We have a Cars suite booked for early December and I’m starting to get nervous about how tight it might be. We will be 4 adults (myself, husband, son and DIL) and 2 grandkiddos (ages 5 and almost 3 at time of travel). Son and DIL have said no problem to sleep on Murphy bed or sleeper sofa, but now that I’m thinking about 6 people, luggage, souvenirs, etc, I’m starting to worry about us being on top of one another. Recognizing that we won’t be spending much time in the room, but I do want everyone to be comfortable. Has anyone stayed in a suite that can offer some thoughts on this? Also, how comfy are the Murphy beds and sleeper sofas? I have read only one review that complained about the bar in the sleeper sofa poking through a very thin mattress, but one was enough to cause me some angst. Just worried about everyone being comfortable and having a good time. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or insights you might be able to provide.
We stayed in a Lion King suite. Same set up/size as Cars.
I’m not going to sugar coat this…4 adults + 2 kids will be tight. I’m hoping you all get along very well!
We’re only 2 adults and 1 child (9 years old at the time). The common space has the couch (when not out for sleeping) that 2 can sit on. Then there is 1 chair, plus 4 dining chairs that go with the table (when not pulled down for sleeping).
If you wait until the very last moment possible at night to convert the beds, and then put them away immediately upon everyone waking, that will maximize the common space.
While the beds are out, there is very little room to maneuver around the area.
The 2 bathrooms are great. Whoever gets the bedroom will be the winner.
The couch & murphy beds were both acceptable comfort levels.
Are you driving by any chance? If so, keep as much of your stuff (luggage, souvenirs, etc…) in the vehicle. How long will you be staying there?
Hi @obxwards
I’ve stayed at the AoA suites twice with 4 other grown-ups and they fit our needs very well. We really like the fact that we have two full bathrooms. That really helps when getting ready for the parks in the morning. I have not slept on the sofa or pull down beds but nobody in my party has complained about them. Floor space gets limited when both beds are down but there is still lots of space in the bedroom. The chairs that go around the table-bed are supposed to stack but I’ve not been successful in getting them to stack. If I took the time to get them to stack then would be more floor space. We don’t spend much time in the room other than to sleep, but when we get back in the evening and the beds are put away there is plenty of room to relax a while before going to bed.
If you decide that AoA is not for you and your family what are you considering to do?
Thanks, @disney1974 and @Lens_number_1_Fan! We are staying for a week, and will be driving. Your suggestion of using the car for storage is excellent, although not an option available to us.
Thanking you for mentioning about the chairs. I had mentioned to my husband last night that if they stack it would be helpful. It’s good to know that may not be as easy as it should be.
If we don’t do the suite, then we are considering 2 LM rooms at AoA. We really wanted to have all of us together, but as I said, I want everyone to be comfortable, too. And I’ve read lots of comments about the distance from the main building/bus stop to the LM buildings. That’s definitely a consideration, especially when returning after a long day in the parks!
We’ve looked at upgrading to a moderate (FQ or Riverside), but the additional cost is about $1,000. And to be honest, I really like the over-the-top theming at AoA - not just for the grandkiddos but for the adults, too!
Thanks so much for your feedback. I appreciate the honesty.
You’ll have a great time if everyone is excited about the trip. Sounds like your group will make it work. 
I think two LM rooms would be almost the exact same amount of space except with dedicated beds.
We stayed in a Cars Suite with three adults and two kids. It was my best friend, my DH and DS5 and DS2. It was really cute and that space worked for us. I slept on the Murphy Bed with DS5 (very comfortable) - my husband slept on the sleeper sofa (he said it was OK) and we squeezed in a pack and play. We wanted to give my friend some privacy so she had the bedroom.
We didn’t feel on top of each other at all and would have had even more room without the pack and play! The two bathrooms worked well. I think I did store the stroller and one suitcase in the bedroom to maximize some space. There wasn’t loads of extra space but I never felt uncomfortable either. Although, we also don’t hang in the room much. It is mostly sleep and shower.
I think you will be fine as long as you have a plan for the sleeping arrangements.
@obxwards, we are a lot alike! I love the theme of AoA and Port Orleans is my favorite moderate! We always stay in Lion King because that is our favorite film but I decided last trip that Cars is the best themed area in AoA. Anyway, from a square footage perspective you get a bit more space in the suite versus 2 LM rooms. It’s not a huge difference -about 10 sq ft. If keeping everyone together then I’d stick with the suite. You can request adjoining rooms at LM but there is no guarantee that you will get them. You may need to put a little thought into how to store things in the suite but you can make it work. It’s too bad that WDW doesn’t raise the beds in the values to allow for luggage storage under them.
We stayed in a Cars suite last August and we fit perfectly. We had 4 adults and 1 little boy (3 years old). We all loved the decor, it is so fun and playful.
I will say that we are all unpackers. We utilized the drawer space and stacked our luggage in the corner of the bedroom so we weren’t constantly trying to access it/tripping over it.
I hope that you have lovely time!!
We stayed at art of animation in a family suite the last two years. You should not have a problem. All three beds were very comfortable. There were two sets of drawers and there was a lot of space for suitcases in the bedroom. Our kids fought over the Murphy bed - it was very cute! The cars theming is adorable.
We had water and breakfast items delivered from garden grocer and used the kitchenette every day for breakfast which saved time and money in the morning.
We stayed at AoA in a lion king suite last June with 4 adults, a 12 yr old and a 3 yr old. I never felt cramped at all and we used a twin blow up mattress in addition to the table bed and the pull out couch. I loved having 2 full bathrooms!!! I would stay there again in a heart beat.
There is a dresser in the living room that my daughter and I used for our clothes. My son and granddaughter used the bedroom and my mom slept on the table bed. My other son used the air mattress. There is plenty of room in the bedroom for additional luggage and the bathroom off the bedroom is large. We also had a stroller in the room.
The best thing for us was my granddaughter could be napping in the bedroom and we could still watch tv etc in the living room without disturbing her.
Thanks, everyone! After talking with our son and DIL, and taking everything into consideration, we decided to switch to POFQ. Thanks for all the input and advice!
Thanks for starting this thread since there is valuable info here!