Dogs at Disney!

[nicksterhbk]

I know this sounds silly, but can your dog ride calm rides (nothing rough, etc) with you or do you have someone sit with him/her outside of the ride while you ride?

My dog LOVES the rides she can go on! I've acutally written up a little guide about all the rides at disneyland. Her fav. ride is pirates, i can tell her lets go "pirates" and she'll lead me right to it. ( she also does the same with the first aid center, which is pretty cool, she thinks first aid is full of treats, water and affection). She knows where other rides are at the park but her fav. by far is pirates, although latley the astro orbetor gets her all excited. My friends dog, Lucky's fav. ride is Dumbo, my other friend's dog's fav. ride is peter pan, but i heard that dogs cant ride that at WDW. On some rides like Space, Thunder, Gadgets Go Coaster, Splash, Materhorn, Star Tours, and Indy, we do what i call a Dog Swap. We'll all go to the exit of the ride and 1/2 of us will ride and the other 1/2 will watch the dogs, then we swap. It does look kinda funny when there are only 3 people and 3 dogs, one person sits there with 3 dogs, while the other 2 ride. Generally on some rides at disney like POTC, there is a 2-3 dog max due to weight issues, but we fit 3 dogs (45, 50, 65 lbs) and 3 people in the front of the boat. Also on rides like HM there is a 3 dog/chair max at a time. Because our HM is actaully an elevator, they have a max of 3 dogs or 3 chairs at a time which really stinks when you have 3 + dogs and 2 chairs. So we have to split up, at WDW it could be different but as for now that's how it is at DLR. Feel free to ask more questions reg, rides and dogs i'll ask a friend of mine from one of my yahoo groups if you can contact her she knows CM's just like we do and knows how to go to WDW with a dog as well. She's actaully been asked by other SD users to write up a like Guide Book kinda like I was asked by friends about DLP. Anyways Take care and Congrads on getting the pup! Welcome to the SD community! Nicki and Tena (SD)

 

[pezter]

She knows where other rides are at the park but her fav. by far is pirates, although latley the astro orbetor gets her all excited. My friends dog, Lucky's fav. ride is Dumbo, my other friend's dog's fav. ride is peter pan, but i heard that dogs cant ride that at WDW. Also on rides like HM there is a 3 dog/chair max at a time. Because our HM is actaully an elevator, they have a max of 3 dogs or 3 chairs at a time which really stinks when you have 3 + dogs and 2 chairs. So we have to split up, at WDW it could be different but as for now that's how it is at DLR.

At WDW
For pirate they place the dog up in the front of the boat (biggest area of the boat) and two people

For Peter Pan no dogs are allowed

At the Haunted Mansion they request that you skip the streching room due to many people in a small room in semi-darkness often mean stepped on dog, You can get on at the exit of the attraction and see about 15 feet of track that regular guests do not see or they have an alternative entrance that rejoins the line just after the stretching room.

 

[dclfun]

We were at DL last year in the summer. The weather is very different in Florida which is much more humid/hot. We were told not to put water on the dog as if it does not evaporate quickly it acts like a "steam oven". Instead, splashing water on the underbelly where there is no hair is helpful. As for the comments about what is considered a SD and what is not, that's a discussion for a SD board. California laws are also very different( and much more lenient)so anyone getting a SD needs to know the laws of their state and the state(s) to which they are travelling so there are no challenges with public access. Also, some dogs do not like the attractions. I know mine would not enjoy being on Pirates or Dumbo, etc. I am only mentioning this as any family or person considering bringing their dog to a theme park needs to determine their own dog's level of comfort with everything- crowds, queue lines, fireworks, heat, etc. and level of stamina. I expect my SD to deal with whatever situations I need her to deal with but also would not needlessly subject her to stress unless I have to, but each dog is different in that realm. Again, each SD partnership as a team needs to decide what works for them. ---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

Some general information about organizations that provide service dogs to people with disabilities:We looked into getting a service animal at one point for my DD, but because she would not be able to control it herself (and can't speak), we were not considered to be a good 'fit' to be a team with a dog. I have also seen presentations about service animals because I work in a rehab hospital.
I do know that different organizations have different rules about what 'skills' the person needs in order to be granted a dog by that organization. A friend of my DD's was on a waiting list for a service dog for a few years. When she got to the top of the list, they decided she did not have clear enough speech to control the dog and (since she would not always have the same person with her), they would not give her a dog.
Most of the organizations I am aware of are non-profit organizations. Paws with a Cause is a well known organization.
CCI - Canine Companions for Independence is another. There are others, but those are the 2 I know most about.

Some general info about Service Animals and rights to access:
The US Department of Justice is the official place to get information on how the ADA works. Individual states can be more lenient (allow more things), but they can't be more stringent (allow less things).

This is the FAQs from the US Department of Justice about Service Animals. Since it is meant to answer questions from businesses about service animals, it is pretty complete about what is/is not allowed:
link to Service Animal FAQs
Here are 2 of the questions that are pertinent:
Q: What is a service animal?

A: The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.

Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. "Seeing eye dogs" are one type of service animal, used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities. Some examples include:

_____Alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds.

_____ Pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.

_____Assisting persons with mobility impairments with balance.


Q: How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not just a pet?

A: Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.

Here is a good factsheet about Service Animals, also from the Department of Justice. It gives this definition of Service Animals:
Service animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for people with disabilities – such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, or performing other special tasks. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
I would like this to end discussion of what qualifies as a Service Animal and I hope this thread will go on to discuss helpful information about how to make a trip with a service animal pleasant/successful for the animal and the user.

 

[dclfun]

Thank you Sue! I was concerned that the discussion was heading in the wrong direction vs. being helpful to people with service dogs or considering getting one in light of bringing them to WDW, etc. Any other discussion other than that pertaining to a visit to the parks should be taken up on a SD board if people have questions/concerns in that area. It's nice to hear about everyone's experiences and esp. to hear from someone who frequently goes to DL with their SD. Most of my experience has been in Florida.---Kathy

 

[nicksterhbk]

Hey everyone, I was wondering if people have traveled with more than 3 dogs to disneyworld? In 2009 our disneyland group is planning a trip to disneyworld. We will have around 8 people and 4-5 service dogs. We would all want to travel together, and i was wondering if there is a restriction on the airlines as to how many dogs can travel in the plane. I know 2009 is a long time away but I was just wondering. Thanks, Take care, Nicki and Tena(SD)

 

[dclfun]

Nicki- I would contact the airline you are using. Would everyone be taking the same flight? I got my SD from Paws with a Cause and every year in December they host a foster puppy outing at one of the parks, so there are usually around 10-15 dogs and their handlers/families. I attended last year and it was great to see the puppies and for the raisers to see how well a trained dog helps it's client. A funny story- we didn't realize it but the day of our outing they were taping the Christmas parade. We raised a few eyebrows from the managers who were frantically looking at all of us and using their walkie-talkies but no one in our group had any challenges. We all met up for lunch but everyone went their own way during the day. I'm sure the castmembers all wondered why there were so many dogs in the park that day, esp. so many training puppies.---Kathy ( and Skye)