Disney's ART OF ANIMATION RESORT Information & Questions

[DanInMN]

Hi - new to thread as I am now a "reluctant AoA guest". I had booked POR for 4 people, but am now bringing 2 more kids. POR is sold out so I couldn't get a second room, and AoA family suites are about all that's available for 4/1 - 4/10. Last year we stopped by AoA to look around, and the exterior was okay. But from the online photos, I dislike the loud room theming. But the kids seem to like it, it's about all that is available, and we have it booked and paid for (crazy high pricing!). I will miss the POR boat to DS, Yehaw Bob Jackson's show, hot tub, and lush landscaping - but am looking forward to visiting WDW with our newly adopted twin teen girls and their 2 sweet friends! I need to turn my attitude around on AoA though.

 

[bluezy]

Hi - new to thread as I am now a "reluctant AoA guest". I had booked POR for 4 people, but am now bringing 2 more kids. POR is sold out so I couldn't get a second room, and AoA family suites are about all that's available for 4/1 - 4/10. Last year we stopped by AoA to look around, and the exterior was okay. But from the online photos, I dislike the loud room theming. But the kids seem to like it, it's about all that is available, and we have it booked and paid for (crazy high pricing!). I will miss the POR boat to DS, Yehaw Bob Jackson's show, hot tub, and lush landscaping - but am looking forward to visiting WDW with our newly adopted twin teen girls and their 2 sweet friends! I need to turn my attitude around on AoA though.

Give yourself a chance to appreciate AoA. I think you'll like it. There is .a lot of beautiful landscaping and theming throughout the resort. The first time we stayed at AoA I was very concerned about the "loudness" of the room themes but I found that the rooms were much easier on the eyes in person. And once we had all of our stuff in the room, I really didn't notice the craziness of the decor. Take some time to walk around the resort at night -- it's simply gorgeous. Especially the Cars area. The food court has a lot to offer -- and many options you won't find anywhere else. And for a change of pace, it's a quick walk across the bridge to Pop Century where you have a whole new set of food options. We've stayed at AoA twice so far and are heading back in June. We've always found the bus service to be very good and you always have the option of using the buses for Pop Century and just walking back to AoA (again, that's a beautiful walk at night when the resorts are lit up.) You can see fireworks from Epcot and DHS from the bridge every night. The Big Blue Pool is awesome with it's underwater sound system playing music and clips from Finding Nemo. The other two pools are lovely (and quiet), too. And one of the best things about the AoA suites is having a separate Master Bedroom with it's own bathroom (with a great walk-in shower).

Congratulations on the adoption and I hope you all have a great trip!

 

[Iowamomof4]

Can anyone compare and contrast the family suites at AOA with the suites at ASMu? With 4 kids, I like the idea of an extra, separate bed at ASMu, but I wonder if the layout of the rooms at AOA is better overall?

Can anyone speak to this? Thanks!

 

[bluezy]

Can anyone speak to this? Thanks!

We've only stayed at the AoA suites (and love them!), so my knowledge of the Music Suites is second hand from friends and family members who have stayed there. My brother has stayed at both and prefers AoA because of the extra space (his son requires a powered wheelchair).

This is a review of the ASMu Suites but throughout the review the reviewer compares that suite to AoA.

http://**************.net/2014/07/02/review-the-family-suites-at-disneys-all-star-music-resort/

Hope that helps! Do you have any specific questions/concerns?

 

[Hdc51]

Does anyone know if a full size crib (rented from off-property) would fit in the master bathroom? Our youngest DD doesn't sleep well when she can see people. I'm assuming a pack n play would most likely fit given pictures that I've seen, but I worry about how comfortable she'd be in it since she hasn't slept in one since she was a newborn. Thanks!

 

[bluezy]

While I haven't actually measured it, I don't think a full-size crib would fit in the master bathroom mostly because the door opens in to the bathroom and because of where the vanity is, you'd have to be able to open the door pretty far to be able to get into the bathroom.. I know a pack 'n play would fit but there's also the issue of the fan in the bathroom being on a motion sensor so it will turn on every time the baby moves. I think I remember someone saying they taped a large piece of paper to the ceiling to cover the sensor when they had their baby sleeping in there.

Does the off-site vendor have a travel-size crib available (something bigger than a pack 'n play but smaller than a standard crib)? That would probably fit in the bathroom. Or would a portable sleep tent with an inflatable mattress placed in the far corner of the master bedroom work if you stayed out of the room until she was a sleep? She wouldn't be able to see anyone else, but she could still hear everything. I remember someone staying at POR said they used the tent/air mattress because they had the same issue with their son -- if he could see anyone, he wouldn't fall asleep.

The good news is that kids are usually so exhausted after a day at Disney that they'll sleep anywhere so if you have to use a pack 'n play, she might not even care.

 

[DanInMN]

Give yourself a chance to appreciate AoA. I think you'll like it. There is a lot of beautiful landscaping and theming throughout the resort.

I'll make it grow on me!

Congratulations on the adoption and I hope you all have a great trip!

Adopting the teens is the most difficult thing I have ever done. They are unappreciative, and often downright rude. I am learning to live with it as it's also the most important thing I have ever done - as the kids aging out of an orphanage with no family, education, or prospects is unacceptable.

 

[bluezy]

Adopting the teens is the most difficult thing I have ever done. They are unappreciative, and often downright rude. I am learning to live with it as it's also the most important thing I have ever done - as the kids aging out of an orphanage with no family, education, or prospects is unacceptable.

That is really a selfless and wonderful thing for you to do for them. Teens are a breed all their own -- even if they've lived with you since birth. They are basically overgrown toddlers who are constantly testing their boundaries and think the universe exists only for them. Fortunately they usually do grow out of that phase and become humans again...in their mid-twenties. I wish you the best of everything in your journey with them. One day they will look back and really appreciate what you have done for them...even if they never actually say that to you.

Enjoy your time at Disney!!

 

[Iowamomof4]

We've only stayed at the AoA suites (and love them!), so my knowledge of the Music Suites is second hand from friends and family members who have stayed there. My brother has stayed at both and prefers AoA because of the extra space (his son requires a powered wheelchair).

This is a review of the ASMu Suites but throughout the review the reviewer compares that suite to AoA.

http://**************.net/2014/07/02/review-the-family-suites-at-disneys-all-star-music-resort/

Hope that helps! Do you have any specific questions/concerns?

Thank you! I guess I was wondering if anyone preferred the beds at one over the other (I found the bed in the master bedroom to be particularly hard when we stayed in a Cars Suite last year for one night) or if the layout of the suite was better or worse at one vs the other or anything like that. I think we'll stick with AOA, I like the interior corridors and the themeing is great for our family.

 

[bluezy]

Thank you! I guess I was wondering if anyone preferred the beds at one over the other (I found the bed in the master bedroom to be particularly hard when we stayed in a Cars Suite last year for one night) or if the layout of the suite was better or worse at one vs the other or anything like that. I think we'll stick with AOA, I like the interior corridors and the themeing is great for our family.

My brother said they preferred the beds at AoA over ASMu. I agree, though, the bed in the master bedroom at AoA is much firmer than I like (my husband loves it, though). I solved the problem (for me) by having mousekeeping bring an extra blanket or two that I folded up and used as a pillow top for my side of the mattress. Worked pretty well.

 

[Iowamomof4]

My brother said they preferred the beds at AoA over ASMu. I agree, though, the bed in the master bedroom at AoA is much firmer than I like (my husband loves it, though). I solved the problem (for me) by having mousekeeping bring an extra blanket or two that I folded up and used as a pillow top for my side of the mattress. Worked pretty well.

Great idea!

 

[Hdc51]

While I haven't actually measured it, I don't think a full-size crib would fit in the master bathroom mostly because the door opens in to the bathroom and because of where the vanity is, you'd have to be able to open the door pretty far to be able to get into the bathroom.. I know a pack 'n play would fit but there's also the issue of the fan in the bathroom being on a motion sensor so it will turn on every time the baby moves. I think I remember someone saying they taped a large piece of paper to the ceiling to cover the sensor when they had their baby sleeping in there.

Does the off-site vendor have a travel-size crib available (something bigger than a pack 'n play but smaller than a standard crib)? That would probably fit in the bathroom. Or would a portable sleep tent with an inflatable mattress placed in the far corner of the master bedroom work if you stayed out of the room until she was a sleep? She wouldn't be able to see anyone else, but she could still hear everything. I remember someone staying at POR said they used the tent/air mattress because they had the same issue with their son -- if he could see anyone, he wouldn't fall asleep.

The good news is that kids are usually so exhausted after a day at Disney that they'll sleep anywhere so if you have to use a pack 'n play, she might not even care.

Thank you! The off-site vendor does offer travel-sized cribs as well. But I'm hoping that you're right and that the sleep issue won't be a problem because she'll be so tired. Thanks again for the information...you've given me more options to think about.

 

[DanInMN]

That is really a selfless and wonderful thing for you to do for them. Teens are a breed all their own -- even if they've lived with you since birth. They are basically overgrown toddlers who are constantly testing their boundaries and think the universe exists only for them. Fortunately they usually do grow out of that phase and become humans again...in their mid-twenties. I wish you the best of everything in your journey with them. One day they will look back and really appreciate what you have done for them...even if they never actually say that to you.

Enjoy your time at Disney!!

Great description of teens! An extra challenge is they are from Colombia and don't know English... and I don't know Spanish! Google translate on my phone helps, and they are in ESL at school now. It's okay if they don't appreciate our efforts, as seeing them succeed in life (hopefully) is what I dream of.

If anyone sees us wandering around AoA 4/1 - 4/10 - say hi!

 

[StephanieKay]

Is anyone able to speak to whether the suites at AoA can hold 3 adults and 4 children even though they say sleeps 6 adults? I'm thinking that one of the adults in our group will sleep in 1 bed with her 2 kids.

 

[Iowamomof4]

Is anyone able to speak to whether the suites at AoA can hold 3 adults and 4 children even though they say sleeps 6 adults? I'm thinking that one of the adults in our group will sleep in 1 bed with her 2 kids.

The limit is 6, but children 2 and under don't count in that total. If all of your party is 3 and up, 6 is the hard limit, set by fire code.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Is anyone able to speak to whether the suites at AoA can hold 3 adults and 4 children even though they say sleeps 6 adults? I'm thinking that one of the adults in our group will sleep in 1 bed with her 2 kids.

I believe the legal occupancy is 6, which is based on fire code.

Tom

 

[StephanieKay]

Thanks for such quick responses! I appreciate it!

 

[Scott2552]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the safe that is provided in the LK Suite? Need to know if it is big enough to keep my computer in.

 

[KonaKaiTom]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the safe that is provided in the LK Suite? Need to know if it is big enough to keep my computer in.

The safe is pretty small - you might be able to fit a small notebook in there, but a bigger laptop probably won't fit. I got my iPad in there, but my 15" laptop never would have fit.

Tom

 

[bluezy]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the safe that is provided in the LK Suite? Need to know if it is big enough to keep my computer in.

The dimensions are approximately 15" x 15" x 3"

The first picture shows my wallet, my husband's wallet, keys, and a standard Disney mug in the safe. The other picture is my 15" laptop in the safe. It took a little maneuvering to get the laptop in and it did take up most of the space but we could still fit our wallets, keys, and any jewelry I wasn't wearing that day in there with the laptop.

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