Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Announced!

**NJDad** · 05-12-2010, 06:05 AM

More suites. To be ready in 2012.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will feature 1,120 suites with room for as many as six people each and another 864 traditional hotel rooms, with a design theme based on four of the company’s most popular animated movies.

Plans for the new resort show 10 wings of rooms and a separate building housing the check-in lobby and restaurants. The hotel wings will be separated into four distinct groups, each with a theme from a different animated movie: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars.

Each section will have separate courtyards anchored by icons from the movies — such as a 35-foot-tall King Triton presiding over the Mermaid section — and the entire resort will use bright-color palettes evocative of the lush scenery of animated movies. Hotel designers say they have been soliciting input from artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios on everything from building elevations to which scenes to depict at the swimming pools.

“The hope is you walk into this courtyard and you’re kind of like seeing it as a character in the movie,” said Frank Paris, a senior project manager with Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s in-house attraction-design unit.

Because the majority of its rooms will be six-person suites, the Art of Animation Resort will have roughly the same capacity as Pop Century, which has 2,800 conventional rooms.

**Bethis26fan** · 05-12-2010, 07:41 AM

cool

**LoriSan** · 05-12-2010, 07:50 AM

Big news…we’ve just announced plans for a new resort at Walt Disney World Resort that’ll bring to life some of our most beloved characters and stories. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will be one-of-a-kind, featuring family suites designed around four themes: The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid.

It’s a resort designed with families in mind. There will be amazing sights at the different themed wings of the resort, including a model of King Triton that’ll eventually be 35 feet tall and tower over guests. And Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will also have themed room interiors in its nearly 2,000 new units — 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. Suites will have both a living room and a bedroom, offering added space.

All of the themed suites and rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (to be located adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort) are expected to open by the end of 2012.

**PopPhan** · 05-12-2010, 08:02 AM

So I guess this will be a "Family Value Resort"? A value resort priced in the Moderate range because of the extra living space.

Sounds interesting. Wonder if ground will be broken on it by the time we go down in September.

**Rekenna** · 05-12-2010, 08:12 AM

What fun/great news! I'm glad that "wasted space" is going to be used next to POP-it looked so sad and forlorn.

Something new to try in the near future!

**ransam** · 05-12-2010, 08:32 AM

I am curious if this will be considerred a value resort w/ suites, kind of like the suites at the all-star music, or if it ill be priced as a moderate.

**DVC2004** · 05-12-2010, 08:34 AM

Glad they're doing something with those buildings, but I wish it was a Deluxe or a Mod instead.

**GoinGoofyPlanninThisTrip** · 05-12-2010, 09:01 AM

I'm glad to see that they're finishing these as a Value resort. Families that cannot afford the upper level resorts should not be forgotten. There are enough Deluxe and DVC properties on site already for those that can enjoy them.

**crltkcagle** · 05-12-2010, 09:11 AM

Awesome!!!!

**PittFan** · 05-12-2010, 09:21 AM

Sounds awesome, I can't wait to stay there !!!!

**laprana** · 05-12-2010, 09:37 AM

This sounds really cool! I'm also glad to see they're finally doing something with that empty building!

**trynkat** · 05-12-2010, 09:40 AM

My son will be thrilled about the Cars-themed rooms.

Ed · 05-12-2010, 09:52 AM

This is the area where the new resort will be built, using the partially-completed buildings already there and adding others.

**TikiLounger** · 05-12-2010, 10:25 AM

Hmmm...sounds interesting and fun! I can't wait to see the site in a few weeks. It will be the first time I've stayed at the POP Century. I've heard about the unfinished portion and now, when I do finally see it, I'll know there's a plan. It won't seem like wasted space and resources.

**Dr. Disney** · 05-12-2010, 10:31 AM

It's about time! That land made POP look so aweful. The land is already developed, so why not use it! And the theme idea, even better than the original legendary years.

About time Disney does something smart

**diz_girl** · 05-12-2010, 10:41 AM

It kind of sounds like All-Star Movies, just with different movies and the rooms are predominately suites. Maybe the theming will be a little more artistic too.

It's great that they're doing this, as there is a real need for on-site rooms for larger families that don't cost a small fortune. WDW probably loses a good bit of business to off-site condos because they don't have enough lower-priced suites. I'm sure that the family suites at the All-Stars are a hit and Alligator Bayou at POR is mostly full, or else WDW would not be making this kind of investment.

**McLiberal8** · 05-12-2010, 10:42 AM

Staying in a Lion King themed-room? The dream of the 10 year-old inside of me just became real!
This sounds great - I love the themes of other hotels, but none of them are actually DIsney-themed!