Welcome to planDisney, Tymothy! Choosing a Disney Resort hotel is one of the biggest vacation decisions when planning a trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth, and you've chosen some excellent options, so I can understand why you're having a hard time choosing between them! Let's dig into your choices to see if we can help you decide!
Tymothy, all of your resort choices offer great amenities and unique offerings - the savanna at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge,
Chip 'n' Dale's Campfire Sing-a-Long at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort,
The Big Blue Pool (the largest pool on all of Disney property!) at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, and the convenience of a direct walking path to Magic Kingdom Park at Disney's Contemporary Resort are among the best features of each one.
If I had to recommend one over the others, based on your travel party including a young mouseketeer, I'd probably rank
Disney's Contemporary Resort and
Disney's Art of Animation Resort above your other two choices based on transportation options and proximity to theme parks.
If you stay at the Contemporary, you will have quick and easy access to the
Disney Monorail to visit both Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT, and Art of Animation offers the
Disney Skyliner to both EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Both of these transportation modes are especially great when traveling with little ones because you won't have to take them out of the stroller and fold the stroller up; you can simply roll them right on!
I'd also consider the interests of your young traveler - Art of Animation offers toddler-friendly theming from familiar movies such as
The Lion King,
Finding Nemo,
Cars, and
The Little Mermaid. There are so many great photo spots all around the resort that your child will likely enjoy! The Contemporary Resort also offers touches of
The Incredibles in their room designs and little details that might delight a young one familiar with the movie. Not to mention the awe of seeing the monorail glide through the inside of their hotel! I honestly still remember that from a trip in my childhood, and I'm honestly still awestruck by the sight today!
One last consideration is dining options - staying at Disney's Contemporary Resort might take the cake for this one as it is home to
Chef Mickey's character buffet and also just a monorail ride away from other family favorites like
'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort and
1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. If you choose Art of Animation, you can also take the Skyliner to Disney's Riviera Resort to enjoy breakfast at Topolino's Terrace (my favorite character meal!)
Tymothy, if I were choosing, those would be my top two picks, and I'd probably opt for Disney's Contemporary Resort in the end. There's something extra magical about being steps from Magic Kingdom Park that connects you to the magic in a special way. But trust me when I say, you can't go wrong with any of the options you've shared!
I hope this helps, and I'm wishing you a magical visit!
Alison