There are four tiers of hotel resort at Walt Disney World – Value, Moderate, Deluxe, and Deluxe Villa. Disney themselves assigns them categories and the amenities vary in each resort depending on the category they are on.
Value resorts are the lowest end in terms of price from other categories of hotels in Walt Disney World.
There are currently five resorts in this category:
- Art of Animation
- Pop Century
- All Star Sports
- All Star Music
- All Star Movies
Each have their own quirks and styling, and to be honest, you cannot go wrong with ANY on property hotel at Disney World; the benefits are so strong that staying on-site should be high on your priority list for your trip.
So what is our favourite? It is Art of Animation Resort.
The resort takes you straight in right from arrival with large drawings of some of the most famous Disney and Pixar films. The lobby itself is a veritable treasure trove of concept art, sketches, and how your favourite films come to life.
The Rooms at Art of Animation
There are a large number of rooms at this resort, and three specifically themed areas around the premises; Cars, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.
The rooms are tailored towards families, and spacious in design. They have also all recently been refurbished, creating more space for families to spread out!
We have only personally stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, at the very back of the resort, but there are a few options available to you if you want a particular theme. There are also the Lion King rooms, and the Cars rooms. These two are family suites and are much bigger than the Little Mermaid rooms.
Why do we like Art of Animation over others?
There are a few reasons. First, the theming. I find this one of the best themed hotels on property for Disney fans and families. All around the resort are photo opportunities, props and hidden details much like you would see in the park.
Secondly, these generally seem to be quieter than the other All Star resorts. It is a little bit more expensive, but I have not found them to be as busy or crowded as some of the others.
Thirdly, the spacious rooms. Bigger than other value resorts, the rooms are well themed and open planned, allowing for plenty of space for activities!
There is one downside though; the location. You cannot walk to any park from this resort. You have to take the bus. Overall, this is not a problem. The property is enormous and getting around on bus is normal in Walt Disney World. But in case you wanted to be in a park in minutes, you may want to look elsewhere. Some of the other value resorts are along the new Skyliner brining you to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios in minutes.
See our benefits of staying on-site: Walt Disney World – The five benefits of staying on site
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