When families start researching Disney World resorts and discover that staying on Disney property does not have to mean spending a fortune, Art of Animation is almost always the first hotel that stops them in their tracks. This complete art of animation resort family review covers everything your family needs to know about one of the most visually stunning and family-friendly hotels at Walt Disney World, from the iconic larger-than-life theming to the family suites, the legendary Big Blue Pool, the dining options, and whether the overall experience justifies the cost for families traveling with kids.
The short answer is yes, it absolutely does. But let us walk through every detail so your family can decide for yourselves.
What Is Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a Value tier hotel at Walt Disney World that opened in 2012. It sits on the shores of Hourglass Lake in the eastern part of the Disney resort property, sharing its location with Pop Century Resort directly across the water.
What makes Art of Animation different from every other Value resort on property is the sheer scale and ambition of its theming. The resort is built around four beloved Disney and Pixar films: The Lion King, Cars, The Little Mermaid, and Finding Nemo. Each film gets its own dedicated “wing” of the resort with theming so detailed and so immersive that most families feel like they have stepped directly inside the movies the moment they arrive.
Giant character sculptures tower over the resort pathways. Enormous murals wrap around entire building facades. The landscaping, the signage, the furniture in the common areas, and even the lamppost designs all connect back to the films in ways that reward close attention. For families with kids who love these stories and characters, arriving at Art of Animation for the first time is genuinely overwhelming in the best possible way.
Art of Animation Resort Family Review: The Rooms and Suites
Art of Animation offers two types of accommodations that families need to understand before booking, because the choice between them significantly affects both the experience and the price.
Standard Rooms: The Little Mermaid Wing
Standard rooms at Art of Animation are located exclusively in The Little Mermaid wing of the resort. These rooms sleep up to four guests in a traditional hotel room configuration and are priced similarly to other Disney Value resort rooms.
The Little Mermaid theming is beautiful throughout the wing, with Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, and the undersea world of the film depicted in murals, sculptures, and decorative details at every turn. The rooms themselves are comfortable and well-appointed by Value resort standards, with custom furniture featuring shell and ocean motifs that kids find genuinely delightful.
One practical note for families booking Little Mermaid rooms: this wing of the resort is the farthest from the main lobby, dining hall, and pool complex. The walk from the farthest Little Mermaid buildings to the Landscape of Flavors food court and the Big Blue Pool can take 10 to 15 minutes. With young children and a stroller at the end of a long park day, that distance is worth knowing about in advance.
Family Suites: The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo Wings
The family suites at Art of Animation are the star of the show and the main reason so many families specifically seek out this resort. Located in the Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo wings of the property, these suites are larger multi-room accommodations that sleep up to six guests and include features that no other Disney Value resort offers.
Each family suite includes:
- A master bedroom area with a queen bed separated from the main living space
- A pull-down queen bed in the living area that folds out from the wall
- A convertible table that transforms into a sleeping surface for a sixth guest
- Two full bathrooms, one connected to the master bedroom and one off the main living area
- A kitchenette with a mini refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and sink
- A dining table and living area separate from the sleeping spaces
For families with multiple children, the two-bathroom configuration alone is worth more than it might seem on paper. Getting four, five, or six people ready for a park day in a single-bathroom hotel room is a daily logistical challenge. Having two bathrooms removes that friction entirely and makes mornings genuinely more pleasant for the whole family.
The kitchenette is another meaningful advantage from a disney world budget perspective. Families who store breakfast items in the mini fridge and use the microwave for morning meals can save $30 to $60 per day compared to buying breakfast at the resort or inside the parks. Over a five-night stay, that adds up to real money.
Which Suite Wing Is Best for Families?
The suite wings are all excellent, but families often ask which one to request. Here is a quick breakdown:
The Finding Nemo suites are widely considered the most visually spectacular of the three, with underwater scenes covering entire walls and ceilings of each room in vivid color. Walking into a Finding Nemo suite for the first time, particularly with young Nemo fans, is one of those arrival moments that kids remember forever. The Nemo wing also sits closest to the Big Blue Pool, which is a practical advantage for families who plan to swim frequently.
The Cars suites are themed around Radiator Springs with Route 66 imagery, warm desert tones, and Mater and Lightning McQueen details throughout. Cars fans in your family will love every detail. The wing offers some nice sightlines toward the resort’s central areas.
The Lion King suites feature rich African savanna colors, Pride Rock imagery, and Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa throughout. The theming feels warm and cozy, and the Lion King area of the resort is particularly beautiful at night with amber lighting throughout the pathways.
The Big Blue Pool: One of the Best Family Pools at Walt Disney World
The centerpiece of Art of Animation’s outdoor experience is the Big Blue Pool, and it earns its top-tier reputation among disney world resorts families discussions every single time.
The Big Blue Pool is a massive, beautifully themed swimming area built around the world of Finding Nemo. The pool itself is one of the largest at any Disney Value resort, and the surrounding design includes an enormous submarine replica, a colorful splash pad area with water jets and spray features, and a zero-entry wading section that allows very young children and toddlers to play safely in the shallow water without needing to swim.
The splash pad section specifically is one of the best features of Art of Animation for families with very young children. While older siblings swim in the main pool, toddlers and preschoolers can splash in the dedicated water play area independently, which gives parents a moment to breathe while keeping every child happily engaged.
The pool area also includes Finding Nemo-themed decorative elements throughout, including character sculptures emerging from the water, colorful tile work depicting ocean scenes, and the overall sense of being submerged in the world of the film. Most children who visit Art of Animation spend as much time at the pool as they do at the parks, which is genuinely saying something.
Beyond the Big Blue Pool, Art of Animation also features two smaller quiet pools in the Cars and Lion King areas of the resort, which tend to be significantly less crowded and are perfect for families who want a calmer swimming experience or who are staying in those wings of the resort.
Dining at Art of Animation: What Families Need to Know
Art of Animation’s primary dining option is the Landscape of Flavors food court, located in the main building at the heart of the resort. It is the only on-site dining option, which means families who want table service dining will need to travel to nearby resorts or the parks for those experiences.
Landscape of Flavors Food Court
Landscape of Flavors is one of the best quick service dining facilities of any Disney Value resort, and it regularly receives strong reviews from families who appreciate both the variety and the quality of the options.
The food court features multiple stations serving different styles of food, including American comfort classics, Italian-inspired pasta and pizza options, Asian-influenced dishes, fresh salads, and a dedicated dessert and bakery station. The children’s menu options are solid and reasonably priced, and the facility is large enough that families can typically find seating without too much difficulty even during peak mealtimes.
The theming inside Landscape of Flavors is extraordinary for a food court. Giant murals depicting the four resort films cover the walls and ceiling of the dining space, and the overall atmosphere feels more like eating inside an animated film than sitting in a hotel cafeteria. Kids who are eating their chicken nuggets while surrounded by sweeping Lion King imagery or glowing Finding Nemo murals tend not to complain about the food court setting.
The Drop-Off Pool Bar
The Drop-Off Pool Bar serves food and drinks near the Big Blue Pool area and is a convenient option for families who want to grab a quick bite without leaving the pool complex. The menu is limited to grab-and-go items and simple snacks, but for a family in the middle of a pool afternoon, the convenience is genuinely valuable.
Transportation from Art of Animation: The Skyliner Advantage
One of Art of Animation’s most significant practical advantages is its connection to the Disney Skyliner gondola system, and for families planning to visit EPCOT and Hollywood Studios frequently, this connection is a genuine game-changer.
The Art of Animation Skyliner station is a short walk from the main lobby and connects directly to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios with minimal transfer time. The gondola itself is a genuinely delightful experience for kids, offering aerial views of the Disney resort property from comfortable enclosed cabins that hold up to 10 guests.
For families visiting Hollywood Studios to experience Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, and the rest of that park’s offerings, the Skyliner connection from Art of Animation is one of the most convenient transit options available at any price tier. The combination of a Value resort price point and Skyliner access makes Art of Animation one of the best-positioned hotels on property for families focused on those two parks.
Bus service connects Art of Animation to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs. The bus routes are consistent with other Disney resort hotels, and the stops are generally manageable for families navigating with strollers.
Art of Animation Resort Family Review: Who Is This Resort Best For?
After going through every element of the experience, here is an honest assessment of which families will get the most out of Art of Animation.
Art of Animation is the best Value resort choice for families with multiple children who need more sleeping space than a standard hotel room provides. The family suite configuration, with its two bathrooms, separate sleeping areas, and kitchenette, solves the most common practical problems families face in standard Disney hotel rooms. No other Disney Value resort offers this combination.
It is the ideal choice for families with young children who are passionate about Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King, or The Little Mermaid. The immersive theming creates a daily arrival experience that reinforces the magic of the trip every time your family returns from the parks. Waking up inside a giant Finding Nemo world and then spending the day at Disney World is a childhood experience with no real equivalent.
It is a wonderful choice for families who want Skyliner access to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios without paying Moderate or Deluxe prices. The Skyliner connection elevates Art of Animation’s practical value significantly for families focused on those parks.
The resort may be less ideal for families of four who do not need the suite configuration and are primarily visiting Magic Kingdom, since a standard Little Mermaid room at Art of Animation will be priced similarly to other Value resort options but involves a longer walk to the main amenities. In that specific scenario, All-Star Movies or Pop Century might offer a more convenient layout at a comparable or lower price point.
How Does Art of Animation Compare to Other Value Resorts?
Within the disney world value resorts families options, Art of Animation sits at the top of the tier for most families with children, and here is why.
The family suite option is exclusive to Art of Animation and All-Star Music among Value resorts, and Art of Animation’s suites are significantly more impressive in both theming and design. The Skyliner connection is shared with Pop Century but not available at the All-Star Resorts. The pool complex at Art of Animation is the best of any Value resort. And the overall quality of the theming throughout the resort grounds surpasses every other Value property on Disney property.
The trade-off is price. Art of Animation family suites cost more per night than standard rooms at other Value resorts. For families who need the suite configuration, the premium is justified. For families of four who only need a standard room and are focused primarily on Magic Kingdom, Pop Century or All-Star Movies may represent better value for that specific situation.
Practical Tips for Families Staying at Art of Animation
A few pieces of advice that make a real difference for families during their stay:
- Request a Nemo suite close to the main building if possible. The Finding Nemo wing is both the most visually spectacular and the most conveniently located relative to the pool and food court. It is worth noting the preference when booking, though Disney cannot guarantee specific room assignments.
- Stock the kitchenette with breakfast supplies on arrival day. A grocery delivery service like Instacart or Amazon Fresh can deliver directly to the resort. Having cereal, milk, fruit, and snacks in the room for morning meals saves a meaningful amount of money and time over the course of a multi-night stay.
- Visit the Big Blue Pool early in the morning or in the evening. Midday pool hours on busy resort days can feel crowded. The pool in the first hour after opening or in the evening after dinner tends to be significantly more relaxed.
- Use the Skyliner for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios days. The gondola experience itself is worth building into your morning and evening routine on days when you visit those parks. Kids love it every single time.
- Allow extra time for morning walks from Little Mermaid rooms. If your family is assigned to the Little Mermaid wing, build a few extra minutes into your morning departure timeline to account for the walk to the bus stop or Skyliner station.
- Check in online through the My Disney Experience app. Online check-in allows Disney to text you when your room is ready rather than requiring you to wait in line at the front desk. This is particularly useful on arrival days when you want to drop your luggage and get to the parks immediately.
Final Thoughts on the Art of Animation Resort Family Review
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort delivers something genuinely rare in the disney world budget hotel category: a Value resort experience that feels anything but budget. The immersive theming, the extraordinary family suite configuration, the spectacular Big Blue Pool, and the Skyliner connection combine to create a resort stay that families consistently describe as one of the highlights of their entire Disney World trip.
This art of animation resort family review comes with a clear recommendation for any family with young Disney fans: if Art of Animation fits your budget, book it. The experience it delivers for families with children is among the best of any Disney resort at any price tier, and the memories your kids will carry from staying there will last just as long as the ones they make at the parks.
Your family is going to absolutely love waking up there every morning. That is a promise this resort keeps every single time.
