A Resort Review… by kids!
For my latest blog, I decided to interview some very special clients to find out their honest opinions about resorts they’ve
experienced, and to find out what resort is on their must do list for future visits. These very special clients are, of
course, my own children, 11 year old Mason and 10 year old Molly! I decided to interview my children separately to see their
unique responses.
I started by asking my Disney-loving children which resort was their favorite one? The response was
unanimous, that they prefer any resort with a water slide! I asked them what resort was their least favorite and once again
their unanimous response was that they didn’t have one and just love being at Disney. However, they definitely do have some
preferences, so I decided to get more specific and ask them to review the last 2 resorts they stayed at, Coronado Springs
Resort and Art of Animation. Below are the very candid responses from a child’s perspective! I would like to point out that
these viewpoints are not my own! But don’t worry, I’ll include those too!
I started with our most recent trip to Coronado Springs Resort, one of Disney’s Moderate Resort options in the Animal
Kingdom Resort Area.
Molly(10):
What is your favorite thing about Coronado Springs Resort? No surprise here, “The Waterslide! Because as you go down there
is a waterfall coming out of a branch and a jaguar on top!” Can’t argue here. The spitting Jaguar slide is pretty cool!
Was there anything you didn’t like about Coronado Springs? “There was not very many restaurants!” Of course keep in mind
this is again from the viewpoint of a 9 year old at the time! Coronado Springs has several restaurants, but I love hearing
her perspective! A glimpse into the mind of a child.
Did you like eating at Three Bridges at Villa del Lago? “Yes but there were lots of bugs!” Haha- apparently the outdoor
ambiance wasn’t what she was looking for!
What did you think about the theming? “I liked the theming because it was kind of like a Nature theme and I really liked
the beach. Plus they had a volleyball court and ping pong and a playset!”
How was transportation from the resort? “It wasn’t bad! There were bus stops at different buildings so unless you are in
the back, it’s really easy!”
Mason(11):
What is your favorite thing about Coronado Springs Resort? “The pools are really cool and there are really nice
restaurants!” Oh the difference a year makes when discussing food!
Was there anything you didn’t like about Coronado Springs? “No!” Short and sweet!
What did you think about the theming? “I like it because we were learning about the Aztecs in school so I thought that was
really cool!” This trip did inspire a love of pyramids! Even his Valentines box was an Aztec pyramid that looked
very similar to the pool at Coronado Springs!
How was the transportation from the resort? “It was easy and not very far!” I completely agree kiddo!
For the second part of our interview, I grilled my kids on their experience at Art of Animation Resort, a value resort
option in the Wide World of Sports Resort Area. Here is their review!
Molly(10):
What is your favorite thing about Art of Animation Resort? “The theming, all the themes like Little Mermaid, Cars and Lion
King are really cool. The statues are all really cool. The Little Mermaid statues were really neat and looked just like
the movie!”
What is your least favorite thing about Art of Animation Resort? “The pools. They are shallow and is no waterslide” I sense
a theme here!
What did you think about the food options at Art of Animation? “I loved the food court. There was more variety, so lots of
options to choose from.” Give this kid pizza, mac and cheese and hamburgers, and she’s in heaven!
What did you think about the rooms? (We stayed in a Little Mermaid Standard Room) “The rooms are really nice. They’re
comfy! They have a TV and they have really nice showers!”
How was transportation from the resort? “It was better than Coronado Springs because all the busses lined up in one row
instead of being scattered around. I didn’t mind that it was a longer walk because I could see all the statues and
decorations while walking to the bus. I really liked the branch that you could walk under that had Simba, Timon and
Pumba!”
Mason(11):
What is your favorite thing about Art of Animation Resort? “All the photos that show the process of making the animations
for Disney movies!”
What is your least favorite thing about Art of Animation? “Nothing!” This kid just loves being at Disney!
What did you think about the theming? “I liked it because each section had its own theme of Disney characters and movies!”
What can I say, the theming at Art of Animation truly is magical for kids and for the kids at heart!
How did the pools at Art of Animation compare to the ones at Coronado? “They’re not as good because there aren’t any
slides!” What can I say, these kids love waterslides!
How was transportation from the resort? “It was a long walk!” I do agree. It’s a little bit of a haul from the Little
Mermaid rooms, but I do agree with Molly as well. The walk is kind of fun because there is so much to look at!
Lastly, I asked my clients what resort is their dream resort? Again, I asked them both these questions separately and once
again the response was unanimous! Both of them said that Animal Kingdom Lodge is their dream resort! I inquired further!
Molly(10):
Why? “Because there are animals and you can literally wake up and there could be a giraffe sticking its head in your room
and you can just pet it!” Ok this may be a little over the top but I love the excitement! She gets her love of animals
honestly. It’s ok my sweet daughter. I want to pet the giraffes too!
Mason(11):
Why? “They have animals in the middle of the resort!” Yep, pretty much the most amazing part!
(Full disclosure: the animals at Animal Kingdom Lodge don’t actually come up to your room, but they are visible from Savanna View Rooms, and from viewing areas off the main lobby.)
I hope you enjoyed these reviews and the perspective of my kiddos! I think what I learned is that my kids really just love
being at Disney, no matter what resort we stay at… as long as there’s a waterslide! It also looks like we may have a trip
to Animal Kingdom Lodge in our future! Who knows, maybe we will get to pet a giraffe!
If you’d like help finding the perfect resort hotel for your kids, let a Middle of the Magic Travel Planner assist you! Our services are always fee-free! Use the contact form below to request more information!
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About the Author
Sheena Mutchler is a founding member of the Parent Panel. She has 2 children, ages 11 & 10. She has a passion for all things Disney, and loves how much joy Disney has to offer for “kids” of all ages.
