Art of Animation - June 2 & 3rd final thoughts w/ *pictures*

[Christine]

The pictures I'm posting in this are NOT my poor shaky handed iphone quality you've been subjected to in the trip reports :blush:. These are from my DH's camera. So you will really enjoy these!

Well, if you have read my trip reports, you'll know this weekend trip was a very spontaneous thing! We had actually gone over to A of A to have lunch and take the CM guided tour they're offering (thru June 15 at 10, 12, 2, and 4) and by the end of the tour, we HAD to stay there!

So we booked on the phone and checked in within a matter of 20 minutes and we were set!

Check in was fun...after finishing the process, the often heard response was "sketch ya later!" CM's and management were EVERYWHERE! They were jumping at the chance to answer questions and hear the oooo's and ahhhh's. It was nice as there was only one building open...it was like being on a cruise with only 1/4 the passengers. :)

Here's a "walk thru"

Lobby and checkin

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Light fixture with sketches (one signed by John Lassier...fun to find!) *spoiler alert...don't look if ya don't want to know which one it is on!*

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Ink and Paint Shop...where I got my awesome paintbrush ink pen! --picture coming of pen...too cute!
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Walked past the Pixel Play arcade (with great seating for adults who don't want to shadow their kids at every game but are by the door so they know the kids can't get out without them knowing! :thumbsup: )
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and out the back door where we are amazed at the big blue pool!


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Everything was done right. Saltwater (easier on the eyes, swimsuits, hair), music and character chatter piped in underwater, landscaped to perfection, a large pool deck, Great pool bar (I know of which I speak! lol).
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The splash pad is adorable.
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Squirt's playground is just incredible. ArtOfAnimation_18.jpg (http://www.jdwarner.com/pics/ArtOfAnimation/ArtOfAnimation_18.jpg)


I have nothing but highest praise for the pool, lobby, arcade, and shop.

Come along...we're almost to the room! :)







Our room was 5809, Crush Building 4th floor.

[Christine]

Walking to the room alongside the pool, we see the adorable fish swimming along the EAC! ArtOfAnimation_16.jpg (http://www.jdwarner.com/pics/ArtOfAnimation/ArtOfAnimation_16.jpg)

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Then we see Crush, and are led to the glass doors to the inside corridors and elevators! All the buildings will have this except Mermaid, which is a standard bldg.

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opposite the crush building is Mr. Ray's bldg - ArtOfAnimation_21.jpg (http://www.jdwarner.com/pics/ArtOfAnimation/ArtOfAnimation_21.jpg)

We get to the elevator and there are special paintings at each floor that greet you as the elevator doors open:
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art follows you off the elevator and down the EAC carpet
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We are GIDDY walking to our room! So far, so excellent!

Then we arrive.
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Beautifully appointed room with the comforts of home and room to roam. We are spoiled to DVC properties, and I can say I only missed the balcony and the larger bed. Oh and no toaster. But refrig, microwave, sink, coffee maker, cutlery, paper dishes, can opener, cups, paper towels.

We love the jellyfish lamps, coral floor lamp, bubbles light fixtures, walk in master shower, and fish art. GREAT!

We ate lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday in the Landscape of Flavors. It is only here that I have my first "that's not a very good idea" moment.

[Christine]

At the food court, there was rarely a thick crowd. Again, only 1/4 of the resort is open, and they're not sold out. But this will change SOON! And I fear that if the process is as it is now, they will have major challenges.

When they take your order, it can be lengthy. The "build your own" pastas, burgers, cereals, salads, EVERYTHING makes for a lot of "hmmmmm.. maybe I'll add mushrooms. No wait, add olives, cut the mushrooms and add pesto...wait, marinara. wait...I think I want to change that to a sandwich!" honestly! Then they dont' give you a pager or a number, they ask your name. Language barriers on both sides make that interesting...and it's not like there's only one man named john or lady named mary! With so many items being custom, therefore made to order, the wait gets long vs. the normal assembly line fill a plate system. and the crowd gets THICK at the exit are that is not a large area at all. Then they forget who is john, "are you Linda?" , "did you have pizza?" Where's George? That needs addressed.

The dining rooms are nice...but I found them kind of cold and steelish? Maybe just me, but I was underwhelmed. Everyone else in my travel party said it was phenomenal so shows what I know! :blush: My daughter was driven to madness listening to Stacy and the must do's at WDW! ;)
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The other thing, which I mentioned to a manager: If you have suites with kitchenettes, you should have a market area in your shop or food court to put in your kitchen...like deluxes and even moderates have. You can't buy a loaf of bread, a large bag of chips, peanut butter and jelly, a box of donuts, hot dogs, frozen microwave meals, etc there. So what do you put in your microwave? what is the can opener for? how do you eat in your room when you dont' have groceries to put in it? You're forcing guests to go out of your resort to spend their money on goods elsewhere...he seemed very interested and took notes on our conversation (maybe just to humor me, but whatever).

Lastly, the new kick to healthy food is great. I like to eat healthy and such. But wow. Kids meal breakfasts with chicken sausage and turkey bacon...might as well just kick my DD in the teeth! :D
the MUST try: surf and surf burger. Crabcake patties topped with shrimp on a burger bun. YUMM!

Lots of options, the mongolian grill was not what we'd hoped. pizza is pizza. make your own pasta is a hit with us, chicken burgers are pretty stinkin' good!

[TinkerbellT421]

Thank you for the great pics and info! where's the pic of the pen you mentioned?

[Christine]

As for the other buildings. John captured some great shots of the highly anticipated Cars buildings. As I mentioned in the report, the bathrooms are going to be awesome...showers are themed as a car wash!

The Cozy Cone office will house the laundry and restrooms. The Cones are cabanas. The walkway looks like you're on the road with all your Cars friends. The nighttime shots are cool...the lighting is gorgeous!
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I am going to attend more tours to try to see a room in there for sure!

The Lion King building is going to be nice, but will have no pool. The debate with my party was, who is this?! ArtOfAnimation_43.jpg (http://www.jdwarner.com/pics/ArtOfAnimation/ArtOfAnimation_43.jpg)
Because (and I don't have a picture :mad: will hafta go back) across from this, you see another rock with timon and pumba and little simba? So is this mufasa? TBD...

The Mermaid building is pretty much in the back 40!! It's a trek back there! All we could see was a giant Ursula (like Buzz or Woody at Movies). Very hard to see back there.

The bridge over hourglass lake to pop makes for a great run! I liked that indeed...I like interesting running trails at resorts. Makes it more pleasing to exercise on vacation!

That being said, the key entry to the pool may anger some folks at pop who think the bridge is an invitation. However, the gates were NOT locked while we were there (as BLT and Vero are)

Overall, GREAT resort. :thumbsup::thumbsup:

We don't anticipate doing this resort again, mainly because we're DVC and dont' pay cash for rooms. This was an exception bc it was a MUST do when we saw it and it helps us on our quest to stay at every property (only lacking 3 now!)
Also, once all the buildings are done, I think it's gonna be PACKED! And when we do resort stays, we stay at the resorts, we don't go to the parks, so that matters to us.

Barring the food court issues (which I totally anticipate will be corrected, this is a learning time, trial and error) it was a perfect weekend. Friendly CM's, lots of service, and guests that were over the moon happy at this wonderful surprise!

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to let me know. If I don't know it, I'll try to find it out for you. We'll be going back often for that surf and surf burger! :D

"sketch ya later!"

[Christine]

Thank you for the great pics and info! where's the pic of the pen you mentioned?

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dgKvYiOGQXg/T8wlQkhnV1I/AAAAAAAACLo/KbDZsLA9vmw/s1600/2E316D73-EEC5-4095-92AD-087C138C642C-746748.jpeg

There you go!

Some bonus pics that are just pretty:

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view from our room
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[TinkerbellT421]

Ahhh!!! Now I want one of those pens!!!! They are adorable! never be able to get there though :(

[Christine]

ETA

One note on food orders in the food court. Since they are using real plates and cutlery, they will not allow you to take plates, cutlery, or trays outside. If you want to take your meal with you, you need to let them know it's a "To-Go" order when you place it. Otherwise you'll have to wait while they swap your order out to disposable plates, bowls, etc. You can get plastic cutlery at the checkout, and/or there should be some in your room.

[buzznwoodysmom]

Lastly, the new kick to healthy food is great. I like to eat healthy and such. But wow. Kids meal breakfasts with chicken sausage and turkey bacon...might as well just kick my DD in the teeth! :D


Ahhh, this is what I fear will happen with all food in WDW. My son has a seafood and poultry allergy. I wonder if you can get regular bacon for breakfast still???? He loves breakfast and LOVES bacon. He already has a hard time at some locations finding stuff he can, and wants, to eat. If he can't have the bacon served for breakfast he won't be a happy camper!!! As it is hot dogs are now off limits for him since they are a mixed meat product now. If WDW changes to turkey ground meat for the burgers I'm going to have a full on fit!!!! It will be impossible to feed him CS meals!

Other than that your review of the resort is fantastic. I didn't think we'd ever stay here, but after seeing pics and video my youngest is dieing to stay here. He has his eye on those Lion King rooms. I would love to go back to WDW for a short trip during my kids fall break in Oct. to do MNSSHP and F&W festival. I doubt we'll actually go, just thinking about it now. I was hoping to stay in the Epcot area if we decide to go, but I have a feeling we'll try AOA if we end up going in Oct. The pics are absolutely adorable and I'd want to stay there while my kids (at least the younger one) is still excited about the themed rooms!

[stephicakes]

What an awesome review Christine! :thumbsup: I enjoy reading your posts because they are always so full of wonderful details & information. And of course great pictures!

If we were to stay at a Value resort this would definitely be my pick. I love the bright colors and fun feel of this resort. :mickey:

Thanks again for the tour!!
steph

[Katzateer]

Ahhh!!! Now I want one of those pens!!!! They are adorable! never be able to get there though :(

If you go to the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC they have pens like that. Maybe other large museums would too.

Love, love, love all the pictures. I kind of got the feel of Disney Cruise Line in the decoration and murals inside and the decor in the dining area.

If you aren't a huge Disney fan I can see major overload with all the Disney theming everywhere. I can't wait to stay there in October!

If the Little Mermaid section is a long way from the main building - is there only one bus stop for the entire resort like the other values?

[Pirate Granny]

Satwater pool???? Hummmm... Tell me more, we'll be there in 12 days!

[VWL Mom]

Great pictures, thanks for taking the time to share them.

[BrerGnat]

Thanks for the report. This resort is intriguing to me.

Turkey bacon for kid's meals? Do they still serve regular bacon for the adults? I HATE the idea of "turkey bacon". It's actually MORE unhealthy than regular bacon. It has twice the amount of nitrites and sodium. I once heard a cardiologist say "you can't get bacon from a turkey...just eat the real stuff, in moderation." Disney really needs to re-examine this. My kid would have a FIT if I tried to give him turkey bacon, and to be honest, so would I. Bacon is sacred. Don't mess with it! :D

That's nice about the saltwater pool. The Disneyland resort hotel pools are saline and it's SO much nicer to swim in. I wish they could easily convert all the Disney pools to saline, but I know that's not easily done. Glad to see they are making the new pools saline. :thumbsup:

Thanks again for the report. Looks like a fun place to stay, even if it IS a value resort?

How noisy was it? I heard that the Nemo rooms were noisy due to pool music going late into the night. True?

[wildernesslady]

Thanks for the great pics. It looks amazing and I think my boys will love the cars theme. I may have to book another trip.

[CzepielCrew]

Great review! Planning a stay in November 2013. The review and the pics were wonderful. Can't wait to see pics of the inside of the Cars rooms. Everything looks beautiful.

[faline]

Thanks for such a lovely and detailed report on your recent stay!

[Christine]

Thanks for the report. This resort is intriguing to me.


How noisy was it? I heard that the Nemo rooms were noisy due to pool music going late into the night. True?

Not true for us. We were pool view on the 4th floor. I don't know if lower floors hear more. But the music is not played loudly.

[alongfortheride]

If the Little Mermaid section is a long way from the main building - is there only one bus stop for the entire resort like the other values?
Mr. Cantgetenuff here...

That's all we saw, but we couldn't really get a good view of the Mermaid building. There may be a bus stop there, but I doubt it. I'll try to see if it shows up on the directory map next time we go there.

[Joannelet]

I am. Still looking through the pics so I may have to comment again but I just wanted to write about the first few pics I looked at. One, I already found the hidden Mickey in your room...well at least one...there may be more hidden but upon arrival of all my stays I immediately search for them and found yours on the shower curtain if you didn't already see it there. :)
Those light fixtures (bubbles) are just the coolest! And the salt water pool is so great for my son as he has a chlorine allergy so this will help tremendously! I know we are booked for one night in a CARS suite but from the looks of it, we are going to have to go back during our continued stay at AKL. My 3 year old didn't want to stay here at all ( he is infatuated with Animal Kingdom) but now that I see these pics...I think he is going to have a hard time leaving this resort! This hotel just made my trip harder! Lol

[January-2007]

Thank you so much for reporting!

[emerzmom]

What a gret Trip Report! I love all the pictures. Not sure I will ever stay there so it is certainly fun to see all the new stuff.
Thanks!!!!!
:mickey:
Julie

[mydisneygirls]

Enjoyed seeing the pics. I think if we ever stay there, it would be in the Cars section. On another note, I think Disney should let me decide what I and my children eat!!!!!

[Imalismom]

I want one of those pens!!!!

Loved ALL your pictures!

[Jeri]

Love all the pictures and your report.
I was wondering, I saw the menus for here on another site, and not even sure if it was a complete one, but..
Do they not have Chicken nuggets and fries here? It doesn't look like they have a lot of the kids choices that other resorts have.
I know they are trying to be healthy, but they would have to be nuts to think all kids are going to eat what I saw on the menus.

Also I agree with other posters, I should be able to pick what my kids eat, and my son will be very upset about turkey bacon.:(

[Christine]

There are "standard" kid meals- I remember pizza, turkey sandwich, pasta, cheeseburger, Mac cheese. I cannot honestly remember if there were chicken nuggets. I'm going back tomorrow for another tour (in the hope of seeing a cars building- they'll show you one if one is not occupied by construction crew- we missed it last time ) so I'll look.

[Jeri]

Thanks.
Oh and I can't wait to see pictures of the Cars buildings. I will keep checking back to see them.

[Kenny1113]

Thanks for the pictures and report. Looks nice! Too bad standard rooms are Little mermaid. :( while looking at your pictures, I contemplated staying there in oct. I would have to make cinssesions to stay in LM, then to hear it is quite a distance to main bldg...:nope: not gonna happen. so again thank you for the pictures. :thumbsup:

[T-Belle]

Great review! I was up in the air about this resort but after your review and photo's I think I may just check it out! Thanks

[mommy2maddi]

Thanks for the report and the beautiful pictures. We are going to AoA in December and now I'm even more excited to see ! :mickey:

[Mickey'sGirl]

I can't believe I didn't see this before now!!!!

What a fabulous overview!

Two things strike me
1) The pool at nighttime is breathtaking. What a stellar job!

2) The mural of the whale with Dory and Marlin is sooooo fabulous. I don't even care for Nemo that much, but I would love to have that mural as a print!

Looking forward to staying here one day, and having that Surf & Turf burger! :thumbsup:

[amorillo]

great post! thanks for sharing! we're staying here in october.... so excited!

[EeyoresBestFriend]

Fantastic pictures!

We'll have to go and snoop when we get there in September!

Thanks for the preview!:thumbsup:

[vizsla]

Thanks for the report and great photos.