mum2four
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2012
- Messages
- 725
Just returned from a great week at WDW! We stayed 7 nights at AOA in a Lion King suite. We are a family of 6: Me and DH, and four kids, ages about 15, 8, 6, and 3. Our previous trips we have stayed at SOG and offsite, so this was our first experience with a Disney resort. So, here are my thoughts:
Check-in:
We arrived about 4pm and there were only a few people checking in. Staff was very friendly, check-in took about 3 minutes, and then we were off! Our room requests were granted: fourth floor, lake view.
The room:
We found the size of the family suite to be very adequate for the six of us and our luggage. Having two bathrooms was wonderful! DH and I slept in the master bedroom, and it was great having a separate room/bathroom/TV from the kids, especially after they went to bed. However, I found the queen bed very uncomfortable. It was hard and creaky, and just felt weird.
DH said the firmness was good for his back, but I found the bed horrible. I also tried out the sofa bed and Murphy bed, and they were both very comfy. The kids had no complaints either.
Upon arrival, the room was mostly clean, but I could tell someone had done a lazy job of vacuuming: popcorn kernels, crumbs, and dry cereal in the corners and under/behind furniture. Also, the blanket in the drawer that is to be used for the sofa bed was horribly dirty, with dried food and dirt stuck on it.
Obviously, it had not been washed. But, after those two issues had been taken care of, housekeeping was great for the rest of the week. No towel animals, but I wasnt really expecting any. We also had no noise issues at all during the week.
Also, just wanted to touch on a few complaints I had read about AOA before visiting: First, it is true that the thermometer in the room does not go below 68 degrees. But, I must be cold-blooded because we kept our room set at 72. Any colder than that and I was freezing! Second, towels in the room are not luxurious, but they are fine. Next, as others have mentioned, the comforter on the queen bed was bizarrely heavy and strange feeling. However, about half way through the week, we returned to find the comforter gone and replaced with just a colorful throw at the end of the bed. Much better! Lastly, the walk from the main area to the Little Mermaid section not a big deal at all.
Pools:
All three pools are nice, but nothing special. The Nemo pool was always busy, but never to the point where I couldnt keep an eye on my kids. Chairs were always plentiful. The Cars and LM pool were never too busy. The zero entry was great for my youngest. Unfortunately, the Nemo splash area was closed for repairs during our entire stay. That was disappointing.
Food Court:
We had dinner at the food court once .and only once. I will say that the dining area is very nicely decorated, there was always plenty of seating available, and the food we had was good. However, the process of ordering, receiving and paying for our food was very slow and stressful. There just is no flow to the whole area, resulting in multiple lines, cramped ordering areas, confusion, and people trying to cross back and forth while balancing everything on a tray. Especially difficult with young children! The staff in the food court seemed overwhelmed and stressed as well.
Bus transportation:
Excellent! We had a 15 minutes wait one day leaving MK, but other than that, our waits were 0-5 minutes. We also made it to early morning ADRs with no problems at all. Travel time to MK was 10-15 minutes, and shorter to the other parks.
Lobby/public areas:
The lobby was bright and colorful, and the kids loved all the pictures. However, I couldnt help but notice that the tile floor is not holding up well to all the traffic. Tiles are cracked, broken in places, and some grout missing between tiles. It also always seemed dirty, even though I saw staff cleaning it often during our visit. We visited Pops lobby during the week, and their lobby seemed so much nicer. I really think it had to do with the floor.
Of course, the outside areas of the resort are wonderfully themed. My kids loved walking around and taking pictures with all the characters. Landscaping is beautiful and well-maintained and everything is clean. Now, I knew before coming here that this is a big resort with lots of families and children, so I was prepared for a lot of people. But, I was still overwhelmed by how crowded it was at the resort.
Now, the mornings and afternoons were not so bad, but evenings were very crowded. It was almost like walking around the theme parks at times, trying to dodge strollers and groups of people on the walkways. I will say that it appeared as though a lot of people who were not staying at AOA stopped by in the evenings to look around, and that added to the crowds. Hopefully, that will die down a bit in the future. One evening, we walked over to POP to take a stroll, and the difference in the crowd level between the two resorts was amazing! POP seemed so quiet.
All in all, we had a good time. I really wanted to love this resort, but I only liked it. Im glad we stayed here while most of my kids were young enough to enjoy the theming. They loved it and didnt notice any of the negatives that I did. I would recommend this resort to those with young children or larger families, but be aware that is can be very crowded at times and the food court can be difficult to navigate. If those are deal breakers, then look elsewhere. Would we stay here again? No, I dont think so. We only visit WDW once every few years, so the kids will be older next time, and I think well be looking for a different experience maybe the cabins?
Hope that helps anyone considering AOA. Id be happy to answer any other questions!
Check-in:
We arrived about 4pm and there were only a few people checking in. Staff was very friendly, check-in took about 3 minutes, and then we were off! Our room requests were granted: fourth floor, lake view.
The room:
We found the size of the family suite to be very adequate for the six of us and our luggage. Having two bathrooms was wonderful! DH and I slept in the master bedroom, and it was great having a separate room/bathroom/TV from the kids, especially after they went to bed. However, I found the queen bed very uncomfortable. It was hard and creaky, and just felt weird.
DH said the firmness was good for his back, but I found the bed horrible. I also tried out the sofa bed and Murphy bed, and they were both very comfy. The kids had no complaints either.Upon arrival, the room was mostly clean, but I could tell someone had done a lazy job of vacuuming: popcorn kernels, crumbs, and dry cereal in the corners and under/behind furniture. Also, the blanket in the drawer that is to be used for the sofa bed was horribly dirty, with dried food and dirt stuck on it.
Obviously, it had not been washed. But, after those two issues had been taken care of, housekeeping was great for the rest of the week. No towel animals, but I wasnt really expecting any. We also had no noise issues at all during the week. Also, just wanted to touch on a few complaints I had read about AOA before visiting: First, it is true that the thermometer in the room does not go below 68 degrees. But, I must be cold-blooded because we kept our room set at 72. Any colder than that and I was freezing! Second, towels in the room are not luxurious, but they are fine. Next, as others have mentioned, the comforter on the queen bed was bizarrely heavy and strange feeling. However, about half way through the week, we returned to find the comforter gone and replaced with just a colorful throw at the end of the bed. Much better! Lastly, the walk from the main area to the Little Mermaid section not a big deal at all.
Pools:
All three pools are nice, but nothing special. The Nemo pool was always busy, but never to the point where I couldnt keep an eye on my kids. Chairs were always plentiful. The Cars and LM pool were never too busy. The zero entry was great for my youngest. Unfortunately, the Nemo splash area was closed for repairs during our entire stay. That was disappointing.
Food Court:
We had dinner at the food court once .and only once. I will say that the dining area is very nicely decorated, there was always plenty of seating available, and the food we had was good. However, the process of ordering, receiving and paying for our food was very slow and stressful. There just is no flow to the whole area, resulting in multiple lines, cramped ordering areas, confusion, and people trying to cross back and forth while balancing everything on a tray. Especially difficult with young children! The staff in the food court seemed overwhelmed and stressed as well.
Bus transportation:
Excellent! We had a 15 minutes wait one day leaving MK, but other than that, our waits were 0-5 minutes. We also made it to early morning ADRs with no problems at all. Travel time to MK was 10-15 minutes, and shorter to the other parks.
Lobby/public areas:
The lobby was bright and colorful, and the kids loved all the pictures. However, I couldnt help but notice that the tile floor is not holding up well to all the traffic. Tiles are cracked, broken in places, and some grout missing between tiles. It also always seemed dirty, even though I saw staff cleaning it often during our visit. We visited Pops lobby during the week, and their lobby seemed so much nicer. I really think it had to do with the floor.
Of course, the outside areas of the resort are wonderfully themed. My kids loved walking around and taking pictures with all the characters. Landscaping is beautiful and well-maintained and everything is clean. Now, I knew before coming here that this is a big resort with lots of families and children, so I was prepared for a lot of people. But, I was still overwhelmed by how crowded it was at the resort.
Now, the mornings and afternoons were not so bad, but evenings were very crowded. It was almost like walking around the theme parks at times, trying to dodge strollers and groups of people on the walkways. I will say that it appeared as though a lot of people who were not staying at AOA stopped by in the evenings to look around, and that added to the crowds. Hopefully, that will die down a bit in the future. One evening, we walked over to POP to take a stroll, and the difference in the crowd level between the two resorts was amazing! POP seemed so quiet. All in all, we had a good time. I really wanted to love this resort, but I only liked it. Im glad we stayed here while most of my kids were young enough to enjoy the theming. They loved it and didnt notice any of the negatives that I did. I would recommend this resort to those with young children or larger families, but be aware that is can be very crowded at times and the food court can be difficult to navigate. If those are deal breakers, then look elsewhere. Would we stay here again? No, I dont think so. We only visit WDW once every few years, so the kids will be older next time, and I think well be looking for a different experience maybe the cabins?
Hope that helps anyone considering AOA. Id be happy to answer any other questions!
