Earlier this week, we brought you a very thorough review of the Art of Animation Resort Food Court, Landscape of Flavors.
Today, it’s time to check out the kitchenettes and room service menu at this brand new Walt Disney World hotel!
Three quarters of the rooms at the new Art of Animation resort at Walt Disney World are “family suites.” These rooms sleep six, and have two bathrooms and a “kitchenette.” Your big question now is, “What’s a kitchenette?” Here’s your answer.
Art of Animation Kitchenettes
The kitchenette is cabinet on top of a small tiled area, which includes a dorm sized refrigerator, coffee maker, bar sink, and a microwave oven.
Position of kitchenette in the living room.
Art of Animation kitchenette
You’ll find extra paper towels under the sink.
Extra paper towels under the sink.
The Avanti brand microwave is small, but manageable. Here, I’m using a one-foot ruler to give you an idea of capacity.
Avanti brand microwave. One foot ruler to give an idea of capacity.
The fridge is slightly larger than a mini-fridge.
Refrigerator. One foot ruler to show size.
And the freezer won’t fit your ice cream, most likely, but you can make ice cubes.
There's a small functional freezer compartment.
Upon check-in, the room is stocked with six each of wrapped plastic forks, knives, and spoons; a bottle opener; a can opener; and two coffee service packs.
Room is stocked at check-in
Here’s what you get in the pre-wrapped coffee service packs.
Contents of coffee service packs.
The Coffee maker is Cuisinart brand. These have replaced most coffee makers in Disney World resort hotels this year. It makes one or two cups at a time using pre-measured pods.
Cuisinart Coffee maker
The room is supplied with regular and decaf coffee pods, and two kinds of tea. These were replenished daily.
Pods are replenished daily
Coffee pods.
Your room is also stocked with six each of paper plates, paper bowls, clear plastic disposable bathroom cups, and foam coffee cups, plus one ice bucket.
Bowls
Ice and Vending Machines at Art of Animation Resort
Ice machines are on each floor. One vending machine is on each floor. Two floors have soda machines, two floors have snack machines, and these alternate as you go up. If you want both a soda and chips, you’ll have to visit two floors.
Art of Animation snack vending.
Art of Animation soda vending.
Art of Animation Room Service
Pizza and some basic entrees and desserts are available for in-room delivery. This is a step up from the other value resorts, which only offer pizza delivery.
Note that the table for sitting down to enjoy your eats also doubles as a bedroom! Yep — the table folds down to reveal a Murphy bed.
In-room table
The Landscapes of Flavor Food Court is also quite good about offering takeaway boxes if you want to bring your food back to your room.
Overall
The kitchenettes are not big or fancy, but they are functional — great for heating a baby’s bottle, having a breakfast bowl of cereal, or reheating leftovers.
Now that you know what the Art of Animation kitchenettes are, does this impact your desire to stay there? Would you use a kitchenette if you had one in your room? Let us know in the comments below.
Erin Foster is the Disney Food for Families columnist and a behind-the-scenes guru here at Disney Food Blog! Check out more of her posts here.
All photos copyright Erin Foster.
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I do wish more of the hotels would start adding mini kitchens to the rooms but I am still not sure that this will make me want to stay at this resort. It might just be me but seeing those building sit empty and neglected for so long really left a bad taste in my mouth….no pun intended. Also, after staying in the Pop Century I just feel the rooms and beds are just too small. I will stick to the Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans French Quarter.
I would love to stay in one of the suites. I’m going on a trip to Disney in November, but we’re staying in te little mermaid rooms because we want privacy from the rest of those in our group. One thing I’d like to comment is you should make sure that whoever is on the Murphy bed should not be a late sleeper if you want to use your table.
I think this is a great alternative for larger families and I personally REALLY like the room service option, though I wonder how good the food is. I’m assuming it’s just the same stuff from the food court and should be pretty good? I’d love to see a review of room service sometime! Thanks for all this great info on AoA!
Chole – I agree that sometimes the regular value rooms can feel a bit claustrophobic, but these AoA suites were HUGE in comparison. And the master bed is queen sized, like at the moderate and deluxe resorts.
Marcellina – I didn’t have a change to try the room service, but I’m looking forward to doing so in the future. Most of the items listed on the room service menu are not on the food court menus, so the food may be coming from somewhere else. I’ll be interested to hear reports from folks who have tried it.
I think these are all nice touches for the value level resort. The new coffee pots are an improvement and the decor looks great. While the room service is a nice, I would rather drag myself over to the food court and experience a more social “DisneyWorld” feeling. While all these smaller changes don’t compare to say a new theme park, it at least shows that the Disney folks are trying even in what has been a bunch of down years.
I’m intrigued that all of the items on the room service menu are from the food court at Pop and not AoA (and at the same prices charged in that food court.) I find that odd, and it makes we wonder if Pop now offers more than just pizza delivery in their rooms too.
I have to admit I’m highly intrigued by the Art of Animation resort. We’ve never stayed at a Value level resort, but I think from everything I’ve seen on it AoA hardly seems like a Value level resort. And room service menu just confirms that.
Ally – Good point. There’s a little card in the room that asks that guests not leave items on the table during the day so that housekeeping doesn’t have to move them to make the bed.
Alan – I’m not sure how I feel about the new coffee pots. It’s convenient for some, but there are many guests who have very specific coffee needs and like to bring their own. This makes it difficult for them to do so. But I agree, folks have been asking for more value rooms for larger families for a long time. It does show that Disney is trying to meet needs.
Pudge – Good question! Any sleuths at the Pop who can help us out?
I’m assuming that one could request more coffee pods upon arrival – with two adults who drink a 12 cup pot every morning, the individual pods won’t cut it. Can someone buy those types of pods at a chain store? I’m only used to seeing Kurig type pods.
And are there other chairs in the rooms besides the four at the table bed? Or do most seem to be using the ‘coffee tables’ from the living room?
I do have a question. Is there “shelf space” on top of the kitchenette for grocery items? We have stayed in the family suites at ASMu, and there was much more counter space. Where will someone place grocery items (fruit, cereal, etc)? Is there enough of a flat surface on top?
Sarah – They do sell that size/style of pods out in the world. Here are similar on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/PodMerchant-Espresso-Super-Sampler-Pods/dp/B0007W4VXI/ref=pd_sim_gro_9
But yes, my assumption is that you could request more coffee. If six adults were in the room, they’d certainly need more than the two pods of regular that come in the room at check-in. The only chairs in the room are the four at the table and an upholstered chair in the living room. As you mention, there are also two stool-like coffee tables that could function as extra seating at the table. However the table itself doesn’t really have room to seat six comfortably.
Thanks for the info Erin! Two adults and 3 kids under 4 – so in reality the stool would be for one of the adults and we should be able to squeeze in if necessary. 🙂
IT really looks nice. I think in about a year or so we see some price adjustments on the rooms or deep discounting (especially the Suites). I can’t see myself spending $250 plus a night in these rooms. If I was bumped up to this resort (I know they are rare), I wouldn’t mind at all.
For the price it’s comparable to do a one bedroom villa renting DVC points, you get more bang for your buck with the villa and usually laundry and a FULL kitchen. I do think that AOA looks nice though. I wouldn’t call this value pricing though.
I agree with Tom S. The price is not a value here. I have always thought the same of when the All-Star Music value resort remodeled to make suites. I always take a large group with me to Pop and we enjoy adjoining rooms with a cheaper price tag. There would have to be a big discount to make me change my mind about that.
Since staying in DVC villas it is hard to stay in a room that doesn’t have the full kitchen and the price for these rooms is not inexpensive. Think the kids would love to stay here just for the “animation part”.
it wouldve been nice to add some of these mini kitchens to the other value resorts.. they dont take up alot of room…
I personally think the value rooms are too small to add a kitchenette.
Sadly these are “value” in the realm of WDW. Here are some pre tax value season nightly weekday prices comparisons:
All Star Music family suite = $198
Art of Animation family suite = $249 (admittedly better theme and amenities than Music)
Fort Wilderness Cabin = $285
AK Villa Kidani or Bay Lake Tower 1 bedroom standard view = $515 (only sleeps 5)
Two value resort standard rooms are less than a family suite but no kitchenette and no guarantee of connecting doors.
I am excited about AoA! Thanks for the info, Erin!
I was able to tour a FN suite a few weeks ago while at Disney for an AEP. The Disney buzz word for this resort is Value ‘Plus.’
Unless I change my mind, I am planning a split stay between AoA and Beach Club next year for my 20th anniversary.
As for Pop, when I was there in December, they did have more than just pizza on the delivery menu.
These rooms look perfect fot my family but I too have a tough time with them being called “value” rooms. They are about $100 too much, even with inflated Disney prices. Hopefully they will come down in price when the novelty wears off. My family would love the Cars suite!
Pudge…I have stayed in the cabins at FW a lot of times (even when they weren’t really cabins just trailer homes!). These are a good size and the kitchen is a true full kitchen. I also think that for the money I would much rather stay at FW. You have room to let the kids run…boats to Magic kingdom…tons of things to do. Most of my memories about staying at Disney are from FW and once we even had 6 adults stay in a cabin – two in the murphy, two in the quee (full?) and two in the bunk beds. It was tight but being able to go out on the deck while people got ready was very nice. Having the extra sink in the bedroom is also a plus. 40 bucks is well worth it.
I’m surprised there is no toaster like in the DVC studios.
As far as the coffee pods go, I need something stronger in the morning. One could bring a press pot from home along with their favorite blend. You could heat the water in the microwave.
My husband and I are checking in to Lille Mermaid on opening day Sept 15th. For our last 5 trips we have stayed at POP and are looking forward to this new AOA!! So happy to see something there!!
My question is, will we be able to request a coffee maker in our room also? We requested a fridge for my husband medical reasons, I was told at booking that fridges are now in all rooms.
Angela — all rooms have coffee makers 🙂
Im going to stay here in 2013, and was expecting a toaster, it’s a shame there isn’t one, because I was going to stock up on pop tarts for breakfast, instead of having to cash out on breakfast in the food court everyday. Do you know if you can request a toaster, or if there’s a breakfast buffet type automatic toaster in the food court?
Wendy & Alicia –
I was also surprised that there was no toaster in the room. However, there are several toasters in the food court area that guests are welcome to use. There’s no requirement that the items you’re toasting be purchased at the food court. You could certainly bring Pop Tarts from the supermarket and toast them there.
Just stayed at the AofA resort this past weekend. It was an awesome experience! The environment was completely immersive and upon leaving we felt as though we had been on a Disney cruise. We utilized every amenity and found that the guests and cast members were all thrilled to be there.
As for the kitchenette: I’d personally refer to it as a ‘wet bar’. ‘Kitchenette’ seems to slightly oversell it. It was enormously convenient and sufficient to aid my family in snack and drink prep although preparing a meal for a family would be more challenging. To Connie: There is a flat surface on top of the cabinets to store plenty of cereal boxes, snacks, and any sugary goodies you want to hide from the kids as I did 🙂
The refrigerator was the perfect size for our kid’s standard fare of yogurt, juice boxes, string cheese and applesauce. Plenty more groceries could have fit.
The coffeemaker had side-by-side sections to brew two cups simultaneously. This allowed me to brew a cup of tea and a cup of coffee for my husband at the same time. For the coffee lovers out there, my husband found the in-room brewer sufficient until he could get to the food court once we began our day.
Overall, the suites are beautifully and whimsically decorated with the addition of some excellent creature comforts and ammentities not found in other hotels. Along with superior quality of service ….that’s a great value in my book!
I have been looking at this resort for a future trip….we love love love P/O French Quarter and have never stayed at a value resort, but this just looks wonderful. But my kids are 15 & 19…not so little! I am concerned about the size with basincally 4 adults. Looking into a suite but then we’re close to the price of WL which we always wanted to stay at. Thoughts???
Gotta get me a disney fix soon:)
Am planning a trip to Disney – my kids first time; can’t wait! – and will be staying at AoA. Have been reading the blog and reviews and it has been a great source of info! Thanks!
One thing I am not 100% clear on – the paper bowls & plastic utensils in the rooms are NOT replenished, just the coffee pads – correct? So will have to bring/purchase our own bowls etc. We aren’t big breakfast eaters – some cereal and fruit and we are good to go. Maybe we can bring some small plastic bowls to wash – seems like an awful lot of waste by not having real dishes….
Regina –
In my opinion, the Art of Animation Suites would actually be better for a group of 4 teens/adults than the Wilderness Lodge would be. (Assuming that you’re talking about a regular WL room and not a villa.) I also have teens. I know how much room they take up when they’re sleeping and how much time they spend in the bathroom. The AoA suites have two full bathrooms and three separate sleeping surfaces, which means the teens wouldn’t have to share a bed. As much as I LOVE the WL. If I were heading to WDW with my three teen daughters, I’d rather stay in an AoA suite than a WL single room.
I am staying at AoA in Sept. Is there any means of transportation to an actual store? I would like to grab some groceries to save some money. I would prefer not to rent a car or pay for a taxi. How far is a real store from the hotel?
We have reservations in the Nemo section for early December. We want to try it once, but the price ($300.00) per night with tax seems pretty high for a value resort. We will really have to love it to do it more than once. With an annual passport, I have stayed in deluxe rooms for less.
I agree that these suites are priced a little high but for my family having 2 bathrooms will be huge! You have to pay a whole lot more for that at other resorts, most only offer one. Can’t wait to stay there, the themeing looks amazing!
Our family of 6 is staying at AoA in Sept. With dining promotion and the plan we chose, Cabins would have been slightly cheaper, but we would rather have 2 bathrooms and the Disney animation feel. Plus the pool looks great! Does AoA restock the plastic wear and plates daily or do you have to request additional?
We are staying at AofA starting July 19. We prefer being closer to Epcot/HS over MK resorts because we’re from CA and have APs to Disneyland, so maxed out on most of MK attractions. There are 6 adults going, 2 of them very petite, so they’ll share the sofa bed. The two on the Murphy bed are late sleepers, so I think hubby and I will probably eat in the bedroom. We will need more coffee every day, and I would think plates, bowls etc would be replenished. I’m also bring Starbuck’s Via packets to supplement the coffee.
I’m waiting to hear back from my (adult) kids on what food they want for breakfast. We’re ordering from Wegoshop.com since we won’t have a car.
I can hardly wait! Thanks for all the info.
I am staying at AoA in August and like Christy I am wondering if there is any means of transportation to an actual store? I would like to grab some groceries to save some money. I would prefer not to rent a car or pay for a taxi. How far is a real store from the hotel? Any suggestions?
Also i am assuming that they restock the paper goods daily?
Victoria — No, there’s no transportation to an actual store from the Disney resorts. You could consider a grocery delivery service like Garden Grocer. There are some “real stores” over near Downtown Disney, so within 10 miles.
Am back from our trip to Disney and although I was a little worried at first about food, heat and crowds – it was really a wonderful week!!
Just a few comments about our experience in our cars suite.
1)The paper plates/bowls etc. were replaced daily and we asked housekeeping for more normal coffee pads (3 adults on 4 normal coffee pads just wouldn’t do it and they brought us every morning 8 – if that wasn’t enough coffee, you could fill-up the refillable mug in the Landscapes restaurant)
2) We were on the quick service meal plan – would do it again! I was afraid we had to eat burgers and fries all week and am happy to report that none in our party had a burger; some had fries as a side…. But there is such a huge selection of eats at Disney, that you can avoid the typical fast food if you want! We really enjoyed the flexiblity (Not having to be somewhere at a certain time for a table reservation) and the amount of food was more than enough! Sometimes we even shared food with the kids (7 & 9) because we had too much on our plates. That might be the only minus point – the kids portions, while plenty for my 7 year old were at times not enough for my 9 year old (specifically the PB&J sandwich); but by sharing, especially because our portions were huge, there was no problem!!
3) We ate breakfast in the room – bought joghurt, cheerios and milk, a few apples and the rest was stuff we had extra from our meals (instead of say cheescake bites for dessert, we took fresh pineapple pieces or fruitsalad and put it in the fridge for the next day
4) the room was great – plenty of space for the 5 of us and beds were comfortable, rooms dark and pretty quiet – just be sure to put your late sleepers in the bedroom – ours was on the dining room table (Murphy bed) and sometimes had to wait for our breakfast! (we put the coffee machine in the master bedroom 😉 ) Stowing the beds away was easy, sometimes a pain, but really no big deal.
and finally
5) we found the bus system and amenities/activities at the hotel totally justified the price of the room….
Can’t wait to go again 🙂
I am so excited to stay here. we are family of three. me , hubby, and 20 yr old son. so yes i want a bedroom 🙂 we are pass holders many years and have stayed all over Disney. the price here really depends on the time of year going. we dont normally do peak season , but hubby has never had a birthday at disney. if you need a private bedroom or could really use 2 bathrooms, this is ideal. for peak season, finding bargains is hard. 10 days/ 9 nights. wilderness cabin was $600 plus more for total and for 1 bdr villa $1400 plus for the total. so for the peak season, this was the bargain. off peak i paid less at beach club villa 1 bedroom. ( which is my favorite place ) i also saw that music resort has 1 bd rm suites but they seemed to be same price as A of A. so i would rather stay here 🙂 nemo suite for us 🙂
Thank you SOOOO much for your great pictures and descriptions. Yes. I shall stay at the Art of Animation resort this August, 2014, but now I know what size items can be reheated in the microwave and what size milk I can buy. Seems like a little thing, but it’s a big deal to me with a little boy who needs extra care.
We will be staying at Art of Animation later this month. I see that they give six bowls and 6 sets of silverware. Will room service restock those each day or is that all you get. We have six in our party and will be eating breakfast in the room each day. Just wondering if we needed to bring bowls and silverware or if the room will have them each day. Also, does the resort provide towels for the pool areas or do we have to bring our own. Thanks.
I was hoping to be able to cook up some eggs and sausage/bacon. I’m bummed there’s just a microwave. I wish there was at least a toaster oven. Any ideas for healthy breakfast (including protein) that we can eat in the room, purchased by Garden Grocer or Publix?
I think offers some great options for larger families. Price-wise I feel moderate standard rooms are better value if you aren’t planning to prepare meals. I can make healthy breakfasts and lunches with just a mini-fridge to work with. I’ve done this at Pop, POR, CSR, AKL, and the contemporary.
Can the fridge hold a gallon of milk, or should we go with 2 half gallons?
This is exactly the info I was looking for! We’ll be staying in a Finding Nemo suite next month and I was very curious about the kitchenette and what we would need to supply ourselves. In the past we’ve stayed in 2 adjoining rooms but snacks and eating in the room was not exactly easy. We are a family of 5 and I’m hoping the suite will be a more comfortable fit! Thank you!
This was super helpful…four years later! Thank you for posting all these pics and information about this room. We are staying here soon, I always make dinner the first night in the room. Two microwaveable instant rice packets, a microwaveable bag of buttered veggies and pre-cooked meats, mixed with a dressing packet…voila dinner!
Les prix de pizzas ils sont augmenté.. Merci
Although this is an older article, great advice for this family! We will be staying soon (Aug 2021). I’m so excited! Starting to plan our meals and Instacart order already! We are a family of 4 (but kids are M 17 & F 8… so need 3 “beds”). Love that this is an option! And two bathrooms! Heavenly! Can’t wait to surprise my family with this trip!