Where to Stay - The Easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit 2015 - page 46

total transit time shorter—nearby Pop Century is the other. Because at full capacity AofA
holds fewer people than Pop does, AofA is the clear convenience winner among the val-
ues. AofA (and Pop Century) are just next to and south of the Epcot Area resort Caribbean
Beach, but Disney way-finding identifies them as ESPN Wide World of Sports Area re-
sorts. Regardless, these are the two most centrally-located of Disney's value resorts, though
neither is particularly close to anything.
AofA's rich and detailed theming gives it the highest kid appeal, by far, among the val-
ues, and perhaps of any Disney World resort—at least for kids into one the movies it show-
cases. As with all the values, adult appeal is mixed, with some finding it fun, and others
garish.
At AofA, there are two very different room types in four very different themed areas.
One room type is standard rooms sleeping four on two full beds (almost identical except
in decoration to what you'll find at the other value resorts). These are all found in the Little
Mermaid area, which is also the farthest area from the main pool, Animation Hall, and
bus stops. At about 260 square feet, these standard rooms may be the smallest four-person
rooms you will ever see in the U.S. outside of historic center-city hotels. Besides the two
full beds, you'll find in the sleeping area a table and two chairs, a TV/dresser combo, and a
mini-fridge. There are no coffee-makers in these standard rooms. In the divided bath, you'll
find a clothes hanging area, hair dryer, and single sink separated from the rest of the room
by a fabric curtain. Next to this you'll find the toilet and tub in their own room. Unlike
the other value resorts, which have little room theming, the Little Mermaid gang is quite
present in these rooms. No rooms at Art of Animation have balconies. All Little Mermaid
rooms are accessed from exterior corridors.
The rest of the rooms at AofA are Family Suites, found in three themed areas—Cars,
Finding Nemo, and the Lion King. (No standard rooms are in these three areas, and no fam-
ily suites are in the Little Mermaid area.) AofA Family Suites sleep six in more than twice
the area of standard rooms, and contain a living room with a couch that folds out into a
full bed, a dining area with a full bed that folds down, a master bedroom with a queen, two
full baths (one connected to the master bedroom) and a kitchenette with a mini-fridge, mi-
crowave, and coffee-maker. Each of these rooms is deeply themed to its respective movie.
Family Suites are accessed via interior corridors—more comfortable than exterior ones, but
potentially more noisy.
Dining is in Animation Hall at the food court, Landscape of Flavors, the most ambitious
of Disney's food courts in terms of adventuresome menus and fresh preparation. (Josh finds
it unreliable and easily overpressed by guests—if you do too, the food court at Pop Cen-
tury is just over the bridge between the two resorts.) There's no indoor bar, but you'll find
an outdoor bar by the main pool. There is no table service restaurant at any value, nor any
character meals.
Amenities at the resort include nightly movies, jogging trails, playgrounds, and an ar-
cade. Art of Animation and Pop Century are the only value resorts on a lake, but the only
water recreation available is bird-watching.
At AofA there are no “preferred” rooms or upcharges for views.
Standard four-person rooms are $142/night on weekdays and $165/night on Fridays and
Saturdays during the 2015 Fall season. 2015 peak prices for these rooms are $224 and