Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Complete Hotel Tour & Pool Guide (2025)

Located on-site at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is one of Disney’s “Value” category resort hotels, providing an array of amenities at a fairly affordable price. The resort originally opened in May 2012 and features 984 rooms and 1,120 family suites.

 The resort is grouped into four individual sections themed with popular Disney animated movies: Cars, Finding Nemo, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is located near the southeastern  part of Walt Disney World directly across Hourglass Lake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort.  It is a short distance to all four Walt Disney World theme parks, the water parks and Disney Springs.  The Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando are both less than 30 minutes away.

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Frequently Asked Questions – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

What are the hotel rates at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

Since the Art of Animation Resort is one of Disney’s “Value Resorts”, prices are fairly affordable and typically range from over $250 per night to more than $500 per night for the family suites depending on the time of year. 

Does Disney’s Art of Animation Resort provide transportation to the Walt Disney World theme parks?

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort offers complimentary bus transportation throughout Walt Disney World including the theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs and the Resort hotels.  There is also a Disney Skyliner station adjacent to the resort which provides access to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Is there free transportation from the Orlando International Airport to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

Complimentary transportation from Disney’s Magical Express is no longer offered.  However, Mears Connect shuttle service provides transportation from the Walt Disney World Resort to the Orlando International Airport at a cost of around $30.00 per person.

Is there a Resort Fee or Parking Charge at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

There are no resort fees or self-parking charges when staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

How many pools are there at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

There are three pools at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – the main Big Blue Pool is located behind the Animation Hall lobby building, the Cozy Cone Pool is inspired by the Cars movie franchise and the Flippin’s Fins Pool is themed after The Little Mermaid.

What are the food & beverage options at the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort features the Landscape of Flavors food court and the The Drop Off Pool Bar.  Both venues are quick-service dining restaurants.   

What is the check-in and check-out time at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

The check in-time at the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is 3:00 pm and check out time is at 11:00 am.

What is the pet policy at the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort?

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is one of the few pet friendly on-site hotels at Walt Disney World.  The hotel has a pilot program that allows up to two dogs in select rooms for an additional charge of $50 per night.  Dogs receive “Pluto’s Welcome Kit” that includes a number of items needed during the stay.  Four pet relief areas are near buildings 2, 5, 6 and 7.

For current information, see Walt Disney World’s official pet policies.

About Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort originally opened in May 2012 and is one of Walt Disney World’s “value” resort hotels. The resort is highly themed  and features 984 traditional hotel rooms along with 1,120 family suites.

There are four distinct sections at the Art of Animation Resort, themed after popular Disney animated movies.  These four sections include:

• Cars
• Finding Nemo
• The Lion King
• The Little Mermaid

In addition to the themed buildings, there is a large lobby building called Animation Hall which features the “Ink & Paint” gift shop, food court and check-in areas.  Bus transportation services pick up and drop off just outside of Animation Hall.

This resort hotel is located on-site within the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida near the southern end of the property along West Buena Vista Drive.  Access to the area is provided by the Osceola Parkway which connects to Interstate 4 just a few miles to the east.

It will take about 30 minutes to get to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort from the Orlando International Airport.  Guests can either take SR-528 (Beach Line Expressway) to Interstate 4, west to Osceola Parkway or SR-417 west to the Osceola Parkway.  Both routes are similar in mileage and fairly easy to navigate for out-of-area travelers.

From Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, the time / distance to the visitor toll plazas at the Disney theme parks are as follows (per Google Maps):

• Magic Kingdom Park: Approximately 10 minutes
• Epcot: Approximately 10 minutes
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Approximately 7 minutes
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Approximately 5 minutes
• Disney Springs (Orange Parking Garage): Approximately 13 minutes

The time / distance to other popular Orlando area attractions is as follows:

• SeaWorld Orlando: Approximately 15 minutes
•  Universal Orlando Resort: Approximately 19 minutes.
• Downtown Orlando: Approximately 30 minutes
• Orange County Convention Center: Approximately 15 minutes
• The Mall at Millenia: Approximately 25 minutes