Hi Kimberly,
Welcome to planDisney! The
Art of Animation resort is such a fun place for all ages, but especially for little ones, who are entranced by the larger-than-life figures from
Finding Nemo,
Cars,
The Lion King and
The Little Mermaid scattered throughout the grounds.
I was there recently with my niece and her family. Her almost 3-year-old loved posing for pictures with the characters from
Cars and roaming the grounds.
In general, guests who are not staying in a specific resort can enter for a couple of hours to eat or shop, based on availability of parking space. It is usually not a problem, but access is not guaranteed unless you are a registered guest at that resort or have a
dining reservation at one of the resort's restaurants. (Art of Animation's Landscape of Flavors is a quick-serve restaurant that does not take reservations, by the way).
Access tends to be more restrictive at resorts that are within walking distance to one of the theme parks or are situated on the monorail or the
Skyliner. Access also may be limited by special events or other considerations.
That's a long way of saying you probably can visit Art of Animation for lunch but please don't be disappointed if space for non-guests is limited on the day of your visit.
If you go, I hope you enjoy the
Landscape of Flavors food court. It is one of my favorites because of its range of tasty Asian options. I love that the kids menu there includes a stir-fry and a sesame chicken entree in addition to other kid staples.
Thanks again for your question, Kimberly. Please let us know if we can help in any other way as you plan your brief visit to the Walt Disney World area.
Enjoy,
Wilma