Hello Melissa,
Thanks for stopping by planDisney with your question. Summer will be here before you know it and so will your magical vacation!
Disney's Art of Animation is such a fun resort. We love hanging out at the gigantic the Big Blue Pool. Also, I think you'll really love the convenience of using
Disney Skyliner to get to
EPCOT and
Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's like a ride in itself!
It's true, guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels can
enter any park 30 minutes before it opens. You'll need to have a theme park ticket and reservation to the park you want to enter as well as a Magic Band, Key to the World Card or Disney
MagicMobile pass (this is how you'll be identified as a Resort Guest). You'll go through the regular security and the entrance , then you'll see another entry point for Resort Guests. Follow the sign, and you'll scan your Magic Band or MagicMobile Pass one more time.
Thirty minutes may not sound like much, but it really will allow you to get in one or two popular attractions before the regular guests arrive. It's nice to have the early hours spread out across all four parks, because it keeps resort guests from all going to the same park just to take advantage of a few extra minutes. Not every attraction is available, so
check the list of attractions that open early before you determine if it's worth it to you. For our family, even if we don't ride any of the early attractions, we like to head into the park leisurely, maybe grab a bite to eat, and then be first in line to some of the attractions that don't operate until the park opens.
Hope this helps. Have a magical vacation!