Donna,
Thanks for asking your question to planDisney!
You will simply love Disney's Art of Animation Resort! The decor on the grounds drops you into your favorite Disney movies. My personal favorite is getting some selfies with the life-size characters from the Cars movies.
The room options at the Art of Animation do not immediately break down into either preferred rooms or standard rooms. There are a few choices, and they are.
- The Little Mermaid Standard rooms: These are not family suites, but more standard hotel rooms. The entire Little Mermaid section of the resort is comprised entirely of these kinds of rooms.
- Cars Family Suites: This section has only family suites, all themed to the movie Cars.
- The Lion King Family Suites: this section also has only family suites, all themed to the movie The Lion King
- Finding Nemo Family Suites: This section too has only family suites, all themed to, you guessed it, the movie Finding Nemo
- Family Suites: By selecting this option, your room rate is a bit lower, but you cannot select your themed area. They will place you in a room wherever they have an available space, in either the Cars, Lion King, or Nemo sections.
For the family suite areas, some rooms are classified as having views of the Courtyard, Pool, or Parking Area. But you cannot select from within these options at the time of making a reservation. However, because of its location in the resort, the Finding Nemo section has more of what would be considered a preferred category room.
BONUS TIPWhile you cannot select a "Preferred Location" room at the time of booking when you use the
Online Check-In feature of
My Disney Experience you
may have the option to request a room based on the view, location, floor, or for early check-in. These options can change over time. Though Disney cannot guarantee that they can fulfill your request, it does improve your chances of getting a preferred room location.
Please feel free to
write me back directly if you have any follow-up questions.
Have a Magical Vacation!
Doug