Crafting at Disney World: A Look at the Mosaic Art Class
Walt Disney World Resort hotels are the perfect place to unwind after a busy morning in the parks. My family often returns to our resort midday so that Noah, our profoundly autistic son, can decompress and re-regulate in a calm environment. While we enjoy the downtime, we also appreciate opportunities to engage in relaxing activities together. On our most recent trip, we joined a Mosaic Art crafting class at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. And while it was a creative and peaceful experience, I’d like to share a few accessibility concerns I have.
Accessibility concern: time
My first concern is time. The Mosaic Art class isn’t a quick pitstop. The activity is scheduled for two hours, and it will take you that long to do your creation justice. In fact, Cast Members won’t allow guests to join much past the scheduled start for that reason. Unfortunately, I wasn’t aware of the time commitment when I paid the $30 fee. Noah doesn’t do well with waiting, so we ended up speeding through the activity. Noah was ready to get to the park.
Accessibility concern: sensory issues
You also might opt out of this activity if you or someone in your group has sensory issues. The Cast Members offered a wide variety of tiles to include in our artwork, but Noah wasn’t at all interested in working with the grout. He’s not a fan of that wet mess.
Cast Members are rock stars
I am convinced that our Cast Member, Jenilee, has personal or professional experience with autism. She immediately clued in that Noah wasn’t coping well and distracted him. And it worked. Noah said “hi” to her at least ten times while my husband and I hurriedly worked on the craft. Each time, she replied with enthusiasm! We finished in about 45 minutes.
The final product
It takes a long time for the grout to set. Your CM will give you a box to carry your masterpiece, a few hand wipes, and instructions to wipe the tile clean that evening. We didn’t, but it was fine. I honestly didn’t touch it for about a week when I used a Clorox wipe to clean the grout off the stones. That took about 15 minutes.
Mosaic Art locations
While Mosaic Art is available at several Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Coronado Springs’ class is the only one that has a webpage. According to planDisney, the following resorts offer the activity.
- Disney’s All-Star Music
Mickey Mouse silhouette - Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
Mickey Mouse silhouette and several African animals - Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Mary Blair-inspired designs - Disney’s Coronado Springs
Mickey Mouse silhouette - Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Mardi Gras mask - Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
Mickey Mouse silhouette - Disney’s Riviera Resort
Tangled-inspired design
We recommend calling (407) 939-7529 to confirm availability before you arrive.
The verdict
Our Mosaic Art class was a fun experience, and we were happy to bring home such a unique souvenir. While the activity is generally accessible, it’s not for those with strong sensory concerns. I’d love to do this craft again, but I’ll let Noah sit that one out. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.
