Disney's ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Thread

[kwdw]

How are the waits for the buses at this resort? It is our first time. We typically go at rope drop and sometimes return in the afternoon and come back for dinner.

Like all resorts - completely variable. Sometimes great, sometimes bad - can vary by the park you are headed to/from, the day, and your mood. Overall - we've found bus service there to be just fine.

The ONLY problem with AoA bus service? It's the absolute farthest bus stop at MK - and it feels like that walk is forever in the evening!

 

[KT0191]

Hi all Just did some rearranging for our trip in May and now we will be doing 4 nights at Pop the first half and then 4 nights at AoA in a Mermaid the second half. We stayed here for one night last September in a Lion King suite and loved it!
What are some requests ya'll like to make for a Mermaid room? I'm thinking "lake view" and "ground floor" but wanted to hear from others.

 

[bluezy]

How are the waits for the buses at this resort? It is our first time. We typically go at rope drop and sometimes return in the afternoon and come back for dinner.

We've stayed at AoA three times (total of 21 park days) and we've found the bus service to be good. I will start by saying that we tend to ride the buses at "non-peak" times other than the occasional ride back to the resort at the closing of a park (and even then, we usually hang out in the park for an extra 20 minutes to let the bus lines die down). If we're going to rope drop at a park, we're at the resort bus stop 75-90 minutes before the park opens -- so we're usually a few minutes ahead of the big rush. It's not unusual for us to get on a bus and see throngs of people heading towards the bus queue as we pull away. It's all about timing. I can count on one hand the number of times we've waited more than 10 minutes for a bus when leaving the resort and most waits were around 5 minutes. We usually go to a park in the morning; come back to the resort midday for a break; and head back to a park in the evening so we use the buses a lot. There are monitor screens at the resort bus stops now to let you know when the next bus is arriving. At the parks, we've found the service to be pretty good as well. If we're heading back to the resort mid-day, we've found that the wait is usually less than 10 minutes. At closing time, it can be longer but I don't think we've ever waited more than 20 minutes except for the time we chose not to get on a packed bus because we preferred to wait a few more minutes for the next bus and then have a seat for the ride back to the resort (this was at MK after a looooonnnnggg day in the park). They do usually have buses coming one right after the other at closing time so the line moves quickly. And the articulated buses can hold a lot of people. The nice thing about staying at AoA is that you can hop on a bus back to Pop Century and just walk back to AoA from there if you want to. We usually do that a few times each week because it's a pretty walk especially at night. The biggest downside to AoA is that it is usually the furthest bus stop at every park. It feels like an extremely long walk at MK and DS/DTD.

 

[pisc0011]

This may be an odd question but here goes. We are staying the suites and both DH and I drink coffee every morning and sometimes in the afternoon. First, can we request more coffee pods for the little machines each day? Second, I saw they have disposable coffee cups in the room but do they have lids to go with them? We prefer not to bring our refillable mugs in the morning because we don't like to carry in the park. Thanks!

 

[KMarston]

How do parking passes work at AOA? Is it possible to get two per suite? My daughter is going to pick up a relatives car to bring back halfway through our trip.

 

[LisaPisa]

I've settled on an AoA family suite as the destination for my family of 5 this time next year (Jan or Feb 2018). I see peoples signature time trackers on posts indicating their trip is one-year-so many days away. But when I go to the Disney website dates are only released through December this year, and two discount sites I've plugged my dates into say "sold out this date". Are suites really not released yet as Disney indicates? Or have I missed the boat for booking via discount site? I read a hundred pages back a post from June 2016 saying rooms were about to be released for Jan 2017. Should I check back in June or are these rooms already sold out?

Also, is there a rhyme or reason to when they do promotions like free dining and such...so that I should be patient and wait for a great deal to come by since I have the time? I'm afraid to miss out on a suite as they seem very popular!

 

[Disneylover99]

What are some requests ya'll like to make for a Mermaid room? I'm thinking "lake view" and "ground floor" but wanted to hear from others.

I would request, ground floor, building #7, close to building #6. I like either landscape or lake view in this building. I would just want to be as close as possible to the lion king section to lesson my walk to the main building if possible.

 

[Disneylover99]

I've settled on an AoA family suite as the destination for my family of 5 this time next year (Jan or Feb 2018). I see peoples signature time trackers on posts indicating their trip is one-year-so many days away. But when I go to the Disney website dates are only released through December this year, and two discount sites I've plugged my dates into say "sold out this date". Are suites really not released yet as Disney indicates? Or have I missed the boat for booking via discount site? I read a hundred pages back a post from June 2016 saying rooms were about to be released for Jan 2017. Should I check back in June or are these rooms already sold out?

Also, is there a rhyme or reason to when they do promotions like free dining and such...so that I should be patient and wait for a great deal to come by since I have the time? I'm afraid to miss out on a suite as they seem very popular!

Don't worry. I don't think your dates are available yet, but it's just coming up as sold out. Booking for next year usually opens up in June/July for the following year.

Last year free dining became bookable at the end of April for dates between August and December. Discounts for January generally become available in early fall.

 

[MaC410]

Do they only give out Little Mermaid rooms with a king bed to guests who need an accessible room? Or if you request it and they have the availability will they grant your request?

 

[NJBILL]

We will be in Cars A of A Suite in a few weeks. Best building to be close to refillable mugs? Any other tips welcomed. Never stayed here before.
Thanks.

 

[bluezy]

Do they only give out Little Mermaid rooms with a king bed to guests who need an accessible room? Or if you request it and they have the availability will they grant your request?

There are some rooms with king beds that are just standard rooms, but the number is very small (I've read less than 10, but I don't know if that's accurate). You can request a king room, but there's no guarantee that you will get one..but it never hurts to ask.

We will be in Cars A of A Suite in a few weeks. Best building to be close to refillable mugs? Any other tips welcomed. Never stayed here before.
Thanks.

You're going to want to request Bldg. 1 or 3. If you're using the Touring Plans fax request, I'd request a room in one of those buildings that is close to Animation Hall. If you're doing Disney's online check-in, I'd request "close to transportation" as the food court and bus stops are both at the same end of Animation Hall (the end closest to the Lion King buildings) and there's no "close to food court" option.

My main tips for first time visitors to AoA are to make sure to walk around the Cars area at night as it's very immersive (you won't have a problem with that since you're staying in that section!). And don't be afraid to take a bus from a park back to Pop Century -- especially at night -- as it's a very pretty walk from Pop to AoA. You can also see Epcot & DHS fireworks from the various spots in the resort. The bridge between AoA & Pop is a great place to do this. Enjoy your stay!

 

[DevonsDisneyMom]

For those of you who have taken the Magical Express recently, what resorts shared a bus and what stop was AoA. While I know this can change depending on crowds, I am trying to get an idea. Thanks! Teresa

 

[DisneyDork1969]

Here ya go!!! Hope this helps.

Thanks for the pic...staying at AoA, Mermaid section for a week and requested a king size bed as well...YEAH!!!!

 

[dansdad]

This may be an odd question but here goes. We are staying the suites and both DH and I drink coffee every morning and sometimes in the afternoon. First, can we request more coffee pods for the little machines each day? Second, I saw they have disposable coffee cups in the room but do they have lids to go with them? We prefer not to bring our refillable mugs in the morning because we don't like to carry in the park. Thanks!

You can definitely get more coffee pods. Just call housekeeping from your room and request more for each day. Yes, there are lids too.

 

[dansdad]

How do parking passes work at AOA? Is it possible to get two per suite? My daughter is going to pick up a relatives car to bring back halfway through our trip.

Because the Suites sleep up to 6 guests, you can have up to 6 cars per Suite. The last time some of my family stayed they weren't even given a parking pass. Everyone's Magic Bands opened the gate.

 

[DisneyDork1969]

So I have booked a 7-day trip for late November at AoA...it will just be my BF and I on this trip...I really want to get a king bed...location in the Mermaid section is not really important to me...what is the best way to request a room with a king bed???...and WHEN???

Thanks!

 

[dansdad]

So I have booked a 7-day trip for late November at AoA...it will just be my BF and I on this trip...I really want to get a king bed...location in the Mermaid section is not really important to me...what is the best way to request a king-bed room...and WHEN???

Thanks!

Call the Main Reservations Line and add a request of a King Room to your reservation. This can be done anytime from the day you book up until 4-5 days out.

 

[MaC410]

Call the Main Reservations Line and add a request of a King Room to your reservation. This can be done anytime from the day you book up until 4-5 days out.

Is a king bed room one of the options you can request when you do online check-in? Or can this kind of request only be made over the phone?

 

[dansdad]

Is a king bed room one of the options you can request when you do online check-in?

No.

Or can this kind of request only be made over the phone?

Yes.

 

[KMarston]

Have several questions re: AoA. We head out in a week,Staying in a Lion King suite. I purchased some over the door organizers for the bathroom and it looks to me that those door are pocket doors? Can anyone clarify. Its just 4 of us but my 20month old grandson has travels with a lot of things so I thought these might be helpful. Second question is regarding blankets. My 80 yo MIL freezes. In the video of the room I don't see blankets on the murphy or sofa bed. Should I bring my own? We're driving a sedan and space will be tight! Third question: I snagged BOG resvn for 8;15 am. Was planning to ride the bus rather than drive to MK because I have a bum knee and I'm trying to do as little walking as possible and hopefully rent a scooter. Is there a way to get to the parks that early? Anyone know if rentals will be available at that time? Thanks for any advice. This is my first time planning a trip less than 3 weeks out but the opportunity presented itself so we're going with it!