I got to stay in the Nemo section of Art of Animation between Aug 19 " 26 2012. There were 3 out of 4 sections with the Little Mermaid section still under construction. I accidentally lost the SD card I had saved the photos of the resort on so I apologize this is a review of words and borrowed pictures
1) Animation Hall
- Check in/Concierge
This area is really colourful and absolutely beautiful. I love all the sketches on the wall across from the check in and the light fixtures.
Disney's Art of Animation Resort - Ride the Color Wave by Express Monorail, on Flickr
- Gift shop " Ink and Paint shop
It is cute with the paint pots for shelving around the walls. I hate how cluttered it was and the fact you had to cut through it to get back to the food court.
- Food Court " Landscapes of Flavor
The food was quite good. I often ate kids meals because the servings are huge. I did like the pasta bar but was a bit disappointed to with the naan bread. There is a salad station, gelato station, pasta/pizza station, tandoori/grill station and a burger station. There are also 4 eating areas around the condiment area after paying.
- Arcade " Pixel Play
The guys loved it here. They won 2 Nintendo DS consoles and the Nightmare Before Christmas Monopoly game (which I kept). I got a bunch of pencils and erasers for my practicum this semester
2) Resort layout
We were in building 5 just outside of animation hall and to the left of the big blue pool and the drop off bar. The Nemo suites were in a great location and very close. The 'Cars' suites were a short walk away from animation hall. There are 3 buildings with a very tiny pool. The theming was great and the neon lights were cool at night. The Lion King buildings were to the left of Nemo. The plants around there were super cool but the playground was a disappointment. The area was quiet though since there was no one going to Little Mermaid yet. Little Mermaid was no more than 5-8 minute walk away and close to a parking lot.
Resort Map from Touring Plans blog (huge file so I will just link it)
3) Suites
The suites are pretty awesome. 2 bathrooms are nice to have. I liked the fact the master bedroom has a lock on the door and is like a private little room inside the suite with the bathroom and the TV. The table bed was comfortable and really cool. We had someone who was about 5'10 sleep on there. I wouldn't want to be much taller. The pull out sofa bed was also comfortable. The fold was at your knees as an adult (he was about 5'7). I actually found the master bed the least comfortable. It wasn't very hard or soft (it was a decent medium) but I found it was loud when someone rolled over and really annoying if restless. The only complaint I had was that the fan in the bathroom is on a motion sensor and takes a long time to shut off. The bathrooms were amazing though. I really would like a shower similar to that one in my house.
4) Transportation
Transportation was hit or miss. The bus lines are covered and there are fans, which is really nice. I would say the worst part was the inconsistent times. On EMH morning for AK, they were still running on every 20+ minutes or more. That was annoying. The other thing I didn't like was it seemed like we were on reduced service. Other resorts would get more frequent busses from parks than we would. It may have been that since they were running a lower capacity and still under construction but I think they need to improve the times, at least for EMH.
5) Customer service
Everyone was amazing. We did have a small housekeeping issue but the manager (Todd) took care of everything for us and everything else was good. Everyone was cheery, helpful and easy to find. I was quite impressed with everyone. People actually wanted to do their jobs, which was amazing.
I'd totally go again if I needed that kind of space. Otherwise I'd look at a king room somewhere else. I was every happy with the attention to detail and how great the staff were. I think the suites are well laid out and a good size. I'd probably even consider an apartment for myself about that size as well.
And bed time now! I will write a trip report once Eric uploads photos to his computer.
. In Pop Century you also go from the lobby, to the gift shop through the seating of the food court to the actual food court. Was that the way that it was at AoA? You can also go in the side doors and be in the food court directly. I found everyone at my resort very friendly and helpful as well. The lady who checked us in was almost too nice! Good to hear that it was good!
