Category — d. Where to Stay at Walt Disney World

A Family Suite at Art of Animation, or a Deluxe Room?

by Dave

DISNEY WORLD’S ART OF ANIMATION FAMILY SUITES VERSUS DELUXE RESORTS

In my overview of the deluxe Disney World resorts, it’s noted they are distinguished by having

the most amenities
nicest views
best dining options
best transport
largest rooms
best service, and
highest prices

However, there’s a lot to like in the Art of Animation family suites. In the review published this summer, I noted that

“there are even some deluxes that I’d skip to stay in instead in one of these family suites. You lose the fine dining, more sophisticated décor, balconies, and cooler pools of the deluxes, but for that you get a larger, better equipped, and more livable space…plus two baths.”

So was I carried away, or are the family suites at Art of Animation really a legit alternative to a deluxe?

ART OF ANIMATION FAMILY SUITES MAY BE A BETTER CHOICE THAN THE DELUXES, DEPENDING ON WHY YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO A DELUXE [Read more →]

November 20, 2012 5 Comments

Review: Port Orleans Riverside Alligator Bayou Rooms

by Dave

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort, see this.

THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

Port Orleans Riverside has two areas and three distinct room types.

Its Magnolia Bend area has two room types, Royal Rooms and Standard Rooms, each sleeping four in two queen beds.

Its Alligator Bayou area rooms sleep five in two queen beds and one short (~66 inches long) Murphy bed.

These Alligator Bayou rooms are one of only two traditional moderate resort spaces that sleep 5 (non-Pirate rooms at Caribbean Beach are the other), and these rooms are as a result very important to families a little larger than average.

For families that don’t need the extra bed, these rooms have so-so theming, are kind of ugly in spots–although your taste may vary–and are thin on storage. Such families have better options.

REVIEW OF THE ALLIGATOR BAYOU ROOMS [Read more →]

November 19, 2012 32 Comments

The Murphy Bed in the 5-Person Alligator Bayou Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside

by Dave

THE REFURBISHED 5 PERSON ROOMS AT PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE

The only standard moderate resort rooms at Walt Disney World that can sleep five are in the Alligator Bayou section at Port Orleans Riverside.

Both the Port Orleans resorts have been refurbished over the past 18 months or so (for details, see this), with the main improvement being the replacement of the old full beds with queens.

In addition, the rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of Riverside, which used to sleep a fifth person on a trundle bed, now sleep the fifth person on a mini-Murphy bed.

I’ve finally had a chance to stay in one of these refurbished rooms. I’ll post a full review later this month, but wanted to get the details on the new mini-Murphy out now. [Read more →]

November 4, 2012 3 Comments

Review: Standard Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, p3

by Dave

This is the third page of this review of the Little Mermaid rooms. For the first page, see this.

BEST AND WORST PLACES TO STAY IN THE LITTLE MERMAID AREA OF ART OF ANIMATION

The Little Mermaid Section of Art of Animation has three buildings, numbered 7, 8 and 9.

Seven is the best, and 8 the worst. Specifically, ask for an Hourglass Lake view room in building 7 closer to the Lion King area. This will give you the shortest walk, least pool noise, and best views.

DISTANCE, NOISE AND VIEWS IN THE LITTLE MERMAID AREA

Distance. All three Little Mermaid buildings are further away from the core Art of Animation services—the main pool, food court, gift shop, concierge desk, and bus stops—than any other buildings at this hotel.

See the map—where the Little Mermaid buildings are on the left, circled in orange.

For most, this distance will matter little, adding five minutes to ten minutes per round trip of walking. Many more expensive Disney World resorts have even longer walks.

But anyone aimed at a standard-sized value resort room with a mobility issue ought to consider either renting a wheelchair or scooter, or getting a room closer to core services at another value resort. (Pop Century is the next highest ranked value resort.)

Of the three buildings, rooms in 8 all have longer walks than rooms in 7 and 9. Seven and 9 are tied for distance, and in 7 and 9, rooms closer to the Lion King area will have a shorter walk.

Noise. Unlike in the Family Suites at Art of Animation, corridor noise is not much of an issue in the Little Mermaid section. This is because there are twice as many corridors, none are walled on all sides, none are air conditioned, and thus none has a real draw as a pathway to the resort’s central services.

Noise, to the extent it is an issue, comes from the pool. One-third of rooms in building 8, and one-sixth of rooms in each of 7 and 9, face the pool.

Views. Two thirds of the rooms in both buildings 8 and 9 have parking lot views; there are no bad views in building 7, though as noted above the pool-view rooms in 7 can be noisy.

Art of Animation and Pop Century are the only value resorts on a lake—Hourglass Lake separates the two. While there may be some obtuse views of Hourglass Lake from a few of the pool-facing rooms of building 8, a third of building 7 rooms have a view of the lake.

All in, building 7 is the best and 8 the worst of the Little Mermaid buildings. So ask for a lake-facing building 7 room, as near the Lion King area as possible. This will give you the shortest walk, least noise and best view!

The best rooms specifically are 7513-7524, 7613-7624, 7713-7724, and 7813 to 7824. The image above is taken from outside of 7813.

On the online check-in form, click “Lake View” and “Near Transportation.”

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MORE ON WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

For where to stay, see this
- For your next best choices, in order, see this
- For picking your resort based on appeal to kids, see this
- For picking your resort based on convenience, see this
- For where not to stay, see this

For what you get in each resort price category, see this
- For Walt Disney World resort price seasons, see this
- For resort reviews, see this
- For the value resorts, see this
- For the moderate resorts, see this
- For the deluxe resorts, see this
- For suites at the deluxe resorts, see this
- For the Disney Vacation Club (“DVC”) Resorts, see this

For a (geeky) overview of comparative room size, see this

Large families should look at this, and also at

Military/DOD families should look at this

Tightwads should look at this

Families seeking the most comfortable place to stay should see this

October 23, 2012 71 Comments

Photo Tour of Standard Little Mermaid Rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

by Dave

For the first page of this review of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, see this.

A PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD LITTLE MERMAID ROOM

Standard 4-person Little Mermaid rooms have the same size and a similar layout as those in the other value resorts. It still has full beds, though–with n\most other values having or moving to queen beds.

What’s particularly different is the specific decor, and the deep Disney theming that you won’t find in the other values.

You are “Under the Sea” in this room, a position that the carpet and how it works with curtains and the beds is meant to reinforce.

Closing your eyes and saying “I believe in orange as an undersea color! I do!!” helps a bit in getting this.

The room has two full beds, with Sebastian and Flounder between them. The “pearls” on the headboards are reading lights.

Here”s a closer view of the headboards…

…and of Sebastian and Flounder.

Towards the end of the beds, there’s a painting of Prince Eric.

On the other side of the room, you’ll find a table and chairs with a fun light fixture and mirror above, and a dresser with a TV above and a fridge inside. No coffee maker, though…

The chairs are fun for kids, but cheap looking…

…while the table has these sheets from a musical score embedded.

The dresser has the TV above, drawers on one side, and a mini-fridge on the other.

Here’s the drawers and mini-fridge. Note only three drawers. There’s a shelf above the hanging rack in the bath with more storage, and also room for suitcases used for storage on the floor between the fridge and the bath.