1st timers! Art of Animation vs Carribean Beach

[MomOfWildBoys]

We are planning our first ever Disney trip for the beginning of August. We have 2 boys - 5 & 9.

I am torn between Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms vs Carribean Beach pirate rooms (or even standard room, if it's a better location). And I need help!

The downfall of AoA being the walking distance, but I know my boys will LOVE the grounds here. Is the walk really that bad?

The downfall of CB is the construction, but I know they would enjoy the pirate theme. Does the construction get in your way? How far is the walk from the pirate rooms or would the standard room be better?

I've went back and forth on these and can not decide! My boys are loud and wild. We do plan on having a pool/relax day at the resort. We will be flying, so relying solely on Disney trasportation, so the bus system at each resort will affect our choice, as well. Any input?

 

[THECARISMINE]

Art of Animation. I like CB as much as the next person but I don't feel it is the ideal first time Disney hotel, construction aside. The place is massive and many rooms are parking lot view. I'm not knocking the place though because I do love it, once all the construction is completed and the new skyway is complete it will likely even be better then it already is but from experience I have family that refuse to go back simply because of it's size. I know their current set up is all over the place but you normally can not walk from the pirate room to the main pool, they do have a path but it is a hefty walk. They have internal buses which will help you get around much faster (so long as they come). There are several quiet pools, but the Pirate rooms are the furthest from the existing hotel hub which is the main area that is under construction.

I've done all but the lion king section at AoA and the walking distance isn't really as bad as it seems to the Mermaid rooms. Pro tip on busy nights, if the AoA bus is crazy busy you can hop on the Pop Century bus and just walk over the bridge. The distance from the pop lobby to the Mermaid rooms is fairly similar to the AoA lobby, walking along the water once you get to the otherside. It's often quieter as well depending on the time you return.

 

[daisyduckie]

The Pirate rooms are far from the main building. Which isn't an issue now, as there isn't much there to go to. They would be still quite a walk to the main themed pool area.

AoA in a standard room will be a walk away from the main building as well. So whichever resort between the 2 you choose, you will have a walk. I would probably go with Caribbean Beach, as the main pool area has more features, including slides.

 

[John park hopper]

I would not rule out CBR if I am not mistaken the construction at CBR should be completed by August 2018 . Th construction of the DVA won't be completed until 2019 but that should not impact CBR. Check out the pictures posted of the new resturant and food court that will be built --looks impressive

 

[MissingDisney]

CBR pirate rooms are nearly twice as far from the main amenities as the LM rooms at AoA. We were “upgraded” once to a pirate room and after walking to the room, we went back and said uh, no thanks. They actually overbooked whatever category we had and ended up giving us a standard room, the difference back and some other stuff. I was much happier in Jamaica, in a standard room, just over the bridge from the main building.
We’ve stayed at AoA in the LM and thought nothing of the walk. You walk through the Lion King section to get to LM so there’s a lot to look at, climb in, run through, etc. en route. I, too, have boys and they loved AoA. We spent a lot of time exploring the different areas and they have the best pool with underground music! The kids still talk about it! The resort has kid-theming so there’s a lot for them to look at/explore. Yes, the pirate room was neat but we don’t spend much time in our room.
Best of luck in your decision!

 

[EricsBiscuit]

If you have the budget for a moderate I would stay at Saratoga Springs or Dixie Landings. But AoA is nice and has a great food court. I would rather stay at coronado Springs than CBR but that's because I enjoy the theming more.

 

[correcaminos]

If you have the budget for a moderate I would stay at Saratoga Springs or Dixie Landings. But AoA is nice and has a great food court. I would rather stay at coronado Springs than CBR but that's because I enjoy the theming more.

Saratoga Springs isn't a moderate

Personally I would pick what the kids are more into theme wise. 9 year olds can start to be over the "Disney Princesses" no matter if they are boys or girls. I personally am drawn to Pirates more than Ariel. Or like quoted I might look into other moderates like Port Orleans or Coronado Springs.

 

[slappy magoo]

Personally I'm not a fan of either resort, though I've only stayed at AoA and that was just an overnighter. I greatly prefer the theme of AoA over CB, it certainly feels more Disney. But those rooms, like all Value rooms, are really tiny, something like 260 sq. ft. No queen sized beds. We were there with 2 girls, 8 & 4, and felt pretty cramped. Add to that the food court is kind of cacophonous and takes a while to get your grub, and there are no sitdown restaurants on site as an option. With CB, the rooms are at least noticeably bigger, and there's a restaurant for dinner if you need an early night.

Now, if you and your family are park commandos, planning to be at the parks as much as possible and if you're t the resort it's just to swim and sleep, AoA might be a good option. It'd be even better if you had your own transportation, not only because it's a crowded resort and buses could pack up, but this way you'd have easier access to restaurants at other resorts - the one night we stayed we planned to just eat lunch, dinner and the next morning's breakfast at the food court. After our lunch, even though we had driven during the night and were exhausted, we opted to make reservations at Whispering Canyon and drive over versus navigate that nonsense again.

 

[danlb_2000]

We are planning our first ever Disney trip for the beginning of August. We have 2 boys - 5 & 9.

I am torn between Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms vs Carribean Beach pirate rooms (or even standard room, if it's a better location). And I need help!

The downfall of AoA being the walking distance, but I know my boys will LOVE the grounds here. Is the walk really that bad?

The downfall of CB is the construction, but I know they would enjoy the pirate theme. Does the construction get in your way? How far is the walk from the pirate rooms or would the standard room be better?

I've went back and forth on these and can not decide! My boys are loud and wild. We do plan on having a pool/relax day at the resort. We will be flying, so relying solely on Disney trasportation, so the bus system at each resort will affect our choice, as well. Any input?

I am going in May and was considering Caribbean Beach since we have never stayed there. I know the construction wouldn't bother me, but then I thought to myself, why would I want to stay there if I am not seeing it at it's best, so we decided on Port Orleans FQ even though we have stayed there before.

 

[SyracuseDisneyFan]

Art of Animation

 

[Octagneh]

In terms of walking, I have spent 17 years racing from point A to point B on Disney trips and now I am more advocate of “slow down and smell the roses” mentality. Usually every square inch of Disney resorts have amazing detail. Racing around like a horse with blinders on, focused on the destination and not the travel seems like shorting yourself of the full experience. I’d pull up photos of each Resort and sit around as a family and review the places and make a decision as a family. You are going to find adequate transportation at any resort. Construction “can” take away from the ambience so I understand your concern there.

 

[Kingdom Konsultant]

Keep in mind that the Mermaid rooms are never included in any of the discounted promotions that Disney puts out while CBR is. Especially the Pirate rooms. The construction at CBR is no as bad as CSR but may still affect your stay somewhat. I would suggest looking at Port Orleans Riverside since it's the only moderate that will not be having some type of refurbishment going on if the construction at CBR is a sticking point.

Pam