On a recent travel agent trip to Disney World, I had the unique opportunity to take a tour of the brand new Art of Animation Resort. Like everyone else, I had read all about this fun new resort online and was super excited to have the chance to see it in person. I was so impressed with the resort during my brief tour that I couldn’t wait until I could come back with my family and enjoy it in person.
That opportunity came sooner than I anticipated and my family and I were happy to find ourselves checking into the Art of Animation Resort this past week. The excitement in my children’s eyes as we walked out of the main registration area and took in the “Big Blue Pool” was priceless.
Being a frequent traveler to Disney, I consider myself a Deluxe Resort kind of a girl, so I wasn’t sure how this new “Value Plus” Resort was going to stack up against the Resorts where we usually stay. Disney, as usual, outdid their selves and we felt right at home as soon as we walked through the doors to our suite!
In typical Disney fashion, the Art of Animation Resort is tailored to make your family vacation comfortable and fun. From the adorable décor, to the beautiful pools and the friendly and helpful Cast Members, our vacation was truly magical from start to finish.
We had the pleasure of staying in a Finding Nemo Suite and I was very impressed with the comfortable layout of the suite. This Resort was definitely built for families with small kids in mind! Finally, a vacation where everyone has a little space for themselves in a suite that is still affordable.
As you walk into the Living room area, you are greeted with the cheerful tropical décor from the movie Finding Nemo. A full sized sleeper sofa, chest of drawers and flat screen TV make up the Living Room area and a dining room table with seating for four converts to an Inova bed at night. There is a full bathroom with tub and a separate sink and vanity area as well. The Master bedroom features a queen size bed, chest of drawers and flat screen TV and an additional full size bathroom with an oversized shower. After a long day of playing at the Parks, it was wonderful to be able to get the kids settled in their area of the suite and still have some time to relax with my hubby.
The atmosphere all around the Resort was fun and relaxed. We greatly enjoyed spending a few days of our vacation enjoying the big blue pool and the kids got a huge kick out of the underwater sound system. In addition to the pool, there is a playground, splash-n-play area for kids and games and activities going on throughout the day. We even watched a “dive-in” movie one night!
The Landscape of Flavor food court is another pleasant feature for a relaxing family vacation. With multiple bays featuring a wide variety of food options, there is definitely something for everyone, including healthy options like fruit and yogurt for the kids to choose as sides with their entrees or fresh fruit smoothies for a healthy treat. Gone are the days of greasy theme park food. This food court features gourmet hamburgers and sandwiches, made-to-order pastas and Tandoori, as well as a scrumptious variety of desserts and gelato. The choices are endless! In addition to the amazing food, the food court has ample seating both inside and out and like the rest of the Resort, you can choose to sit in a different “theme” each day. The food court stays open until midnight, so you can even grab a quick snack on your way back to your room from the Parks.
Another big bonus for us was the designated Art of Animation buses. Because the Art of Animation does not share bus service with any of the other Resorts, the transportation to and from the Parks and Downtown Disney was quick and easy throughout our entire trip. Even during the busiest times of the day, we were able to get a bus without waiting and were back at the Resort with ease.
In addition to all of the amazing amenities and services, what really makes this Resort stand out is the adorable décor. Disney has done such an amazing job of designing this Resort, making the stories come alive with larger than life icons. You almost feel like you are enjoying one of the theme Parks right at your hotel! What kid wouldn’t love to stay in the Cars section where you can take pictures or play around your favorite characters from the movies? Or stay in the jungle in the Lion King sections where you might even do a little exploring in the Bone yard? The larger than life icons from some of Disney’s most beloved movies really give this Resort something special without being over the top. Our stay at the Art of Animation was everything we hoped for and was full of those special touches that you expect from a Disney vacation. We haven’t even finished unpacking and we are already planning our next visit to this fabulous Resort! That is the magic of Disney…
Jennifer Hodges Kozlow, is a travel specialist with Glass Slipper Concierge. Glass Slipper is a Disney-specialized travel concierge service that offers meticulously-planned Disney vacations at no additional cost to you! To learn more, visit: http://www.glassslipperconcierge.com/about-us/specialist/jennifer-kozlow
We are packed and ready to go there, looks beautiful and so much fun!! perfect place! Can’t wait! Thanks for the info.
A proovactvie insight! Just what we need!