Trial Run for Dogs in Resort Rooms

[4DisneyFam]

I love dogs and own 2 rescue dogs myself.We were at WDW in August and booked a bounceback for next August.We decided to go deluxe next time and being we will have 5 in our party we booked Yacht club as the most affordable option(if 530 a night is affordable)that was available to us.Now to find this new policy is just very disappointing and I’m sure if I try to change resorts there will be nothing available with the bounceback.We will still go as this is going to be a first visit for my sons girlfriend.Just hope that any problems will be worked out by then.

 

[LSUmiss]

Sorry you are wrong. I have been reading this board for a very long time. I don't recall 49 pages in less than 48 hours. Please don't dismiss this as equivalent to something like "fastpass availability" or "park hour change" etc. For many on this board this is not just an inconvenience or "a bummer". This is a serious health issue.

Some ppl are concerned about health issues, but many others have just expressed that they don’t like it. Many have said “what if ppl have allergies” & aren’t specifically talking about themselves. Like many things on this board, I don’t think it’s a good sampling of the general public. I think MOST of the general public won’t know or care. Then they’ll be some who like it & some who oppose it. I have seen many threads about changes get this long this fast...but they usually end up shut down b/c things get heated. I think like many things that ppl who are adamantly against, they are the ones who feel the need to voice their opinion (understandably). Think they’re many who heard the news & either liked it or don't care so didn’t feel the need to comment. But, FWIW, I can’t say enough about how much this does suck for ppl who are already booked. You can’t book packages past Dec 2018, so I don’t know why they couldn’t have announced that this trial would begin for bookings starting 1/2019. Then ppl could have made informed choices.

 

[LSUmiss]

No, only the Alligator Bayou rooms hold 5 with the Murphy bed. I'm guessing the AB buildings closest to the dog relief areas will be designated pet friendly but no confirmation as of yet. Check out portorleans.org or the POR thread for more dog policy info at that resort.

Think that could be a solution then. If they don’t allow pets in AB rooms. Then families of 5 can keep their choices.

 

[kaytieeldr]

That would be Acadian House (regular rooms in mansion section) and Parterre Place (Royal Rooms in mansion section).

So, no.

 

[Mom loves Disney]

No, only the Alligator Bayou rooms hold 5 with the Murphy bed. I'm guessing the AB buildings closest to the dog relief areas will be designated pet friendly but no confirmation as of yet. Check out portorleans.org or the POR thread for more dog policy info at that resort.

That's what I thought. I was told I could request any section that held 5 people. So I'm guessing that there must be dog friendly rooms in each section.

I know I'm going against most people's opinions in this thread but we are happy we can bring our dog

 

[Disneylover99]

Having just returned from DW I can tell you that dogs are already in rooms and by that I mean "service" dogs who have a vest stating that they are service dogs but acting nothing like a service dog ( jumping around, wanting to play with people etc. and no there was not a "training service dog" vest) So some of the thoughts on fleas, noise, urine, and dog smells are already in play.

Definitely. And why add to this by allowing everyone who wants to bring their dog?

 

[kaytieeldr]

If a person says their pet is an emotional support animal, Disney has no way to determine if that is truly the case so will have to let the animal stay.

Emotional support pets have rights ONLY in rental housing or commercial flights.

 

[SaintsManiac]

That's what I thought. I was told I could request any section that held 5 people. So I'm guessing that there must be dog friendly rooms in each section.

I know I'm going against most people's opinions in this thread but we are happy we can bring our dog

And they are just opinions. Glad it worked out for you.

 

[mexi]

Do you honestly think that Disney (or any other business) is going to advertise guests' injuries or the grounds of lawsuits that are filed against them?

Aside from HIPAA and the usual no comment on pending lawsuits, they don't want to give other guests ideas on what to sue them for. This may come as a shock to you, but there are people in this country who make a living on lawsuits.

I said it because I'm assuming there were no issues. Otherwise I really don't think Disney would put themselves in that situation again.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I think there would have been some mention of it somewhere on social media that would have been picked up by someone here at the DIS by now. Of course, we don't know how many dogs were there for the hurricane. I saw one family with two dogs at Pop when I was there the day after Irma passed, and they were packing up to leave. The local news here makes a point of finding out anything negative that can even remotely be tied to Disney and blowing it all out of proportion. So if there is a serious dog related incident, like a bite or someone hospitalized with an allergic reaction, I expect them to be all over it.

You may expect something to be mentioned on social media, and you may expect local media to be all over it. But things could have happened that were not reported. I witnessed a pretty serious accident in the Magic Kingdom on 9/16/17. AFAIK, it was not reported anywhere, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Most businesses, including Disney, aren't subject to HIPAA https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/covered-entities/index.html

Any medical professional (e.g., EMT) that is on Disney's payroll is subject to HIPAA.

Having just returned from DW I can tell you that dogs are already in rooms and by that I mean "service" dogs who have a vest stating that they are service dogs but acting nothing like a service dog ( jumping around, wanting to play with people etc. and no there was not a "training service dog" vest) So some of the thoughts on fleas, noise, urine, and dog smells are already in play.

Does anybody know if those with service dogs are charged a cleaning fee? Has anybody encountered checking into a resort and told a service dog had occupied a room?

The whole service dog thing is a different debate. From what I understand, anybody can bring any dog or miniature horse to WDW and stay in any resort room with them. They can bring them on attractions except those that specifically exclude them.

As long as the service animal performs a task or service that helps somebody manage their disability and even if it means aggravating other guests' disabilities, they have the legal right under the ADA to have that animal at their side.

 

[kmb584]

Emotional support animals and their owners dont have the same rights as service dogs.

Well, yes, I understand that.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not and class them together despite service animals and emotional support animals being completely different classes of animals. ESA are wrongfully classed as service animals by those who don't know the difference. And, in a lot of ways, the same privileges are allotted as well. ESA are allowed into no-pet housing, they're allowed to fly in an airplane cabin and not required to be crated. All it takes is a letter from a licensed mental health professional. If you don't have one of those, no need to worry, there are internet companies that will assess your need for an ESA and write a letter.

I certainly don't agree with it. Service animals are rigorously trained and notoriously well-behaved. Some ESA are, but a lot are not. For an animal to be classed as an ESA, all one needs is a letter from the mental health doctor that oversees their care. Differentiating between the two can be a slippery slope. Where service animals are concerned, all a person can ask is what service the dog provides. You cannot ask for proof that the dog is a service animal. You can ask for proof that an ESA is one, but my experience is that a lot of people do not do that. They class the ESA as a service animal and get on with their day.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I said it because I'm assuming there were no issues. Otherwise I really don't think Disney would put themselves in that situation again.

Maybe everything went peachy with pets during the Irma evacuation. Maybe that's why Disney decided to go dog friendly. IDK, but I am not going to make those assumptions.

 

[WDW1979]

I know I'm going against most people's opinions in this thread but we are happy we can bring our dog

It not just that you are going against people's opinions, you by supporting this new dog policy are putting a serious negative on many people's vacations so you can put dogs over humans, and yourself over others. So you get to bring your dog, and in exchange many people will now have to say no more Port Orleans Riverside (or other dog friendly Disney hotel). That is the reality. Not an even trade: benefits accrue solely to entitled dog owners, downside born entirely by people who don't want to vacation with other people's dogs. But hopefully this new Disney dog policy will be very temporary.

 

[mikejs78]

Roughly every couple of months.

Andre

This seems a lot bigger than the normal outrage...

 

[Tink-osophy]

Some ppl are concerned about health issues, but many others have just expressed that they don’t like it. Many have said “what if ppl have allergies” & aren’t specifically talking about themselves. Like many things on this board, I don’t think it’s a good sampling of the general public.

Not giving personal information doesn't mean allergies, phobias etc. aren't relevant to those posters (myself included) - it just means we haven't been personally specific. It doesn't mean that anyone reading has enough information to make assumptions. It definitely doesn't mean it's just a case of not liking the policy. Which, we'd be entitled to do, anyway.

It's frustrating to see a certain amount of glossing over of the details cited by people concerned.

The FW cabins are actually pretty close to each other, certainly not far enough to mean no noise problems, especially when dogs are on decks or out in the loops generally, but even when they're inside. ...That's been mentioned before. ...And that's only about noise.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I think Disney is just doing this to keep up with the offsite competition. The Four Seasons, many of the Marriotts, the Hyatts, the Ritz Carlton, Wyndham, all of the Universal hotels just as a sample. There are some big ones that don't to be sure (Waldorf, Gaylord, World Center) but overall, more seem to allow pets than not.

 

[Disneylover99]

No & others who choose to stay in the other not pet-friendly resorts won’t be either.

Do you really think this is not going to expand to the rest of the resorts next year?

 

[mikejs78]

We”ll have to just agree to disagree. My argument is ppl are claiming to be impacted more than they will be b/c there are other choices. I can even see arguing that WDW make only one pet-friendly resorts. But saying there should be none is extreme.
Additionally, perhaps you can say that IN YOUR OPINION, I lack empathy in THIS situation for a LUXURY, but please don’t be so narcissistic as to think you could possibly know me. My line of work requires empathy all day long in some VERY tough situations that most ppl would find extremely difficult. So I ask you to keep things in perspective & not judge someone you have never met over one policy change at Disney World!

There aren't other choices in many cases for people whose vacations are imminent.

 

[LSUmiss]

Do you really think this is not going to expand to the rest of the resorts next year?

I don’t know. But my opinion is based on current fact, not hypotheticals. I think if enough ppl expresss dissatisfaction or the trial doesn’t go well it could also just be reversed.

 

[reereef]

I can’t afford to upgrade my hotel from POR and am not being offered the option to move, due to my Christmas dates.

So I guess I will be staying at POR and for the first time I’m feeling not so excited.

Whilst there:

I will ensure that I report any noise from dogs.

I will report and photograph any dog fouling around property that I happen to see.

If I happen across anyone with a dog outside of the allocated zones and anyone not using a leash, I will report them.

Anything I believe is impacting my vacation negatively will be reported.

I intend to bring a lint roller to my room to check for dog hair. If I find any I will refuse to stay in it loudly at reception.

If I go and don’t see or hear any dogs and therefore have a wonderful time, then I will happily be proven ‘worried for no reason’.