Your kids will be drawn to this Disney resort!

Allison FlynnApril 4, 2017Larger than life characters, art lessons in the lobby, an arcade and a Big Blue Pool! With the amenities and theming, it’s no wonder that your children will be drawn to Art of Animation Resort.Art of Animation Resort opened in 2012, and the resort’s theming is all things animated. Both standard rooms and family suites are available on the property, and each area is divided by movie theme. While standard rooms are all Little Mermaid, family suites are themed as The Lion King, Finding Nemo or Cars.You’ll never have to wonder what area of the resort you are in because the grounds match the theming of the rooms in that area. You’ll feel as though you just stepped into Radiator Springs when you go to the Cars area. Fans of Finding Nemo will be thrilled to see a larger than life Squirt hanging out by the Big Blue Pool. And if you found Scar menacing in The Lion King …. Well, you might want to avoid that area!My boys found the Big Blue Pool to be their favorite area of the resort. The pool - which is the largest found at any of the resorts - features a zero-entry depth flanked by jellyfish waterfalls. This was where my youngest son was most comfortable playing. He could be in the water, but felt secure. As a mom, I liked that it was just steps away from Schoolyard Sprayground, which is a splashpad.We stayed in a Cars Family Suite, and I was excited to try out the table bed. When in the upright position, it is a table with seating for four. But when you pull the handles, the table folds underneath itself and a double bed is created. Neat!The double bed was plenty of space for my oldest to spread out with his stuffed animals. We considered letting his younger brother share the bed, but because the bed is a little bit off the ground, we opted to put him in his pack and play instead.Family suites also have microwaves and dorm sized refrigerators, which my youngest son loved. Finally, he could get a drink all by himself!A food court and gift shop are located just off the lobby, and those were a hit with my children as well. At Ink & Paint, there were toys, pins, pencils, MagicBands, snacks and more. A short walk through, and you were inside Landscape of Flavors, the food court. Landscape of Flavors offers a selection of foods for a variety of palates, including kid-friendly fare like pizza and chicken nuggets. (And Mickey cupcakes, which both boys devoured.)Art of Animation is very kid-friendly while also allowing mom and dad somewhere for quiet time. Each family suite has a master bedroom with bathroom - and let me say, it was nice to unwind alone at the end of a long park day!For more information on this resort or other family favorites, please contact me at allisonf@wishesfamilytravel.com. You can also view my video tour of Art of Animation Resort on my Facebook page at Facebook.com/aflynn.wft.