We wanted to try staying at a different hotel during our trip to Disney for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (read about the party here), so we stayed in a Cars movie-themed room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. This value resort is themed after Disney and Pixar movies (Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid). We stayed in a family suite with a queen-sized bed in a separate bedroom, a convertible TableBed, a double-size sleeper sofa in the living room, a guest bathroom with a shower/tub combo, a master bathroom with a walk-in shower, and a small kitchenette area.
Parking
This resort was worth it just for the parking situation. At other resorts, I have had to make the difficult choice between making multiple, long trips in the hot weather from the parking lot to the room to get all my bags inside or loading myself up and slowly making it inside and somehow making it past the multiple room service cleaning carts that have to be in the middle of the hallway for some reason. I always choose the second option, arriving in the room with my arms breaking, sweaty, and irritated. (I know you think we could pull up and ask for assistance with our luggage. I am one of those I-will-handle-my-own-luggage-thank-you type of person, and I hope some of you can identify with that.) My point is this: we found parking close to the building and efficiently carried a few items at a time to a side door that allowed us immediate access inside the building. We walked a short distance down the hallway and were at the elevator. Because it was so easy to get inside the building, we made a few leisurely trips back and forth. This was the easiest settling into a Disney World hotel room I have ever experienced. My husband was awarded bonus points because he noticed parking about as close to the building as possible became available. He moved the car to be even more manageable when packing up to leave.
The Room
I admit I was concerned when I first walked in the side door and saw the hallway. Uh oh, the word value is starting to scare me. It was a dark hallway, and the carpet made me wonder how old the building was, but everything turned out wonderfully. This is my new favorite resort.
The details and level of theming were impressive. It looked like Disney tried with this hotel project, and frankly, I am upset that the other hotels are not as well-themed. Our room was themed from the wall décor to the maps on the coffee table to the side stands to the curtains. The floor and some of the furniture looked like a car garage, and I think this theming would appeal to many men and children. Adults will find this room fun in a way that is not princessy.
The room layout was functional and provided relaxing extra space for us. There were side tables on each side of the TableBed (a Murphy bed and table combination) and storage next to the living room television. I used the TableBed to organize my belongings and lay out items I wanted to take to the park before bed. It was nice to have one place to keep my belongings together; all of my toiletries, clothes, tote of items for the room, and suitcase were all in this TableBed and side table area. It also worked well because we had two showers. If you are attending any after-hours parties or parties that go until late at night, returning to the room and having more than one person at a time shower and getting ready for bed is nice, especially if you have an early morning the next day. The extra space worked well for us as my husband had to work some during the day. The separate bedroom allowed me to sleep in while he sat on the sofa, used the coffee table to participate in meetings, and used his laptop. An additional detail about the room is that the trash cans were larger than at other Disney hotels, and we did not have overflowing trash. This is especially nice if you deny housekeeping services because you want extra privacy or will take work meetings during the day. Overall, it was spacious and comfortable.
Hotel Grounds
The hotel grounds were entertainment by themselves. Families enjoyed the theming and picture-taking opportunities. I felt immersed in Disney theming while staying here. I enjoyed seeing the theming during the day, but I also enjoyed the Cars theming with the nighttime lights shining when I returned from the parks. Staying at this hotel provided me with additional Disney fun and helped to maintain that “Disney bubble;” the Disney magic did not end when I left the park. It was continuous with the hotel theme and room theme.
Dining Options
Landscape of Flavors served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When my husband worked during the day, we found eating here convenient and then took transportation to the parks. When we ordered my food (no wheat, dairy, or strawberries), the restaurant had us speak directly to an allergy chef to place an order. Some options included pizza, pasta, hamburgers, chicken strips, hot dogs, salads, and bakery items. Allergy-friendly dining options for me included pizza without cheese, a hamburger with a gluten-free bun, salmon and vegetables, and chicken tenders and fries. When talking about the hotel with cast members, there was an impression that the restaurant had more kid-friendly food options than other restaurants.
Transportation
The Disney Skyliner is available by a short walk and provides transportation to Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot (close to Disney’s BoardWalk district, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.) We chose to use the Minnie Van service for our convenience.
Overall Impression
I loved this hotel. The ease of parking, easy entry into the building, more economical pricing than deluxe hotels, level of theming for both the rooms and hotel grounds, and access to quick-service dining made this a great overall experience. The older building(s) have motel-style doors for each room on the outside, whereas our room was a traditional hotel-style building with room access inside. Also, only some rooms will be as large as ours as we stayed in a suite. Consider these in addition to the theming you want when making a reservation.