Pros and Cons of Hollywood Studios Area Hotels
Since the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has ascended in popularity.
At this point, the park is the second-most popular at Walt Disney World, and you can tell this by the crowds.
So, the best strategy to perfect a Hollywood Studios-intensive vacation is to stay close to this park.
Thus, you can participate in Early Theme Park Entry and Rope Dropping.
Here are the pros and cons of the four Hollywood Studios area resorts.
About Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
You’ll find plenty of excellent reasons to visit Art of Animation, perhaps the most Disney of all its resorts.
When you enter the hotel lobby, you’ll feel like you’re in an art museum focused on Disney animation.
Many images are breathtaking, and some reflect early animation that didn’t even make it into classic films.
Similarly, the art on each hotel building celebrates a beloved Disney/Pixar story, such as Finding Nemo or Cars.
Pros:
The pros of Art of Animation are readily apparent. This place is ideal for animation lovers and pure Disney fans.
Also, you’ll find some other hidden benefits, such as the hotel’s dog-friendly policy and excellent pools.
Obviously, Disney has themed the pools to animated classics, which makes them extremely kid-friendly.
Meanwhile, the Family Suites provide a rare opportunity for large families to vacation at Disney at an affordable price.
Finally, the logistics here are excellent because the Art of Animation shares a Disney Skyliner station with Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
Cons:
Since the hotel skews toward families with small children, it can be LOUD.
Along those lines, germophobes probably don’t want any part of those pools. You can connect the dots here.
Also, while the Disney Skyliner option is a real game-changer, we’re discussing positives relative to Hollywood Studios.
Notably, this hotel and Pop Century require the longest travel time to and from that park.
We’re only talking about mere minutes here, but that’s something you should consider if you’re fanatical about efficiency.
About Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
This is the oldest Disney resort on this list, having opened on October 1st, 1988. You shouldn’t view that date as coincidental.
Seven months later, Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened. Park officials anticipated the increased popularity and built a nearby resort.
While a bus ride takes six minutes, the hotel and the theme park reside less than two miles apart.
Disney chose a unique aesthetic for this property, constructing 1,536 rooms across a series of buildings.
Each of them has a theme connecting it to a specific Caribbean Island.
So, you might stay at Martinique, Barbados, Jamaica, Aruba, or Trinidad during your visit.
Pros:
Let’s start with the biggest pro. THIS is the place where you stay if you plan to go back and forth to Hollywood Studios regularly.
Here’s a video that proves my point:
The cameraperson travels from Hollywood Studios to the Caribbean Beach Disney Skyliner hub in less than four minutes!
In terms of logistics, that’s tough to beat. As a comparison, I frequently praise Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
You can walk from that hotel’s lobby and be at Magic Kingdom’s entrance in about six minutes, presuming you catch a crosswalk light.
The Caribbean Beach Skyliner is 50 percent faster than that, and you don’t need to do any walking!
Also, given the unique design of the hotel grounds, management sagely positioned Old Port Royale as a kind of hub.
You can eat, drink, and shop here, making it a centralized hangout spot for hotel guests.
Cons:
Let’s start with the age. While Disney remains the gold standard in hotel upkeep, the Caribbean dates back to 1988.
This property is quietly one of the oldest at Walt Disney World, and its odd structure can make navigation a challenge.
Some critics complain they walk too much to get to their hotel rooms.
In short, the farther you stay from Old Port Royale, the more walking you will probably do.
About Disney’s Pop Century Resort
In December 2023, Pop Century turned 20 years old and provided a fascinating glimpse into recent Walt Disney World history.
Park officials had planned this resort as a massive facility that covered nearly twice as much ground.
Then, the 9/11 tragedy canceled the second half of the project.
Art of Animation, which opened in 2012, is technically the fraternal twin of Pop Century, which debuted in 2003.
So, the hotels share many similarities and a Disney Skyliner station.
Pros:
Technically, Art of Animation and Pop Century both fall under the umbrella of Value Tier resorts.
So, their pricing is ostensibly a bit lower than the options at Moderate Tier Caribbean Beach and Deluxe Tier Riviera.
Arguably, the Family Suites at Art of Animation may seem like a competitive advantage, and I think they are.
However, you’re likely to book a cheaper room at Pop Century.
In terms of price, this hotel is the least expensive in the Hollywood Studios area. That’s a massive pro for Pop Century.
Then, we have the hotel lobby, which is one of my favorites at Disney World.
Disney has populated the walls with pop culture mementos of the past.
You’ll find collections from several decades, and as a child of the 1980s, I cannot help but stop and admire all the fun toys.
Cons:
The prevailing criticism of the Value Tier properties is that they’re more cookie-cutter than one would expect of Disney.
That statement applies less at Pop Century than at the various All-Star Resorts, but it’s at least somewhat valid.
Tourists who prefer something and/or more Disney should look elsewhere.
Finally, I should acknowledge that since Pop Century is nine years newer, those rooms may prove more appealing to some.
About Disney’s Riviera Resort
Of course, the new hotness near Hollywood Studios is the Riviera Resort, which opened in tandem with the Disney Skyliner.
Park strategists planned the gondola system alongside a new hotel near the Caribbean Beach campus.
Notably, Disney built a more luxurious hotel here, and you’ll tell that if you go Resort Hopping throughout the four properties.
The Riviera is the newest, the fanciest, and the costliest. As a tourist, you can pick which one matters the most to you.
Pros:
Where to begin? The hotel lobby is among the best at Walt Disney World, while the dining options here will blow you away.
Disney has created several restaurants and lounges appropriate for the Italian and French Riviera.
The pool here is also dynamic, highlighted by an interactive children’s aquatic section called S’il Vous Play.
Also, the Riviera is just a great place to hang out and enjoy a Disney vacation.
Even when I’m not staying here, I stop by a couple of times during my trip to savor the relaxing ambiance.
Cons:
I’m fanatical about the Riviera, which I consider an A+ resort.
Still, let’s be realistic that the price of a night’s stay here is a non-starter for some travelers.
Of course, the hotel’s nightly rates vary wildly, which provides a window of opportunity for savvy shoppers.
One of the geniuses at MickeyTravels may help you find a vacation stay at a price comparable to the prices of Art of Animation’s suites.
The other modest con is that travel time to and from Hollywood Studios is double that of Caribbean Beach.
Of course, we’re only talking about three or four minutes on average, but if you want to stay at the closest place, it’s not here.
Thanks for visiting MickeyBlog.com! Want to go to Disney? For a FREE quote on your next Disney vacation, please fill out the form below, and one of the agents from MickeyTravels, a Diamond Level Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, will be in touch soon!