We Were Too Harsh on Disney World’s Little Mermaid Rooms. They’ve Gotten A Lot Better.
Our last review of the Little Mermaid guest rooms at Art of Animation Resort now comes across as too harsh. Walt Disney World’s standard accommodations at this fan-favorite hotel have gotten a lot better, and this reevaluates them based on value for money, location, themed design, quality, and more.
One thing I do want to note upfront is that this is not us doing a complete 180 on the Little Mermaid rooms or admitting we were “wrong” about them. This is mostly about the circumstances changing, and that warranting a partial critical reappraisal of the Art of Animation standard rooms. A mixture between us being too harsh initially and things having changed a lot since.
It’s not that we’re afraid to admit when we’ve made mistakes. “I was wrong about…” is its own genre of posts on this blog, including but not limited to Animal Kingdom’s excellence and full-day status (although I’m starting to rethink that one during Tropical Americas construction) as well as the quality and charm of Toy Story Hotel. That last one is actually a great example here, as the Toy Story Hotel rooms illustrate just how well-done themed design in a Value Resort can be.
To that point, let’s start this review with how we were too harsh on the Little Mermaid rooms, absent anything changing about the resort itself. The “we” here is really me, as I’m the one who really did not like these rooms originally–Sarah was much more forgiving of their faults. Our original stay and review was back when we were childless Disney Adults.
As it turns out, the target audience of the Little Mermaid rooms might not be a thirtysomething dude without kids. Who could’ve known?! As a fortysomething dude with a daughter, my perspective on these rooms–and pretty much everything–has softened. While I’ve always strived for objectivity and trying to see how this or that could appeal to parents with small children, the breadth of that perspective just was not possible without being in those shoes.
When stepping into the Little Mermaid section of the resort, my first thought was that our daughter, Megatron, would absolutely love this someday. Megatron currently has zero interest in the Little Mermaid–when she met Ariel in Magic Kingdom, her favorite part of the experience was holding a fork–but it’s easy to imagine how she’d react based on how she’s starting to respond to all things Frozen. And that alone melted my heart, making me a Frozen fan, too. If she ends up loving the Little Mermaid, it’s game over–I will become a fully-fledged fan of these rooms.
This makes it very easy to see why so many parents love the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. I was previously fixated on their faults (and to be sure, there are still several!), while they were singularly-focused on one thing: their kids’ happiness. That makes sense now. I’ve developed those same blinders.
Let’s move along to what has changed with the hotel as a whole. Art of Animation first opened in 2012, and it enjoyed a long run as the newest resort at Walt Disney World. On top of that, it brought to life storybook landscapes from modern classics Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid.
The resort also offered uniquely-themed family suites and wondrously detailed courtyards, which “drew” a lot of guests to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. It was a smash success for a long time, and the first several times we stayed here, we paid full price. That was a rarity at the time, when most resorts were being discounted well below rack rates.
On top of that, the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation Resort are the most expensive standard Value Resort rooms in all of Walt Disney World. While the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are often touted as being a small surcharge over the other Value Resorts, this is a bit deceiving.
The rooms started out as costing $20 per night more than Pop Century, but that climbed to more like $30 to $50 per night, and that’s when comparing rack rates. That was true when we first stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, and is still true today.
The difference between then and now is that the Little Mermaid rooms were excluded from every single discount for a long time. I’m not 100% sure of when that changed, but it appears to be sometime after revenge travel burned off based on my records. That’s over a decade after opening, which is entirely unprecedented.
Disney’s Riviera Resort and Gran Destino Tower both offered some of their best-ever deals when they were brand-new. The Island Tower at the Polynesian is only a few months old, and is already heavily discounted. Conversely, it was very common for the Little Mermaid rooms to exceed Moderate Resort prices. Gran Destino Tower would’ve been cheaper (sometimes significantly so) most nights in 2019 when it was only a few months old!
Due to discounts (or the lack thereof), it was also common for the Little Mermaid rooms to effectively cost over double the price of the All Stars. There were times back in the day when we paid $79/night for one of the All Stars, and rack rates on the Little Mermaid rooms were pushing $200!
Even today, it’s not uncommon for the Little Mermaid rooms to be excluded from discounts. The current 40% off rate for Annual Passholders specifically blocks them out–the only type of standard room to be excluded from the special offer (everything else is limited-inventory suites or multi-bedroom units).
The good news is that this is becoming less common. The new hotel smell has worn off Disney’s Art of Animation Resort as a whole, as evidenced by the summer deal for Disney+ subscribers listing the Cars Suites as one of the few room types eligible for the special savings–a discount so deep that it brings the price of those rooms down to $229 per night, well below the non-discounted price of the Little Mermaid rooms. Again, this is suites vs. standard rooms!
The Little Mermaid rooms are also often discounted. Not only are these eligible for the current Stay Longer & Save Up to 30% Off Walt Disney World Resorts in 2025, but they’ve also been eligible for different Florida resident and Annual Passholder deals (just not the current one, for some odd reason).
The whole reason I booked this stay was because the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation were inexplicably cheaper than discounted rates at Pop Century. In fact, I paid less for this stay than we did for previous stays at Art of Animation in 2021…and even 2018. That is kind of crazy considering how Skyliner resort prices have skyrocketed since those gondolas opened!
Speaking of which, the Skyliner is the other big change for the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Obviously, this is not brand-new. The Skyliner celebrate its 5-year anniversary last year. But it is new as of our last Little Mermaid room review!
The Skyliner has a shared station between Art of Animation and Pop Century–the only two Value Resorts with a station. These gondolas connect these resorts to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT via Caribbean Beach, and means access to two parks and several hotels without getting on a bus, which is huge.
The added value to Pop Century or Art of Animation by this non-bus transportation cannot be overstated. We are now willing to pay a significant premium for Pop Century or Art of Animation over the All Stars; I’m not sure of the exact amount as it really depends upon the purpose of the trip, but we’re willing to pay premium pricing for this one amenity–we derive tremendous value from it.
The Skyliner makes for easy midday breaks when you’re doing Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT, and is extremely advantageous for Early Entry at both parks. (However, the lines can be long in the morning when the resorts are at full occupancy–see Skyliner Warning for Rope Dropping Disney’s Hollywood Studios or EPCOT.)
The benefits of the Skyliner cannot be overstated–we prefer it to the monorail–and view it as an absolute gamechanger. It can make the Little Mermaid worth the extra expense over the All Stars, or at least help bridge the gap. You’re getting Deluxe-caliber unique transportation at a Value Resort!
Another quasi-change is location. No, the Little Mermaid rooms did not relocate to be closer to the main lobby. These rooms are still a hike, requiring you to walk through the Lion King section before arriving at the Little Mermaid section of the resort.
The first time we stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms, we clocked a 10+ minute walk to the bus stop. It felt interminably long. Our room was on the far side of building 8, and it might’ve been faster to swim to Spyglass Grill than walk to Landscape of Flavors.
This time, I lucked into a room at the end of building 7, closer to the Lion King section. (If I recall correctly, it was room 7618.) Obviously, “getting lucky with room assignment” doesn’t change the equation, either, but it does change my perception.
I never used the bus stop, but walking to the Skyliner station was a breeze. I never timed it, because it didn’t even cross my mind that it was a long walk–I completely forgot about this past complaint while staying in the Little Mermaid rooms. Having that easy walk along the waterfront probably helped, on top of my favorable room assignment. The moral of the story is to make a room request if staying in the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation. The near-end of building 7 is far and away the best location.
Now we finally arrive at the rooms themselves. These have changed in minor ways since opening, as there was a similar project to replace the carpet with laminate flooring. I honestly don’t recall whether this was part of a soft goods refurbishment, but regardless, there were no other material changes.
Your opinion of this change will likely depend on your feeling about carpet vs. hard flooring in hotels. Sarah finds this to be more sanitary and easier to clean. I am slightly skeptical, especially now that we have a toddler who demonstrates with every hotel stay just how dirty floors–all of them–actually are. I don’t know what it is about tiny feet, but they seem optimized for dirt acquisition. I guess I’ll take carpet that extracts the dirt from her as opposed to the other way around.
Beyond that, this flooring is louder than carpet if you have heavy walkers in the rooms above you. (Our toddler is also, inexplicably, a heavy walker who exerts more force with each step than someone 10x her weight.) Personally, I just think the carpet looked better. It was a nice thematic element in a room that’s otherwise somewhat devoid of them!
Below is a video room tour of the refreshed Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort:
Given all of that, my assessment of the Little Mermaid rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort hasn’t changed a whole lot. These are small motel rooms, and rather than having elaborate theme and details, they have fairly cheap decorations scattered around.
The biggest change since the last time we reviewed the Little Mermaid rooms is that all of the other Value Resorts have been updated and upgraded since then. Every single one of those is a dramatic improvement over this. It’s not even a remotely close call–I’ll take the thematic elements, style and functionality of All Star Sports in an instant over the Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation.
The lazy thematic effort is disappointing given what you’ll pay here. For the cost difference over the course of a weeklong vacation, you could make a stop at Party City and buy a boatload of decorations and make your own Little Mermaid “themed” room. I wish I were kidding, but this has the vibe of a DIY themed vacation rental down in ChampionsGate or Reunion.
The next time these rooms get a hard goods refurbishment, they really need to get the same treatment as the ‘Under the Sea’ rooms at Caribbean Beach, except with more overt Little Mermaid stylization. That’s the answer–not this. Here are more photos of the Little Mermaid rooms:
All of that is my objective assessment. But we even acknowledged in our previous room that none of this matters if you have kids who are obsessed with the Little Mermaid. Sarah’s first comment the first time she entered the room was how much she would’ve loved it as a kid.
Instead of looking around for things to nitpick this go-round, my response as a freshly-minted Disney Dad was to see this room through our daughter’s eyes. How much she might love it when she’s a little older, and how perfect this room will be in a few years. (Although I’m hoping she’s more of a Lion King or Cars fan, as I far prefer those suites.) She already responded very favorably to the Royal Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside, which is why I’m really hoping those don’t go extinct.
Chances are, your kids are not armchair Imagineers or themed design critics. They aren’t going to critique the cheap appearance of the decor or superficial nature of the themed design. So the threshold question, again, is: will your kids love the room? You probably already know the answer to that, and no review of them rooms themselves really necessary.
Beyond all of this, we’re big fans of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. This is reflected in our Rankings of ALL Walt Disney World Hotels from Worst to Best, where (spoiler alert) Art of Animation ranks as the #8 hotel overall and #2 Value Resort. We are especially big fans of the family suites, and would stay there regularly with the kind of aggressive discounts that are currently being offered.
There’s undeniable appeal in the resort, and walking around the grounds is a fun experience. It’s not Walt Disney World theming in the traditional sense of transporting guests to a different time and place, but there’s a certain charm to the oversized characters, elements pulled from Disney animated classics, and vibrant colors.
Art of Animation is whimsical and fun, making it the dream resort for many families with small children. It can work for some adults, too. The common areas have considerable depth and detail, and although my favorite is Radiator Springs, this also extends to the Little Mermaid section. This is a big part of why the decor in the Little Mermaid rooms disappoints–because everything else about Art of Animation is much higher caliber!
Even though the Little Mermaid rooms themselves have not improved, I felt revisiting this review was necessary because our original one concluded by saying “we would never do the Little Mermaid rooms again.” Our assessment of the rooms themselves was not too harsh–it was shockingly fair for (at the time) childless Disney Adults. The rooms are a major letdown, and punch below their weight. But maybe it doesn’t matter, or your kids won’t notice.
Ultimately, it’s not the rooms that changed or improved in a meaningful way. It’s a mixture of the surrounding circumstances and resort as a whole. The Skyliner, in particular, is a massive win. It offers a consistent and predictable alternative to the bus for two parks, and is a breeze (except for ahead of rope drop or during storm season). The location isn’t as big of an issue with a room request.
Then there’s pricing. Even as rack rates have soared since our original review, effective prices have dropped for many dates thanks to corresponding discounts. That’s a really big difference, especially when the Little Mermaid rooms are in the same ballpark as Pop Century. Personally, I’d pick Pop over the Little Mermaid rooms for a solo or adult stay. But with our daughter? Art of Animation all the way–there’s a reason our Walt Disney World resort rankings call this the best pick for kid-focused vacations. The bottom line is that we have done the Little Mermaid rooms again since then, and will again in the future.
If you’re still unsure of which WDW resort is right for your family and need one-on-one help, including personalized hotel picks—we recommend contacting a no fee Authorized Disney Vacation Planner (Disney’s term for a travel agent) to get a quote and to help you plan. They get their commission from Disney, so they will NOT charge you for booking their trip and helping. Here’s one such Authorized Disney Vacation Planner that we recommend!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Have you stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms? Do you think they were worth the money? Did you find the decor cute and fun, or were you disappointed by the superficial style? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m glad I found this article after I read your first post on your stay here. Yikes! Although, I’m still not sure I made the right choice. I did wonder, after reading the first post, if you might change your mind after Megatron was born. I see I was correct. Planned a stay here for my 22 year old daughter and I, her graduation gift from my father. She’s an art major, so I thought it was appropriate. We are DVC, but have stayed at all the value resorts, except this one. Not DVC divas , but it’s been a long time since we’ve stayed at a value resort. I’m out of points and I kinda have to stick to my dad’s budget. We love trying new resorts and do have a goal to stay at all of them but, should I be looking elsewhere? Are we really going to be that disappointed? We’ll have a car rental, so I could drive to the food court if it’s really that far!
I guess I am somehow the “alternative” target market (an 80s/90s kid) but as a childless Disney adult the Little Mermaid rooms are my favourite! I often stay solo (meaning suites at this resort are out) but have brought friends and family to stay in these rooms too.
I love showering in Ariel’s secret grotto of treasures and I am utterly charmed by the “shell” seats, the themed dresser, mirror etc. The addition of a coffee & tea maker makes an excellent room even better!
Having recently done a split stay at Coronado we were disappointed to find that the room there was essentially exactly the same as the Little Mermaid room – just with a higher price tag.
With wonderful character theming throughout the resort grounds, the excellent (and mostly quiet) Cozy Cone pool, movies under the stars, a good food court and access to the Skyliner, Art of Animation and the Little Mermaid rooms would continue to be my choice.
im a travel agent and my friend had me call to ensure she was getting the little mermaid room for her daughter’s 8th birthday trip – she also called. she specifically got this resort FOR THE LITTLE MERMAID ROOMS…. when she checked in, they gave her an upgraded cars suite – whereas she did not want it. GIVE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE SHE SAID… they said there was nothing they could do, from the beginning of he entire 5k trip its been nothing but nightmare after nightmare…… her daughter is special needs and was SO UPSET. so, unfortunately I lost a client due to disneys negligence in her request (what disney could’ve done was given the upgrade to someone else who didnt mind not receiving those rooms.. . )
I love that Disney has not taken away all the fun décor in these rooms. We will be making our first trip to Art of Animation and am so glad we won’t be at a resort that has refurbished/updated to the bland, cold décor at the All Star resorts, Pop Century, etc. True Disney fans want to be immersed in the themes and stories, and apparently Disney does not get this. That is why this resort is so popular. I wish we could afford the family suites, but this resort will be perfect for my two little great-granddaughters.
Am I correct in my understanding that the Little Mermaid rooms are the only non-suite rooms in the whole resort? Perhaps that contributes to their “coveted” status (not being available for discounts and high rack rates). These rooms are the only option at AoA for families who don’t need or can’t afford the Family Suites and want to experience this resort’s fun theming. As awesome as the suites are, their prices are hard to swallow! When comparing the Little Mermaid rooms to the other rooms at AoA they are more palatable… I bet many consumers are doing that math instead of looking at the LM rooms against single rooms at other value resorts.
My partner is obsessed with The Little Mermaid. We stayed in one of these rooms a few years ago, and while the stuff in the room is on the cheap side, she was in love with the room anyway. The exterior courtyard with the oversized characters is awesome too. I will also add as a couple it’s easier to get a king bed here than at any other value resort. That matters!
These definitely seem over the top , though im sure plenty of families enjoy. We have boys so this wouldn’t work for us, but generally prefer subtle theming like chip n dale in the wilderness lodge.
As a dad of two girls, I know that some families want it to be MORE sparkly, MORE pink, MORE cute, etc.
There is no readily apparent “over the top” which is too much, especially on vacay. The overall vibe is “LET’S GO!!!” and I’m not complaining, as I love the enthusiasm of my ladies.
Tom, thanks for revisiting this review and highlighting it as a worthy choice for some families.
My daughter and I stayed in the Little Mermaid rooms on our first three Disney trips. We love Art of Animation and I have such nostalgia for it because of those trips when she was so young. We started staying at Pop Century though, and I can’t go back to Little Mermaid rooms after Pop rooms. Pop rooms are superior with the Murphy beds and so much more storage shelves and cubbies in both the main room and bathroom. Pop rooms have the sliding door between the main room and bathroom and a sliding door for the shower instead of a shower curtain. We stay and Pop now but we’ll still go walk through AOA and even visit Landscape of Flavors. Hopefully the next time they refurbish the Little Mermaid rooms, they add Murphy beds or at least more storage. Get rid of curtains and add sliding doors. We’d go back for sure!
While obviously the Stayliner has increased the value of AoA, I think the increase in benefit is mostly to the drastic increase in price that didn’t occur. In addition to the greater discounts (number and size) Tom mentioned, there hasn’t been much of an increase in rack rate since he last stayed here, particularly if you account for inflation *and* the Skyliner subsidy experienced at Pop Century. The result is that the price differential between the two seems to be smaller than ever.
Honestly, I like this look better than the AS and PC; if this were entry level AS prices I think I’d prefer Value rooms themed to “childhood bedroom of a specific franchise” over the current scheme.
While I prefer the look of the new rooms at Pop, I agree that there’s room for both approaches. Themed character rooms would clearly be a big hit, and I’m surprised there aren’t more of them! Toy Story is an obvious one that could be done exceptionally well, but the other Disney destinations that have Frozen rooms look great!
What a shock—this blog slams something new then takes it back later. It’s the same pattern every time: harsh takes up front, then a follow-up “apology” post once the dust settles. These walk-backs are getting more and more common. At this point, it’s clear you’re too biased to offer a balanced or trustworthy review of anything new.
It’s not unusual to be mad with anyone.
We first reviewed these rooms when they were over 6 years old. We’re revisiting that review another 7 years later as the circumstances, both our own and those of the resort as a whole, have changed. If you view that as irredeemable bias, that’s your prerogative, I suppose.
Wow, imagine being a grownup getting heated over someones opinion of a hotel room design- be better
I need to reply to Tom Jones post. Reviews are time, place, circumstance at any given time. Tom and Sarah are a valuable and appreciated resource to many. They have finally been blessed with “angel” Megatron! Gracious difference is acceptable, but remember they are parents and the awe, joy, and happiness one’s child or children echoes forever in the lives of parents. It is such a blessing that Megatron has parents that look thru the eyes of their child. Thank you Tom and Sarah for your honesty and ability to see a perspective you could not even imagined. It is pure JOY to see that vision and I am so happy for your family! Thank you.
Not to pile on, but typically the bias works the other way. I.e. overly positive reviews due to conflict of interest. In the current landscape, not sure what incentive there is for for overly harsh reviews up front. Maybe a more nuanced review appears “harsh” in comparison to the abundance of puff-pieces and fake reviewers? Just a thought…
What a shock—this blog slams something new then takes it back later. It’s the same pattern every time: harsh takes up front, then a follow-up “apology” post once the dust settles. These walk-backs are getting more and more common. At this point, it’s clear you’re too biased to offer a balanced or trustworthy review of anything new.
Opinions are by their very nature biased. There’s no such thing as an impartial opinion, & this blog isn’t made to just give the facts about Disney resorts, parks, & attractions, but offer reviews on them. It’s not hypocritical to change your mind about something.
The room is so unbelievably cheap looking…there’s not one single element of the entire room that I like. I do like your comment about DIYing a mermaid theme via Party City – it would probably look the same.
You don’t like the dresser, chairs or mirror? I think those are at least thematically passable (and reasonable quality).
I had the same issue as a previously 20- and 30-something Childless Disney Adult becoming a Disney Mom. You definitely see things differently once you have a kid! And, I hate to break this to you, Tom… but needs change as they age! My 10-year-old daughter went from dancing around in the cutest little princess outfits to “I’m too old for princesses” quicker than I imagined! We go to Disney World nearly every year and I didn’t realize I totally missed our Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique window until it was too late!
All this to say… as an avid reader for 10+ years, I appreciate you fessing up to not seeing/understanding the parental perspective until you had a kid. IYKYK 🙂
I completely agree here! Being a parent absolutely changed perspective.
Robyn, my daughter hit that magical window just at the edge of 12 (right before she aged out of the allowable range) and she had a wonderful Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique experience, so don’t lose hope yet! I think it was a richer experience for her as she understood its value differently than she would have if she had been younger. I hope the best for you all!
That’s too bad to hear about your BBB window!
I really feel badly for all of the families with kids who aged into—and out of—experiences during the COVID era and never even got the chance to experience so much. Kind of a small silver lining that it took us so long to have a kid.