Disney's ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Information & Questions

Hi!
I think we've decided on AOA for our next Disney trip (12/2019). I was very much a newb for our 9/2016 trip and it was mostly planned by my MIL (never again). So after going and eating at Ohana, seeing Poly I was pretty stuck on staying there. But after a lot of discussion we decided on a longer trip and staying at AOA. I have a few questions if anyone can help, some general Disney and some AOA related. Little Mermaid is a must for us, as that was my first Disney movie and I'm chronically nostalgic.

1. For those who may have stayed at ASMo, is the walk to the buses/main building from LM comparable to the walk from Buzz to the buses/main building?

2. I've seen that the Triton building (9?) is closest to buses, but what other requests would you make? If it helps, when we travel it will be for my son's 10th birthday, so DS 10, DD 13, DH and I. None of us have any kind of physical ailments that make stairs/distance and issue, unless you count laziness :D

3. Has anyone ever driven their car to/from the parks? Is it a hassle/do you pay for parking? What if you park at another resort? We'll be driving down from IL and planning to visit Universal so our car will be with us.

4. What is Disney like in general in December? Mainly the first two weeks? My son's birthday is the 15th and it is now tradition that my kids spend the last day of the trip on their 10th birthday, so we'll be departing the 16th definitely but we haven't decided on our arrival yet. We're aiming for just under 2 weeks (11-12 days).

It's kind of killing me that I can't look up prices for our dates yet, as I do everything online. I like being able to play around with dates and such and have been for THIS December but it's not the same obvs.

Also, before this is I was excited because I'd never been to Disney. And now it's WORSE. Like some days I'll just get sad, because I can't go back yet. I want to go more now than I did before! Sigh.

Thanks in advance, I'm happy to be here!
 


Hi!
I think we've decided on AOA for our next Disney trip (12/2019). I was very much a newb for our 9/2016 trip and it was mostly planned by my MIL (never again). So after going and eating at Ohana, seeing Poly I was pretty stuck on staying there. But after a lot of discussion we decided on a longer trip and staying at AOA. I have a few questions if anyone can help, some general Disney and some AOA related. Little Mermaid is a must for us, as that was my first Disney movie and I'm chronically nostalgic.

1. For those who may have stayed at ASMo, is the walk to the buses/main building from LM comparable to the walk from Buzz to the buses/main building?

2. I've seen that the Triton building (9?) is closest to buses, but what other requests would you make? If it helps, when we travel it will be for my son's 10th birthday, so DS 10, DD 13, DH and I. None of us have any kind of physical ailments that make stairs/distance and issue, unless you count laziness :D

3. Has anyone ever driven their car to/from the parks? Is it a hassle/do you pay for parking? What if you park at another resort? We'll be driving down from IL and planning to visit Universal so our car will be with us.

4. What is Disney like in general in December? Mainly the first two weeks? My son's birthday is the 15th and it is now tradition that my kids spend the last day of the trip on their 10th birthday, so we'll be departing the 16th definitely but we haven't decided on our arrival yet. We're aiming for just under 2 weeks (11-12 days).

It's kind of killing me that I can't look up prices for our dates yet, as I do everything online. I like being able to play around with dates and such and have been for THIS December but it's not the same obvs.


Thanks in advance, I'm happy to be here!

1. From Buzz to the main building is about 3 minutes. From the closest LM building to the main building is 9-10 minutes.

2. I would request "close to the busses".

3. Yes, and in our opinion it's a pain. Especially for MK. If you drive to MK you have to walk/tram from your car to the front, then wait in line for a ferry or the monorail. The buses drop you off right in front of each park.

4. It's a very nice time to visit as the resorts and parks are decorated fully for Xmas.

Also, before this is I was excited because I'd never been to Disney. And now it's WORSE. Like some days I'll just get sad, because I can't go back yet. I want to go more now than I did before! Sigh.

Welcome to the club!!
 
Hi!
I think we've decided on AOA for our next Disney trip (12/2019). I was very much a newb for our 9/2016 trip and it was mostly planned by my MIL (never again). So after going and eating at Ohana, seeing Poly I was pretty stuck on staying there. But after a lot of discussion we decided on a longer trip and staying at AOA. I have a few questions if anyone can help, some general Disney and some AOA related. Little Mermaid is a must for us, as that was my first Disney movie and I'm chronically nostalgic.

1. For those who may have stayed at ASMo, is the walk to the buses/main building from LM comparable to the walk from Buzz to the buses/main building?

2. I've seen that the Triton building (9?) is closest to buses, but what other requests would you make? If it helps, when we travel it will be for my son's 10th birthday, so DS 10, DD 13, DH and I. None of us have any kind of physical ailments that make stairs/distance and issue, unless you count laziness :D

3. Has anyone ever driven their car to/from the parks? Is it a hassle/do you pay for parking? What if you park at another resort? We'll be driving down from IL and planning to visit Universal so our car will be with us.

4. What is Disney like in general in December? Mainly the first two weeks? My son's birthday is the 15th and it is now tradition that my kids spend the last day of the trip on their 10th birthday, so we'll be departing the 16th definitely but we haven't decided on our arrival yet. We're aiming for just under 2 weeks (11-12 days).

It's kind of killing me that I can't look up prices for our dates yet, as I do everything online. I like being able to play around with dates and such and have been for THIS December but it's not the same obvs.

Also, before this is I was excited because I'd never been to Disney. And now it's WORSE. Like some days I'll just get sad, because I can't go back yet. I want to go more now than I did before! Sigh.

Thanks in advance, I'm happy to be here!

1. The walk from the Triton building to the center of the bus stops will be about double the distance of the Buzz building at ASMo to the center of that bus stop. The longest walk from Triton will be about 450-500 yards depending on the route you take. The longest walk from Buzz would be about 250-300 -- again, depending on the route.

2. I agree with Dansdad -- I'd request "close to transportation" (or however they word it). You might also consider requesting 1st floor as the elevators are only in the center of the building. So if you have a 4th floor room at the end of the building closest to the Lion King area (which would be the end closest to transportation), you'd either have to walk "past" your room (on the ground level) to get to the elevator and then back track to your room (adding an additional 50-100 yards to your walk) or you'll have to climb 4 flights of stairs (which after a long day in the parks can sometimes seem more like climbing Mt. Everest :D). My son and his wife were on the 2nd floor of the Ursula building at the end closest to the Lion King section (they loved the location). They had a 5-7 minute walk to the bus stops. Keep in mind that they were in their mid-20's at the time and had no kids so they probably walked faster than a family with kids/strollers or an older couple.

3. We drive to Disney from PA but we do not drive to the parks. Once we arrive at our resort, we like to let Disney do the driving so we can just relax and not worry about it. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you won't have to pay for parking at the parks. I have no doubt that with the exception of Magic Kingdom, it's usually faster to drive your own car to the parks, but we're willing to sacrifice the time to let someone else do the driving. :) We will occasionally do a grocery store run to pick up more water or snacks, but the rest of the time we use the buses.

4. Disney in December is definitely on my Disney Bucket List. I would love to see the resorts and parks all decorated for Christmas. Some day.
 
Hey guys! Sia if this has been answered before...
Just wondering if the mini fridges in the Nemo Suites have a freezer section???
 


Hey guys! Sia if this has been answered before...
Just wondering if the mini fridges in the Nemo Suites have a freezer section???

Ours did not when we were in a Nemo suite last June. I will say that the fridge in our Lion King suites in 2013 & 2015 both had a freezer compartment. I don't know if they've started changing over to the no freezer versions as the fridges need to be replaced, or if maybe we just had a "loaner". Fortunately, I wasn't planning on using the freezer section so it wasn't a big deal or us, but I know a lot of people have frozen grocery items delivered to the room so it could be an issue for some.
 
Once we arrive at our resort, we like to let Disney do the driving so we can just relax and not worry about it. If you're staying at a Disney resort, you won't have to pay for parking at the parks. I have no doubt that with the exception of Magic Kingdom, it's usually faster to drive your own car to the parks, but we're willing to sacrifice the time to let someone else do the driving. :)
Same here-Disney Bubble 24/7!:)
 
Hi!
I think we've decided on AOA for our next Disney trip (12/2019).

And I thought I was early planning my Jan 2019 stay!:rotfl2:

We stayed Lion King last time and loved it! I so wish Little Mermaid rooms were closer to everything. Would love the cheaper price. Just don't know that I can break down and do it. We made so many trips to refill drinks etc.

Goodluck planning! It's half the fun!
 
I searched and searched and couldn't find an answer to my question so I apologize if someone already posted it. In the Finding Memo section, does anyone know which room numbers overlook the pool? I saw a video on Youtube where 5817 overlooked a grassy area which I would prefer. We booked a family suite with no indication of which section we will be in. I'm hoping for Finding Nemo or Lion King but will be happy with just being back in Disney World!
 
We will have 6 people staying in a suite, so using all the pullout/pull down beds. Does housekeeping return the beds into the sofa and table or is that something we should do each morning?
 
I searched and searched and couldn't find an answer to my question so I apologize if someone already posted it. In the Finding Memo section, does anyone know which room numbers overlook the pool? I saw a video on Youtube where 5817 overlooked a grassy area which I would prefer. We booked a family suite with no indication of which section we will be in. I'm hoping for Finding Nemo or Lion King but will be happy with just being back in Disney World!

You can use the Touringplans Roomfinder to see the view from any room. Just click on the "room" to see the information. We were in Nemo room 5518 this past summer and it was perfect for us -- ground floor, off the main hallway, close to everything (food court, buses, and pool) and a nice view of the lake. Just keep in mind that if you booked a "family suite" you will most likely end up in either Cars or Lion King since the Nemo rooms cost more *and* are usually booked solid. We've been in Lion King twice and really liked those rooms as well. Both times in LK we had a room close to the main building so we were very close to the food court (we use the refillable mugs a lot) and the buses. In fact, we were actually closer to those things in the LK suite than we were in the Nemo suite (which was still a great location).

We will have 6 people staying in a suite, so using all the pullout/pull down beds. Does housekeeping return the beds into the sofa and table or is that something we should do each morning?

Housekeeping will take care of that when they come in every day (unless you leave a note and ask them not to). We usually used the table in the morning to eat breakfast and that's where we'd leave our tip and any notes for housekeeping when we left the room. Regardless of how you leave the beds,housekeeping will re-make the beds (sheets/blankets) and the sofa and table will be returned to those functions when housekeeping leaves the room.
 
Is anyone there right now that can confirm whether or not the mini fridges have a freezer section??
Tia!
 
Has anyone who is there now or recently seen cases or gallons of water for sale in the shop or food court? I searched the thread but haven't seen anything answered since last year. Thanks for your help trying to figure out if I need to place an order just for water.
 
You can use the Touringplans Roomfinder to see the view from any room. Just click on the "room" to see the information. We were in Nemo room 5518 this past summer and it was perfect for us -- ground floor, off the main hallway, close to everything (food court, buses, and pool) and a nice view of the lake. Just keep in mind that if you booked a "family suite" you will most likely end up in either Cars or Lion King since the Nemo rooms cost more *and* are usually booked solid. We've been in Lion King twice and really liked those rooms as well. Both times in LK we had a room close to the main building so we were very close to the food court (we use the refillable mugs a lot) and the buses. In fact, we were actually closer to those things in the LK suite than we were in the Nemo suite (which was still a great location).

Thank you so much! Hopefully we will luck out like you did with room close to everything. I'm sure we will be in either LK or Cars as well which is perfectly fine with us :)
 
Has anyone who is there now or recently seen cases or gallons of water for sale in the shop or food court? I searched the thread but haven't seen anything answered since last year. Thanks for your help trying to figure out if I need to place an order just for water.

Yup. Twenty-four 12oz. bottles of Desani for $6.99.
 
Yup. Twenty-four 12oz. bottles of Desani for $6.99.

Did they finally lower the price? Friends who were at AoA in January still paid $16.99 for the case (which is what the price has been the last 3 times we've been there). I know some resorts sell it for $6.99 though so maybe AoA (and Pop Century) finally got on board with that in the last 2 months.


Has anyone who is there now or recently seen cases or gallons of water for sale in the shop or food court? I searched the thread but haven't seen anything answered since last year. Thanks for your help trying to figure out if I need to place an order just for water.

If you don't see any cases of water in the coolers just as a manager for one because they don't always have them out and not all of the CMs know that they sell water by the case. We had to ask for it at Pop Century.
 

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