Four Disney hotels will now accept dogs

We are dog lovers. Our little buddy Kona is our best friend, our heart and soul. But I would never in a million years think of bringing him to Disney. Not a fan of this at all. I can't see what they were thinking about when they made this decision. I can see allowing dogs during the hurricane. That was an emergency situation, but not this. I can understand "Real Service Dogs" Certified Service Dogs , yes. But not this.

Thank god it's not happening at any of the resorts we stay at, yet. A dog is going to be out of its normal invironment to begin with, so it will mean it will be more excitable. Most people are out of their rooms for most of the day so the dog will be alone. Disney says that dogs are expected to be quite in the rooms, really? And they will contact you if your dog is not, and does anyone really want to keep getting called by your resort and have to go back to your room because your dog is barking. Do people think they will be able to say " be quiet" and that's it? No more barking, or whining, or howling? There is also going to be furniture chewed and rugs torn up, walls and doors scratched. Some dogs might be okay. But the majority will not be.

Then we have the urinating and popping in the rooms, the hallways , the elevators, also the grounds outside. You know those guests that think they are more special then everyone else. They won't be going to the suggested relief spots for the dogs, they will get then outside and that will be it. No saying " Fido hold it" we are almost there". And then there is picking up the waste! I can just see all those princesses walking around with poop bags and picking up after their puppy's. NOT! I would bet room rates are going to be going up again real soon do to this and I don't mean the $50-$75 charge they are adding for the pets.

We love our dog dearly, but part of vacation is getting away from the daily walking the dog and picking up the poop outside.

Board your dog, get a house sitter to watch your dog, but I don't think it's a good idea to bring your dog to Disney World.

That is just my thoughts on this subject.

I have to agree with you Mr Hub. We don't have pets ourselves but I do love pups. But not at Disney.

My other concern is for CMs. They are giving you a Welcome Package with a door tag but what if someone forgets to put it out or it falls off? A dog is going to get out or someone is going to get bitten. Even if it is just a nip, it is going to be a big deal.

They are also allowing them on the Magical Express and in Minnie Vans (in carriers) but I really don't want to be on these and have dog hair all over me, it doesn't stay in the carrier, I've had dogs...

Just in general not my favorite "perk" Disney has offered.

I know Universal offers this option, but never stayed there so not really sure how it works, anyone have any input or insight on it? We've stayed at a couple hotels in SC that allow pets but I've never seen any the times we've been there.

Hmm, I'm taking a "wait and see" attitude with this announcement. As MrHub says, most pet owners are responsible and will be sure to check on their dogs throughout the day. It's the "entitled" few that we've all seen in and around the parks that I'm worried about. Will they come back when called and if not will Disney follow up with consequences? Now that we own DVC, I don't plan on staying at any of the resorts that were announced but we do enjoy the Boardwalk area. Hopefully it will be a non event and we won't notice any difference.

I'd also be interested in hearing from people that have stayed at Universal since they are dog friendly. What was it like there? I get pet-friendly hotels when you're traveling and just staying for the night, but these are resorts where people stay for extended periods of time and tend to be gone from the room sun-up to sun-down, which is very different.

I agree with MrHub completely. Plus what kind of conflicts will come up when one family asks a dog owner to keep the dog away from them. I love my dog, but I don't love everyone else's dog. We spoil our dog Chase horribly, but he'll never be meeting the Mouse. Definitely not a fan of this change.

I agree with MrHub and JMed. I'm not a fan of this for all the reasons they stated. Plus, I'm terrified of dogs! Really don't need some guests letting their dogs run off leash ( which I'm sure will happen) and coming at me, friendly or not. I wish they would have just built a pet resort to keep them separate.

For non-pet owners, when a pet has been in a house or room, the smell really hits you like a wall. It's worse than cigarette smoke. They will probably cover it up with much stronger scented cleaning products which can be just as bad. A home with animals is 100 times dirtier and smellier. Pet owners are just used to it I guess. I have a feeling we won't see the full effects until a couple years when every room has been nicely soiled. It's a real hassle to just switch rooms. Many times you can't. And then you may lose the view you had. It's just one more worry Disney has added.

100% agree with MrHub.

Service dogs are absolutely fine. They are amazing animals. Off topic, but do emotional support animals (ESA) have to wear a vest or does the owner get some kind of credential for the dog?

We have been dog owners forever. Our two dogs are a huge part of the family. We make sure our dogs are trained. However, I wouldn't dream of cooping a dog up in the hotel all day. As mentioned, it is a foreign environment for the dog. It's not home. How will Disney respond when a dog is barking and the owners are in the parks? Messes in the room? Dogs marking spots in rooms where previous dogs made a mess? What about Yacht club people bringing unruly dogs onto the boardwalk? I am a dog lover, but this isn't a good environment for pooches.

It's an extra expense, but we bake dog boarding into the trip cost for the time away.

I dont really mind this. There are tons of pet friendly hotels everywhere, and only the Campgrounds at Disney have been, so they have been losing a ton of money, because there is probably a very high demand for this. So, that's what I think Disney was thinking by running this test. Plus, it's only at 4 resorts, with designated areas. I dont think it will be as bad as people are making it out to be. Most pet owners that want to bring their pets to Disney with them, are probably more responsible with their pets than some parents are with their kids. I understand everybodys concerns about this policy (except for the allergies people), but I dont think it will be that bad. And as for the allergies, I have been reading TONS of comments on pages from people who are severely allergic to dogs, and to that, all I have to say is that if they ever got close to me in the parks, they would have a reaction because I cant go anywhere without taking a lot of my dogs hairs with me haha

I am 100% opposed to this and for me, the argument that there are other pet-friendly hotels is moot because I'm not happy about it there either. It's just rare that I stay at other hotels, so I don't usually have to deal with it. The fact that there are no breed or weight restrictions really upsets me. I had a neighbor when I was a kid whose son was attacked by his dog without provocation in their own backyard. The dog lunged at him and ripped his calf muscle out of his leg. I don't care how well behaved you think your dog is. It's an animal and when you take it into an unfamiliar, stressful environment, you have no idea how it's going to react. Just this weekend, dear friends of ours brought their usually perfectly behaved dog to an event where children were also in attendance. A child stepped on the dog's paw and he (of course) barked and carried on and growled at the child. The dog was perfectly justified, but had he not been put in this situation in the first place, it would have been better for everyone.

Vacations are for humans and not all humans are animal lovers. Dogs have no need to go on vacation and people who don't want dogs to be there should not have to sacrifice their happiness so dog owners can lock their dog up in their room all day and let it get stressed out. It's cruel to the animal and it's inconsiderate to those who don't like dogs, are afraid of dogs, have allergies to dogs, etc. I've heard a lot of rebuttal about the allergy thing with dog owners who are in favor of this policy saying that hardly anyone's dog allergy is life-threatening. That's not the point. Even if you have a mild allergy to pet dander, you souldn't have to walk around all week with itchy, watery eyes and congestion just so someone else can bring their pet on vacation. Disney may very well step up their cleaning game on the pet-friendly rooms, but I understand that they will be permitted on Magical Express. There's no way that the buses will receive a thorough cleaning between pet rides and non-pet rides. And what if you have allergies and you're trapped on the bus with someone who is transporting their pet? (Before you ask, yes. My outrage over this issue extends to airlines, too.)

I emailed Disney and I actually received a return phone call and email from them. I haven't responded back because I already voiced my opinion on the matter and there is nothing that they can say to me that will make me happy about this new policy.

Very well said alicemouse!!

I agree with JMed and your thoughts alicemouse. Very well written.

On a side note, it appears we are at WDW around the same time alicemouse.

Ooooh!!! We are!!! So you arrive Friday? We're staying until Monday so we can catch the Sunday MVMCP. Are you going?

We get in Friday early afternoon. We have FP's for Epcot that evening and then the dessert party at MK to see Happily Ever After for the first time. We're not doing MVMCP until Tuesday. I'm sure we can meet up sometime over the weekend. I'll send you a PM via Facebook with our plans.

Thanks for your thoughts wdwizbest. I've never knowingly stayed in a hotel with dogs, so I'm glad you have provided your perspective. I do agree that most people will not bring their dogs, will board them during the day or as you mentioned, come back to the room often to check on them. As you also mentioned, all it takes is 1 to ruin it for everyone else. We see it all the time everywhere. Just hope Disney deals with any issues if they come up.

Off topic, but I can't wait to hear what you guys think of the dessert party, Jan! We have it booked for our January trip to see Happily Ever After for the first time, as well!

I also don't have an issue with Disney making these changes. The prices seem a little high, but I don't have a dog and a clear idea of what it costs to put one in a kennel. I'm still unsure of what the dogs would do while people are at the parks, so it doesn't seem like it would be feasible for a lot of guests. Still, I doubt it's going to make a big impact for most guests, even those at the hotels that have been chosen.

My issue would be primarily the welfare of the dog. The amount of time that people could leave the room is not fair, that leads to mess and chewing (other bad behaviour due to boredom).

Also the smell of dog in a room would not be my idea of spending a few thousand pounds on a holiday. But if done right and properly managed in terms of complaints and making sure there are plenty of toilet areas, and also keeping the dogs away from the mass population to help people with allergies or phobias can feel safe.

I can also see separate buildings being used possibly at the edge of the resort complex, that could lead to dog owners feeling begrudged that they are so far away and the complaints that could cause would not be fun.

In the U.K. There are dog friendly places that are usually in the country so that you can enjoy the outdoors with your four legged friend. This I love as the holiday is as much for the dog as for the owners. I just can't see how a dog would benefit from being at Disney. My old dog would have hated it, she also would have caused a risk if owners let their dog loose (she was adopted by us as she could not live with other animals).

Will do Allie! We selected the plaza garden viewing in order to see the castle projections better.

It is all SUCH a slippery slope.

Here's the thing. There is no official licensing authority for service animals, because of this there is not any actual paperwork that is "official" to make your dog a service animal. You can easily buy it off the internet and it carries no more or less weight on a legal level than if you got it from the people who trained your real, honest to god service animal. This is why it is so difficult to distinguish emotional support animals from service animals in this sort of setting. In addition, the way that the American with Disabilities Act is written a business is only allowed to ask you two questions about your service animal. 1) Is that a service animal, and 2) What service does it provide. They are not allowed to ask for papers, because papers don't actually exist. They are also not allowed to ask anything regarding your disability.

A "service animal" vs. an "emotional support animal" is trained to do a specific job that the human can not accomplish on their own. For instance animals that can hear or see, pick things up off of the ground, provide balance and stability, carry necessary gear, or detect changes in bodily chemistry all provide a service. The vast majority of dogs who do provide a service have gone through an extensive amount of training not only to provide the service, but to behave well in public. Animals that calm you down by their mere presence are not considered to provide a service, nor do most of them have the extensive training.

I'm on the fence as to what I think about the new policy, so I'm taking a wait and see attitude. I don't like the wording of the policy, I find it misleading for people that do have service animals.

I do know that these rooms only get housekeeping when the guests are in the room, and they have to call to let housekeeping know when to come. That cuts down on one concern I keep seeing. These are also all of the rooms where the carpet has been taken out of them, so that will cut down on both the allergies and lingering odor, hopefully.

Us too

On a side note. Saw a woman here at the Contemporary walking her dog yesterday. Saw this dog do his business, didn't see her do hers. Just left a nice stinky pile down by the water. I called the front desk to let them know. Not sure if they sent someone to come clean it up...

Me too... Maybe she came back later with a baggie or something but she didn't have anything in her hand and had on yoga pants so unless it was stuffed in those... I haven't seen her again and we over look a big grassy area.

Just read on the Trip Advisor forums this program is ending 10/15 according to All Ears. I copied this from the post. I couldn't find anything on the site to post a link.

Here's the quote from their newsletter:

"It seems that the trial program that started last October will conclude this October 15, and Walt Disney World will no longer feature dog-friendly rooms at its resorts, with the exception of certain Fort Wilderness campsites, which have always been pet-friendly."

That's too bad. I wonder what didn't go well about it.

I agree with Mr. Hub and other like minded pet owners. I love pets, but I would never bring my dog in to a hotel (except during an emergency) and leave her there alone. I leave my dog at our local cage-free Kennel, where she is used to it and able to socialize with other dogs her size and staffed 24/7.

Is there a vacancy problem at WDW?

Disney is saying that the current policy was a trial period but they didn't say that they weren't going to extended but that they were talking about. If your stay starts prior to October 15, then you can still take your pet. If your stay starts after October 15, then no pet.

I just came across this on another site. I've not seen it yet on an official Disney site though - has anyone else?

Walt Disney World started pet friendly hotels about a year ago. We told you in June that the pilot hotels were coming to an end this October. It appears now that the pet friendly hotel pilot is in fact ending, but that's only because it's going to become a permanent offering.

Starting in October 2018 the pet friendly Walt Disney World hotel policy will be a permanent offering at the select hotels offering the rooms. As a reminder, these hotels and rates per night are as follows:

Disney's Art of Animation Resort $50/night
Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort $50/night
Disney's Yacht Club Resort $75/night
Cabins at Disney's Ft. Wilderness Resort $50/night

I have not heard anything about this yet, but I also haven't been paying attention.
It sounds like it's worth giving them a call to see if I can confirm though. I'll add it to my TODO list.