Hi Richard! Welcome to planDisney.
My family loved our stay at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, and it sounds like you did too! I'm so glad to hear you're planning another visit to the Walt Disney World Resort, and that you're hoping to stay again at this colorful and fun Disney Resorts Collection hotel. It's so much fun to feel like you're wandering around inside your favorite Disney and Pixar films at this unique resort!
The
Family Suites at Disney's Art of Animation Resort provide a great option for larger parties because they do feature three beds, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette. I love the Table Bed, which functions as a dining table during the day and then easily pulls down into a bed for nighttime. These rooms sleep a total of six Guests, which is likely the reason you're not being allowed to book with your party of seven. Those numbers are set for fire code reasons and are firm.
You have a few options, Richard. One is to book one Family Suite and then a The Little Mermaid Standard Room. If you request The Lion King section, you'll be very close to Ariel's area of the resort. The standard rooms sleep four Guests. Another option, and one my family really enjoys, is to look at the
Deluxe Villa Resorts. A two-bedroom villa at
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort sleeps eight Guests and has an apartment-like layout, with two bedrooms, laundry, and a full kitchen. While these rooms are more expensive, you may find that you can even that out by preparing meals in your room - we often make big breakfasts or return to the room to make lunch, and having the freezer in the full-sized refrigerator means we can pack lunch and snack items with ice packs.
One more option is to book two separate standard rooms at a resort hotel of your choosing. For example, two standard rooms at
Disney's Pop Century Resort would sleep eight Guests total. You could request connecting rooms (which cannot be guaranteed) or request that you're assigned rooms in proximity to one another. This resort hotel is located right across Hourglass Lake from Disney's Art of Animation Resort with access to the
Disney Skyliner. It's another colorful and fun hotel option to consider!
I hope this helps as you sort out your accommodations for your visit, Richard! We shared our
tips for selecting a resort hotel in our Panel Extras, and I hope they're helpful as you make your plans. We're here to help if you have any further questions.
Wishing you a magical vacation,
Robyn