Family suites that are Disney themed from top to bottom, yes please! Disney’s Art of Animation Resort takes theming to the next level by making you feel like you stepped into an animated movie. When you stay at this resort you take “staying in the magic” to the next level! From larger than life character statues, to actual themed buildings, we can’t stop smiling when we enter this resort.
The Art of Animation Resort was named after a book penned by Bob Thomas called, “Walt Disney’s Art of Animation: The Story of The Disney Studio Contribution to a New Art” written in 1958. While the suite's buildings are all themed to the animated features themselves, the lobby is dedicated to the process. Using animators’ sketches of various characters, Imagineers created works of art by scaling them up and artfully arranging them on the walls and ceiling.
There are 4 sections of the Art of Animation Resort: Finding Nemo, Lion King, Cars, and Little Mermaid, though the Little Mermaid rooms are just standard size rooms while the rest are family suites.
But why is it that since it has been open Nemo is getting all the glory?
Listen, we love Nemo and all of his fishy cuteness, but Lightning McQueen brings his own sizzle. From the second you make your way down the path to Radiator Springs, I mean the Cars building, you have stepped into the world of Cars. With larger than life character statues around and desert-like landscaping, I was sold. Photo ops galore here! I personally enjoyed egging on my son to tip Gino’s tires.
Walking into the building, Disney found even subtle ways to continue this in-your-face theming. We had a blast finding cones the way one would find hidden mickeys. (Hint: floors, walls, and ceilings are all free game here!) Even our room number placards were interstate signs. Clever, Disney, very clever. My favorite was the wall sconces that were traffic cones.
Inside Photos of Cars Family Suite
The room, just like the other themed family suites in Disney’s Art of Animation, boasts a master bedroom (with a door!!!), living area with a fold-out couch, and a kitchenette with a dining table/murphy bed set up. When the resort says this room can sleep 6, it truly can. If you are hoping for a blast of Disney morning, noon, and night, this resort is perfect. Notice, that there is even heavy theming in the bathroom!
Personally, I love it. With kids, without kids, whatever, when I leave reality behind and go to Disney, I want the full experience! However, if you are Disney’d out at the end of a long park day, this probably is not the resort for you. Any Lightning McQueen fan will be over the moon to experience this resort. As a person who didn’t really care for the Cars movies, (sorry, Stickers!) I still loved all of the details that went into every aspect of this resort and would stay there again. Side note: Because Cars has a smaller pool than Nemo, it was MUCH less crowded than the Big Blue Pool, in my experience.
Can we just take a minute to talk about the amazingness of a door? Seriously. That door on the master bedroom made a world of difference for this vacation versus that of other trips. All cool theming aside, that door is more than a door. It is privacy. It is also a moment of sanity. We love our kids and our family vacations, but as all moms know, privacy is in short supply. Now put your whole family in one small room and privacy is in more demand than 50th Anniversary Starbucks cups!
The fact that you can get that magic door in a value resort is just shy of amazing. The only other place to have a closed master bedroom is in Disney Vacation Club Villas. So, to recap: Cars at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has the best theming of any resort on Walt Disney World property, value pricing, and a magic door that locks so you can get dressed in peace. I’m pretty sure that’s what Lightning McQueen meant when he said, “Float like a Cadillac, sting like a Beemer”.