Disney’s Art of Animation Perfect for Larger Families

Let’s face it, my family is BIG! With four kids ranging from diapers to learning to drive we need a lot of space when we go on our family vacations. The one downside is the world is built for families of four—two parents, two kids. And in most cases the beautiful resorts at Walt Disney World are no different, unless you’re ready to break open the bank for Villas and Club Level suites!

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is the exception to that rule. This Value level resort provides amazing comfort for families of up to six people. During a recent visit to Disney World we stayed in this resort and here are some of the great highlights I found.

---

Eating area converts into a full-size bed.

Comfortable and Fun Rooms

The resort is broken into four areas with the buildings and interior room all themed after a classic Disney/Pixar film—Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo, and Little Mermaid (rooms for four only). We stayed inside the Cars area, which featured a mini-version of Radiator Springs complete with your favorite characters from the movie outside. It was beautiful, especially in the evening as things began to light up. Frankly, we had almost as much fun just exploring the outdoor area as we did inside the theme parks!

The highlight of this resort though is of course the Family Suites themselves. The rooms offer larger families very comfortable amenities at a reasonable price. Each room features two full bathrooms and two separate sleeping areas—a full size bed inside one room and two pull out full beds in the other. The sleeping arrangement allowed Rob and me to spend some quality time with one another while the kids slept vs your typical parent whispers after bed time in a standard hotel room!

The suite also features a small kitchenette type area—a microwave, coffee makers, and mini fridge. This set up allowed us to pick up some bagels and cereal so we could do breakfast in the room each morning. Not only is this a great savings for food costs, but it also allowed us to multi-task as we got ready for the day, saving us valuable park time!

The other great thing about the Cars area in particular is its own pool section outside. This was a fun place to catch a quick dip without walking over to the main resort pool. It was also much quieter and more relaxing.

---

Amazing ‘Big Blue’ Pool

In the center of the Art of Animation resort is the ‘Big Blue’ pool, which has to be one of my top three pools at Walt Disney World. The pool features zero entry, great for the little ones, and is also the only salt water pool on property. It featured both shallow areas perfect for my little ones and slightly deeper areas for my older children, which they loved.

Right next to the main pool is a fun splash area—which is a blast! There are tons of water jets squirting up from the ground, water cannons, and animal figures squirting water too. This was a safe and fun way to get out of the heat with some action that the kids absolutely loved.

In addition to these fun kids focuses, there is also the Drop Off Pool bar. This is a great place for mom and dad to grab a quick adult beverage to cool down and take the edge off after a full day at Disney World! Who says Disney is just for kids!?

---

Entrance to one of the buildings in the Cars area.

Great Food Options

The final highlight of the Art of Animation resort for my family was the Landscape of Flavors Food Court. This quick-service location offers some of the best food at Walt Disney World—an oasis from the typical mass made greasy burger and pizza options (though they have that too!). 

I found Landscape of Flavors to have a wide variety of healthy options for both parents and kids. They also cooked much of the food to order, so you’re getting something fresh that hasn’t been sitting underneath a heat lamp for a while. It’s a good enough location that we will actually make it a point to come over just for the food!

A Great Resort for the Value

All-in-all Art of Animation is an awesome resort for the price point. This is a Value level resort, so the amenities will not be like some of the higher end Disney Resorts, but it is also an affordable way for larger families to enjoy Walt Disney World. 

So overall from the traveling mom perspective I give this resort three stars for amenities, five stars for fun, and four stars overall because of its great value.

---

---

Jenn Whitney is a travel enthusiast and mother of four. Her goal is to share her experiences and knowledge to help families plan amazing vacations around the world. Jenn is the owner of Whitney World Travel, a boutique family and luxury travel agency, and an Accredited Cruise Counselor. You can contact Jenn by e-mail at [email protected]

Check out a video tour of the resort shot when it first opened.