Choosing where you’re staying for your next Disney World hotel can get a little overwhelming given there are so many hotels to choose between. One of the most budget-conscious options is Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

You may be looking for a solid hotel choice that’s not experiencing ongoing construction, can accommodate more people in a room, and is frequently compatible with Disney hotel discounts offered at various points through the year, but we’ve got a few things we want to warn you about when choosing to stay here.

Before we get into it, AJ recently ranked all of the Disney World hotels, and you can watch that video right here.

Staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort can certainly have its perks. It’s got great theming featuring some familiar Disney Pixar characters, a decent-sized property with a gorgeous lake view of Hourglass Lake, beautifully themed buildings that have larger-than-life Disney characters at the ready for incredible photo ops, and a pool that plays music underwater! What’s not to love here?

The theming here is just a bit better

It’s not always sunshine and rainbows for us every time we’ve chosen to call this home during our Disney World vacation. Here’s what we’ve run into regularly!

Bad Bus Luck

Maybe it’s just us but our bad luck seems to be primarily concentrated around buses.

Bus Transportation at Art of Animation Resort

You know the phrase, “just missed the train”? It’s like that but with the Disney transportation buses. We’re either arriving just as the bus is pulling away or the line for the bus is so long we don’t make the bus that’s currently filling. Either way, it’s a bummer for the moment, but usually, there’s another bus that’s not too far behind.

Limited Cell Service in Room Buildings

Oh yeah, the dreaded dead zones when it comes to cell service. They seem to have plenty of those here.

Art of Animation

If you find yourself completely without cell service or having difficulty keeping a conversation inside the room buildings know you’re not alone. Don’t be surprised if you have to connect to the wifi or step outside of the building to place a call or surf the internet; it’s just spotty at best.

Being Moved To A Different Room

We get it, things happen from time to time that are simply out of our control, but some of us have experienced a streak of bad luck in choosing rooms.

Finding Nemo Room

One of our team members reported having to switch rooms or categories every time they’ve stayed here due to overbooking, ongoing refurbishments, and even things like the AC not working in the room. While this is certainly a rare case, it can happen, and apparently has kept this particular team member from attempting to book here since their last visit a few years ago.

Massive Skyliner Lines

This is almost a certainty to happen to anyone who’s going to book here due to the Skyliner’s popularity. You’ll want to expect some massive lines for the Disney Skyliner at certain times of the day.

Skyliner Station at Disney Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

Not only is everyone staying at your hotel attempting to use the Skyliner, but so is everyone staying at the neighboring hotel, Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Because of this, you should pack your patience or strategically plan the times you arrive to head out to the parks or leave the parks based on this factor. Otherwise, it could get a little overwhelming, to say the least, if you’re not prepared.

Limited Food Options

There’s only going to be one quick service food court type location available at this hotel — and you’ll need to know that in advance of choosing to stay here.

Landscape of Flavors

While on one side that can be kind of convenient (and genius), the flip side to that is you’re only going to have what’s available THERE on site to choose from. If you’re not looking to eat burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and pasta each day you’ll want to travel to another hotel, a Disney World park, or Disney Springs for other types of meals.

We’re always looking for the best ways to help you WIN your next Disney vacation! Be sure to check back in with us at Disney Food Blog for the latest updates about Disney hotels and more!

Here’s What It’s Really Like To Stay At A Disney Hotel That’s Under Construction. (Spoiler: It Was Awful)

Have you ever run into some unfortunate circumstances during your Disney hotel stay? Give us the scoop in the comments below!