Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is open for business!
Earlier this morning, Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, U.S. & France, officially dedicated this new resort while surrounded by a cast of colorful characters from the films that inspired the resort’s animation theme.
For anyone who ever dreamed of being a Disney animator – myself included – this place is a dream come true. Let’s take a tour:
Starting at Animation Hall, the resort’s lobby boasts decor that reflects animation in various stages, from pencil sketch to final product.
To the left are the Ink & Paint Shop and Landscape of Flavors food court. Check out this fun light fixture, which includes pencil sketches of “The Little Mermaid,” “The Lion King,” and more. If you visit, be sure to search for the John Lasseter signature on one of the “Cars” sketches.
Just through the doors, guests are swept into the story of “Finding Nemo,” and are reduced to the size of a fish at The Big Blue Pool. Here, they can splash alongside Nemo, Crush, the jellyfish, and other ocean friends. Walt Disney Imagineering really thought of everything in planning this under-the-sea adventure – they even have audio from the film piped into the pool that guests can hear when they’re under the water.
Here are some additional sights you can see around this Big Blue World:
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Read more about Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in the posts below:
Comments
can’t wait to take my own little princess to stay in this resort later this summer!
Oops, meant to say Oct. See that Disney Christmas has me thinking Dec! LOL. It’ll be all of our first time for Disney Halloween. Can’t wait to see that!
Wow these pictures and video is amazing!!! It’s so nice having cheaper suites for the bigger families so they can afford one room instead of needing two!!! We’re coming down in Dec with my 1.5 y/o little girl, but we’re staying at AKL. But it’s a safe bet we’ll be spending at least one day here exploring. It looks so cool for and I bet she’ll love it. And I bet the big kid in me will also. Great post and thank you for all the great info, as always!!
Thank you! I think I’m torn now between DAK Lodge and Art of Animation as my favorites – and I haven’t even stayed at Animation yet! They’re both so dynamic and amazing in completely different ways.
This resort may be the one to release my husband from his “deluxe-only” vow! It looks fantastic, and I love that there are interior corridors. It really gives it more of a deluxe feel at a value price. Keep those pictures coming! It’ll help plan our next trip. 😉
Thank you! Be sure to check back on June 18…we’re planning our coverage of the Cars wing opening! I hope to have lots of photos of that.
Disney World is our family vacation every year and this year we are even more excited to be staying at Art of Animation Nemo Suites in July!!! We can’t wait to see the rest of the resort!!!!
We will be there October 22nd, and my 4 year old red-headed daughter can’t wait to see her special Ariel hotel room!! She is obsessed with Ariel, so I can’t wait to see the look on her face when we get there. Only four more months!
Fun!
thanks for lots of pictures!
You’re welcome, Mark.
I had our reservations for December booked back in February for Port Orleans French Quarter, when I saw they were opening up the Little Mermaid rooms earlier than expected I was on the phone that night to change my resort. After seeing this video and pictures, I can NOT wait to stay here, especially with my two year old. He’s going to absolutely love it. Just wish they had standard rooms other than just the Little Mermaid for families that have boys.
After attending the opening, I totally caved and booked a room for one night this summer! My son will love it.
Looks amazing! I don’t know if I can be enticed away from my beloved Poly, but I have a 4 year old who would think a Cars themed hotel room (just like his own bedroom) was paradise! Great job, as usual, Disney!
We have been following the plans for this resort since last year. We made our reservations in February for vacation on 8/19-29 in the Nemo Suite. My 4 yr. old twin girls can’t wait, will be their first time at Disney. Beautiful resort!!
I hope you have fun with your little princesses!
I think this hotel is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. I really am thinking about staying here on my next WDW trip.
Jennifer — do you have any info about the Haunted Mansion themed rooms that were talked about once upon a time. Haven’t heard anything about them in a while; these were rooms Disney was thinking about back when it was also testing the Princess themed rooms that went into Port Royal French Quarter.
Are the Haunted Mansion rooms still on the drawing board?
I’d love to stay in a Haunted Mansion room.
Hmm, I don’t recall ever hearing anything about this…but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. I can look into it.
I’ll be there in 12 hours!!!! Yippee!
WAY TO GO Imagineers!!! ANOTHER fabulous addition to WDW! I am constantly amazed at the creativity and ability of Disney! :o) Can’t wait to come for another visit…perhaps next Sept!
107 days until we are there in a Nemo Suite! Can’t wait!
I hope you have a great time.
We usually stay at the All Star Music Resort but this looks like such a fun resort can’t wait to stay there the week of the 9th of December not mention being out of the Ohio winter for a week!
The resort is awesome, cannot wait to see it in person with all my family especially my grandchildren. We are scheduled to arrive in November and staying in the Little Mermaid. Counting the days 164 to go.
Once again, Disney has created a wonderful venue for children of all ages. We hope to visit again this year and will be sure to wander through this new place. Congratulations.
Thank you, Thomas. Hope you can make it.
I’d always thought this was “the other half of Pop Century”, but looking at the big vista photo, I’d noticed something I hadn’t up till now:
No “outside” door balconies on the big Nemo-mural walls like Pop and All-Star buildings, just windows…Do the buildings have “inside” doors now from an interior hallway, or just open-air corridors like the Moderates? Or are the Suite buildings going to be different from the Singles?
(Silly point, but I’m still hoping to make it my next stay, and see how new and different it is from the other Values.)
We will be there in 7 days…staying in a Finding Nemo suite! I CANNOT WAIT!!!!
Congrats – have a blast, Nicholle. The guests I saw today were running back and forth exploring. They were all so excited!
Thank you for sharing!!!! I am beyond excited – we are travelling with another family next spring for a WDW/DCL vacation…and this is the resort we are staying in! Soo sooooooooo excited!!! 😉
Thanks so much for this fantastic post! I’m not sure when we’ll get back, so I love that I can still experience Disney magic from home through these pictures. I can appreciate extra details in the pics that I miss when I’m there in person. I love all of your posts and your zest for Disney, thank you for your enthusiasm! It’s contagious!
Thank you so much, Rebecca. I’ve loved Disney for years. 🙂
I’m so excited already and I won’t even be there until September! Can’t wait…getting married at Walt Disney World and staying at the new resort! Maybe I’ll even get a sneak peek at New Fantasyland!
This resort looks so wonderfully immersive into the Disney Experience! I CANNOT WAIT to stay in the Little Mermaid room in November when my parents and I will be making the trip! I think we’re going to have to take a Full day to just walk around the resort and marvel at the detail!
Have a blast, Lisa. I can’t wait to stay there, myself.
We are so excited!!! We are going to be there September 21st and stay in the Little Mermaid rooms, I am hoping to catch some of the grand openings of those rooms when we get there!!!! We love checking out all the updates on the resort! I have to say this has been one of the most exciting parts of out trip, staying at the NEWEST RESORT!!!
I’m so excited for the opening! My family is going to be at WDW next week. Are we able to visit and walk around the newly opened grounds?
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