldn’t justify it.

 

[Brob2132]

The last thing I’ll say on it to Bates’ point, it’s to each his/her own how much value you attribute to the in park transportation. For our family, we value the in park enough that we won’t go back unless we stay in the park.

For us it’s not even about the time, it’s more of just knowing that it’s taken care of. We’re not fighting the traffic or trying to find the Uber. We go to the pickup and wait. It just helps us with the immersion, as we don’t want to worry about anything once we’re in the park for the week. So to the original poster’s question, this is where we find it helps with the chaos. Cheers!

 

[Blondie58]

Have not stayed at Art but have stayed at Pop and loved it. This was a few months before the gondolas opened. Even with no gondolas I had zero transportation issues. (I was there the third week of May. Stay on property because DH would not go otherwise. He loves on property. For me: I alwasy feel safe if taking off alone to shop etc. On property is just familiar and part of the vacation experience for us.

 

[friedela]

That’s weird, because we’re booked at Dolphin for thanksgiving week, because a suite was almost half of AoA, plus walk to two parks. I really wanted to stay at AoA again but just couldn’t justify it.

We are going in Feb. 2022. Isn't US thanksgiving in November??

 

[friedela]

I'm not trying to be a downer, but it's worth noting that getting to/from the parks when staying on property doesn't get rid of the stress completely. It's still an often-lengthy process. The busses are pretty much luck of the draw. I've heard of people having to wait an hour+ for a bus, no matter the level of hotel. Hopefully the Covid issues/staffing/etc. will be fixed by your trip but you really can't predict it and busses were hit or miss even before Covid.

The Skyliner also is not a direct shot to the parks unless you're staying at Caribbean Beach. You have to wait in line for the Skyliner, board, exit the Skyliner at the transfer station (I believe this is at Caribbean Beach but I've only ridden the Skyliner once so I'm not 100% sure), wait again, board the Skyliner at CB, and then it takes you to the parks. It's a neat transportation option but it can take some time. I've heard that the Skyliner lines at opening/closing rush can be quite long. We've stayed on property and off and both have their perks/downfalls.

That is good to know that staying on site doesn't mean completely effortless transportation, that is my biggest question and the entire purpose of this post. If there is no extra convenience transportation wise, then I struggle with staying on property at all, especially because of all the perks that have been cut.

Completely fair and agree with your post. I was more empathizing with the original poster about how chaotic staying off site can be, to the point we won't ever stay offsite again. It sounds like they had a similar experience. If money is an issue (which it is for a lot of folks), I would rather save for an additional year to be able to stay in the park.

Yes, we found staying off property to be very frustrating. It's one thing to have to wait for buses and boats to the parking lot, but then to still have to find your vehicle and still drive another 15-20 minutes to a hotel made for a very miserable experience at the end of the day. But we also left right after fireworks too and maybe that was our problem. Maybe if we chose a hotel closer to Disney and waited a while after fireworks then it wouldn't be as bad? I am ok with waiting in a line to get on a bus if that bus is gonna take me straight to my hotel. I don't have to find my car and I don't have to drive. Those are 2 extra steps that are eliminated with staying on property which is the most appealing part. I don't know. Hard to decide!

 

[crazylady]

We are going in Feb. 2022. Isn't US thanksgiving in November??

When are you going in Feb? If your dates are flexible, avoid the weekend around Presidents Day and also the RunDisney princess weekend (if that is happening). Both would affect hotel prices.

 

[friedela]

When are you going in Feb? If your dates are flexible, avoid the weekend around Presidents Day and also the RunDisney princess weekend (if that is happening). Both would affect hotel prices.

We are looking at Feb. 6-11. Looks like Presidents Day is February 21. I can't find any info on the Run Disney Princess weekend. But I actually looked at the entire month of Feb and the prices are similar across the whole month, give or take $50.

 

[cgattis]

We are going in Feb. 2022. Isn't US thanksgiving in November??

Yes, but it’s a holiday week and I got a great rate. Idk why yours is so high in February...I’ve stayed there for a race weekend and it was still way less than the Disney hotels. Just seems odd. I’d recommend, if walking to parks interests you at all, to book both and call the Dolphin direct periodically and ask if there is a better rate. The Dolphin res isn’t costing you any deposit.

 

[friedela]

Yes, but it’s a holiday week and I got a great rate. Idk why yours is so high in February...I’ve stayed there for a race weekend and it was still way less than the Disney hotels. Just seems odd. I’d recommend, if walking to parks interests you at all, to book both and call the Dolphin direct periodically and ask if there is a better rate. The Dolphin res isn’t costing you any deposit.

I am Canadian so I am automatically paying more because of the exchange rate. In USD the Dolphin works out to be about $356 a night. Does that sound more like what you are used to seeing? Maybe it'll go on sale or our dollar will continue to improve which would help.


And great idea, I just may do that

 

[friedela]

Be advised that Dolphin and Swan have resort fees as well.

Are the resort fees built into the package? I can't see any resort fees when I go to check out. Or is that something that we will get hit with when/if we check in?

 

[Brob2132]

Are the resort fees built into the package? I can't see any resort fees when I go to check out. Or is that something that we will get hit with when/if we check in?

I can't speak for certain booking through Disney's website (I believe normally they provide an all inclusive price) , but if you're booking through the Marriott app, the $35 fees don't come up until the checkout.

For example, we booked a night before our week long stay with Marriott points and our total was 39.95 (the resort fee and the tax).

 

[_19disnA]

No Disney hotel is nearest to every park. So you have to consider where you will be spending most of your time. We have stayed over the years both on as well as off-site and it worked fine for us. Far more reasonable choices for dining when off the Disney property. As someone else mentioned, if you wait to exit the park until it closes then thousands of other people will also be doing the same and you can expect a long wait for whatever form of transportation you are using regardless of where you are staying.

 

[Lilylogan]

I've always thought the transportation at AoA was great - busses don't share with other resorts and now you have a skyliner. Great location if you need more space than a regular hotel room.

 

[VeronicaZS]

Are the resort fees built into the package? I can't see any resort fees when I go to check out. Or is that something that we will get hit with when/if we check in?

I'm not sure if the Canadian website is the same but when I look up rates from the Marriott webpage I have a check box in the upper right "Show rates with all taxes and fees." This makes it easier to see the final cost of the room.

For the Art of Animation rooms, are you looking at the Little Mermaid rooms which aren't suites and are significantly less expensive than the other rooms? Would you want a suite at the Dolphin? I agree with cgattis, check the Dolphin rates periodically, they do fluctuate quite a bit.

 

[chasgeese]

You could be going around President’s Day weekend, which is in mid-February. It’s a US federal holiday and we get the Monday off for that making it a popular time to go.