Companion/Service Dogs

[MickeyAnne]

Can anyone give me some information on how Disney handles companion/service dogs. I am wondering about prak policy as well as hotel. Do you have to privide documentation etc? Is there any extra cost for the hotel?

Also, are handicapped hotel rooms more expensive?

I am new to this board so I am sorry if these questions have been answered already or are a bit silly.

 

[KPeveler]

i dont think you need to provide documentation, but there is no extra cost for the handicapped rooms at hotels...

 

[Mickiethepooh]

It would be very wise to carry the dogs documentation. and it must be in it's working vest. there is no additional charge, to charge extra for HC rooms, accomodations etc. is illegal. Are you flying? have you notified the airline about the dog? again documentation and vest will apply.
Be sure you specify exactly what you need in an HC room they are not all created equal.

 

[Marie14625]

I have never traveled with a service dog, but I do seem to remember reading that while the service dogs ARE allowed in the park, some of the rides may not be good for them...due to having no way to keep the dog secure. So that is something you may want to investigate further.

 

[dclfun]

Service dogs are allowed if they are accompanying a disabled guest. Companion dogs, not the same as service dogs, are not allowed. This is just a distinction in semantics although most people don't know there's a difference or call SD's "companion dogs" when in fact they are much more than a companion. Legally there can be no extra charge or service fee in a resort/hotel if someone is bringing a SD but it's a good idea to let the res agent know you'll be bringing a SD with you. I always figure they will be changing all the linens after we depart due to a future guest potentially being allergic. ---Kathy

 

[luvyawdw]

Hello,
I just saw your post and wanted to reply, maybe this will help, maybe not
Is your service dog/companion dog publicly certified? If so, it does not matter if the dog is a "companion dog" or "service dog", both are allowed in the park if they are certified. Sevice dogs/Companion dogs are usually tested anually and either pass or fail their public certification. You get documentation if you pass, a card you can keep in their vest or in your wallet. Maybe you have these already? Anyway, in the WDW disabilty guide book, it lists which rides/attractions service animals can/can't ride. It will also tell you where you may take them for thier breaks. We have taken our daughters, we have always been asked for her public certification papers to check in to the resorts/AKL/BWV and others. We always have her vest on that says " please don't pet me Im working" otherwise many pp will be reaching over and petting her, mostly children who don't read yet....lol anyway it helps the parents respond a little quicker and explain to the child to not pet. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your triP!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Here's a link to a previous thread, which might help along with all the information you've been given so far (it's a long one, I'm afraid):

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1509333

Good luck and have a wonderful trip!

 

[luvyawdw]

I just wanted to add, the program our daughter recieved her service dog through certifies their dogs through Assistance Dogs Internatioanl Inc. you can find information about them on the web. As you can see, there are many different types of assistance dogs that are recognized if you look on this site. The requirements and certification process is not an easy one by any means, but well worth it . maybe you already knew this...........

 

[Angiet]

We go all the time to Disneyland with my father in law and he has a seeing eye dog. He keeps all documentation with him, but not on the dog as he doesn't wear a vest, just the harness. We have never had a problem. Most CM's are kind and ask how many in our party and escort us to the handicap lane. At the airport we haven't had any problems either and security is NOT ALLOWED to touch the dog at all. If you haven't flown before with the dog, make sure you book in advance and request the bulk head of the plane (the front row) as there will be extra room for the dog. The only thing I hate is people will not ask to pet the dog, they just outright do it and it is annoying. When the dog is in the harness, they are working and are not to be touched. Have fun and good luck.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/service.htm
That is a good source.
Check the FAQs for links that will help.

You can buy bowls that fold up and get water from the drinking fountains or bathroom. Resaurants will also give you a cup of water that you can put in the bowl. Definitely talk to the hotel to make sure that you get all the things you may need. Read up on GACs as that has lots of information. They cannot charge you extra for admission to parks, shows, transportation or hotel rooms based on your disability. I have never seen in parks any problems for guests with dogs.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Disney World is in the US, so all the US laws apply to Disney for everything, including service animal access. In other words, no certification/paperwork/vest/etc. is required (but I highly recommend a vest if you don't use a harness, as it keeps access problems and questions and drive-by pettings down). They cannot ask your what your disability is or require to see any paperwork or ID cards or such about it or the dog. (Never give these out in the US - it will teach them to look for them with every team and not every team has them or carries them with them even if they do have them.) They cannot charge you an extra fee (i.e. pet fee) - but if your dog wrecks something and a non-disabled customer would be charged for doing it, you will be charged.

And, of course, they can ask you the three questions the law allows: (1) Are you disabled? (2) Is this your service animal? (3) What tasks has he been trained to do that mitigate your disability?

There are some rides, such as Splash Mountain and Space Mountain and Thunder Mountain (all the -Mountains!), that service dogs are not allowed on due to safety reasons. This is legal because it is for safety's sake. On those rides, somebody else in your party will have to hold your service dog for you while you ride. When you finish the ride, you stay with your service dog while the other person/people ride (or vice versa). There are plenty of great rides your service dog can enjoy, though, like Pirates of the Caribbean and "it's a small world" (if that music doesn't get to them first, ahahaha!!!).

Like somebody else said, companion dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs have been highly trained to do tasks for a specific disabled person (their owner), such as dogs guiding the blind/visually impaired, dogs helping people with mobility issues to walk, dogs alerting and/or responding to the onset of medical episodes like seizures, etc. They are also highly trained in public access skills and are "invisible" when in public. If your dog is a companion dog or emotional support pet or therapy dog or other type of pet, he is not allowed to stay in Disney's hotels (except a few particular spots at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds) or enter Disney's parks, but Disney does have kennels available for dogs to stay in (I think they might be only for during the day, not overnight, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

And, yes, if you are going on an airplane and want to sit in the bulkhead seat, the ACAA gives people with service animals (as well as people with legs/prosthetics that can't bend) priority over other passengers for the bulkhead seats (UNLESS they are exit rows, in which case no disabled person is allowed to sit there, plus the dog would be against the safety regulations in an exit row). Bulkheads may or may not give your dog extra floorspace, but they will prevent him from having to try being stuffed under a seat or getting stuck under one (especially if he's in a harness). If you need the bulkhead for your service animal, you must call the airline to request it 24 hours or more in advance of your flight (I normally call right after I make my flight reservation online).

The ACAA rules (for airplanes) differ slightly from the ADA rules in that if there is no visual evidence that your dog is your service dog and your verbal word is not credible, they CAN require you to produce documentation that your dog is, indeed, a service animal. However, they are not s'posed to ask for this info. if your dog is harnessed (or vested) and behaving like a service dog should. Like with anything else in America, they CANNOT ask your what your disability is (though some do try)!!! That is legally confidential information that only a JUDGE in a COURT can require!

If you have any other questions, just ask! There are a few of us here on the boards who have service dogs and have been to Disney with them.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

You can buy bowls that fold up and get water from the drinking fountains or bathroom.

I highly recommend Outward Hound's folding plastic "disposable" bowls! I use them whenever I travel (I never dispose of them, as they're usable for a long, long time - they are cheap enough that you could dispose of them if you wanted/need to, however). They fold up flat and can fit in your pocket or any bag you carry. I keep one in my service dog's pack, too, for any "just in case" moments.

Resaurants will also give you a cup of water that you can put in the bowl.

They are not legally required to provide anything for your service dog, although they might give you something as simple and cheap as water if you ask, of course. Water your dog outside the restaurant or in the bathroom to be polite to the other patrons (not everybody loves dogs), just like you would at any other place you take your service dog.

There are two good books out there on doing Disney with disabilities. I highly recommend "Walt Disney World with Disabilities" (http://www.diz-abled.com/) and "PassPorter's Open Mouse" (http://www.passporter.com). Both have sections on service animals, as well as dealing with many other disabilities while at Disney. They both contain info. on all the rides/attractions (the former contains a lot more personal experience info. for each, the latter is just a short run-down of each ride) as well as Disney hotels and such. (The latter also includes the Disney Cruise Line.) Both books list where the service animal potty spots are in the parks.

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

At the airport we haven't had any problems either and security is NOT ALLOWED to touch the dog at all.

That is absolutely NOT TRUE!! Service dogs must go through the same security procedures as everybody else. If they go through the walk-through metal detector and set it off, they must have a hand pat-down and/or hand-held wand just like humans. If they don't go through the walk-through metal detector (because you didn't due to a medical device/implant), they must be wanded and hand pat-downed just like you have to be. Sometimes they will swab the dog's harness with the swab they use to test for traces of explosives. Your dog will not be required to go through the sniffer machines, however, as they likely won't fit (plus some dogs might be startled by the air bursts). But they do have to go through all the other screening processes. This is national security we're talking about!

They are not allowed to play with the dog or pet it for fun, of course.

For more info., see the TSA's Web site - there is a whole page on service animals and what is/isn't allowed/required.

(BTW, I recommend you send your dog through the walk-through detector first, as dogs usually set them off 'cause of their collars, tags, and harnesses. If only your dog sets the detector off and you walked through separately, only the dog needs to be hand screened. If only you set it off and you walked through separately, only you need to be hand screened. But if you walk through together and it goes off, you both have to be hand screened.)

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

We have taken our daughters, we have always been asked for her public certification papers to check in to the resorts/AKL/BWV and others.

Certification, IDs, or other paperwork is NOT required by US law and can NOT be required by a business for access purposes. It was illegal of those resorts to ask you for such documentation. Next time somebody asks, please don't give in and show them - it really does make things harder for other teams who either don't have such documents, don't have such documents with them, or refuse to show such documents for access because it is illegal for a place to require them (I'm in the latter group). When you show them, it teaches people that it is okay to ask for them and that anybody without them isn't a real service animal team. I have heard of many people who have been asked for papers because "the previous team had them".

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Legally there can be no extra charge or service fee in a resort/hotel if someone is bringing a SD but it's a good idea to let the res agent know you'll be bringing a SD with you.

Most SD teams I know (incl. myself) do not recommend this practice. There have been many instances where the team was illegally charged a pet fee because of this or they say, "No pets allowed," and refuse to book your reservation or, even worse, they were told there were no rooms available in the hotel when there really were rooms available for them!

If you do want to tell them, make sure you do it AFTER you have made your reservation and have the reservation number in hand and all. You also may want to write down the date, time, and name of the person you spoke to, just in case any funny business happens.

I never tell any place in the US (besides airlines, since I need the bulkhead seat) beforehand that I have a service dog. I don't need to, just like I wouldn't need to tell them if I have a cane or prosthetic, and it prevents access denials or challenges before you get there. If there are any challenges, it is much easier to deal with them in person.

 

[SueM in MN]

This thread has a lot of good factual information about service animals. I have posted links before to the ADA factsheet about Service Animals and thought I had a link to it in the disABILITIES FAQs thread. I didn't, so I am going to post a link to this thread, so we have a way to find this good info.

Here is a link to the US Department of Justice Fact Sheet about Service Animals. They encourage reproducation of it. A good use of it is to carry copies to give to people who ask for 'proof' or 'papers'. Many times, the person asking is only asking because (as was already posted) the last person showed them some forms or the person who oriented them to their job told them to ask.

Here's a link to the Transportation Security Administration Fact sheet for travel with Service Animals. Interestingly, it says that TSA personnel must ask the handler's permission before touching the service animal, but it says they have specifically been told NOT to touch monkeys that are servive animals. I wonder if any TSA people got bit?

And, as was pointed out, airlines fall under the Air Travel Carriers Act, not the ADA, so the rules are a little different. They can ask for proof, but even they can take the 'credible word of the handler'. Emotional support animals are also covered under the Air Carriers Act, although they are not under the ADA.
Department of Justice Air Consumer Link (the link goes to the part about SA; scroll up and down for the whole article).

 

[dclfun]

I would like to add that I *always* tell the res agents at WDW that I am travelling with a service dog ( along with noting my other medical needs). I add any notations after my ressie is made and have never had a challenge with being charged a pet fee or placed in an undesirable location. I always ask upon arrival at a resort, where is the SD break area or locations at the resort itself. Since pets are not allowed in a WDW resort ( except Ft. Wilderness ) there would be no chance of being charged a pet fee. At any rate there should be a special cleaning after we leave due to any dander or dog hair that could cause another guest to have an allergic reaction. I've done my part by noting that my SD is staying with me so then it's up to Disney to do their part by changing all linens, etc. which are not done after every guest.---Kathy

 

[luvyawdw]

Like somebody else said, companion dogs are NOT service dogs. Service dogs have been highly trained to do tasks for a specific disabled person (their owner), such as dogs guiding the blind/visually impaired, dogs helping people with mobility issues to walk, dogs alerting and/or responding to the onset of medical episodes like seizures, etc. They are also highly trained in public access skills and are "invisible" when in public. If your dog is a companion dog or emotional support pet or therapy dog or other type of pet, he is not allowed to stay in Disney's hotels (except a few particular spots at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds) or enter Disney's parks, but Disney does have kennels available for dogs to stay in (I think they might be only for during the day, not overnight, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong).

Hello everyone,
There are companion assistance dogs that are provided by large accredited organizations and are highly skilled and trained for public access. They are trained to pass public certification by agencies such as Assistance dogs International Inc. They sometimes will have the word "companion" associated with the service/assistance animal. Some examples would be an organization that provides a number of assistance dogs for different disablities: 1. Service teams 2. Hearing teams 3. Skilled companion teams 4. Facility teams. All of which are highly trained to perform specific tasks for their disabled partner, and trained to have public access. Some orgainizations will have you certify your assistance dog prior to graduation by an exam process through ADI inc. I just wanted to clarify the name Skilled Companion Dog, as there are dogs that have the word companion in them that are in fact skilled for public access, and have passed the public certification process. Im not saying if your dog is not certified its not an official service dog. I do not know much about therapy dogs, emotional support dogs ect........our dog is a skilled companion assistance dog. She picks up objects of the floor, retrieves objects such as a pencil, keys, remote, etc. she closes drawers, doors, refridgerator doors, and opens with pull straps and many other tasks.She is highly trained to have excellent behavior in public, and to be "invisible".
As far as producing our documents for public access, you are right we don't have too, and they should not ask. However, if they do we show ours. We were encouraged to do so, as "an ounce of prevention" it prevents any uneasy feelings as we all know can sometimes happen. We would rather not refuse to show certification papers, it seems like that would just cause reason for more questions or perhaps doubting she is in fact an assistance dog. I know the laws are in place to protect the disabled rights but many establishments are not well versed on them. Rather than creating attention on ourselves we just show our papers if asked. We usually carry the pocket sized "Legal Rights of Assistance Dogs" with us, and educational brochures. I can understand you asking us to not show our certificaiton if asked, but that would go against what we were trained to do. I am sure every organization has different views on this, but we need to follow ours. If this makes it harder on others that may not have certification, or have it with them, it is not our intention and we are sorry. We were trained to carry it with us all of the time if we can, obviously there may be times you can't.
I do enjoy the talk about service animals, we love ours. They are all wonderful, no matter the "title". I guess with so many types there is alot of information out there. I

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

Interestingly, it says that TSA personnel must ask the handler's permission before touching the service animal, but it says they have specifically been told NOT to touch monkeys that are servive animals. I wonder if any TSA people got bit?

I'm not certain, but I think maybe it has to do with health reasons? I've never met a service monkey, but I would think they'd be trained not to bite and such just as other service animals are. It does seem a bit peculiar that they can't touch them, though, since we're talking about national security and all. (I'm thinking the TSA folks are glad they don't have to be the ones touching the monkey's diaper, though!! )

 

[Ms_Butterfly]

I would like to add that I *always* tell the res agents at WDW that I am travelling with a service dog ( along with noting my other medical needs). I add any notations after my ressie is made and have never had a challenge with being charged a pet fee or placed in an undesirable location. I always ask upon arrival at a resort, where is the SD break area or locations at the resort itself. Since pets are not allowed in a WDW resort ( except Ft. Wilderness ) there would be no chance of being charged a pet fee. At any rate there should be a special cleaning after we leave due to any dander or dog hair that could cause another guest to have an allergic reaction. I've done my part by noting that my SD is staying with me so then it's up to Disney to do their part by changing all linens, etc. which are not done after every guest.---Kathy

Maybe Disney wouldn't charge, but some other places would. I'm going on a group trip next year and my friend who is the group leader didn't know all the laws and such about SDs (I have since educated her ). She told the hotel sales rep. she's working with in the clearest terms possible (it was via e-mail and I read the e-mail) that I have an SD. That hotel doesn't allow pets, but the lady said there would be a pet fee. (That was when I told my friend the laws - it didn't occur to me before then that she didn't know all the laws [just the access ones] and didn't know not to tell the hotel in advance.) I called and straightened things out with the lady (who tried to blame it on my friend and said, "Oh, she made it sound like you just didn't want to leave your pet home!" which is definitely NOT true, since I read the e-mail myself and my friend used every SD term in it, something like "certified assistance service dog" plus mentioned the world "disability" [I was also requesting a fridge]).

I know some hotels would just kick a person's pet out, but others apparently would let them stay and charge a pet fee instead.

As for a special cleaning, if they do one at all, they'd know your dog was there when you were actually there, so telling them in advance wouldn't make a difference on that, since the cleaning is after you leave, not before you get there. Even if you have a dog that sheds, I would think the maids would not leave a room with dog hair all over it, special cleaning or not. Their dog is to clean the room, not partially clean it, you know?