“Animation offers a medium of storytelling and visual entertainment which can bring pleasure and information to people of all ages everywhere in the world.” ~Walt Disney
Daniel enjoys Disney World. He has fond memories of visiting as a child so we decided to take a trip to the Art of Animation Resort and stay there for his birthday. He was working out of town on his birthday so we met him at the resort to celebrate. This was my first time staying in a Disney World Resort and in normal Disney fashion we were totally immersed in the world of animation. We were transported right into the movies of The Little Mermaid, Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars and when you have a teacher as a mom she WILL try to make every new experience a learning opportunity. So, of course, I used this fantasy world to teach our girls even more about the real world.
An Inside Look
Here is a quick overview of our stay. An inside look at the resort and some of the fun we had.
~ Adventures are the best way to learn ~
The Art of Animation resort is actually a great place to teach kids about differences in settings and landscapes. In this one resort, you can visit the jungle, the desert, and the ocean floor. When children understand the importance of a setting within a story, it adds value and meaning to the characters and overall story. When you visit the Little Mermaid, Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars areas within the resort you become totally immersed within that setting and can even see the characters in their environment.
*Fun Activity: Bring books from different areas in the resort. Read them while you are visiting and point out things you see in the book and in person. Or read them in your room then go visit! We stayed in the Little Mermaid Room so I brought books and activities with that theme.
*At Home Activity: Choose a book with a similar setting to your own. Read the book together and compare/contrast what you see around you. Take every opportunity to create a connection with what kids are learning from books or the classroom with the real world around them.
Discover The World of Animation
As you can see in the video above, Animation Hall is fully decorated with sketches of Disney characters and animated scenes from popular Disney movies. You can see them on the walls and even on the unique hanging chandelier. Personally, I think the process of creating an animated character is pretty neat! We learned a little about the process during our stay. Certain times during the day, they have a mini drawing class toward the end of the hall. If your kids love art and animation, this is a great place to admire all kinds!
Learn Map Skills
Even in a world with GPS in our cars and on our phones and watches, it is still important to teach our children how to use a map. This resort was rather large so we definitely had to use our map to orient ourselves. Whether you have a preschooler or a high schooler, there are things you can teach using a map.
There are so many different skills to teach from a map here are just a few:
- Land vs Water
- Directions
- Key Symbols
- Buildings, Walkways, Transportation
- And so much more!
National Geographic Article on Teaching Map Skills to Children
Downloadable Activities for Teaching Map Skills
Fun Ideas for Teaching Map Skills Outdoors
Teach Colors to the Little Ones
Oh my goodness! This resort is so colorful! Everywhere you go you are surrounded by a multitude of colors. Point out colors everywhere you go. They will quickly catch on. Play I Spy together or quiz them as you are walking. Make it fun!
Walk & Learn
This resort has a very nice walking trail that travels through all of the different “settings” or “movies” as well as a relaxing stroll along the Hour Glass Lake. Along the path, they have animation trivia. We learned some interesting facts along the way! Check out some below.
The Big Blue Pool & Finding Nemo Playground
The Big Blue Pool is the largest pool at Disney World Resorts. However, the unique thing is you can listen to music underwater! On the backside of the Big Blue Pool, there is a splash pad that is perfect for little ones to run around and play in. There is also a fun playground behind the splash pad. You can see Ava playing on this playground below. She thought it was the coolest!
If you ever visit Disney’s Art of Animation, I hope you have a wonderful time! I know your family will have a blast as we did.
If your little one enjoys coloring and likes Disney characters, click HERE for FREE printable Disney coloring pages.
For additional information from Disney about this resort click HERE.
For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Hebrews 3:4
*Disclosure: Links provided in this article are of products I have personally used in my home or early childhood classroom. I believe they are beneficial items that will assist you in educating your children. These links are special Amazon affiliate or direct consultant links. If/when someone purchases an item using the links provided it will send a small commission to help us further produce quality content for our readers.
