Review: Art of Animation Resort

Little Mermaid rooms are designed like a standard hotel room with two full/queen beds, one nightstand between the beds, a small table with two chairs, a sink area separate from the toilet and shower space, a television, and a small mini fridge. Microwaves are not automatically included but can be requested. There are several USB outlets in the room, but there are not quite enough for all of the devices a family of four has. I recommend bringing a USB hub to alleviate this issue. The other challenge we noticed was with only having one nightstand. With just one nightstand in the center, only one person per bed will have access to a place to set their devices down near them. Our workaround was to create a makeshift nightstand using a suitcase which worked well, but is certainly not quite the same.  

One major difference between Little Mermaid rooms and other Disney resorts is the divider between the sink and sleeping areas. In most rooms, there is a sliding door to separate the sink area from the bedroom space, but in Little Mermaid rooms there is merely a curtain dividing them. If you have small children who go to bed early or family members who like to sleep in, be mindful that there is not much of a sound buffer between the sleeping space and sink. Rest assured, there is still a door to the bathroom and shower area.

The decor of the rooms is taken straight out of the films. My kids love the octopus wall hook and the intentionally crooked painting of Prince Eric. Finding that our shower has been turned into Ariel’s cave of collected treasures is a delightful surprise. Every inch of the room has been themed, from seashell chairs to glowing pearl lights. Rooms were remodeled in 2020 with new flooring and beds and having stayed in the rooms before and after these renovations, I can say they were wonderful updates that added more storage, a modern vibe, and made the rooms feel bigger. The most notable update was the beds, which now have large storage areas underneath – perfect for stowing away suitcases and shoes and freeing up floor space.

Plan to stop by the lobby in the main building at least once during your stay to take in the stunning rainbow of lights and inspiring storyboard sketches that create a unique setting. Pre-covid, a Disney artist could be found in the lobby offering animation drawing lessons and I hope this comes back soon! The main building is home to several AOA amenities including an arcade, gift shop, and food court. 

The gift shop features resort specific merchandise along with several items from the parks. What’s lovely about this shop is both the size and selection. Many resort shops are small, barely larger than two hotel rooms, and subsequently feature limited options. AOA’s gift shop is massive in comparison and one of the largest areas is the toy section. If you forget to pick something up at the parks that your child desperately wanted, stop by this gift shop as they will likely have it! I have also found this shop to have a larger selection of snacks and candy than other resorts, so it’s a perfect stop for late night cravings (or for using up all those Snack credits when the Dining Plan comes back)!  

Speaking of food, the Landscape of Flavors food court offers delicious meals for even the pickiest of guests. From burgers to pasta, the menu here is mostly American fare and does not disappoint. Everything we ordered here was fantastic! Included in this area of the main building is a small grocery shop and several fountain beverage fill stations. If you purchase the refillable mug, you can utilize these stations inside while the cafeteria is open or you can visit the station at the pool bar just outside at any time. Landscape of Flavors accepts both in-person purchases and Mobile Orders – which means you can choose to order from your room before walking over to cut down on your wait time. 

The resort is laid out with four different themed areas featuring multiple buildings in each. Decorations are plentiful and add to the whimsy of exploring. No matter where you stay, I encourage you to walk around and take in all the details – and of course snap lots of photos! You’ll find yourself smiling as you take it all in, and if you’re visiting with little ones it will be extra magical.

Three of the four themes have their own pool area, but guests can utilize any of these pools regardless of where their room is located. The Big Blue Pool is the main pool and can be found in the Nemo area, nearest the main building. This is the largest pool at any of the resorts at Walt Disney World and features a pool bar, splash area for little ones, and fun underwater music. Because it is the largest pool and centrally located, it is the busiest and loudest as well. Any resort pool activities such as games and contests will be held here. If you’re looking for a quieter escape from the heat, I suggest checking out the Little Mermaid or Cars pools. Lion King suites is the one area that does not have a pool and there are no slides or hot tubs at this resort. 

If your kids still have energy to get out, visit the play areas found at the Lion King and Nemo areas. The Lion King play zone is small and does not have much to do, but includes caves to explore and a nice bouncy floor that feels amazing on your feet after a long day at the parks. Over at Nemo the play area is much more interesting with a couple different slides and climbing areas. Unlike typical playgrounds that have an airy structure with open bars, sight lines are an issue here. The play area is unique but also solid and bulky with many areas hidden out of sight, especially slides. There will be children of all ages running around here, so if you have very little kids please be cautious. We have had our kids knocked over by older children not paying attention. Both of these play areas are themed and make for quite exciting experiences for kids. Even at the end of the day and while tired, our children would ask to visit these fun spots.

At AOA, the Disney transportation options include buses and the new Skyliner. Ultimately, your destination will determine which mode you utilize. Buses set course for Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, and the water parks. All of these bus stops are located just outside the gift shop in the main building. The Skyliner boards at the station located on the bridge between AOA and Pop resorts and soars to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. 

With the grand size of this resort and the number of rooms, transportation can get very busy. There is a queue line for each bus stop and I have seen the entire line used. If you are towards the end of the line there may not be room for you on the first bus that arrives. Additionally, we have noticed a larger number of Electric Conveyance Vehicles (ECV) at this resort than others. Bus drivers will load the ECVs and their accompanying family members first before all other guests in line, adding to the length of the overall line and subsequent wait. Plan to arrive at the bus stops at least fifteen minutes ahead of when you want or need to be on the bus. When utilizing the buses to head back to the resort, check the board listings to see where the AOA specified stop is located. This resort does have one of the farthest bus stops from the park gates, meaning it will be a fairly long walk at the end (and sometimes also beginning) of your day. 

Our favorite transportation option is the Skyliner where you can take to the skies as you soar to your destination! The Skyliner is constantly moving, which means that the line to board is also always moving and the wait to ride will be short. There are multiple gondola lines and you will need to transfer at the main hub to the line corresponding to your destination. Overall, the longest or farthest journey (EPCOT) is only about fifteen minutes. A published schedule for this transportation is hard to find, so I suggest stopping by the Skyliner station when you arrive to see the posted times on the sign to help you plan for the rest of your stay. In the morning, guests will start lining up at least half an hour before the gondolas start loading passengers and the line will stretch towards Pop Century, so you will have to walk past the station on a busy morning. The Skyliner is the preferred method of transportation to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, which means you will not find buses to/from these parks unless there are issues. Unlike some other options, severe weather such high winds or lightning can have a huge impact on this mode of transportation.

If you’re looking at all the offerings in the Values category, you may wonder what makes Little Mermaid rooms different or even better than Pop Century rooms or All Stars. With the Skyliner option, Mermaid and Pop rooms have a transportation advantage over All Stars. Ultimately, Mermaid rooms are the largest option in the Values category. That additional square footage can make a huge difference when you have a lot of people and/or stuff. As a family of four with a double stroller, we need to be able to wheel our stroller into the room and have a place to store it. For example, at Pop there is not enough room to bring the stroller in or out without lifting the Murphy bed up and down each time. This is a complication that is not needed when you can just stay at Little Mermaid rooms on the other side of the bridge. More than any other resort, at AOA you will feel like you are at Disney. You will be immersed into the storytelling and magic, adding Disney elements to every moment of your stay, making it especially fantastic for families with little ones.

— Jennelle