Hi Katie! Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a family favorite for my family. The rooms are so spacious and I don’t feel as if we are bumping in to each other while we are there! I have three kids five years old and under so space is a top priority for all o us. We love the theme of the resort, that it is really family friendly, and also that you will not have to share a bus with another Resort hotel.
On our last family vacation we also had a dining Reservation for Be Our Guest Restaurant prior to Magic Kingdom Park opening. The thing that you will have to take into consideration is what time the park opens on the day of your reservation. Typically
Complimentary Resort Transportation will begin running approximately 45 minutes before Theme Park opening. That means if Magic Kingdom Park opens at 9:00 A.M. the bus transportation will not begin until 8:15 A.M. When guests have early dining reservations, they often times are encouraged to find a different mode of transportation such as a cab or a rental car if they have one. If you do choose to use a cab just go to the concierge desk at your Resort hotel and they Cast Member will help you find a reputable cab company.
Whenever you are relying upon the Complimentary Resort Transportation, I always allow a minimum of 60 minutes to get from my Resort hotel to a Theme Park or
Disney Springs. There are a lot of factors that are considered when using the bus system such as crowd levels, distance from Resort hotel to your destination, and time of day. If you ever are in doubt find the nearest Cast Member to help guide you!
I hope that you have a magical time!
~Heather~