*DIS Contributors review meals, resort stays, and entertainment that they have paid for during their own vacations. They only utilize discounts and offers if they are available to the general public, such as annual passholder discounts, Tables in Wonderland, or DVC membership discounts. They receive no additional compensation for dining experiences or events, so that they may give their honest opinions about price and value.
On my last WDW trip, my family and I stayed on site at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Generally, we stay off property because we are annual passholders and rent a car, so staying in one of the hotels or resorts isn’t really necessary. This trip was only for a long weekend, however, so we decided to stay in a resort and utilize Disney’s Magical Express since we planned to only go to the parks and wouldn’t need a car. We chose to stay at Art of Animation because we were so excited to try the Skyliner for the first time!
When we arrived, we got a text saying our room was not ready yet, so we went to the food court to get dinner. They had a vegan burger that was so good that I was genuinely concerned they gave me the wrong one! They didn’t, of course; Disney has just gotten the vegan burger game down to a science. When we went to check and see if our room was ready, the woman at check in noticed that we had added a fourth person, my cousin, to the reservation at the last minute, and, even though the standard room was equipped to sleep 4 people, with me being a wheelchair user, it would have been a tight squeeze for all of us. She graciously upgraded us to one of the Lion King suites on the Mouse! She was also able to find us one that was accessible, which was very nice since it can be quite difficult to find accessible rooms in general, much less when there is high capacity. I took some photographs of the suite so that you can see if it would be accessible for your needs as well.
When you first walk in, there’s a loveseat and a few small tables. The loveseat is also a pull out bed, as the room sleeps 6 people. The green chair was moved from the murphy bed. The murphy bed is a table when the bed is pushed up.
Next to the door is a storage unit with a TV on top.
The inaccessible bathroom is right across from the little area with the loveseat and TV, and is a full bath with toilet, sink, and shower/tub.
Across from the murphy bed/table is this little storage area that has extra sheets for the pull out loveseat, as well as a small storage area and clothes rack.
Directly next to the murphy bed/table is the kitchenette, which is convenient if the table is going to be used as a table and not a bed.
This is the bed in the established bedroom. There was ample room on all sides for my wheelchair to fit.
The sink was a roll up sink, and the shower/tub combo had grab bars. The bathroom was also incredibly spacious and had ample room around the toilet (as well as grab bars there, too).
My only complaint would be that the accessible bathroom is in the established bedroom. This works if the suite is only being used by two people, or if the person needing the accessible space is the parent. However, if the child (or whoever is sleeping on the murphy bed) is the one needing an accessible bathroom, it’s a little inconvenient. Other than that though, the space was plenty accessible for my needs. My wheelchair is about 21″ wide including the wheels, and I fit through all doorways, on both sides of the murphy bed, and could transfer onto any of the chairs or the loveseat with no problems. The small closet area at the end of the murphy bed was a little tall for me to reach unassisted, but someone in a higher sitting chair or someone with a longer torso/arms wouldn’t have an issue. In terms of the kitchenette, I had no problem accessing the important parts like the sink, microwave, and fridge. The top shelf for storage wasn’t within my reach, but there was decent enough space otherwise for food storage.
All in all, I think this room was very nice, and, for my needs, was accommodating and accessible. I think having a push-button for the resort room door that was able to be pushed once you touched your MagicBand would be helpful for people with mobility aids, especially if you have luggage or shopping bags with you. Besides that, and the odd placement of the accessible bathroom, I would absolutely recommend this room to any family that needs the accessible amenities, and with the Skyliner being conveniently located on the property (and accessible!), I would certainly consider staying there again.
