Walt Disney World is truly the happiest place on earth. Thousands of people return year after year. Millions of people visit annually. There are beloved characters, amazing rides and world class entertainment shows. There is magic in the air. People seek the wonder and joy that makes them feel like a kid again. I love Walt Disney World. So I get annoyed when I read negative articles that are obviously just being contrarian and trying to get views to their website. This has been a theme I have tried to promote. I hate the idea of somebody reading one of these stories, and then altering their vacation plans.
I recently came across an article titled “9 Disney World Hotels You’ll Never Stay in Again”. Against my better judgement, I opened the story and started to skim through it. The “highlight” of my dismay, was reading that Pop Century and Art of Animation were on the list. These are two of my favorite resorts. They are value resorts but are both a major step up from the All Star hotels. They both allow for transportation on the Disney Sky Liner. Art of Animation is beautiful and has the most Disney characters on display. When we stayed here, my children absolutely loved wandering around and calling out the characters. The pool is great, the splash pad is awesome and there is even a small playground for the kids to play.
I’m getting annoyed again, looking at this story. The author grabs a few complaints and publishes an article ripping a resort based on them. The music and kids were too loud at Pop Century? The walk is too much at Art of Animation? These are ridiculous criticisms. I hate to think a family might avoid Art of Animation after reading this. So the walk from the lobby to the room is 10 minutes. That walk is usually made a few times a day, and is not a major inconvenience. And there are character displays along the way. People are on vacation to spend time with their family. We love the walk where we would talk about what we were going to do and what we did that day. I have a full review of Art of Animation available.
The reality is that Pop Century and Art of Animation are reasonably priced resorts that allow for a family to enjoy a Disney vacation on a smaller budget. These 2 resorts are absolutely wonderful for little kids.