We have exciting news for Disney Parks fans who are also dog lovers. Beginning this Sunday, Oct. 15, for the first time ever, the Walt Disney World Resort will welcome guests – and their dogs – to four of its resort properties!
As part of this new dog-friendly pilot program, four out of the 26 Walt Disney World resort hotels have been designated dog friendly. Each property’s per night/per room pet-cleaning rate is:
- 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
A maximum of two dogs per guest room can be accommodated. Each guest room will have easy access to outdoor pet walkways for exercise and green spaces with pet relief areas.
We will also designate certain floors or sections of a hotel as dog-friendly, while the majority of areas will remain canine-free to accommodate Guests with allergies or other concerns.
Dog lovers will find plenty of Disney amenities and special touches for their four-legged friends.
- At check-in, guests receive Pluto’s Welcome Kit which includes a collection of dog-friendly items.
- Disney enjoys a partnership with Best Friends Pet Care, an on-property full-service facility that can provide assistance with pet daycare and other pet services (fees apply).
- Pet merchandise is coming soon to participating resorts.
- While there are no in-room services available at this time, Best Friends Pet Care does provide services like doggie day care at its nearby facility on Disney property.
Dogs that are allowed to stay in guest rooms will be expected to be well behaved, leashed in public resort areas and properly vaccinated. For more information about the new dog-friendly trial program, including other restrictions and policies, guests may contact 407-W-DISNEY. DVC Members should contact Member Services at 800-800-9800.
Comments
I’m allergic to certain types of dogs. Will you have “dog free” rooms in these resorts where a dog has never been?
I would like to know if there will be rooms designated dog free. I stay at Yacht frequently and would not want to stay in a room where pets had been allowed on the furniture or beds–also because of allergies. This is important to me.
Would these dog-friendly rooms have carpeting?
Agree it’s concerns due to allergies…I don’t want to sleep where someone’s dog has been…..also you just added more resorts where you have to watch where you step…people let their dogs go on the pathways at the fort. Wrong direction.
I am a dog-lover and owner, but am not happy about this. First – at that price, you could pay for them to be at Best Friends (or a place in your hometown). Second – even my well-behaved dog could bark or be skittish in a new room, new smells, noises, etc. I would not be happy to pay $$$ to hear dogs bark during the day or at night. I consider myself a responsible pet owner but I know darn well that many aren’t, and I predict dealing with those will be a pain for Disney.
This is such a bad idea on so many levels. If Disney wants to let people bring their pets they should create a separate hotel just for that. The issues with pets in the rooms is surmountable. Don’t get me wrong I like animals but would never bring a dog to a hotel where they have to sit in room all day.
On the other side many guest have allergies and their issues will there be guranteed rooms on the their side of the building for them? What about common areas? Allergies, fleas, smell of wet dog. So many issues Disney needs to rethink this one.
Do the “public resort areas” in which dogs will be allowed include the theme parks themselves?
No, only service animals are allowed in our theme parks and Disney Springs.
Although I love dogs, I am allergic. Will they only be permitted in certain rooms? I love Riverside and only stay there. Have they taken my favorite resort away from me?
My son has severe allergies to dogs. Will there be rooms that NEVER have animals in them? How will you keep track of this? And what will be done about noise complaints, etc?
My daughter & fiance have severe pet allergies, especially to certain cats and dogs. I agree with previous comments.. will ANY of the rooms be pet free? How will this be kept track of?…
I guess those extra cleaning fees will eradicate any trace of the dog for the next guest? I think not. I hope only certain rooms will be set aside for pets. I love dogs but don’t want to be exposed to someone else’s in my room. Not sure how this will work out but Disney usually does things right. We’ll see.
I’m sure as with most hotels that allow pets, there will be designated pet rooms as well as pet free rooms.
We plan to stay in January in Yacht Club Resort. I’m allergic and I need totally clean room and can’t stay in room, where dogs were previously allowed. How the resort plans to solve these issues?
Glad to hear you’ll be visiting soon, Olga. We have a thorough cleaning process for our rooms and will work to accommodate the guest’s individual needs.
I hope these are designated rooms. This would be bad for me if I got stuck in a room where dogs had been all day.
Will this be coming to Disneyland in Ca also? I can only imagine that the same rules would apply that apply at other pet friendly hotels. Specific rooms on the bottom floors, huge fees for non well behaved dogs and owners, and the pet friendly rooms are usually hardwood floors. I would love to be able to stay at a Disneyland hotel with my girl, and not have to worry about breaking up the day and losing 2-3 hours to go check on her!
Hi Airin – currently, this dog-friendly option is only available only to guests with reservations at the select resorts at Walt Disney World Resort.
This is AMAZING news! I often resort to staying at other local hotels near Disney because I could never bring my dog. I have a service dog and another dog so it is always a challenge to bring one and not the other. Knowing Disney, there will be a separate area for the dogs. But service animals have always been allowed at the Disney Resorts so they are well aware of how to keep things separated.
Thanks, Cindy. You’re correct that we’ve been accommodating service animals for some time.
My daughter is highly allergic to dogs and will be staying at Port Orleans Riverdide in December. Wondering if only certian rooms will be designated dog rooms. Will she now have to request a room that had not had a dog in it?
Great question, Linda. We will work with guests and their individual needs.
It says the you will get a do not disturb sign for your door to let housekeeping know that there is a dog in the room. Does that mean that if you have a dog that you will not get housekeeping? I have had 3 dogs and vacumed everyday to keep up with the dog hair.
Hi Linda, our housekeeping process will remain the same with this option. We will continue to provide quality service to our Disney standards at each of the resorts.
I have severe allergies to dogs. I am disappointed Disney will allow this. I hope the rooms are designated so others can avoid. Also, as most people are in the parks all day the poor dogs will be left alone in a strange environment without supervision.
This is FANTASTIC news! I can’t wait to bring our dog with us on our next trip! So happy Disney is making even more of an effort to be dog friendly. YAY.
While dogs will be allowed to stay in guest rooms, they will be expected to be well behaved, leashed in public resort areas and properly vaccinated.
Seriously, will Disney require documentation of vaccination. Well behaved, does that mean there will be no barking, will Disney address that. I don’t want to room next to a barking dog.
Can you clarify if dogs are allowed in the parks as well, or just the resort?
Good day. I have a question I hope you will respond to. If you do not allow pets in the parks yet are allowing pets to stay in resort rooms, how will these pets be let out to urinate while the owers are at the parks all day? Also, what about dogs barking endlessly while the owners are at the parks?
This is going to be amazing for pet owners, because Best friends is almost always booked up. Thank you Disney!!
I hate the thought of staying somewhere a pet has been, especially when it could have been on the bedding and furniture and I do not want to be in a room next to a barking/yapping dog.
After spending so much money to stay in Disney I expect a good nights sleep without allergies flairing up from pet hair, or from being disturbed by pets in rooms close by.
One of the worst things is a pet smell that always occurs and I dont want the room to be filled with fake smells to mask those from a dog!
I genuinely think this is an awful idea and would like to know if when I stay in my already booked room at POR in May that I will be in a pet free zone!
I also think it is unfair on the dogs to be trapped in a room all day (and lets face it, Disney days are long as you are out at the crack of dawn and back post fireworks)… better idea would be to have pet hotels at Disney so you can still see your pet but it have supervision/ company and open space during the day.
Just my two cents but guess Disney will have a plan as they are usually FAB with allergies etc.
I’m very, very concerned about ending up in a room where dogs have been, and even more concerned about noise from neighboring barking dogs. Our party for Marathon Weekend will have runners doing Dopey, Goofy, and the half-marathon. We selected the cabins for our trip because they are quiet and peaceful and we expect to be able to get a few naps in (since rise times for the races are usually 3:30 am.) Will the cabins that dogs are allowed in be in one separate cabin loop so that we might be able to avoid any additional noise?
(Also very concerned about allergies. A quick, regular room clean-up is not enough to keep a room risk-free for most allergic folk.)
We’re super excited about this new pilot offering! As the post states WDW will begin welcoming guests with their dogs 10/15, does that mean that’s the day booking will open, or that’s the first day the program kicks off? I would love to book a fall trip with our pups! 🙂 Thanks!!
Thanks Kristina, This dog-friendly option will be available if you have reservations beginning on Oct. 15, 2017. Enjoy your visit this fall.
There has to be designated rooms for pets and their families. I love dogs but when I’m paying Disney prices, I don’t want to hear barking and step in dog poop when on vacation. Not all pet owners are responsible about picking up after their dogs. I won’t be booking at any of these resorts.
I am disappointed in this, i dont want to be anywhere near dogs, i hope they establish this in certain areas of these resorts or they will be scratched from the list of places to stay.
We will designate certain floors or sections of a hotel as dog-friendly, while the majority of areas will remain canine-free to accommodate Guests with allergies or other concerns.
This is GREAT news!!! It would be even better if one or more DVC Resorts gave us this option.
We would have loved to have had our little dog stay with us, rather then adding the time it takes to go to the kennel and care for her several times a day. If Disney can make “smoke free” work they can make this work, too. Right direction.
This is very bad news and extremely stressful for my family. This is supposed to be a vacation for families and now my daughter who is extremely allergic to dogs has to worry about this. I love dogs but to leave one in a room for hours while a family is at a park is a very bad idea. Hope this changes fast.
as pointed out in the article.. “Each guest room will have easy access to outdoor pet walkways for exercise and green spaces with pet relief areas.” The key words there are “rooms will have easy access to outdoor pet areas” that means not ALL of the resort rooms will be dog friendly. Only a few near the pet areas. Also, odds are the rooms will be ground floor, as is normal at most hotels that allow dogs. I would suggest when checking into your room at the front desk, ask for a room no where near rooms filled with dogs and that you want a dog free room. That is the time your room is picked anyway. When booking online or through a travel agent, you are able to request this, but the time to make it clear is when you’re AT the resort checking in. Also, keep in mind that odds are, at some point in the past, there was probably a dog in your room. People bring their service dogs with them on vacation all the time.
Very disappointed in this, as are the myriad of other people who have commented above.
The issue of barking noise is going to be a big problem. I have severe allergies, and so this just limited my resort options. Port Orleans was one of my favorites. 🙁
Very happy to hear this!
As a person who has severe allergies to pets, this is very disappointing to hear. I just hope they do not expand it to other resorts. At least for now I can avoid these.
I absolutely ADORE dogs, but there’s a time and a place for my 4 legged pals and a Disney hotel isn’t one. For one, I don’t think it’s fair on dogs or guests for dogs to be left all day in a hotel room, doing what dogs do when they hear sounds they aren’t familiar with, bark. I don’t think this is the right move at all. Disney has a great petcare centre, where your beautiful pooches can be treated like royalty where they aren’t going to annoy or upset guests.
This sure will change our travel plans, especially considering the dog allergies some of our family members have. More than that, we are simply uninterested in paying so much to stay where someone else has left their pet all day. This is a really sad move on Disney’s part…. I hope they come to their senses soon and change their plan.
I am not happy at all with this decision. I have experienced other resorts with this pet friendly policy and it is almost impossible to control pets in public and large areas. Even with designated rooms (which does not seem to be the case at WDW) pets are taken by owners to non pet friendly rooms, public areas where they are not allowed, etc …
With a world class resort like WDW, you do not expect to find animals in rooms, corridors, lobbies and the like, especially at these prices.
What a bad idea !
This is alarming news. We are highly allergic to animals. I do hope that Disney has rooms specifically set aside for those with dogs/animals. If not, then specific rooms for those of us who are allergic. Also, will dogs be allowed now in restaurants, the parks, on Disney transportation, poolside??? Ugh.
I have four major concerns.
1.spoke to Reservations today and they said there are NOT going to be designated rooms, floors or buildings, the opposite of what the blog says. So the message is not getting down the food chain.
2. We already request Allergen room cleaning and it’s iffy now. This will exacerbate it ten times.
3. I have a child terrified of dogs. What about public areas (lobby, pool,shops, hallwys, etc)?
4. While we can stay in other hotels or dvc,if we want to say go to the yachtsman for dinner,how do i avoid the dogs do my child isn’t terrified or have an allergy attack?
We are DVC owners, ap holders and stock owners, and I’m very unhappy with this news. Disney has always been our safe place because they handle special needs so well. I don’t see how this can work.
I’m disappointed to hear that POR is on the list of dog friendly hotels. This is our favorite resort and both my husband and daughter are allergic. I had been hoping to book our next trip for June 2018 but will now have to reconsider as there is no guarantee of a dog free room at the resort.
Like many others I find this really disappointing. My autistic daughter is PETRIFIED of dogs – we are wanting to stay for the first 6 days of an extended holiday at the FW cabins and now we will need to make sure we specify the ‘non dog’ part of the campground to stay in and be wary 100% of the time while out walking just in case some people let their dogs off a leash – it is supposed to be a holiday and this is likely to take the shine off it for many families – silly move Disney!
I am a dog lover but I am not impressed with this! I predict dog attacks, room damages, issues with allergies from guests, noise complaints etc… Not what I expect from Disney. I will specifically not be staying at these selected hotels as a result. I hope this does not make its way into more hotels.
I understand people with allergies concerns. But come on. Disney already stated it will be desinat ed rooms, areas or floors that are dog friendly. It’s only 4 resorts out of 29. So just ask to be away from dog friendy areas or resorts. People with dogs are paying the same high prices as other guest plus pet fees. Why is there money and needs less importent then other guest.
Most people who spent Upward of $200.00 a night and Travel with there pets are responsible pet owner. They are concerned about the well being of there pet in the care of strangers unseen just the same as children. These will most likely not be flea infested, untrained, distructive pets. Not to mention Disney’s high standard of housekeeping and policies. Doubtful Disney will allow this to run a muck.
My biggest concern would be leaving my dogs alone in strange surroundings for extended periods of time. But as a worried and concerned pet owner I would leave the park once or twice to check and make sure they are ok and hope most other pet owners would be just as concerned.
From the opinion of a responsible pet parent I think this is a fantastic move on Disney part. I’m very excited, thank you Disney.
I’m very excited about this. We are annual pass holders who stay off property because of our dog. I’m glad to see that Disney has taken this step as many others have and I’m excited to have our first Disney trip where we stay on property. This will awesome for my daughter to experience but I’m excited for this too. Looking forward to this moving forward as it seems policies and set up is similar to other places we’ve stayed. Yay.
While I love dogs and had one for ten years (my first baby) I don’t want to vacation with yours. My son is allergic, even after steam cleaning everything when we moved into our house and replacing filters my son had itchy eyes/nose and trouble breathing at night without an air purifier and daily meds. We are staying at AoA in two weeks and now have the option of moving hotels with a fee and additional $200-$500 A NIGHT! No, we booked this vacation last spring, we picked AoA like always because our kids are obsessed with anything and everything Cars and it’s my sons 5th birthday. Calling today was pointless because they can’t give us any specifics. They could note it on our reservation but guest services had no idea if all rooms would allow dogs.
I feel like there should’ve been more warning. We aren’t able to easily move to another hotel with only weeks before our trip. It’s not fair to my four year old to spend an entire vacation itching and sneezing.
I do support this. I am a pet owner and have had to travel with my dog a few times. Its pretty hard to find a place that will accept a small dog. I live on the other side of the country and when I travel with my dog, its usually because I am driving a long distance and its easier to bring him with me. if I happen to drive to WDW someday, I would love to bring my pup with me. That said, I do understand the concern for people with allergies. I’m actually very allergic to most dog breeds, especially those with longer hair, plus I’m a asthmatic. So its important to bring your medication and let the hotel staff know how bad your allergies are. Request a pet free room at check in and you should be fine. I think allowing a small number of dogs on the property is a fine idea. 🙂
This is awful. I am so disappointed in Disney. Both of my little girls are terrified of dogs and are severely allergic as well. If Disney wants to allow dog-owners the opportunity to vacation with their pets, they should build a resort solely for that purpose. Families that don’t want to be anywhere near animals should not be subjected to their dander, waste, noise, or growls.
This is a horrible ideas. I have a child with special needs and is terrified of dogs. We have our first trip planned for May and staying at Port Orleans Riverside.
I do wish people would read the article before commenting. It clearly states that only certain areas/rooms will be available, yet most comments are stating that Disney needs to designate only certain rooms as pet friendly ??♀️.
As for me, I’m so happy about Disney’s decision to welcome all members or our family. I have two Shihtzus who are use to being inside all day (I am a nurse who works long hours at a hospital). And as far as pets being well behaved…. from what I’ve seen lately at the parks, my dogs are much better behaved than most rude people in the lines or just prior to the parades. Just a thought, give it a chance. Some pets are big Disney fans and love watching 101 Dalmatians and Lady & the Tramp °o°
Not happy to hear this…definitely concerned about the possibility of being in a room where an animal has been as well as the other disturbances that may occur. The only dogs that I want to share my vacation with are Pluto and Goofy.
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