Art of Animation advice PLEASE!!

[Cvones]

We are looking into visiting Disney in Feb with our 4 and 2 year old. Hubby wants to stay in Contemporary just bc of close proximity to MK and walking trail. I think AofA would be more fun for the kids.
Is AofA too far a ride for MK? Did you have to wait a long time for the bus? Does Disney ever do the promo 30% off in February like they are doing now?
Any tips/advice would be great!
TIA!

 

[jaklgreen]

If money is not an issue then I would stay at the Contemporary. The rooms are bigger and nicer and walking to MK is a big benefit. Your kids are way to young to even think about the hotel they are staying in. They don't care one bit about it. If there is a pool, they are happy. Bus ride will be about 15-20 min and the bus is really busy at closing time(like all of the resort busses).

 

[Cvones]

That's another reason I'm more leaning towards Art of Animation bc I'd rather spend less on the room AND get a suite than just be extra close to the park and in a smaller room.

 

[LAM378]

Jaklgreen is right--kids that young don't really care where they stay, because they're in Disney World and they're really good at finding the magic in everything.

I get wanting to stay at AoA while your kids are young enough to appreciate the theming--that's why I've stayed there, and I really love it, but it's always been the first leg of a split stay and I'm always a little glad to move on to a resort with more amenities and better park access.

Bus transportation to and from AoA isn't bad by any means, but it takes a lot of time and you'll have to collapse the strollers and it can all be a pain. The easy walk to MK is PRICELESS with very young children.

I can't deny that the extra space in a suite is awesome, but CRs "normal" rooms aren't cramped in the slightest, and you'd have a balcony to relax on once the kids fell asleep.

 

[bcalltimandanna]

Contemporary all the way. A monorail going through the center of the hotel is all the theming any kid needs

 

[jaklgreen]

That's another reason I'm more leaning towards Art of Animation bc I'd rather spend less on the room AND get a suite than just be extra close to the park and in a smaller room.

If hubby is willing to fork over the money then stay at the Contemporary. Lets face it, one bad bus ride experience and you know he is going to be complaining about "if we were at the Contemporary, we would be back in the room by now".

 

[CaptainAmerica]

If hubby is willing to fork over the money then stay at the Contemporary. Lets face it, one bad bus ride experience and you know he is going to be complaining about "if we were at the Contemporary, we would be back in the room by now".

That's a double edged sword though. It's only a benefit for the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary buses to the other three parks are worse than DAAR. Further and shared with at least one other resort.

 

[totaldisneygirl]

I grew up staying at the Contemporary and I LOVE it to this day! I always thought it was so cool, especially with the monorail going through it, Chef Mickey's down below, and the ability to see the park from the resort. If you are willing and can spend the money, go for it! Deluxe resorts are PRICELESS because of monorail access.

 

[Cvones]

If hubby is willing to fork over the money then stay at the Contemporary. Lets face it, one bad bus ride experience and you know he is going to be complaining about "if we were at the Contemporary, we would be back in the room by now".

Ha! That is true

 

[allgiggles]

That's a double edged sword though. It's only a benefit for the Magic Kingdom. The Contemporary buses to the other three parks are worse than DAAR. Further and shared with at least one other resort.

I was just going to say this. If you're planning on spending a lot of time at MK, then the Contemporary is probably the better choice (and FWIW, because of the discounts offered, we could have stayed at the Contemporary for a few dollars less than what our LK suite cost us on trip last month as well as when we were there in June 2013). While the ride to MK from AoA is about 20 minutes (depending on traffic), the ride to each of the other 3 parks is under 10 minutes. And when you're leaving the parks, you have the option to take the bus to Pop Century (if that bus arrives first or is less crowded) and just walk across the bridge to AoA when you get back.

 

[patch553]

theres a lot to be said for the short walk to magic kingdom,but AoA will make the kids feel like they are part of there favourite movies

 

[Cvones]

theres a lot to be said for the short walk to magic kingdom,but AoA will make the kids feel like they are part of there favourite movies

Yes it just looks like so much fun! My face lit up looking at videos of it I can't imagine how excited the kids would be lol

 

[popcenturylover]

We stayed at AOA in 12' when my youngest was 4 & she just loved the whole resort! We stayed in the LM rooms which are a bit of a walk to the food court .ESPECIALLY, for that morning pot of coffee I need just to move!

 

[mrsWarren14]

I would suggest AoA for many reason but two of the main reason being that one it's cheaper and two the kids will absolutely love it! It is such an immersive experience! Stay at the Contemporary on your next trip when the kids are a little older! The offers that were available last year for February were, Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels, plus when you upgrade to a room and ticket package with a minimum 4-day theme park tickets you can get one more ticket day FREE! I would think that the advertisement for February's offers for 2016 won't come out until September maybe October.

 

[lebeau]

We stayed at AoA in 2012 when it was still relatively new. The Little Mermaid rooms had just recently opened up. A couple of things:

Disney considers AoA a Value resort. So when it offers discounts, you get the Value discount. When we went, they were offering "free dining" so that got us the quick service dining plan. We had to pay to upgrade to the regular plan. You're unlikely to get 30% off a suite at AoA. You will probably get the same discount rate as the other Values which is 15% I think.

The bus service was no better or worse than any of the other non-monorail resorts. Which is to say it wasn't very good. Traveling with a two year old and a four year old, I would hate to be reliant on the Disney buses. They can be a real headache.

We enjoyed our time at AoA. But the appeal of a themed room doesn't last long. We had a LK suite in 2012 and a princess room at POR in 2014. And they were cool. But after the first day, the kids were no longer super excited about the decorations. They get used to it. AoA is neat to walk around. But I'd trade that for proximity to MK if that was my primary destination. MK is neater.

 

[DarthVader]

Are you staying in a AoA suite or a standard room, i.e., two double beds? While I agree that the kids won't care about the room, there is something to be said about collapsing into a queen sized bed at the end of the day rather then being smooshed together in a double bed. Just my $.02.

If you're staying in a suite in the AoA, then that of course trumps the queen size beds since you'll have your own bedroom

I echo the comments about the proximity to MK, if you're kids are on the youngish side then you'll probably be spending more time in MK then any other park. My kids are 9 and we still spend most of our Disney time in the Magic Kingdom.

 

[wdisneyw2000]

many good answers & suggestions. You have to ask yourself, what you want to pay / compared to how much your actually going to be in your room. Feb my guess is it will be less crowded anyhow. The stroller situation well that's a given no matter where you stay because your going to have to use it in the parks & wherever you go anyhow. I've stayed at AOA with my 3 children that range from 2 to 8, & they absolutely loved it, & enjoyed it the whole time we was there. So you know your children if your gut is that they would love it then stay there. I'm a Hubby, & i'm sure your hubby can put a smile on his face when you say stop being grouchy it's for the kids they'll love you more for it lol (they'll still love him either way) but it's a good guilty quote. My guess would be the kids will like AOA better, with that being said i'm sure you will enjoy the time as well. Depending on what your kids are into if its a theme from AOA then they love it the whole time my kids did which makes it more magical for them = happy kids lol = Better time

 

[Cvones]

many good answers & suggestions. You have to ask yourself, what you want to pay / compared to how much your actually going to be in your room. Feb my guess is it will be less crowded anyhow. The stroller situation well that's a given no matter where you stay because your going to have to use it in the parks & wherever you go anyhow. I've stayed at AOA with my 3 children that range from 2 to 8, & they absolutely loved it, & enjoyed it the whole time we was there. So you know your children if your gut is that they would love it then stay there. I'm a Hubby, & i'm sure your hubby can put a smile on his face when you say stop being grouchy it's for the kids they'll love you more for it lol (they'll still love him either way) but it's a good guilty quote. My guess would be the kids will like AOA better, with that being said i'm sure you will enjoy the time as well. Depending on what your kids are into if its a theme from AOA then they love it the whole time my kids did which makes it more magical for them = happy kids lol = Better time

Thank you. I totally agree it's all about what makes the kids happier great points

 

[MaryJaneP]

OP might also consider BC/YC since they straddle two parks and riding monorail from Epcot to TTC/MK is also fun. Also Stormalong Bay and boat to DHS is a treat. We avoid riding bus but cannot totally avoid w/o own car (i.e. Typhoon Lagoon, Animal Kingdom). Having been at CR and BC, but not at AoA, we find convenience of access is worth the extra money. But certainly do whatever you want, never bad to make your kiddos happy where they are staying.

 

[jaklgreen]

Thank you. I totally agree it's all about what makes the kids happier great points

Honestly, kids that age don't really care/notice what hotel they are in. If you stay at the contemporary, they are not going to say to you. "Mommy, why didn't we stay at Art of Animation?" Adults over think this! Like I said my kids have been going for over a decade and we have stayed at several hotels, including the Contemporary when the kids were younger. They don't care what hotel we stay at. At most my kids ask before our trip which one we are staying at and then shrug and say "ok". They are just happy to be going to WDW. Go with what you, as the adult, think is 1) within you budget, 2) most convenient. Don't worry about the kids, they don't even notice or care. If you act as if you are staying in the best place their is, then the kids pick up on that and will be happy. They take their que from you. You will have a great trip no matter where you stay!