Once upon a time, there was a Walt Disney World Guest who checked into a colorful storybook adventure to enjoy fantastic sights, sounds, swimming—and even sleeping inside the fantastic surroundings.
Once upon a time is practically here. In fact, reservations are available now. And that Guest is going to be you—when you stay at Disney's Art of Animation Resort. It's the very first Disney Resort hotel comprised entirely of innovative Disney Story Rooms, especially themed accommodations that you can also enjoy within other select Disney Resort hotels.
The incredible new Disney's Art of Animation Resort will surround you in the artistry, enchantment and fun of some of the all-time greatest animated films. In this new Disney Value Resort, you'll journey through a seamless Disney experience, completely immersed in fantastic environments and meticulously detailed accommodations.
Two of its 4 courtyards will be dynamically themed to Disney•Pixar animated features: Finding Nemo (opening May 2012) and Cars (July 2012). The next 2 courtyards will capture the magic of 2 Walt Disney Pictures animated classics: The Lion King (opening September 2012) and The Little Mermaid (December 2012).
You're the star characters!
The Walt Disney Company began with animation, so what better way to pay homage to our company history than with a Disney Resort hotel for Guests like you?
Walt Disney envisioned his Theme Park creations as ways to capture what his artists knew about making movies—the long shot, medium shot and close-up—and then transfer that knowledge into themed environments which his Guests could enter and enjoy.
As you arrive at Disney's Art of Animation Resort for check-in, it'll be as if you've entered your "movie classic." Your "long, establishing shot" continues as you approach your courtyard. It becomes a "medium shot" as you're immersed in the courtyard's enchanted setting. Then, once you enter your room, you're ready for your "close-up"—"drawn" into the scenes, so to speak.
Ryan Parrish, Walt Disney Imagineering, was on site when the icons, set pieces and figures were assembled for the Finding Nemo courtyard last December. "In the Finding Nemo courtyard, we've created 3 main icons: Mr. Ray, Crush and the sea anemone where we first met Marlin and Nemo," he explained.
"From there, the size and scale of the icons help tell the story by the way they relate to each other visually. The characters and settings at Disney's Art of Animation Resort come directly from the digital graphics files from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney•Pixar."
From the character's point of view
To use another film term, your "POV" (point of view) varies depending on the courtyard, where characters are purposefully created at varying sizes and distances. This makes it possible to see the ocean from Sebastian's POV, the pride lands the way young Simba saw it, Nemo's view of his undersea world and a headlight's-eye view of Radiator Springs.
It's an astonishing effect that harkens back to the age of the multi-plane camera, an Academy Award-winning device that Walt and his team developed in order to create a similar experience (you can see an actual multi-plane camera at Walt Disney: One Man's Dream in Disney's Hollywood Studios). The very tall camera system used a series of clear platforms, each with its own animated art, so the camera seemed to move in and out of "dimensional" scenes (look for this effect in the forest opening of Bambi, or on Pinocchio's first day of school). At Disney's Art of Animation Resort, it will be as if you're "living" in a scene like that.
But wait! It all gets "suite-er!"
More than 1,000 of the accommodations at 3 Disney's Art of Animation Resort courtyards (Finding Nemo, Cars and The Lion King) will be the extremely popular family suites, first presented at Disney's All-Star Resorts.
These spacious family suites are designed to comfortably accommodate up to 6 Guests, with 3 separate sleeping areas inside the generous space. Family suites provide just the right amount of extra room many families and friends need for ideal comfort— including a master bedroom, a kitchenette, two bathrooms and a living area that features a large dining or work table that easily transforms into a comfortable bed.
In addition, more than 800 standard rooms, each accommodating up to 4 Guests, will be offered in the fourth courtyard, (The Little Mermaid).
Animation's even more cool when you're in the pool
Disney's Art of Animation Resort features 3 sparkling swimming pools, including the Big Blue Pool, a 12,000-square-foot themed pool only steps away from Squirt's Righteous Reef, a fun-filled playground for kids. And almost everyone can find his or her favorite foods at the generous food court. Plus there are other children's play areas, a video arcade and other Resort amenities for your complete convenience.
Start your Disney's Art of Animation Resort "story": get more information and make reservations online. Or, call 407-W-DISNEY (407-934-7639) or your Travel Agent.