Pros and cons for the Art of Animation resort

[dduckfan1]

We are planning a trip to the world for Oct 2014. It'll include extended family as well. We are thinking of staying at the Art of Animation resort. We usually stay at a moderate resort but want to try a value resort to help everyone save a little money. Just want to know some pros and cons for staying here and hear of any experiences, good or bad. Also any suggestions for alternatives. Thanks!!

 

[Desnik]

We are planning a trip to the world for Oct 2014. It'll include extended family as well. We are thinking of staying at the Art of Animation resort. We usually stay at a moderate resort but want to try a value resort to help everyone save a little money. Just want to know some pros and cons for staying here and hear of any experiences, good or bad. Also any suggestions for alternatives. Thanks!!

Are you planning on a suite or Little Mermaid room?

The only con with the LM rooms is the double beds. That's all I can come up with!

We stayed at AoA in a LM room over Xmas week and had a fantastic time. Our room was perfect, the resort itself is great. We didn't get to use the pool because of the weather, but we viewed them all and walked around the entire resort. The theming is really amazing. We loved it and our kids aren't so little anymore (10 & 15) and they loved it too. The food court is great too with lots of options and somethinhg for everyone. The CM's were all pleasant and friendly. We were lucky to get a really awesome corner 4th floor room in building 7 (Ursula) and were able to see fireworks right outside our window!!

The resort doesn't share a bus and there is only one bus stop. For me, that's a huge plus. The distance to the parks isn't an issue, not that long at all.

Another con for some is that the LM rooms are never discounted like the other value rooms are. But I'll deal with no discount to be in a nice, new room! Although, some have reported being able to get a small discount on the room through Travelocity. So, that's worth checking out.

If you are looking for a suite at AoA, and not the LM rooms, keep in mind those rooms are not a value price (IMHO). There are discounts offered, but are usually only 15% off. You could have families "double up" in a suite because I believe they sleep 6, that could save some money. The plus there is they have a kitchen which can help save money on breakfast.

If you are going with extended family, are on a budget, have kids of different ages, I think AoA is a perfect resort.

We will be there again in 4 days!!

 

[JennyDrake]

Here is my review of AoA from last October:


I was there in October 2012. The theming is INCREDIBLE. You really MUST visit if for no other reason. But my overall review was not positive.

This resort is big and it is a hike to the food court and bus stops. I just completed a half marathon, so I *don't* mind walking, but this was a hike. We had a senior with mobility issues, so it it was more pronounced in our situation.

There seemed to be more "room noise" at this resort than AS--and I am a heavy sleeper. Very aware of babies crying in rooms and doors opening and closing all around. We were on the second floor. In the future, I will ask for a top floor room.

Bus service was good to/from parks. We did not go to DTD. All the CMs were super nice.

The REAL negative is the food court. It has a terrible layout and it is just BEDLAM. The queuing lines are not nearly as long as they need to be. Service was sluggish and I can't tell you why. It seemed a bit understaffed, but not terribly so. It took 10-15 minutes (one time 20 min) to get through the lines and get food, then stand in line again to pay. By the time you are seated, the food is tepid. Then you have to get silverware, drinks, find a table, etc. The noise level is HORRENDOUS even at non-peak times. And the traffic flow design (WHAT traffic flow design??) is very poor. There is no real flow pattern.

Seating is ample, which is nice. You get real plates and silverware which is good news/bad news. I found that I bristled at having to so bus my own table. You have to try to get the trash and remnants into a trash receptacle with a too small door that is spring loaded to close. Then you sort of recycling and the dishes in one bin and flatware in another. It reminded me WAY too much of bussing tables in a restaurant.

Food quality was OK but not remarkably better than AS, which is what I had hoped for... The food "looks" better than it tastes. Naan bread is VERY good and I really enjoyed the build your own fruit bowls and yogurt/granola bowls for breakfast.

Mousekeeping was fine.

I was booked there again in December, but I switched to Pop and just walk over with a friend to show it all to her. The food court & noise levels put a damper on the overall experience for me.

In case you are wondering, I am NOT a deluxe snob. I have only stayed deluxe 4 out of 30+ visits. The vast majority of my visits by far are at the values.

 

[GadgetTheInventor]

AoA is a quite a bit more expensive than the POP and fewer people get to sleep on real beds.

If you want to save money, why not just stay at the POP and walk over to AoA to enjoy the outdoor theming? The food courts are only about a 7 minute walk apart

AS would save you even more money, but POP is a big step up IMO to the AS resorts.

Does AoA actually save you more money than PO?

 

[pampam]

I would never stay at AOA because of the noise in the food court. We stayed at Pop and walked over the bridge to check out the new resort. The themeing was wonderful, but when we went to the food court for lunch it was extremely noisy. The food court was pretty much empty, but all the surfaces seemed to be hard. There didn't seem to be much soft surface to absorb the noise. Also, the dishes were not paper and the rattle of the cutlery vibrated through the whole room. It was not relaxing at all, and I imagine at breakfast it would be chaos. I was glad when lunch was finished and we could get outside again, away from the loud sounds.

 

[mum2four]

We spent a week in an AOA suite earlier this year, so I can't give you specifics on the LM rooms if that's what your looking for. But, here are our pros and cons:

Pros:
1. Transportation was excellent, frequent buses, dedicated bus service with no extra stops
2. Landscaping/theming is very neat and well kept, and the kids loved it
3. Extra space and second bathroom in the suites
4. It was very quiet inside our LK building
5. Fronk desk CM's were great
6. The suite allowed our whole family to stay together without the risk of being separated with non-connecting rooms.
7. Mousekeeping was good throughout the week. Our room was always clean when we came back for breaks after lunch.
8. Quick walk over to Pop for additional dining options
9. Everything in the suite was new and in good working condition

Cons:
1. Outside paths and public areas were busy/congested
2. Foodcourt was loud and unorganized. Foodcourt CM's not the friendlest.
3. Our room was not as clean as I would have liked upon arrival (but I'm picky)
4. Price of suites - two value rooms would be less expensive
5. We will most likely not return as we would like to stay at a resort with a more relaxing vibe next time

Some people feel the walk between the LM section and the main building is too far, but we didn't think it was that big of a deal. Our almost three-year old DD managed walking all around the resort just fine.

 

[goofy4tink]

I like AoA. I've stayed in a LM room twice now. I don't mind the walk at all...it's just not a huge issue for me. I had a ground level room, in the Ursula bldg, in early June. We faced the pool...I thought it would be noisy, but it wasn't at all. It was nice just walking out the door, and thru the gate into the pool.
The buses are good. The food court is okay..not my favorite. But it gets the job done.
My biggest issue with AoA? A large percentage of rooms are family suites. Only the 3 bldgs of the LM section are actual rooms. And those rooms aren't cheap!!! I paid about $90 a night for a room at ASMusic the week before, in May. We moved to AoA for our last two nights...paid $173 for Saturday night and $148 for Sunday night!!!! Never again. It's nice and all and my dd is a huge Little Mermaid fan. But I am not paying that kind of money for a value room again!!!

 

[Pats Dragon]

Love aoa and enjoyed our stay in lm rooms. The theming is beautiful and new. The food court is pretty and I didn't notice noise or a problem with lines. I liked but did not love the food. Buses are great, mousekeeping and all the cm's are very helpful. The only con is the very very long walk.

 

[dduckfan1]

Some of us our going to be in the suite and some will be in the standard room. I'm also wondering if there are 4 adults and a child in one suite if that'll seem crowded? Plus are the sofa bed and the Murphy bed (dining table bed) comfortable? Is it worth paying for a suite vs the standard room?

 

[goofy4tink]

A standard room would be way too crowded for 4 adults!!! And depending on the age of the child, you might end up with two standard rooms. Occupancy is 4 plus a child under the age of 3 (if I remember correctly).

 

[tinktinktink]

Some of us our going to be in the suite and some will be in the standard room. I'm also wondering if there are 4 adults and a child in one suite if that'll seem crowded? Plus are the sofa bed and the Murphy bed (dining table bed) comfortable? Is it worth paying for a suite vs the standard room?

It won't seem crowded at all we stayed in a Nemo suite last sept 3 adults 1 child and there was more than enough room we could have fit 2 more people comfortably. Having 2 bathrooms is also great!