Disney Art of Animation Resort and trip review

slwprincess

For those that asked :-) Overall, I loved this resort. Definitely the best Value Resort, hands down. I'd even rank it higher than some Moderates. The theming is over the top awesome. We stayed in a Cars Suite- that whole end of the resort is decorated like Radiator Springs with Cars characters lining the path to the Cozy Cone pool. The "Big Blue Pool" is in the center and it's Nemo themed. It's a huge zero entry pool. Very cool but CROWDED all the time. It also has a splash pad nearby that Sophie loved. The resort was nearly full, but it didn't feel like it walking around. It's a very large resort so be prepared to walk a good distance to get to the food and bus stops.

The Cars Suite was awesome. Loved the pull down table/murphy bed- it was very comfy- DH slept on it. The bathrooms were well done- basically, the whole thing was just great design. My IL's went with us so we gave them the bedroom and Gavin slept in his sleeping bag on the floor in there. DH and I each took a fold out in the main room and Sophie slept in her sleeping bag or with one of us. It was enough room but since we are all spoiled and used to a 2 bedroom villa at Old Key West, it did feel a little cramped at times. The kitchenette is a mini fridge, sink, and microwave. Wished there had been a toaster for bagels in the morning, but we made do. There is also a coffee maker with the little pods- nothing special but it did the trick. I liked the indoor corridor vs the outdoor ones at other value resorts. Was afraid it would get loud, but we rarely heard anyone else. Oh and one other thing- you need your key card to get into the pool areas. Not a huge deal, but a lil annoying at times when your hands are full!

I only had 2 complaints the entire stay... 1. There are NO TOWELS at the pools. You are supposed to bring them from your room or go get them from the front desk (not convenient at all). I have no idea what Disney is thinking here... everyone was annoyed by this and I even complained to a cast member because it is so inconvenient. She agreed that it needed to be changed but so far, not happening. I don't remember this being an issue at any other Disney Resort but maybe I'm just forgetting? So if we go back, we will bring our own beach towels.

2. The food court is one of the best in all of Disney World as far as selection, BUT... it is chaos with kids. Even with 4 adults, it was terrible. DH stood in line for 30+ min for the kids food and then had to switch and get in a different line for his own. I took the kids food and went to go pay, only to find out that he was supposed to have gotten 2 sides instead of one. When I told her to just charge us- we didn't want the extra side, she got all confused. Finally, she just gave us free drinks instead. If I had it to do again, I would probably not go back here. Either eat in the parks or go to Downtown Disney or off-property.

As for the parks, this was our first visit to the new Fantasyland. Very well done, can't wait to see it completely finished. Tried "Lefous Brew" at Gastons Tavern. It was ok. This is their competition with butterbeer at Harry Potter and I don't think it comes close. Its a frozen apple juice with a toasted marshmellow aftertaste. A lil too sweet for me. Even the kids only had 1 sip. We ate lunch at Beast's tower. This one needs some work. The food and theming was excellent and really is quick service once you sit down, but we stood in line for 30+ min in the baking sun and they really didn't explain the ordering process well at all. They could have kept that line moving much faster if they just explained "You go up to kiosk and order your food. Then go find an empty table. Get your own silverware and drinks. Your food will be delivered shortly." We will go back at dinner for "fine dining" some time but for now, I'm glad we tried it for lunch. We didn't do Belle's enchanted story time. The line was too long and I don't think my kids would enjoy it enough. Once Sophie is older, we will give this a try. We had done the new Dumbo before but the kids really loved it this time with the indoor play area. That is one of Disney's best ideas ever.

Oh and DH and I had dinner at the Yachtsman's Steakhouse this time. We have a mission to try the 10 best steaks at Disney and this one is going to be tough to beat. Le Cellier doesn't come close. I totally overate here and was miserable for the rest of the night, so don't make the same mistake!