Poll: Why don’t you want dogs at Disney Resorts? (non-service dogs)

Why don’t you want (non service) dogs at Disney Resorts?

  • I’m allergic to dogs

    Votes: 120 26.0%
  • Barking dogs. I’m worried that I will be kept awake, annoyed, or have to deal it.

    Votes: 329 71.4%
  • I don’t want to sleep in a room that has had someone else’s pet in it.

    Votes: 312 67.7%
  • I’m worried that I, or another guest, will be bitten, chased, or snapped at by someone’s dog

    Votes: 157 34.1%
  • I’m afraid or have a phobia of dogs, or someone in my group/family is afraid of dogs

    Votes: 75 16.3%
  • I don’t want to see someone’s dog relieving themselves. I don't want to step in it, or smell it

    Votes: 268 58.1%
  • The policy is a moving target, so until it is settled, I say no

    Votes: 90 19.5%
  • Dogs walking around the resort grounds negatively changes or ruins the feel of the resort

    Votes: 180 39.0%
  • Other (please specify with a reply to this thread)

    Votes: 35 7.6%

  • Total voters
    461
And two dogs together can be more bold and aggressive because they have a teammate.

Haha, that is my two (70 lb and 12 lb). They have each other's back.

When 50 lb grandfurbaby comes and a nipping session starts, that 12 lb one is bold fella protecting his sister.

And my dogs are sweeties that will roll over in your arms like a baby. You can never say never.
 
Tons of running, screaming kids can sometimes set off even a normally calm gentle dog. Not to mention a child (or anyone) who happens to have the bad luck of being around two dogs having a fight. I was bit that way myself - the dogs were trying to bite each other and I just happened to be nearby. It’s a recipe for disaster!
 
Dogs drool, cats rule

My cat Meeska agrees
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My main concern is barking dogs.
I don't mind when dogs bark a bit but if its constant its so irritating to my ears and if there are going to be a lot of dogs you can count on a lot of barking.
My secondary concern is being bitten.
As I understand it its only smaller breeds correct? So its not too likely that a dog would be out of the owner's control to bite you if you're walking by and they are on a leash however smaller dogs tend to be quick little escape artists and could get out of the room without the owner being able to get to it fast enough and if the dog didn't care for a random person walking by it could very well grab on and that would be completely unacceptable even if it was a nip and not full on bite with blood.

The current policy is any breed of dog and any size. The other concern to me is this. Where do dogs stay in hotels where there are 3 fireworks displays nearby every single night. No where I know of. You will have MK, Epcot and Studios having nightly fireworks.
 
I have mentioned this on previous threads and it seems there is some curiosity here as well. After my WDW stays (so far CBR, BC, POP and now booked for POR, I stay at a Universal Premium hotel. I have stayed at HRH, RPR and Portofino. I am booked again at Portofino for a week my next trip.

CBR at Disney was okay at the time but it is now under serious construction. I did not find BC worth the money for my dates. POP was actually quite nice but I missed certain amenities. Hence POR.

That said..."why if I don't agree with canine pets at POR do I even stay at Universal's "Deluxe", dog friendly resorts?

Because of the following:

I have never seen a pet at a Universal resort.
They have separate, distinct buildings adjacent to pet relief areas for the people choosing to use the Leow's Loves Pets program.
The pets are NOT allowed to be unsupervised. Guests are provided kennel facilities and a list of in room pet sitters.
A penalty of $10 per hour is assessed for infractions and is enforced.
Because the program has always existed, it is well known, well implemented and as mentioned, I have never seen a pet.
Policies are more stringently enforced at Universal.
Policies are clearly communicated at Universal.
WDW has a horrible track record of enforcing rules. (example: guests smoking on the balcony at POP throwing the butts into the garden area below for a week and no enforcement despite me providing photos)
WDW does "trials" with no follow through, no communication and no training with some frequency.
I can ask for a pet free room at Universal and not be told "there are no guarantees".
 
I think it is unfair to the dogs. Most pets prefer surrounding they are familiar with. Otherwise, they get nervous, loud, destructive if they are left alone (especially for long periods of time while the family has fun in the parks). If another pet has urinated in the room, the smell will be there in the carpet and every dog afterwards will also urinate there. We leave our pets with our vet where they have any medical needs met, they get play time and the people are familiar with them. They don't get left alone in a strange place.
 


Unless your driving to Disney or a Florida local I can't see anyone chosing to fly their dog on an airplane. Then pay $50 a night extra for dog in room and any excess cleaning bills. Its cheaper to board at home kennel and better on the animal IMHO.

It may not always be better for the animal to board, but I do agree it would be a pain if flying. Our one dog we have now has been extremely anxious and upset the two times we boarded her at our normal place after our older dog passed away. One time she lost weight and hardly ate and the other time she kept trying to get out and almost choked herself. We and the boarding staff and vets don't feel it is safe to board her anymore. She is well behaved and was fine when we brought her to visit older DS this summer and stayed in a pet friendly room. We were planning to have her stay at Best Friends next trip but now I think I will call and see if she can stay with us at POR. I do wish we could bring our cat too- they are bonded quite well, but he does fine when staying with our neighbor.

DH and I do agree that this dog trial opens up for a lot of issues if not addressed properly. As dog owners we try to be considerate of those who may have fears or allergies, or just being considerate in general. We have an annoying neighbor who lets their dog yappy bark all the time and are oblivious. It is bad at home and I certainly don't want to hear it on vacation. Where I work customers come in with dogs in strollers or carrying them and I always think "what if other customers are scared or allergic?" I am personally allergic to cats and dogs but get shots so it's not so bad. I think the trial is fine, but the best thing to do as a compromise is to make a separate pet friendly resort because there are too many inconsiderate people anyway, not to mention inconsiderate pet owners. Disney can cater to a specialty group without alienating or upsetting the majority if they want.
 
The current policy is any breed of dog and any size. The other concern to me is this. Where do dogs stay in hotels where there are 3 fireworks displays nearby every single night. No where I know of. You will have MK, Epcot and Studios having nightly fireworks.

If they are my dog, they hide under the bed. LOL!

The worst day of my dog's year is the 4th of July. The second worst is Halloween--all those masked intruders ringing our doorbell drive her crazy. The third worst is the week before Christmas when the fire department trucks come around with Santa and his reindeer playing carols on their PA system. She goes berserk over all the "ho ho hos" coming through the speakers.
 
It may not always be better for the animal to board, ..................

........... but the best thing to do as a compromise is to make a separate pet friendly resort because there are too many inconsiderate people anyway, not to mention inconsiderate pet owners. Disney can cater to a specialty group without alienating or upsetting the majority if they want.

Probably one of the best posts I've read that understands both sides.

We have similar experiences with our pets, and also appreciate this might be problematic for Disney and other guests.
 
The current policy is any breed of dog and any size. The other concern to me is this. Where do dogs stay in hotels where there are 3 fireworks displays nearby every single night. No where I know of. You will have MK, Epcot and Studios having nightly fireworks.

Forget fireworks...how about during the daily thunderstorm? My coonhound turns into a quivering terrified mess when the DISTANT rumble of an approaching storms comes through. A Florida thunderstorm might actually kill her.
 
My only reason for not agreeing with disneys new dog policy is that I think it's terrible to bring a dog just to leave it in a hotel room by itself all day. 7 hours is a long time for an animal to be alone in an unfamiliar place and unable to relieve itself. Why even bring a dog at that point?
 
Unless your driving to Disney or a Florida local I can't see anyone chosing to fly their dog on an airplane. Then pay $50 a night extra for dog in room and any excess cleaning bills. Its cheaper to board at home kennel and better on the animal IMHO.

This is why I don't think it's going to be as bad as it seems. The majority of guests are not local and I don't think there is a huge population of people that bring their dogs on extended trips that require an airplane to get to.
 
All the reasons listed in the poll apply. Also it is a slippery slope. There have been many reports that during the hurricane, many dogs were observed in food courts even though technically they were not allowed; the rule was not enforced. This may happen again that dogs will be all over the resorts and not just in the designated areas. The dogs won't be able to wait to get to the dog relief areas, so there could be dog waste all over the place, outdoors and indoors. Gradually dogs may be allowed on more and more of the transportation venues, and then in the theme parks. Many owners may pretend that their dog is a service dog even if it isn't. After the trial period ends, dogs may be allowed in all the resorts, not just the original four. Also I agree that it is not likely to be enjoyable for the dogs, either. The dogs would probably be happier with a non-traveling family member, if possible.
 
ALL of the above. Plus fleas. Plus lack of restrictions, plus poorly thought out policy.

Also, and I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere, there is a religious issue as well. Which while less important than allergies and phobias (and fear and fleas) is going to be a reason for some people.

I hate this change.
 

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