Hi Brandy!
I'm excited to hear you'll be staying at
Disney's Art of Animation Resort on your upcoming Walt Disney World vacation. Your family will be immersed in the worlds of
The Lion King, Finding Nemo, The Little Mermaid and
Cars at your resort, and you can take a dip in the largest resort pool on Disney property! I've personally stayed there several times, and absolutely loved it.
When traveling to the theme parks from your resort, you can typically expect buses to arrive every 20 to 25 minutes, from one hour before park opening to about an hour after closing. While having a personal vehicle allows you to eliminate the wait on the bus, you'll still arrive at the theme parks in about the same amount of time it takes to ride the bus.
As long as you don't plan to venture off Walt Disney World property, a car really isn't necessary. If you plan to resort-hop or visit Orlando-area restaurants off-property, then a car is a must!
On my last visit, we used Disney transportation almost exclusively. We would always try to head to the bus about 45 minutes before we wanted to arrive at any particular park, just to allow for traffic or any other hiccup. When we needed to travel between resorts for a dinner reservation, we used Orlando Uber service which was efficient and inexpensive.
Having a car on property is really just personal preference. We've enjoyed having our own car with us, and have also enjoyed utilizing Disney's Transportation System! The one major plus about having your own vehicle is that everyone is guaranteed a seat. In crowded months, sometimes it can be standing-room-only on the Disney buses!
I hope you enjoy your stay at Art of Animation, and that your vacation is truly magical! - Diane W.