Family Stay at Disney’s Art of Animation Little Mermaid Room
Is Disney World’s Art of Animation Resort the best choice for your money? Here’s all the fun details of a stay in a Little Mermaid room. From the Awesome Cars and Finding Nemo pools, to the drawings and character designs you’ll find throughout this resort, it’s a family Disney Vacation delight. Here are lots of photos of the room, food court, and tips on Disney Transportation to help you decide. And how far is it to Magic Kingdom from the Art of Animation Value Resort?
I’m a pretty strong advocate for always staying at a Disney World Resort. Between that and being a Value Resort fan, I was very excited when the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opened in 2012. My family stayed here in a Little Mermaid room, and found there is a right way, and perhaps a not-worth-it way, to enjoy this amazing resort. I’ve included tons of room photos and information about the resort, to hopefully help you decide if it’s right for your Disney vacation.
This whimsical, incredibly family-friendly resort has four Disney movie themed areas. Three of them consist of family suites: Cars, Finding Nemo, and The Lion King. Although these rooms look spacious and awesome, alas – for my family of four, a suite is unnecessary. And with a nightly suite rate that is comparable to staying at a Disney Moderate resort (or even Deluxe)… Art of Animation never made my Disney Trip Planning cut.
But I’ve really, really wanted to try out the one wing with standard value resort rooms: The Little Mermaid!
So on our recent Disney World trip, I booked our first two nights there. The fabulous Art of Animation Resort has so much to offer. We were thrilled to finally spend some time there.
Disney World Art of Animation Resort Review
Oh, how we love the Magical Express! We skipped having a rental car for this first portion of our trip, and opted for this free option… aka “our Disney Happiness bus”. Nothing beats the excitement of arriving at Orlando airport, and heading for your Magical Express bus. Such an excellent beginning to a Disney World family vacation.
Art of Animation was the first drop off location for our Magical Express bus. Total travel time was around 30 minutes.
Right off the bat, my son was distracted by a fun activity they have stationed for the kids. At the main entrance, we found multiple Finding Nemo art drawing boards.
Next we entered the colorful lobby. Disney really hit it out of the park with this Value Resort lobby. The animation artwork is breathtaking, and gawk worthy. This child of the 70’s and 80’s rainbow lover found herself in decor heaven.
For the size of this resort, the gift shop isn’t as gigantic as I expected. But it’s still big enough to snag an Art of Animation specific souvenir, and do some other Disney shopping damage if you so desire.
Little Mermaid Room Photos
Although it’s not fancy, and there’s still no coffee maker in the room (which is typical of a Disney Value Resort)… the Little Mermaid Rooms are super fun.
Within their value resort budget, they’ve done an impressive job of theming. My kids absolutely loved special touches like seashell chairs, baby seahorses hovering around a lighted bubble on the bed headboards, and an octopus wall hanger.
Our favorite part? The bathroom is Ariel’s special grotto! When you take a shower, you’ll discover her under-the-sea, hidden treasures she has stashed. [I won’t spoil it with a photo… you’ll have to stay here to find out!]
The giant, colorful characters found in the outdoor courtyard of the Little Mermaid wing are some of the best found in the entire resort.
This is a fairly quiet area. We enjoyed wandering around to discover our favorite mementos from the film. Yep, there’s a dinglehopper.
The Little Mermaid rooms are located in the the farthest wing from the Art of Animation lobby, food court, and Disney bus transportation. Most times you’ll be trekking through the entire Lion King area to reach your destination.
We were mentally prepared for this as part of the price paid to stay in a Little Mermaid room. Being the only wing featuring affordable standard family rooms (vs family suites), it was worth it to us.
There’s an interactive playground of sorts in the Lion King area, which the kids loved climbing on as we journeyed through. So the extra walk never really felt like a burden.
Art of Animation Food Court Dining
When you stay at a Disney Value Resort, that means no “table service” (waitress serving you) restaurant on site. This is not a big loss, in my book. We typically have made table service reservations (ADRs) at our favorite Disney restaurants ahead of time, such as ‘Ohana and Chef Mickey’s.
My family actually loves the Value Resorts because their “quick service” cafeteria style restaurants are larger than those found at Disney Moderate or Deluxe Resorts.
We ate two good meals at Art of Animation’s food court, the Landscape of Flavors. My top recommendation is the tasty pulled pork sandwich. And save room for the fresh gelato! Snacks and drinks are also served at the Drop Off Pool Bar, next to the Finding Nemo Big Blue pool.
NOTE: You can also use your refillable mugs at the Drop Off Pool Bar, which is handy! We brought our mugs along to the pool for free drinks while we swam.
Art of Animation Swimming Pools
Having our first vacation day be no-tickets, no-Parks, was a Disney First on this trip. It was surprisingly relaxing, and the kids were incredibly excited to do what they always want to do most… SWIM!
We arrived around lunchtime, so grabbed some food at the Landscape of Flavors cafeteria and then headed straight to check out the pools.
Finding Nemo Big Blue Pool
We spent the first 1-2 hours at the “Finding Nemo” Big Blue Pool. This pool is the largest single water tank pool at Walt Disney World. There’s definitely plenty of space to hang out and enjoy a sunny Florida day. The music playing underwater was a big hit. My youngest also loved the splash pad water features.
Life jackets are on hand and free for kids to use, which I always appreciate.
We brought our refillable mugs and filled them several times at the Drop Off Pool Bar. This pool is the busiest of the three at Art of Animation. Surprisingly, my kids tired of the chaos after a while… and asked to go check out the Cars Cozy Cone pool. Fine by me.
Cars Cozy Cone Pool
Art of Animation’s Cars wing is the next best thing to visiting Carsland at Disney’s California Adventure!
It’s all here… a mini Radiator Springs. So it wasn’t a surprise that this turned out to be our favorite pool at Art of Animation Resort. It was much less crowded.
And get this: the cones are actually cabanas available first-come-first-served and are FREE to use. We visited during a moderately busy Disney World season (end of April), and had no trouble snagging a cabana in the middle of the afternoon. Actually, there were several not being used.
So relaxing!
Disney Transportation
If you look at a map of the Walt Disney World resort, you’ll quickly discern that the Magic Kingdom is waaaay at the top, and Art of Animation Resort is waaaaay down at the bottom. It’s located right next to another popular Disney Value Resort, Pop Century. Like, right by Pop Century. They share a lake.
Is it a hassle to be so far away from everyone’s favorite park… Magic Kingdom?
Honestly, I feel like the distance is a non-issue. Unless you can afford to stay in a Deluxe Resort right on the Magic Kingdom monorail loop… it’s all pretty much a wash, as far as I’m concerned.
Will you notice the extra 5 minute driving distance from Art of Animation to Magic Kingdom, vs. Caribbean Beach Resort to Magic Kingdom? Well, consider that the Disney bus shuttles around the entire Caribbean Beach Resort, stopping multiple times. Whereas, the Art of Animation bus heads directly to the park. Again… pretty neck & neck comparison.
I’ve always appreciated the bus service at Value Resorts. They have more guests, so the buses just plain come more frequently. I feel like we’ve never waited more than 10 minutes for a bus at a Value Resort. Not always true of Moderate and Deluxe Resort!
In summary, don’t let the Art of Animation Resort’s distance away from Magic Kingdom be a deal breaker for you.
Is It Really Value Resort Pricing?
Yes, this beautiful new Disney World resort is in the Value Resort category. As such, you’ll notice some missing luxuries you’ll find at the Moderate or Deluxe Resorts. No coffee maker in the room, hot tubs, pool towel service, or water slide. No “sit down” table service dining.
Totally worth it.
Seriously, if you are bringing kids to Disney… Value Resorts are absolutely the most fun places to stay! That’s my opinion. Actually, my favorite combination has become splitting our Disney Resort stay between a Value Resort, then often moving to a little more comfortable Moderate or Deluxe Resort.
It’s worth noting that if you only sleep 4, and don’t need the larger room capacity… I don’t know that I’d pay to stay in an Art of Animation family suite. Honestly, you can stay in a Moderate and sometimes even Deluxe for the same price. In that regard, this is an expensive Disney Value Resort, except for the Little Mermaid Rooms.
Little Mermaid Room Deals and Booking
If you are interested in a stay at the Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms, there are two important things to note:
- To date, this type of room has always been excluded from any money saving “Special Offers” that Disney runs. The Art of Animation family suites are often included, but not the Little Mermaid rooms. Be prepared to pay the quoted rack rate for your dates when you book.
- As soon as you know your dates, reserve your Little Mermaid room! This is a new, extremely popular Disney Value Resort. To stay here, you either have to pay either $161/night (regular room, lowest rate, varies with season) or $358/night (family suite). Same pools, same dining, same resort amenities, same awesome atmosphere. Needless to say… in spite of #1, the Little Mermaid rooms are in high demand.
Have you stayed at Art of Animation? How was your experience?
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Comments (22)
Wendy Jagim
June 16, 2017 at 2:59 pm
I love the Mater picture
COMtnMom
June 19, 2017 at 3:14 pm
lol… me, too. 🙂
rebecca
August 19, 2017 at 2:32 am
We will be in a Little Mermaid room from 8/26 to 8/30! this was great to read, as we will have 2 pool/chill days and 2 park days.
COMtnMom
August 21, 2017 at 3:08 pm
Wooo hoooo that’s so exciting!! 5 MORE SLEEPS! *o*
Have a wonderful trip, and I’m so happy you enjoyed the post. Thanks Rebecca!
Elizabeth
September 30, 2017 at 2:44 am
My children will be turning five and we plan to take them to Disney for their birthday. I am torn between art of animation and wilderness lodge. WL: I love the idea of a boat to take you to MK, the option to sit down, and the themed events such as backyard BBQ and snore sing along. However, we will have one to two rest days for the pool and DSprings. Their age and the pools at AOA look more in tune with their age. But no coffee maker?! That’s rough. And is the quick service food like Golden Corral or K&W Cafeteria or is it better? I have also heard large school groups stay in the value. Will we be surrounded by teenagers in early May?? I’ll take any tips you can offer!
COMtnMom
September 30, 2017 at 3:11 pm
Oh my goodness… you are going to have a WONDERFUL TRIP!!
Ok, here’s my recommendation: I vote staying at Art of Animation! (And so do my 7 & 12 yr olds – I just asked them, haha)
Coffee: Clarification – if you stay in one of the family suites, they DO have a 2-cup coffee maker. And if you stay in the standard Little Mermaid rooms (like we did), I’d just recommend getting refillable mugs. These are larger travel sized mugs you can refill with coffee or soda throughout your stay (even at the pool)… we love them, and they are a fun souvenir! My husband and I took turns walking over in the morning to fill them. They are about the equivalent of 3-4 cups of coffee, so even for a caffeine hound like me, it was usually sufficient.
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ: You can still absolutely go to this (and should!) if you stay at AOA! And that will give you the chance to ride the boat from MK! 🙂 Just hop a bus from AOA to MK, then ride the bus over to Fort Wilderness. SO FUN!
Quick Service: In my opinion, the quick service cafeterias are waaaay better at the Value Resorts, than at the Deluxe. Much more selection, open for longer hours. This is actually something that disappoints and annoys me when we stay at Deluxe resorts (like WL) – lol. You can still book sit-down table service dining at any Disney World restaurant… it’s a fun way to visit other resorts, or take a break while in the parks.
Large School Groups: They do stay at the “All Star” Value Resorts (we’ve seen cheerleaders groups when staying at All Star Music)… but not at AOA (to my knowledge). Very few rooms at AOA are that cheaper standard size, and those Little Mermaid rooms fill up very quickly. AOA just doesn’t have the capacity for school groups.
Only last thing to consider and be prepared for is that AOA is much more sprawled out than WL. More walking. But worth it! Sounds like you have a smart plan in place for rest days.
Have a wonderful trip, I’m so excited for you!! 🙂
Tami
Candi
February 6, 2018 at 6:21 pm
I’m doing some Disney planning and your post is EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you so much for all this info!
COMtnMom
February 6, 2018 at 7:14 pm
Aaah, that makes me so happy!! Have a FANTASTIC trip!! 🙂
Tami
Sara Thompson
May 22, 2018 at 8:09 pm
I stayed in a Lion King family suite when I went with my sister, her 8-month-old son, and my Mom (so three adult women and a baby). At first, we felt kind of silly with all the extra space, but having two bathrooms with three adults was really wonderful. Additionally, being able to put the baby to bed in another room was incredibly helpful! We didn’t see another resort where those two options were affordable to us, so we were super happy to have them in our price range. It was way more expensive than a regular room, though, so I don’t think we’ll keep getting family suites when the kids are older. Also, the food was fantastic! I’m a lactose-intolerant vegetarian and quick service dining can be difficult for me, but they had a fantastic vegan burger and they were super accommodating when I asked to swap things out if I had, say, a side with dairy in it.
COMtnMom
May 22, 2018 at 9:08 pm
Hi Sara,
Thank you for leaving this comment! I’ve never stayed in one of the Art of Animation suites, so that’s interesting and helpful feedback. I didn’t realize they had 2 bathrooms?? And I agree on the food… it’s one of the things I love most about Disney value resorts.
Thanks for swinging by! Although now you’ve made me want to splurge and go stay in a Lion King room…. lol
Tami
Sara Adukonis
July 27, 2018 at 4:09 am
We just decided to downgrade to AOA from our original plan of staying at the PO Riverside royal room to save some money and I think after reading this we’ve made a good choice! My son is super excited about the Nemo pool. What’s it like a 5 minute walk or so from the Little Mermaid rooms? Not sure it will be warm enough for me to swim in November but I’m sure he’ll want to! Thank you for the post!
COMtnMom
July 30, 2018 at 2:23 pm
Yaay! I think you’ll be happy with your decision. Yes, I’d say a 5 minute walk from Little Mermaid rooms to the Nemo pool… and then a couple more minutes beyond that to get to the Cars pool. You definitely need to try both!!
My kids would totally swim in November at Disney – lol. I believe the temps are still high 70’s, so not too bad. Completely worth it, cause it’s so much more pleasant in the parks when it’s not so hot!
Have a wonderful trip!! 🙂
Desirae Suttles
August 9, 2018 at 5:44 pm
We just booked our trip to the AOA for November and we are super excited! We have 2 toddlers and I think they will love this place especially the NEMO pool!!!!!! One question I do have is the buses that take you to the park. Can you let me know how it works? I saw one pin that a woman was saying she didn’t want to stay so far away due to long bus rides to the park, but then I saw another one where a woman said these buses are super quick and they don’t have to make any stops along the way. Which way is it?
Thanks for all the awesome information !!!
COMtnMom
August 9, 2018 at 8:18 pm
Hi Desirae,
Congrats on your trip! I don’t think you could pick a better place to stay with toddlers than AOA. 🙂
I’m not sure what was meant by the “long bus ride” comment, unless she’s referring to staying at a different Disney hotel that is closer to Magic Kingdom? It’s true, AOA is at the farthest end (of the entire Walt Disney World Resort) from Magic Kingdom. But I believe the bus ride was around 15 minutes. I agree with the second comment – I’ve never had an AOA bus heading to MK make any stops anywhere else… they go directly to the park.
We actually enjoy riding the buses! You get dropped off closer than if you were driving your car, and I find it to be stress free. Although all of the “Value Resorts” (All-Stars, AOA, and Pop Century) are the farthest Disney hotels from Magic Kingdom, they also have the most frequent bus service due to their large guest capacity. We’ve waited MUCH longer for a bus when staying at a Deluxe or Moderate resort!
Don’t worry. I think you made the right choice. HAVE FUN!!
Debbie Lipscomb
August 27, 2018 at 5:24 pm
I enjoyed your detailed info and pictures! We are staying in a Lion King suite in mid-November with our daughter & 7 year old granddaughter (her first trip to WDW!). I’m so relieved to learn that the bus goes directly from the resort to MK.
Last time we went with our older granddaughters, we stayed in the Wilderness Lodge, which was nice but such a l-o-n-g wait for buses. Our room overlooked the pool, so there was no quiet time/nap in the afternoons due to the loudspeakers and music coming from the pool. Not fun when you’re trying to get a two year old to take a nap.
Do you have any advice about dining reservations? We are on the Disney Dining Plan and will have 4 sit-down meals. I want to get good food but don’t want us to be stuck in a restaurant for too long, when we only have two days in the park. I would also appreciate your opinion about whether we should stay two days at Magic Kingdom, or should we split those two days between Magic Kingdom and another park? If so, which would you recommend for a 7 year old?
COMtnMom
August 28, 2018 at 9:55 pm
Hello Debbie,
Thank you! And thanks for swinging by to read my article. 🙂
You definitely need to get some Dining Reservations on the books! I highly recommend at least one character meal, since they are SO much fun with kids. Also gives you more bang for your buck, as they are often the most expensive meals you can get for 1 dining credit. You said 2 days in parks, but 4 sit down meals… Did you get the Deluxe Dining Plan? I’ll be honest, 2 sit downs meals in one day will really cut into your park time. Is that your preference, or is there any way you can cut back to “regular” Dining Plan – and just do 1 sit down, 1 quick service per day? Lots of the (fast food) quick service restaurants are very good, and they do take much less time. Plus it’s just nice to have the flexibility to eat lunch between rides, whenever you are ready – not have a set reservation time.
I’d try and book dining either in the park, or nearby. We love riding the monorail or water taxi from MK over to the Polynesian to eat! It’s not too far, but is a nice break from the park. If ‘Ohana is booked, try Kona Cafe. It’s really good food, and you still get the awesome Poly atmosphere.
It’s a tough call on MK vs. trying another park your second day. With a 7 year old, my second choice of park would be Animal Kingdom. And if you venture down there… I’d recommend dining at Tusker House (in AK) or Boma (my family’s favorite!) at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
Hollywood Studios has the new Toy Story Land, but that only has 3 (very busy) rides. Other than that, it’s my least favorite park.
Epcot is wonderful, but is the largest as far as walking if that’s a concern. If your granddaughter would appreciate the World Showcase countries, and enjoy the new Frozen ride in Norway (which is very cool) – then this would be my second choice for you. Lots of fantastic dining in this park, and the Garden Grill character dining is also one of our favorites.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you have further questions. If you switch dining plans and need quick service ideas – let me know. Have a wonderful trip!!
Mary
September 4, 2018 at 12:15 am
My family is staying at AOA for the first time in December. Do you know if the buses go directly to all the parks from the resort? We have tours and activities scheduled at Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Also hoping to get to Disney Springs at some point. Thanks for your post. It was very helpful!
COMtnMom
September 5, 2018 at 2:10 pm
Hi Mary,
Yes, they do! There’s a dedicated bus for each park, that leaves directly from AoA. One of the perks of staying at the (larger) value resorts. 🙂
Wooo hooo!! HAVE FUN!!!
Tami
Diane James
November 1, 2018 at 1:07 am
Hey Tami,
We have just booked our 4 nights at Disney AOA. We will be going in February. Is it too cold for swimming. I’ve seen that it’s a hit and miss kinda thing. 70’s in the days 50’s at night. So is it worth packing a suit?
COMtnMom
November 5, 2018 at 6:20 pm
Hi Diane,
I would definitely pack a swimsuit! February is our favorite time to go to Disney. SO much more pleasant standing in lines when it’s an ideal temperature, plus the crowds are lower. We have had some sunny high 70’s days at that time – which was warm enough in our books to swim, especially since the pools are so awesome. During our Feb trips, we typically saw 60s-70s.
Have fun!!
Tami
Brittia
January 12, 2019 at 7:35 pm
I loved your article! It has made me feel better about booking at AOA in The Little Mermaid rooms. I was questioning my decision but your review made me feel more confident in our choice!
COMtnMom
January 14, 2019 at 7:52 pm
This makes me so happy! Thanks so much for this comment, and I hope you love AOA as much as we do!
Have a wonderful trip,
Tami