Disney's ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Information & Questions

[DWillowBay]

We arrive in 6 days! So very excited to be staying in this resort. We had tried a few other times, but better savings or other preferences won out. Now...Little Mermaid....here we come!!

 

[Narnia_girl]

We have Lion King suite booked for the busiest week of the year (New Years Eve). There are five in our party. I know the suite says it sleeps six but that's with three beds. The dynamic of our party means we need four beds. Can we get a rollaway? Or should I plan to pack an air mattress?

 

[dansdad]

We have Lion King suite booked for the busiest week of the year (New Years Eve). There are five in our party. I know the suite says it sleeps six but that's with three beds. The dynamic of our party means we need four beds. Can we get a rollaway? Or should I plan to pack an air mattress?

No rollaways available. You'll have to bring/ship an air mattress.

 

[gometros]

We're in our check in online window and I noticed that two of the special requests items are 'water view' and 'close to transportation'. Looking at the resort map, it looks like these two options might not be smart to pick together, since one seems to contradict the other?

 

[Iowamomof4]

We're in our check in online window and I noticed that two of the special requests items are 'water view' and 'close to transportation'. Looking at the resort map, it looks like these two options might not be smart to pick together, since one seems to contradict the other?

I would tend to agree with your assessment.

 

[bluezy]

We're in our check in online window and I noticed that two of the special requests items are 'water view' and 'close to transportation'. Looking at the resort map, it looks like these two options might not be smart to pick together, since one seems to contradict the other?

It depends on what section you're in. If you're in a LK suite in Bldg. 6 you could have a water view and still be close to transportation if you're at the end of the building closest to the Nemo Section. We were in that area of Bldg. 6 last summer and we had less than a 4 minute walk from our room to the bus stops. We had a courtyard view but the rooms across the hall would have had a water view. The rooms in Bldg. 5 of the Nemo section (specifically the wing that juts out towards LK) would also have a similar walk. If you're in Cars or Little Mermaid, it would be more challenging to get a room that is both a water view *and* close to transportation.

 

[gometros]

Thanks. We booked a suite with no specific area specified, so unless I send in a request, it's anybody's guess.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks. We booked a suite with no specific area specified, so unless I send in a request, it's anybody's guess.

In that case, if you request water view *and* close to transportation, you could very well end up in a LK suite. We've been in the LK section twice and absolutely loved the location as being close to transportation and the food court are high on our priority list. Good luck with figuring out your choices...it's definitely tough to decide. We're booked in a Nemo suite this time and I'm still trying to figure out what room requests to make...though "close to transportation" will be one of them. I'm thinking of using the room request fax service at touringplans to have a better shot at getting the room location we really want....if I ever figure out exactly where that might be.

 

[gometros]

In that case, if you request water view *and* close to transportation, you could very well end up in a LK suite. We've been in the LK section twice and absolutely loved the location as being close to transportation and the food court are high on our priority list. Good luck with figuring out your choices...it's definitely tough to decide. We're booked in a Nemo suite this time and I'm still trying to figure out what room requests to make...though "close to transportation" will be one of them. I'm thinking of using the room request fax service at touringplans to have a better shot at getting the room location we really want....if I ever figure out exactly where that might be.

Thanks. Since this is our first time at AoA, I've been religiously following this thread for suggestions on location. With only three days before our cruise, I don't think the pool will be as important to us, so proximity to transportation and dining is probably the most important. It's funny, looking at the map, I would have thought Cars, not Lion King.

 

[bluezy]

Thanks. Since this is our first time at AoA, I've been religiously following this thread for suggestions on location. With only three days before our cruise, I don't think the pool will be as important to us, so proximity to transportation and dining is probably the most important. It's funny, looking at the map, I would have thought Cars, not Lion King.

I had the same thoughts (that Cars would be a better location for us) before we stayed there. In fact, on our first stay we were booked in a Cars suite. When we got there to check-in, the Cars suite we had been assigned was in the far end of Building 2 (certainly not close to transportation like I had requested). My kids weren't happy that I had requested Cars to begin with (I thought that's what they would have preferred) so since we got a crappy (in my mind) room location in Cars, I asked if they had anything in *any* of the sections that would be closer to the food court and transportation. The CM did his little "click, click, click" thing on his computer and said, "I have the perfect room for you in the Lion King section." He was right. It was perfect.

The reason I choose LK over Cars when trying to be close to food/transportation is because the bus stops and food court are at the LK end of Animation Hall. All of the LK suites are between approximately 125-250 yards away from the center of the food court and 250-325 yards from the center of the bus stops. Only about 1/3 of the Cars suites are less than 250 yards from the food court...some of them are more than 400 yards and the longest walk to the middle of the bus stops is about 450 yards. Granted, that's still not horrible, but if you're making that trek a few times a day over a 7 or 8 day stay, it starts to add up. The good thing about AoA is that you can do most of that walking inside of air-conditioned buildings. If we were only going to be there a few days or if we didn't use the refillable mugs a lot (or at all), I'd be ok with a Cars suite, but based on the way we spend our days at Disney, unless we're in a suite at the end of Cars building 1 closest to Animation Hall, I would not be happy.

 

[gometros]

I had the same thoughts (that Cars would be a better location for us) before we stayed there. In fact, on our first stay we were booked in a Cars suite. When we got there to check-in, the Cars suite we had been assigned was in the far end of Building 2 (certainly not close to transportation like I had requested). My kids weren't happy that I had requested Cars to begin with (I thought that's what they would have preferred) so since we got a crappy (in my mind) room location in Cars, I asked if they had anything in *any* of the sections that would be closer to the food court and transportation. The CM did his little "click, click, click" thing on his computer and said, "I have the perfect room for you in the Lion King section." He was right. It was perfect.

The reason I choose LK over Cars when trying to be close to food/transportation is because the bus stops and food court are at the LK end of Animation Hall. All of the LK suites are between approximately 125-250 yards away from the center of the food court and 250-325 yards from the center of the bus stops. Only about 1/3 of the Cars suites are less than 250 yards from the food court...some of them are more than 400 yards and the longest walk to the middle of the bus stops is about 450 yards. Granted, that's still not horrible, but if you're making that trek a few times a day over a 7 or 8 day stay, it starts to add up. The good thing about AoA is that you can do most of that walking inside of air-conditioned buildings. If we were only going to be there a few days or if we didn't use the refillable mugs a lot (or at all), I'd be ok with a Cars suite, but based on the way we spend our days at Disney, unless we're in a suite at the end of Cars building 1 closest to Animation Hall, I would not be happy.

Thanks for that. I went back this morning to try and modify my request and it wouldn't let me. So I guess I'll take my chance with waste view and highest floor and see where they put us.

 

[joanchris]

What are the current hours for the Big Blue pool? We're only spending one night at AoA and really want to swim, the only time will be after Illuminations!

 

[DWillowBay]

What are the current hours for the Big Blue pool? We're only spending one night at AoA and really want to swim, the only time will be after Illuminations!

Depending on when you can get back from Illuminations, the pool may be closed. There is no resort swimming when a lifeguard is not present. I have not stayed at AoA before, but I have stayed at other Disney resorts and the pool closed at 11:00pm.

 

[DWillowBay]

This time tomorrow, I'll be winging my way to AoA!! So excited. We're staying "Under the Sea".

 

[WDWNY]

How far of a walk are the little mermaid rooms from the transportation/food court area? On the map it seems far but I've had times I've stayed at other resorts and my room looked like it was in the furthest building and it was only a 5-10 minute walk. Thank you!

 

[bluezy]

How far of a walk are the little mermaid rooms from the transportation/food court area? On the map it seems far but I've had times I've stayed at other resorts and my room looked like it was in the furthest building and it was only a 5-10 minute walk. Thank you!

It depends how fast you walk but the farthest LM room from the food court is a little under 1/3 of a mile...so about a 7-10 minute walk for most adults. The bus stops are just a little further than that -- maybe another minute. The closest LM rooms would be about a 5-7 minute walk to the food court.

 

[Skyegirl1999]

We will be at in June, and on June 16/17 we're thinking we'll do mid-day park breaks and head back for a swim.

Will we be able to get pool chairs - a place to put our towels and things? We've had some rough experiences at resorts where people "claim" seats by 7am and there's literally nowhere to put your stuff when you get there...

 

[bluezy]

We will be at in June, and on June 16/17 we're thinking we'll do mid-day park breaks and head back for a swim.

Will we be able to get pool chairs - a place to put our towels and things? We've had some rough experiences at resorts where people "claim" seats by 7am and there's literally nowhere to put your stuff when you get there...

We've been at AoA twice in June and we often take a mid-afternoon swim break. I've always been able to get a chair at the Little Mermaid pool. The Nemo pool has been hit or miss but most times I can find a random empty chair somewhere. Haven't tried the Cars pool at all (we usually stay in a LK suite so the LM & Nemo pools are closer to us...we've just never ventured over to Cars to swim). I usually spend most of my time on the chair, so it's important to me to find one!

 

[elkkthunder]

AoA bus boards installed...not operating yet - or at least the day I was there. The Pop Century bus boards were in the same state, installed but dark.

View attachment 164728

any news on the bus board working yet?

 

[WEDWDW]

any news on the bus board working yet?

AoA Bus Boards were working when I was at AoA in Mid-April.