Disney's ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Thread

[Jekyllcat]

I saw this posted somewhere else.

Pool Closures at AoA:

Big Blue Pool nov 17-19, LM nov 20-22 and Cozy Cone nov 24-26.

Hope that helps. Maybe just sprucing them up?

Thank you!

 

[Mama2girlz]

I've never payed any attention if taxi's sit outside of Disney resorts ready to transport guests since I always use the buses. Are they outside the resort's main lobby or do I need to call ahead in advance and have one pick us up from AoA? Were doing a split stay & I prefer to have a taxi take us to AKL.

There are taxi's, we took one to/from GF we just went out front and asked and they waved one over.

 

[Melany502]

I saw this posted somewhere else.

Pool Closures at AoA:

Big Blue Pool nov 17-19, LM nov 20-22 and Cozy Cone nov 24-26.

Hope that helps. Maybe just sprucing them up?

This is really upsetting to me! I spent extra on this hotel for the zero entry pool!

 

[2009CAN]

This is really upsetting to me! I spent extra on this hotel for the zero entry pool!

Yep, that was very important to us to considering the ages of our three small children. NOT happy because OF COURSE, those three days our our 1/2 days/pool days. Grrr!

 

[momneedscoffee13]

-Our only breakfast reservation is Monday morning at Ohana, and it's eeeeaaarrrlllllyyyyy. So I guess we'll get to the bus stop even earlier, just to be on the safe side.

We had 3 early, one SUPER early (7:30a, 8a and 8:30a) ADRs, we left an hour earlier than the ADRs and had no transportation problems. We were early to both by at least 15 min. Cape May was our 7:30 and at 6:30am there was no one else waiting at the bus stop, the bus driver took us direct to Cape May (instead of DHS). Tusker House was the 8:30a and there were only a handful, less than 10 probably, waiting for the AK bus at 7:30. The bus was already there when we were running to catch it!

We also took a DHS bus at 8am for a 9a H&V and again we were 15-20 min early. There again, were about 10 or so other people waiting for the bus. Wait times were always less than 10 min for a bus. ALTHOUGH, we never did take an MK bus direct from AoA, the later morning times there was usually a small crowd waiting for the MK bus. But at 6:30am, I don't remember there being very many people at all at any of the other bus stops!!

 

[dreamseeker9]

I saw this posted somewhere else.

Pool Closures at AoA:

Big Blue Pool nov 17-19, LM nov 20-22 and Cozy Cone nov 24-26.

Hope that helps. Maybe just sprucing them up?

I received the same email, now I know which pool - thanks!

I'm bummed it's the Big Blue Pool for 3 of my 4 days there, though. I hope the weather is nice enough for me to enjoy the BBP my first day there! Then I'll enjoy the LM pool the other 3 days.

 

[sgb1975]

Tried getting a Little Mermaid for April...all booked up. So booked a stay across the lake...at least it's close. That got me a wee bit nervous so went ahead and booked a Little Mermaid for the Fall trip even though it's a year away.

Keep checking back! We're going in April and booked our flights months ago. We had planned to stay at AoA Little Mermaid but kept putting off the room reservation. When we finally got aroudn to it, they were all booked so we settled for Pop (which isn't bad either). Anyway, I kept checking a few times per day to see if anything opened up at AoA and about a week later a LM room popped up so I grabbed it.

 

[dreamseeker9]

Anyone staying at AOA now? I'll be there starting Sunday. I'm wondering if any holiday decorations are up yet?

Can't wait! 6 more days!!!

 

[Jekyllcat]

Can anyone comment on cab fees from AoA to the deluxe resorts? The Mears cab calculator is estimating over $25 for a trip from AoA to the Contemporary - that seems high. (It's also estimating $20 from AoA to both Poly and GF.) I'm trying to work out how much US cash to have on hand - I may have underestimated, if calculator is accurate.

 

[BABYJOSIE98]

Just back from our first AoA stay. Loved it so much more than I could have imagined! I am a deluxe girl at heart, but this was a quick mother daughter getaway for the Food & Wine. I knew we wouldn't be using the resort so I didn't want to splurge.

The LM rooms are not as far as people say. The walk was very easy. Resort is so cute!!! the younger kids loved seeing all the characters! Food court was mostly crazy (oK, it was a lot crazy, but it was a food court!).

Glad we did online check in....no line for that and the regular check in was packed!

Beds and pillows: not the most comfy, but after a full day of eating and drinking we crashed!!!

bus service was great except on our MK day. Of course that was the ONE day I had a breakfast ADR. Between waiting for the bus, transferring to monorail, making the stop at contemporary then TTC we got to our Poly ADR 15 min late. Wasnt' a problem thank goodness. so keep that in mind and add EXTRA EXTRA time to your MK days for transfers.

It was way too cold this weekend to swim or enjoy sitting at the bar (although some folks were swimming ...brrrrr)

All in all, I wouldn't hesitate to stay there again .

So nice to hear! My DD(17) and I just booked today for AOA for May 21st. Little Mermaid rooms and we are so excited! Can't wait to check it out!
I know what you mean about buses. We just got back from CSR and pretty much it was all good, but when you have an ADR you get panicked if the bus never comes....

 

[ocalla]

Can anyone comment on cab fees from AoA to the deluxe resorts? The Mears cab calculator is estimating over $25 for a trip from AoA to the Contemporary - that seems high. (It's also estimating $20 from AoA to both Poly and GF.) I'm trying to work out how much US cash to have on hand - I may have underestimated, if calculator is accurate.

We took a cab from Boma to AOA and also from Cape May to AOA and from Epcot to AOA and all three were right around $12.00 each.

 

[Mmfan4]

We took a cab from Boma to AOA and also from Cape May to AOA and from Epcot to AOA and all three were right around $12.00 each.

good information. Thanks!

 

[jasec2]

We did taxi from AOA to Poly this am and it was $20 (which includes 20% tip).

 

[KingLlama]

Just some quick thoughts from our trip last week....

-We stayed in the LM wing. Yes, it's a walk. No, it's not a bad walk. But yes, at the end of a long day in the parks, you might be wishing you were in one of the other sections. Still, it's a nice walk through a great LK-themed area, so it's not that bad.

-Beds and pillows....don't expect luxury. But I got a good night's sleep each night.

-The food court was TERRIFIC for non-breakfast meals. Everything we tried at dinnertime was delicious. Great options, too. Breakfast? Not so great(not the hot offerings, anyway). We ended up using snack credits on grab-and-go offerings, or just eating stuff from home.

-TERRIFIC gift shop. Good amount of resort-specific stuff, too.

-Really great theming throughout. Fun place to walk through.

-Bus service was steady, but definitely more crowded than we're used to. Don't recall waiting more than 20 minutes for a bus, but lines were usually crammed, and we stood on the bus about 80 percent of the trips. Just be prepared to stand. But they came pretty regularly.

-Pool and other recreational activities looked great, but between busy days at the parks and the cool weather, we didn't take advantage.

Overall, I'm glad we stayed there. We'll probably shoot for a moderate next time(we still love POFQ), but if we do another value, it will definitely be AoA.

 

[Mmfan4]

Just some quick thoughts from our trip last week.... -We stayed in the LM wing. Yes, it's a walk. No, it's not a bad walk. But yes, at the end of a long day in the parks, you might be wishing you were in one of the other sections. Still, it's a nice walk through a great LK-themed area, so it's not that bad. -Beds and pillows....don't expect luxury. But I got a good night's sleep each night. -The food court was TERRIFIC for non-breakfast meals. Everything we tried at dinnertime was delicious. Great options, too. Breakfast? Not so great(not the hot offerings, anyway). We ended up using snack credits on grab-and-go offerings, or just eating stuff from home. -TERRIFIC gift shop. Good amount of resort-specific stuff, too. -Really great theming throughout. Fun place to walk through. -Bus service was steady, but definitely more crowded than we're used to. Don't recall waiting more than 20 minutes for a bus, but lines were usually crammed, and we stood on the bus about 80 percent of the trips. Just be prepared to stand. But they came pretty regularly. -Pool and other recreational activities looked great, but between busy days at the parks and the cool weather, we didn't take advantage. Overall, I'm glad we stayed there. We'll probably shoot for a moderate next time(we still love POFQ), but if we do another value, it will definitely be AoA.

Great to read this report! Thanks for sharing.

 

[lisahoo]

Hope y'all can stand another coffee question!

We're going to be in a suite in January. I MUST have coffee to function, especially to make a RD or EMH in the morning.

So in the suites, I understand there are those 'hotel' coffee makers that have the little pods and made 2 cups. I assume they also have the the packets with the creamer in powder form and sugar, etc., correct?

I really prefer dairy in my coffee to the mystery chemical goop -- do you think I should bring Mini-Moo's from home, or have some groceries delivered, including a small carton of milk?

Since it's January, I don't think we'll need as much water, but my kidlets don't drink soda, so the refillable mugs aren't going to do too much for them. I'm considering bringing a Brita pitcher if I can borrow one, or buying bottled water and possibly a few breakfast groceries. Recommendations on vendors (Amazon, Staples, Garden Grocer, etc.) are welcome, too!

 

[Castaway Dave]

Hope y'all can stand another coffee question! We're going to be in a suite in January. I MUST have coffee to function, especially to make a RD or EMH in the morning. So in the suites, I understand there are those 'hotel' coffee makers that have the little pods and made 2 cups. I assume they also have the the packets with the creamer in powder form and sugar, etc., correct? I really prefer dairy in my coffee to the mystery chemical goop -- do you think I should bring Mini-Moo's from home, or have some groceries delivered, including a small carton of milk? Since it's January, I don't think we'll need as much water, but my kidlets don't drink soda, so the refillable mugs aren't going to do too much for them. I'm considering bringing a Brita pitcher if I can borrow one, or buying bottled water and possibly a few breakfast groceries. Recommendations on vendors (Amazon, Staples, Garden Grocer, etc.) are welcome, too!

I always pass through the food court on my return from the parks and grab some coffee creamers for my morning coffee in the room. If you rent a car there are several grocery stores near by. We did that one year.

 

[dreamseeker9]

I just returned from 4 days in a LM room. Overall, I had a great stay, even if one afternoon and evening was very rainy, then the last 2 days were cold (for Florida, anyway). No Christmas decorations yet at AOA, though the area for the Christmas tree in the lobby was roped off.

I echo what KingLlama wrote - Be prepared to stand on the buses! The parks weren't that crowded, but I stood on almost every bus from AOA. Granted, I did give up my seat twice for kids to sit down. But the buses were packed. I don't remember them being that packed when we stayed there in November 2012.

I'll write a trip report with more details, but here are some of my AOA impressions:

• The Drop Off pool bar is the best! Ask for Dustin, he will take good care of you!
• The AOA overall theming is absolutely amazing. The Cars section is the best, I think, but they are all beautifully done. I noticed that each section even plays music that relates to that movie's storyline! Incredible.
• The walk to my Building 9 room did seem long at the end of a park day, though it really only took me about 5 minutes.
• The room soundproofing, at least for the LM rooms, is atrocious. I was awakened twice at 5:30 AM by kids next door, and I could hear a couple arguing on the other side one evening. When people walked by my door, it sounded like they were going to come into my room. Even with earplugs in, I could hear the pizza golf cart making rounds through midnight.
• Online check-in is nice as far as someone greeted me by name when I walked in the door, and I only had to show photo ID. My room wasn't ready, which was fine. But when I received the text that it was ready, I didn't get either of my requests - lake view (which I didn't really need), and I'd requested top floor - I got the first floor, which I really didn't want. I didn't try to change it because my luggage had already been delivered to the room.
• I had a big issue with the luggage service - since my room wasn't ready when I arrived, I checked my carry-on bag with luggage service. They told me my bag would be delivered to my room as soon as my room was ready. I received a text that it was ready around 1:45 PM. I had packed my bathing suit in my carry-on so I could swim before my DME luggage arrived. When I returned from the park around 4:00 PM and went to my room, my DME suitcase was there, but no carry-on. I called and the luggage service manager said it should have been delivered already and he would have to follow up. Oh, and I stupidly put my cell phone charger in my carry-on, so now my cell was dead with no way to charge it. After 30 minutes, I asked a luggage guy passing my room, and he radioed in to ask the status - the manager said they were working on it, and it would take some time. I think they misplaced it and didn't want to tell me that. So I missed out on prime swimming weather. I went to the pool bar instead. At 6:00 PM, I went back to my room, and the bag was finally there.
• The Ink & Paint Shop is one of the best all-around variety shops in all the resorts, and I looked in several deluxe resort shops this trip.
• Landscape of Flavors opens at 7:00 AM and closes at 11:00 PM. If you're trying to do EMH or a park that opens at 8:00 AM, it's not easy in that time frame. Same if you stay late at a park - all 3 nights, I made it back to AOA after LoF had closed. I wish their hours were 6a-12a, I think people would definitey use it. Other resorts' food courts have those hours. Also, the later you go to LoF for breakfast, the busier it is. One morning, I was there at 7:15 AM, and it wasn't bad at all. The next morning at 8:30 AM, it was crazy busy. The last morning at 9:15 AM, it was crazy busy!
• No coffee maker in the LM rooms - boo. But the showerhead was AMAZING. It felt so good after being wet from the rain one day, then being cold all day the next day.

If I go again solo, I won't stay at AOA. If I go with friends or family, I'd consider an AOA suite.

 

[Mmfan4]

Thanks for the report dreamseeker9

 

[lisahoo]

I always pass through the food court on my return from the parks and grab some coffee creamers for my morning coffee in the room. If you rent a car there are several grocery stores near by. We did that one year.

Not renting a car, but not too proud to gleep some coffee creamers from the food court! Great idea, thanks!

I think I'm going to pack a few non-perishable groceries in my suitcase so I have room on the way home for whatever.