Gearing up for a trip to Disney World? We’re sharing our experiences with two Walt Disney World Hotels……including the Art of Animation!

Our first trip to Walt Disney World was a total dream come true.  If you follow along on our Instagram, then you know that we took our very first Disney Cruise and that before that we spent one night each at two different Walt Disney World Hotels.

I loved checking out two VERY different properties, and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to switch between them.  Just an FYI, all Walt Disney World Hotels offer bag transfers to other resorts.  We just left our bags with the bell hops at the Art of Animation, and they were magically waiting at our second hotel (the Copper Creek Villas) when we checked in later that day.

If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip, I wanted to share both experiences….that way you can find the property that meets your needs easily!

Walt Disney World Hotels: Art of Animation

Art of Animation is a great place for family vacations, and perfect for planning a longer trip.  Since they have a TON of great on site activities that are kid friendly…..it’s ideal for taking afternoons off from Walt Disney World, or even planning a few days where you won’t be visiting the park.  Art of Animation is divided into four sections: Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid.  In each section there are rooms that match the theme, as well as common areas. We stayed in the Little Mermaid section, and Lydia was OBSESSED.  

Pricing: Art of Animation is a value resort, and I was SUPER impressed with the pricing.  If you are looking for value, it’s a GREAT suggestion.

Room Size and Amenities: We stayed in a traditional room ( it had two queen sized beds), but the Art of Animation is well known for having a larger amount of family suites (these are larger rooms built to house up to 6 people).

Recreation and Activities On Site: Art of Animation has three pools (the Big Blue Pool, the Cozy Cone Pool in the Cars area, and the Flippin’ Fins Pool in the Little Mermaid area)…..and they’re GREAT for relaxing days.  They also show movies outside at night and have a playground in the Finding Nemo Area.  Lydia also loved exploring the different regions and see all of the cool decor and sculptures (these are also GREAT areas for taking pictures).

Dining Options On Site: There are a couple easy dining options at Art of Animation.  Landscape of Flavors is a large cafeteria style dining room located next to the lobby.  It’s perfect for grabbing coffee in the morning, a quick breakfast or dinner and it’s (of course) animation themed.  Just an FYI, if you stay in the Little Mermaid area……it’s about a five minute walk up to the Landscape of Flavors.  I had to chuckle at the mass amounts of parents making an early morning dash across the resort for a cup of morning coffee (apparently I wasn’t the only one who NEEDED a cup before getting ready for a day at Walt Disney World).  There is also a pool bar that serves food, and they do pizza delivery to the rooms.

Transportation to Walt Disney World: Art of Animation is a bit further than some of the other properties from the Park, but we had NO problem getting to Walt Disney World quickly and easily.  We used two types of transportation……the Disney Bus system and the Minnie Van Service.  Both were GREAT.  The Disney Bus System picks up at all resorts and drops off at each Walt Disney World Park.  It was easy, and there was never a long wait (of course it stops at all parks so may take a little longer to get where you want to go).  Walt Disney World’s Minnie Van service is fairly new, and a ton of fun.  These special Minnie themed vans are run by Disney and Lyft.  They come with two car seats that the driver will install if needed, and drop you at whichever park entrance you choose for a flat rate of $25 ( I loved this the most when leaving the park in the middle of a hotter day….it was great to call one and head straight back to our hotel).

Who is this hotel best for?: If you’re traveling as a family, and looking for a not too expensive Walt Disney World Hotels option…..then the Art of Animation is for you.  Our preschooler loved it, and we certainly loved the price point.  We are already planning to visit again this year!

< Get more info about the Art of Animation Resort HERE >

Want to see where else we stayed? Check out of review of the Copper Creek Villas!