An item on my bucket list is to stay at every resort at Walt Disney World, and I checked another off the list during our most recent stay.  My daughter turned 5, and she loves ‘The Little Mermaid,’ so choosing a Little Mermaid room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort was a no-brainer to add extra magic to her special birthday trip!

Animation Hall

We arrived at Art of Animation and checked in at Animation Hall at the front of the resort.  The colors of the front desk blew me away, and my daughters were in awe of the different sketches adorning the walls.  The whole area is very sleek and modern.  After checking in, we wandered around Animation Hall, and found the Ink and Paint souvenir shop along with the Landscape of Flavors counter service dining area.  We grabbed a yummy slice of pizza from Landscape of Flavors for dinner one night.  The wall of baked goods held so many delectable treats, it was hard to choose just one.  My daughter opted for the Finding Nemo cupcake.  Lucky for me, she decided to share a couple of delicious bites!

Animation Hall

Little Mermaid Room

We made our way to our room in the Little Mermaid section of the resort.  My daughters loved the bright, colorful decor in the room.  The details took you “under the sea,” and made you want to cha-cha with Sebastian!  We even caught a glimpse of Ariel’s trove of treasures in the shower!  The furnishings in the room match with the other value resorts–2 double beds, a small table, one bathroom with outside vanity area, and a entertainment center/dresser combo.  The Little Mermaid rooms are the only rooms with this set up.  All of the other buildings onsite are Family Suites which contain a bedroom with Queen size bed, a pull out sofa, a bed that converts from the table, kitchenette, and 2 bathrooms.  The Family Suites can sleep up to 6, while the Little Mermaid Standard Rooms sleep 4.

A short stroll from our room was the Flippin’ Fins Pool.  We cooled off in the pool while giant-sized statues of Ariel, King Triton, and Ursula looked down upon us!  The theming at the pool was amazing!  Huge versions of Ariel’s treasures could be found nearby, and the landscaping mimicked undersea plants.

Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars

The Little Mermaid rooms were located furthest from Animation Hall and Landscape of Flavors.  However, with the excellent theming of the Art of Animation Resort, we enjoyed our long walk that let us explore the other areas!

Located nearest to Animation Hall is the Finding Nemo building and The Big Blue Pool.  The zero entry area of the Big Blue Pool made it perfect for our girls to splash and play where they could touch the bottom, but not in the way of other guests on the steps.  Two giant jellyfish showered water down, and just across from the Big Blue Pool was a splash area for the little ones.

On the way back to our room, we strolled with Simba and friends through the jungle of the Lion King area.  As we journeyed further, we came across the hyenas at the elephant boneyard which was actually an area where the kids could play.

By far my favorite area of the whole resort–the Cars area!  I thought I actually drove right into Radiator Springs!  The details are exactly identical to the set of the movie; from Luigi’s tire shop, to the Wheel Well Motel, and especially the Cozy Cone Motel!  The Cozy Cone Pool was adorable!  To enter the pool area, you pass through the motel itself.  You could even lounge by the pool in a cabana shaped like a giant orange cone!  My words cannot do justice to this area of the resort!  Check out the pictures to see for yourself.

I cannot wait to plan another trip to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort soon!  I would love to take one of the Cars Family Suites for a test drive!  Have you stayed in a Family Suite?  I’d love to hear about your experience!