q. Reviews - 71/94 - yourfirstvisit.net

THERE ARE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC TOO!

With all the deserved hoopla around the opening of the Family Suites at Art of Animation, Disney World’s original family suites at All-Star Music are still worth considering by any family thinking about Art of Animation.

In general, Art of Animation will be a better choice for most, but there are some specific features of the Family Suites at All-Star Music that will make them a better choice for some.

REVIEW: THE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC [Read more →]

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

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE FAMILY SUITES AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

The family suites are innovative and spacious, sleeping six on three beds. Photo tours of each themed suite are later in this review.

The dining area–the first space you enter when you come in from the hall–is the most innovative.

In a meeting of Murphy beds and Rube Goldberg, the dining table converts into a bed…making it a Murphy Goldberg bed…it’s easy to set up and re-convert to a table, and fun to play with.

For the price (they are not cheap) I can’t think of a better value for space on property.

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.
In some circumstances I’d even pick the Family Suites at Art of Animation over some of the smaller and more awkward Disney Vacation Club one bedroom villas, like those at Saratoga Springs.

However, the most direct comparison for the Art of Animation Family Suites is the Family Suites at All-Star Music.

The All-Star Music family suites were built by combining two existing rooms, and adding a door between them and a wall to create privacy for the master bedroom and space for the mini-kitchen.

See the floor plan.

There’s only a couple of broadly-applicable reasons to prefer All-Star Music to Art of Animation.

One is price. Art of Animation family suites are ~$70-100 per night more expensive than those at All-Star Music.
Another is the number of individual sleeping spaces. Art of Animation has three, each sleeping two, while Music has four, two sleeping one each and two beds sleeping two. This creates more flexibility for some family structures–e.g. families with 3 boys and one girl, or a family of five plus Aunt Ida.

Some other minor points that may sway some families to Music are the easy access to both baths from all beds–in Art of Animation the second bath is in the master bedroom, not so open to the living space–and the fact every bed in Music has a TV view, while in Art of Animation the “Murphy Goldberg” bed has no TV view-able from it.

One could also like the living room, mini-kitchen, and master bedroom more at Music. (For a space by space comparison, see this.)

Otherwise Art of Animation rules All-Star Music.

The family suites at Art of Animation were also designed within constraints–the footprints of the buildings had been established years ago, when the area it now occupies was meant to be the second phase of Pop Century.

Working within this constraint, Disney’s designers did a remarkable job.

The first key decision was to have one interior corridor rather than two exterior ones. This created an extra 5 feet or so of space available to lengthen the rooms, enabling adding a couple of feet to the window to entry door dimension.

This extra length–combined with the decision to move the closets–enabled Disney to rotate the baths and thus free up a ton of space in the center of the entry area.

The second key decision was to discover and decide to use in this space the “Murphy Goldberg” bed (this is my name for it, there’s a real brand name–Inova Table Bed).

This dining table that converts into a bed that converts into a table adds greatly to the livability of the room, and also simplifies what the living room area needs to deliver in terms of beds.

It’s also fun to play with.

.

PHOTO TOUR OF A FINDING NEMO FAMILY SUITE AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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This is the fourth page of this review of Disney’s Beach Club Villas. For the first page of this material, click here.

THE THEMING OF DISNEY’S BEACH CLUB VILLAS

Disney’s Beach Club Villas opened in 2002 as the fourth on-site Disney Vacation Club resort.

According to Disney’s web page on the Beach Club Villas, they

“…wrap leisure, elegance and romance into a full-service New England-style Disney Deluxe Villa Resort…

…The nautical allure of the Eastern Seaboard comes alive with architecture that features intricate wooden accents and a soft pastel color palette. Retreat to one of our stately Studios with kitchenettes or one of our spacious Villas complete with a kitchen, living area and a host of home-style amenities. Enjoy charming views from your windows and private porch or balcony.”

Designed by the architect who did the rest of the Epcot resorts, Robert A.M. Stern, the Beach Club Villas share the charming “Stick” architecture of sister resort the Beach Club, but are even more graceful and lovely than the sister resort is.

The Beach Club Villas are in fact as lovely as any other resort at Walt Disney World, and are at least comparable in beauty to the Grand Floridian…and perhaps, because of their smaller scale, even more charming.

The smaller scale, angled facade, and more playful detailing of the Beach Club Villas help it better reflect its roots in domestic architecture.

For example, some of the facades include not only the clapboard siding common at the resort but also towers designed with board and batten siding. A small thing, but one that hints at having a domestic history rather than being a monolith.

The Villas are a lovely sea green, a warmer and more inviting color than the (still-nice) cooler blue of the Beach Club.

Interiors spaces are just as nice, especially the main entry lobby through which guests will walk many times as they access the Beach Club, Epcot, Crescent Lake, and the BoardWalk.

The Beach Club Villas have many strengths for first time visitors, bringing together the positives of the DVC resorts–extra, more livable space, full kitchens–with those of the Beach Club: access to Stormalong Bay, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The weaknesses of the Beach Club Villas are also shared–many families won’t be in these rooms enough to enjoy their amenities, and the architecture, lovely to adults, is dull to kids.

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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

For the first page of this review of the Caribbean Beach, see this.

A PHOTO TOUR OF A STANDARD ROOM AT THE CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Update: as part of a refurb that began in late spring 2014, the old full beds are being replaced with queen beds in standard Caribbean Beach rooms. As of 9/14, Jamaica is done, Aruba is almost done, and Barbados has started. See this for more!

Caribbean Beach rooms are accessed from an outside corridor. You enter into the living area, with the bath at the back.

As you enter the room, on the bed side you’ll find two full beds, brightly decorated with a Nemo theme.

Here’s a close-up of the bed.

On the wall between the bed and bath there’s Disney Cruise Line art.

On the opposite side of the room, you’ll find a dresser with a built-in mini fridge and a flat screen TV. Next to it is a chest.

Closer view of the table…

…the dresser and its storage capacity…

…and the mini-fridge.

The bench and coat hooks are the last bit before the bath…

…the bench containing another good-sized drawer.

A curtain gives a little privacy between the bath and the sleeping area.

Further back in the room you’ll find a split bath. One part has double sinks…

…and a clothes hanging area…

…the other has a tub and toilet. Note the colored tiles…

…fun shower curtain…

…and nice detail incised into the shower wall.

Update: as part of a refurb that began in late spring 2014, the old full beds are being replaced with queen beds in standard Caribbean Beach rooms. As of 9/14, Jamaica is done, Aruba is almost done, and Barbados has started. See this for more!

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

FAMILY SUITES AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

Note: guests at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are eligible for Disney World’s Early Entry program, and for early access to its paid individual system for access to certain rides, but NOT for its Extended Evening Hours.

Resorts are ranked on this site based first on kid appeal, and then on convenience in carrying out the site’s recommended itineraries.

Based on that, the 6 person Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation resort rocket ahead of their only comparable rooms, the Family Suites at All-Star Music.

That said, the Music suites are much less costly (on average in 2020, $160 less per night), and are currently in a refurb that looks likely to eliminate one of their biggest negatives–uncomfortable beds.

REVIEW: DISNEY WORLD’S FAMILY SUITES AT THE ART OF ANIMATION RESORT FOR FIRST-TIME VISITORS

Art of Animation accommodation buildings are in four different areas, each themed to one beloved Disney movie.

Family suites are found in the Cars, Lion King, and Finding Nemo areas. The Nemo suites are a little more central, and a little more expensive than the Cars and Lion King suites.

(Standard four person rooms are in the fourth area, the Little Mermaid-themed section; there’s no family suites in the Little Mermaid area, and no standard rooms in the Cars, Lion King, or Finding Nemo areas.)

Note that the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her using the form at the bottom of the page.

THE CARS AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

On the map, the Cars area is at the far right.

Here’s you’ll find three buildings, each with a major depiction at its entry.

Building 1 has Mater…

…Building 3 Luigi…

…and Building 2 is fronted by stars Lightning McQueen and Sally Carerra.

The Cars Family Suites themselves are also deeply themed to Cars (there’s many more room photos later in this review)…

…as is the general environment in the courtyard created in the middle of the three buildings.

THE FINDING NEMO AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

On the map, the two Finding Nemo buildings are just above the central services buildings and surround the largest pool at the resort.

Building 4 is fronted by Mr. Ray, and Building 5 by Crush. I love to take pictures of him, day…

…or night.

The stairs are themed to the seagulls…

…also fun at night…

…and the courtyard created between the two buildings, besides holding the main pool (more on the pools later), is themed to make you feel like you are underwater with Nemo and Friends.

The rooms continue the Finding Nemo theme (many more room shots are later in this review).

THE LION KING AREA AT ART OF ANIMATION

The two buildings just to the left of the Finding Nemo area on the map, numbers 6 and 10, are the Lion King Buildings.

The courtyard between has parts themed to a savanna…

…and parts themed to a jungle.

You’ll also find all the key Lion King characters here:

Rooms continue the African theming. Many more Lion King room photos are here.

THE BEST AREAS TO STAY

Although the Nemo rooms are a bit more expensive, choices as to which group of buildings to book will, in many families, simply be guided by which of Cars, the Lion King, and Finding Nemo is their favorite film.

For those open to any of the three, go for Lion King. You can book the Lion King, Cars, or Nemo suites directly on Disney’s site.

More specifically, go for a 2nd floor or higher Hourglass Lake view room on the Finding Nemo side of Building 6 in the Lion King area. This will yield the least noise, best view, and relative closeness to the main services and bus stop.

The long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly B., can help you book your Disney World vacation at Art of Animation or anywhere else–contact her using the form below.

Name*
Where Would You Like to Go?*
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# of Guests by Age: Aged 18+
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- Yes

ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE FAMILY SUITES

This review continues here.

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

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For the first page of this review of the Caribbean Beach, see this.

MORE STUFF ON DISNEY’S CARIBBEAN BEACH RESORT

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is one of 5 moderate resorts at Walt Disney World:

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, the first to be designated a moderate, which opened in 1988
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter (opened in 1991 as Disney’s Port Orleans Resort)
Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside (opened in 1992 as Disney’s Dixie Landing Resort)
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (opened 1997) and
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, officially classed as moderate in 2008, but opened (as Wilderness Homes) in 1986. (Fort Wilderness Campground opened much earlier, but precursors to the Cabins did not arrive until 1986.)

The moderates have much more room than the value resorts, more amenities, and (except for Fort Wilderness) much better landscaping. See this for what you get by Disney World price class.

Although the typical moderate rooms, at ~314 square feet (the cabins have 508 square feet), sound much smaller than the rooms available at the deluxe resorts, differences in hall/entry layout make the living space of the typical moderates much more comparable to many Walt Disney World deluxes than raw square footage would imply.

See this for more on square footage and livability.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is officially “a tropical beachside paradise set on the beautiful 45-acre Barefoot Bay.”

Its 200 acres include an arrival building, where you check in, make dining reservations, buy tickets, etc., called the Custom House; a central area with shops, food, another reservations and ticketing point. and the main pool called Old Port Royale; and 2112 rooms divided among six “villages”– Trinidad North, Trinidad South, Martinique, Barbados, Aruba and Jamaica.

Each village is painted a different vibrant tropical color, and most have both their own beach and their own “quiet pool.” (Barbados shares beaches with Martinique.)

(“Quiet pool” is Disney lingo for a small, unguarded pool that is closer to most guest rooms than the large, guarded, main pool.)

The six villages are scattered about. (See the map.)

Martinique and Trinidad North are closest to the resort’s central facilities at Old Port Royale–where you’ll find the main pool, shops, and dining. Rooms in these villages incur an extra cost because of their location.

Trinidad South–where you’ll find the Pirate rooms–and, to a lesser extent, Barbados, are furthest from these facilities.

Jamaica and Aruba are in between, and the best choice for most first-time visitors. Not overly distant from Old Port Royale because of a bridge, they best balance convenience and cost.

Each village has three to six buildings and its own bus stop. When you arrive, note your building carefully on the map–the bus stop, beach, or quiet pool of another village may in fact be closer to you than that of your own village.

The buildings have 64 rooms each, laid out in a variety of ways.

See the image for the layout of Building 51 in Jamaica. (Since starting this site, I’ve also stayed in Jamaica another time, plus Trinidad South and Barbados.)

Just as the best bus stops aren’t always the first that come to mind, same for the stairs to the 2nd floor. If you are in a second floor room, check out the fire escape map on your door to figure out the best stairs for various purposes.

Some of these buildings have spaces designed with interior courtyards, punctuated with fun multi-colored umbrellas.

Others laid out in different ways have other landscaping approaches, but all the settings are quite lovely…and so are the beaches!

This review continues here.

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Category — q. Reviews

Review: The Family Suites at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

THERE ARE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC TOO!

REVIEW: THE FAMILY SUITES AT ALL-STAR MUSIC [Read more →]

Accommodations in The Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

ACCOMMODATIONS AT THE FAMILY SUITES AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

PHOTO TOUR OF A FINDING NEMO FAMILY SUITE AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

MATERIAL IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

Review: Disney’s Beach Club Villas, p4