Usually stay Deluxe or Moderate thinking of Art of Annimation

[mcbj]

We have never stayed at a value resort but thinking of trying AoA and extending the trip to ten days. Has anyone who is used to staying Deluxe tried it? How was it? Thinking of the Little Mermaid section, we are a family of four so we don't really need the suite.

 

[vettegirl]

We have stayed deluxe and moderate, and just had a great stay at POP. I say go for it, the now AOA looks amazing!!

 

[thejman]

We have always stayed in deluxe resorts in the past. We just went this past April and the kids really wanted to stay at AoA. We stayed for 2 nights to try it out and we really liked it. The kids loved the Nemo room that we stayed in and the pool. They did not want to leave, but the rest of our stay was at the Beach Club. We would definitely stay there again.

 

[MinnieTink]

We have stayed at all levels of resorts and last weekend my DH and I stayed in the LM section of AoA. It was fine. The other areas seem to have more elaborate theming. The LM section is quite a walk from the food court/lobby area. You would need to walk through the whole Lion King section to get to the mermaid rooms. It's a nice walk but at the end of the day it feels long! Also the bus stops at the parks were far away as well, like the last (or furthest) or close to last. Don't get me wrong, the resort was cute and clean but I couldn't stay 10 days there.

 

[Sue M]

We haven't stayed there in a Mermaid room. We did go last August to look around and the grounds look really cute. But the room will be a lot smaller then the mods and deluxe. Double beds, single sink. No coffee. No bench, plastic chairs? Look at the pics on Allears.net. They have lots if pics and video.
As I said the grounds are very cute, so depends how important room ammenities are to you.

 

[smidgy]

you don't have to walk thru lion king to get to Little mermaid from the bus stops. there is a sidewalk alongside the parking lot.

it is a bit of a walk from LM to the food court an bus stop, though. just want you to be aware. they do have a stand set up in the morning to buy some breakfast items and coffee, etc. you can fill the mugs, with tea too! bu tonly till 11am.

 

[Disneytwinsmom]

I am a TA, and just had clients return who have stayed at Boardwalk Inn and AK in the past. Even though there are only 4 of them, since it was a 9 day stay then went with a Cars suite at AOA. They loved it! They said that is their new favorite. They loved having 2 bathrooms and that the kids didn't have to share a bed (one used the pull out and the other the murphy bed). Their sons loved the Nemo pool. She didnt miss have a table service restaurant at all. She and hubby thought the buses were quick and frequent. Boys loved the arcade. She thought it felt "very Disney"!

 

[Mousemommy1]

We have stayed deluxe the past few visits and LOVE it! But, I am totally staying at AoA in September for my girls' trip to do Food & Wine and MNSSHP! We are hardly going to be in the room, so I know we won't be able to take advantage of the amenities of the deluxe, so why put out that extra money?

Plus, AoA is now the only value I haven't stayed at, so I get to check that off my list!

 

[longneckthree]

but we had to try the Lion King suite. There are six of us (the youngest being 11). We all loved it. The only thing that was bothersome was that there were no towels at the pool. We had to call every night for more towels.

 

[mousefan73]

My .02c if AOA then treat yourselves to a suite. Not sure the kid's ages. But it is sooo nice having a closed off room where the kids can sleep and parents can stay up watching tv or what not

You might miss the lusher grounds, lobby, and nicer pools though. Theming is nice at AOA.

 

[MeeskaMomma]

We are only a family of 3, but we opted for the cars suite and were so glad we did! It was so nice not having to go to bed when DS did, or tiptoeing around while he slept. It was also nice having two bathrooms.

 

[pamkat1820]

We considered the same thing when we planed our up coming trip. I think it's very kid friendly. My son would go nuts for the cars suites. But we just couldn't do it. We stayed moderate on our last trip, we missed the interior corridors, balcony and the extras the deluxe has. Make sure you are sure

 

[queenmichelle]

I have stayed all resort categories but lately I prefer the deluxe resorts. I stayed at AoA last August. It wasn't even fully open...just Cars and Nemo and it felt super crowded and loud to me. Plus I think the bus service is lousy. The theme is amazing and well done. The food court has some really great and unusual stuff but if you like the slower, quieter feel of the deluxes you may not enjoy yourself. I declared to my family we aren't staying at a value again after staying at AoA. I guess if I can't enjoy the newest and fanciest value to date why bother. We just bought into DVC so now I don't have to worry about that again.

 

[michashell]

We have never stayed at a value resort but thinking of trying AoA and extending the trip to ten days. Has anyone who is used to staying Deluxe tried it? How was it? Thinking of the Little Mermaid section, we are a family of four so we don't really need the suite.

We loved the Lion King Suites but the Little Mermaid rooms are going to be very small compared to what you are accustomed. Our suite was awesome - we are also a family of 4 but have small children. The extra bathroom and private master bedroom were wonderful, and we always ate breakfast in the room. The pools were great for us. Our kids were only 5 and 3 at the time. If your kids are older, they might miss having a more elaborately themed pool and slide. We did, however, miss having a table service restaurant at the resort.

We would definitely do it again in a SUITE but not Little Mermaid. Too small for us.

 

[JennyDrake]

I was there in October. 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 queing 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 receptable 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 currently booked there again this month, 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 20+ visits. The vast majority of my visits by far are at the values.