Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort offers guests an immersive journey through some of the most beloved animated films of all time. From the moment you arrive, you’re greeted by vibrant landscapes and larger-than-life characters from Disney and Pixar classics like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo. This family and budget-friendly resort is a celebration of animation, creativity, and storytelling that is very popular for guests, especially with it’s convenient location along the Disney Skyliner transportation system.

From themed family suites, colorful courtyards, to the largest resort pool in all of Walt Disney World, we’ll highlight the top features, dining options, transportation benefits, and average costs that will help you make the most of your stay at this unique resort.

Overview

• Address: 1850 Animation Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
• Phone Number: (407) 938-7000
• Category: Value
• Cost Range: Approximately $180-$330 per night for a standard room, or $335-$540 for a family suite
• Number of Rooms: 1,984 rooms, including 1,120 family suites
• Location: Wide World of Sports Resort Area
• Opening Date: May 31, 2012
• Check-in: 3:00 PM
• Check-out: 11:00 AM
• Pets Allowed: Up to two dogs are allowed in certain rooms with an additional nightly fee
• Last Renovation Date: Little Mermaid standard rooms in 2021
• Current Renovations: None
• Future Renovations: Between January 25, 2026, and January 31, 2026, the Disney Skyliner will be closed for refurbishment, however, complimentary buses will be available for transportation to and from the parks.

Disney’s Art of Animation Room Types

The rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort were built to accommodate families and larger travel parties on a budget. There are 1,984 total rooms, including 1,120 family suites which can accommodate up to six guests, compared to most standard rooms which sleep up to four. Art of Animation is one of the best Disney World resorts that offer suites for travel groups of five or more people.

The standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are furnished with either one king bed or two queen beds, dresser, desk with chair, nightstand, flat screen TV, mini fridge, coffee maker, hair dryer, in-room safe, and iron with ironing board. Rooms also include shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash, and bar soap. All of the standard rooms are located in The Little Mermaid area of the resort.

The family suites also include a bedroom with one queen size bed, one double size convertible table bed, one double size sleeper sofa, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette. The kitchenette is a unique perk of the family suites because they allow more flexibility to save money by preparing and storing more food inside your resort room compared to standard rooms. There are several great Disney World resorts that offer either a kitchenette or full kitchen which can help save on food costs. The family suites are located in The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo areas of the resort. Guests have the option to choose the theme of their family suite, however, the Finding Nemo suites tend to be slightly more expensive because they are the most centrally located near the Skyliner, main pool, and lobby. The areas of the resort are themed in their own right. Check out this part of the Cars-themed area below.

Handicap accessible rooms feature vary from roll-in showers, assistive hearing devices, and other inclusive options.

One Unique Thing

Besides the amazing theming throughout the resort, one of the most unique parts of the Art of Animation Resort is the Big Blue Pool. Most people don’t realize that this is the largest pool out of all the Disney World resorts.

This pool can hold over 300,000 gallons of water and has huge lifelike statues of favorite Finding Nemo characters such as Crush and Mr. Ray. Art of Animation is extremely popular for families that love to take advantage of the resort pools during their Disney World vacation. Art of Animation also has two smaller pools for families to enjoy, including the Cozy Cone Pool in the Cars area and the Flippin’ Fins pool near The Little Mermaid area.

Average Cost for Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

The average cost of a room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort depends on the room type and the time of year.

• Standard rooms start at approximately $180 per night and can go as high as $330 per night during peak seasons.
• Family suites start at approximately $335 per night and can go as high as $550 per night during peak seasons.

As previously mentioned, the Finding Nemo family suites tend to be the most expensive due to their convenient location, however, the room rates are mostly affected by the busy seasons at Disney World which causes both hotel and ticket prices to increase.

Dining Options at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

The dining options at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are limited to one quick-service restaurant, Landscape of Flavors, which serves American favorites for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Landscape of Flavors does not accept reservations and is a cafeteria style restaurant that also conveniently offers mobile ordering. This restaurant is open between 7 AM and 11 PM each day, and meals typically cost around $15 per adult. This restaurant also offers grab and go options including yogurt parfaits, microwave popcorn, chips, and baked goods.

Guests can also visit The Drop Off Pool Bar located near The Big Blue Pool for a variety of specialty drinks, including both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as well as a variety of snacks. The Drop Off Pool Bar is typically open between 11 AM and 10:30 PM each day.

Transportation Options at Disney’s Art of Animation

Another huge reason why guests love staying at Art of Animation is the Skyliner. Art of Animation is one of four Disney World resorts located along the Skyliner that transports guests in a gondola-style vehicle between each of the resorts as well as EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. If you plan to park hop between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, the Skyliner also travels directly between the two parks, making it very easy for Skyliner resort guests to travel between their resort and these two theme parks.

In addition to the Skyliner, guests of Art of Animation Resort also have the option to take a complimentary bus ride between their resort and any of the Disney World theme parks, water parks, or Disney Springs. Buses typically run every 10-20 minutes and are one of many perks to staying on property at a Disney World resort.

Other Amenities at Disney’s Art of Animation

In addition to the large pool areas at Art of Animation, the resort also offers other fun amenities and activities for guests to enjoy. These activities include, but are not limited to:

• Campfire activities
• Movies Under the Stars
• Jogging trail
• Playground
• Arcade
• Gift shops
• 24-hour self-service laundry rooms and dry cleaning
• Housekeeping services
• Mail services

More importantly, all guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort hotel have access to Early Theme Park Entry which allows resort guests an extra 30 minutes in the theme park before other guests arrive. Early Theme Park Entry is available to all resort guests every single day at every theme park including guests staying at the value hotels such as Art of Animation.

Other Walt Disney World Value Resorts

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly resort, I highly recommend checking out Art of Animation or the other value level resorts at Disney World. The other value resorts at Disney World include:

• Disney’s All-Star Sports
• Disney’s All-Star Movies
• Disney’s All-Star Music
• Disney’s Pop Century Resort

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