On my recent tour of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, I also checked out the newest area, the Little Mermaid section. These rooms are the traditional “value” rooms seen in other resorts, not the family suites or “value plus” experience found in the Finding Nemo, Cars, and Lion King buildings. The rooms here start at $94/night vs. the $248/night starting price for the family suite rooms. Having noted that, when I visited the Little Mermaid section, I was a bit disappointed – relatively speaking.
On its own, the Little Mermaid fits right into the All-Star and Pop-themed buildings. However, down the road from the Cars buildings, there is just no comparison. Here we are met with giant and I mean GIANT characters and props from the film. When you first walk in, you have two photo ops, a very over-sized Dinglehopper and an even larger Snarfblat. Sure, they are familiar icons from the film, but why so big? Does this mean we have been shrunk to krill-size creatures upon entering this area? That would be plausible if we didn’t then happen upon the statue of Prince Eric which Ariel keeps in her grotto. It is slightly over-sized, but for the most part, on par with how it looks in the movie. Then to your right is a behemoth-sized Ursula and an equally towering King Triton. It is almost impossible to make characters that huge not look deranged somehow…and these are no exception. Also, with no interior doors and hallways, the buildings are also covered with 2-D cut outs of fish from the film and bubbles, which are a far cry from the expertly themed buildings in the rest of the resort.
Again, I get that it’s in keeping with the super-sized theme that the other value resorts are known for, but when you feel actually immersed over in the Cars section, it’s just hard not to wonder what the other buildings would’ve been like with those same rules applied. Perhaps it is because the Cars section is so wonderful that it stands out on its own and is the one out of place. I will say that I enjoy the details that are present, like the ship’s mast and crows nest themed light posts along the walkways, and the attempt at a beachy/underwater landscaping mix. I would just personally prefer to stay in the Cars or Lion King section, were I to stay in this resort. We’ll see inside a Cars section room in a later post, and I’ll also discuss the dining options and other resort information in the coming weeks. Until then, with my opinions out of the way, let’s take a look at the Little Mermaid buildings:
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What are your thoughts on the Little Mermaid buildings? Will you choose this section of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort over other value resort options?
Great review! I appreciate when bloggers express honest opinions because it makes me trust the blogger more. If they’re always positive 100% of the time, I can’t believe they’re being truthful. This was well-written and thoughtful. Love it!
Thank you so much! I do try to remain positive, but I realized that sharing opinions is important, even if they aren’t always what you were expecting. Thank you again!
Thank you for your info. As always, so welcomed and appreciated. One question, how is the bus service to the resort and how long of a walk from the LM rooms to the resort bus stop? Thanks.
I have not used the bus service there as of yet, but the Little Mermaid section is the furthest from the bus stop area, not too far of a walk, but something to keep in mind with little ones or when requesting a specific building. I have a map of the resort here: http://zannaland.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_7784.jpg where you can see the buildings. The bus stop is the to left of the guest check-in area on the parking side. I hope that helps a little!
We stayed in the Little Mermaid section the 16th to the 18th and absolutely loved it. The theming in the rooms was phenomenal with the design on the window curtains giving the illusion of being under the sea to the carpet simulating the bottom of the sea to the curtain separating the sleeping area from the dressing area. The shower tiling is absolutely gorgeous and there is even a (seriously) hidden Mickey. Will we stay there again? Absolutely!!! We found the theming to be far superior and more immersive than in the other value resorts.
As far as how far it is from the LM section to Animation Hall/bus stop, it IS a hike. However, you’re walking through the Lion King section which makes the walk seem less far.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your stay, Marilyn! I am looking forward to seeing in a room at some point as I know one of the people that designed all of the curtains and all. I’ll have to check it out, thanks for the tips!
Great review! I agree, those statues look a bit deranged — maybe their expressions can be tweaked later. 🙂 The rooms look beautifully themed, but too dark and “princess-y” for my familly’s tastes. I think we’ll go with the Cars section.
I’ll have some photos of the Cars rooms coming up soon, I just really loved that section the best, with Lion King being a close second. 😀 Thanks for your comment!