Art of Animation Disney World: Worth the Price Jump?

Art of Animation at Disney World is a value-tier resort with a moderate-tier trick: family suites that sleep up to six, split into a separate bedroom-ish area and a living space with a kitchenette. That's the entire case for booking it over a standard value room — more space and a place to make actual meals, at a price that sits above a typical value room but usually below a moderate one.

The suites work best for families of four to six who'd otherwise need two rooms elsewhere. A couple traveling alone gets little benefit from a suite's extra space and pays for square footage they won't use — a standard value room saves money in that case.

The full resort comparison — pricing tiers, room types, and which one fits your family size — is in the free First-Timer Planning Binder's budget sheet.

What the suites actually include

A kitchenette with a mini-fridge, microwave, and coffee maker cuts down on dining costs meaningfully if you're willing to handle breakfast or a late snack in the room instead of a quick-service counter every time. It's not a full kitchen — no stovetop, no oven — but it covers more than people expect walking in.

The separate sleeping area gives parents a place to sit after younger kids are down, which standard rooms don't offer. For families with a strict bedtime and older kids who want to stay up, this alone changes how workable evenings feel.

The walk is real

This is one of the larger resorts on property, and room locations vary widely in distance from the main lobby, food court, and bus stop. A room assignment on the far end of a themed section can mean a ten-minute walk before you've even left the resort. If mobility or stroller-pushing distance is a concern, it's worth requesting a closer room location at check-in — not guaranteed, but often accommodated when asked.

Transportation to the parks

Buses run to all four parks from this resort; there's no monorail or boat connection here. Bus wait times vary by time of day and how close you are to a park's opening or closing — build a buffer of 30 to 45 minutes for transportation on days with an early rope-drop plan, especially if your room is on the far side of the property from the bus stop.

Food court, not table service

The main dining option on-site is a large food court — solid variety, quick, but not a sit-down restaurant experience. Families wanting a proper table-service meal without leaving the resort will need to look elsewhere or plan a trip to a park or another resort for that.

Who this resort fits

Larger families splitting the cost of a suite across more people often find it competitive with two standard rooms elsewhere, once the kitchenette savings on food are factored in. Families of two or three, or anyone prioritizing proximity to a specific park over resort theming and suite space, likely find better value at a different tier.

Comparing it to a two-room option

Two standard value rooms usually sleep up to eight combined and give each half of a large group its own bathroom, which a single suite doesn't. The tradeoff is losing the shared living space and kitchenette, plus managing two separate room keys and two separate check-in times. Run both options through the actual current pricing before assuming the suite is automatically the cheaper or easier path — for some group sizes, two rooms work out ahead on both cost and convenience.

What the theming means day to day

Beyond the room itself, the resort's common areas — pool, food court, walking paths — carry a strong visual theme throughout, which some families enjoy as part of the trip and others find beside the point after a long park day. It doesn't affect functionality, but it's worth knowing this resort leans harder into atmosphere than a more understated value-tier option might.

Booking it

Room categories, suite availability, and current pricing shift by season and demand, so check the current rates and room options on Disney's official site before assuming a suite fits your budget the way it did for someone else's trip. Comparing current rates across resort tiers before you book is worth the twenty minutes it takes — the gap between value and moderate pricing narrows more often than people expect.

The suite is the whole reason to consider this resort. If your family size doesn't need one, there's usually a better-value option elsewhere on property.