Rider swap ok when with service dog ?

[cinderella73]

I thought I saw info about this on here before but couldnt find it. Are you allowed to do a rider swap when your party is traveling with a service dog ? I could swear I read this but wanted to make sure .

I can imagine that even if you are that some cast members might not be familiar with it and say only with small children. Maybe I should print something out and bring it with me ?

 

[Stellapedia]

Absolutely, though there are very few rides that the dog can't go on. For those rides, they'll allow a swap. I've never once had a problem, even when they never see the dog. There was been times when I'll sit in the shade away from the ride, wait for them to be done and come over to me, and walk back and get on the ride. Just be sure that the first person to get on alerts them to it, and you should be fine. Though I've also very rarely waited in the line with the dog, it seems to make CMs nervous and they want the dog out of the line quickly, so they'll often call you to the head.

 

[KPeveler]

Yes, I am pretty sure that you can do rider swap with a service dog. I am going to move this over to the disABILITIES main board, where you will get more answers.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Confirming- yes you can do rider swap with a service dog. A member of your party must be with the dog at all times though. They may have different methods of handling this with a say seizure alert dog or something like that vs a guide dog.

We had several different experiences with it. At Startours, I waited with the dog on a bench where you load, while the CM guided my father to a seat in the ride, then when it was over she brought him back to where I was and he sat with the dog while I rode, then we both exited out. On Mission Space we went all the way through to the exit and I doubled back into the ride, came out and brought my father into the ride then took the dog back out and sat, then when the ride was over a CM lead him back to me. On Soarin one of us would wait right at the exit before you go up the ramp and trade off. On Test Track we went up the exit ramp and there was a tiny roped off area..where the cars are queued up once you've loaded there's a bunch of stairs around it, one at at time we were taken through that and put into a little waiting area and then loaded onto the ride from the proper loading side I guess you could call it. If you read the post titled "ToT and GAC question" I have a spoiler of sorts how we loaded there.

 

[cinderella73]

Absolutely, though there are very few rides that the dog can't go on. For those rides, they'll allow a swap. I've never once had a problem, even when they never see the dog. There was been times when I'll sit in the shade away from the ride, wait for them to be done and come over to me, and walk back and get on the ride. Just be sure that the first person to get on alerts them to it, and you should be fine. Though I've also very rarely waited in the line with the dog, it seems to make CMs nervous and they want the dog out of the line quickly, so they'll often call you to the head.

Thanks! I am a bit confused because I know that of course all the different rides have different ways to enter . I know they said to go through the same line as a wheelchair one when available unless its a mainstream line. But I guess some places you enter the exit and some other places. Hopefully I will get the hang of it after this first trip. I know I will get confused the first time around. But I am sure glad they allow riderswitch !

Yes, I am pretty sure that you can do rider swap with a service dog. I am going to move this over to the disABILITIES main board, where you will get more answers.

Thank you!

Confirming- yes you can do rider swap with a service dog. A member of your party must be with the dog at all times though. They may have different methods of handling this with a say seizure alert dog or something like that vs a guide dog.

We had several different experiences with it. At Startours, I waited with the dog on a bench where you load, while the CM guided my father to a seat in the ride, then when it was over she brought him back to where I was and he sat with the dog while I rode, then we both exited out. On Mission Space we went all the way through to the exit and I doubled back into the ride, came out and brought my father into the ride then took the dog back out and sat, then when the ride was over a CM lead him back to me. On Soarin one of us would wait right at the exit before you go up the ramp and trade off. On Test Track we went up the exit ramp and there was a tiny roped off area..where the cars are queued up once you've loaded there's a bunch of stairs around it, one at at time we were taken through that and put into a little waiting area and then loaded onto the ride from the proper loading side I guess you could call it. If you read the post titled "ToT and GAC question" I have a spoiler of sorts how we loaded there.

Thanks for the heads up ! I will have to find your thread. Soarin and Test Track we will definately be doing so thats very helpful. I guess I might even bring a mini notebook and make some notes . I did print out the service dog guide at Disneys website but it doesnt detail a lot about how you enter and do the switch offs . Isnt there a phamphlet you can get at guest assistance also ? I dont know if it has anything helpful but its got to be better than carrying around my printouts. I want to make sure I have all the potty area back entrance locations handy. I hope the cast members know how to handle this .


(By the way guys I just wanted to share we get our dog in 3 weeks! I cant wait ! )

 

[LockShockBarrel]

The guide you get at Guest Services doesn't tell you loading and rider swap procedures for the dogs, but it does have the list of potty places. Sometimes GS will have the handout for all the parks so you don't have to go to GS at every park.

Even though they say the GAC is for guests with more "hidden" disabilites, and a dog is pretty darn obvious, I'd get one anyway. I had a few CMs ask for it. Your best bet will be to go to the CM(s) where the line starts and ask how to procede. They may have different procedures in place now, and my only experience is with a guide dog. If they don't know, they'll be able to find out. Also with potty breaks we found the best way to handle it was to just find a CM nearby the location since most of them (if not all, I can't remember) are in backstage areas. Not all CMs can leave their stations, like someone at a foodcart, but they should be able to contact someone who can walk you back there. Make sure your doggie isn't in dire need, because sometimes it'll take you a good 15 minutes between finding a CM and the walk to the designated area. Don't forget poop bags.

 

[cinderella73]

The guide you get at Guest Services doesn't tell you loading and rider swap procedures for the dogs, but it does have the list of potty places. Sometimes GS will have the handout for all the parks so you don't have to go to GS at every park.

Even though they say the GAC is for guests with more "hidden" disabilites, and a dog is pretty darn obvious, I'd get one anyway. I had a few CMs ask for it. Your best bet will be to go to the CM(s) where the line starts and ask how to procede. They may have different procedures in place now, and my only experience is with a guide dog. If they don't know, they'll be able to find out. Also with potty breaks we found the best way to handle it was to just find a CM nearby the location since most of them (if not all, I can't remember) are in backstage areas. Not all CMs can leave their stations, like someone at a foodcart, but they should be able to contact someone who can walk you back there. Make sure your doggie isn't in dire need, because sometimes it'll take you a good 15 minutes between finding a CM and the walk to the designated area. Don't forget poop bags.

Thank u for that excellent advice ! I have never owned a dog so I have no idea what to expect as far as how often to take him on potty breaks even. But with the heat I imagine he will need to go often as he will be drinking a lot . I will be getting back from my 2 week training with him and home for a week before hitting Disney so its a bit nerve wrecking. I guess we will plan on a lot of breaks! We were told to order him a cooling vest and booties for the hot pavement.

As far as getting someone to let us go backstage so the dog can go potty , thats what worries me. I hope it wont turn into a nightmare having to wait so long we have a mess to clean. I guess the first day will be trial and error.

I will definately go to guest assistance and ask them for the booklet and see if they want me to have a card or not . I guess it could make things easier for newer CM's that might now know how to handle things.

Im laughing at all the gear we have to have! Ive been saying all along its like having a baby. We have to bring in food , colapsable water and food bowls , booties . Its like he needs his own diaper / doggie bag! lol

Is there anything else I am forgetting that I should have ?

BTW I just wanted to share. Here is our guy. He is only wearing a vest in one pic as they were taken on the ranch during his down time. He will be wearing his vest when we go though.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

May I ask what kind of dog he is (like what service he provides)?

I don't mean to scare you with the whole waiting on a CM for a potty break. We didn't have to wait every time, but there were a couple times we had to wait for the CM we approached to get another CM who could actually take us back there.

I'm a little surprised that you're taking a dog that new... especially when you say you've never owned a dog. I guess if you had the tripped plan THEN found out you were able to get the dog...or its just the only time you can get down there, it makes more sense. My concern is it takes time to bond with any animal, and to learn its "quirks" to so speak (ie how long before they give a signal they need to potty to when they'll just go, how they react to heat/cold) and then with it being a service dog, learning how to reacts to different situations. Guide dogs from the school we went through are put through training to learn to deal with loud noises. They're put in a down/sit while guns are shot off, fireworks are set off, plates smashed and all that (from a safe distance of course) as a way to get them used to those situations so they don't flip out if it were to happen while they were at work. That being said, when we watched the JAMMinators, one of the performers started walking towards us while drumming and our dog was not happy. He stood up from his sit and barked in a "stay away" voice. Disney is consitant stimulation for a human, let alone a dog, so I urge you to be patient and prepared as your dog may not react in a way you expect.

Plan on lots of breaks, being observant of it your dog is trying to tell you something (too hot, too tired, Mom I need to poop!) and just be smart about things. Dogs don't sweat, and can overheat very quickly. The pavement gets very hot and even if he's wearing booties, it will reflect a lot of heat and the dog is a lot closer to the ground than you are. Neither of our dogs would ever tolerate something on their feet so booties were never an option, we would splash water on their paws or pour a little on the ground and let them walk through it (even at the spash and play kiddie areas) Remember he can get sunburned too, particularly on the top of his nose, so beware of that. You may be tempted to give him lots of water, but try not to. Try to do it a little at a time so he doesn't get sick. Imagine it like you suck down a whole bottle of water then take a long walk in the heat, it wouldn't feel very good and he'll feel the same way. Also resist the urge to feed him lots of ice. The cold ice can be jarring to the system, so if you do give him any, make it one or two cubes and then wait awhile.

I don't mean to make you worry or second guess yourself, I just want you to be prepared. You're taking a full conscious living critter into a very different, loud, majorly overstimulating situation and there's a lot of things to remember and be aware of. Lots of people take service animals and have great luck with it, but there's potential for things to go wrong and you have to be smart about things. You wouldn't expect a 5 year old to go all day in the heat and deal with all the stimulation and people and noise and not get tired, therefore you can't expect a dog to do it either. If you're tired or hot or thirsty, your dog probably felt that way 30 minutes before you did. Everyone preaches patience at Disney, and I think this applies even more in situations like this.

 

[cinderella73]

May I ask what kind of dog he is (like what service he provides)?

I don't mean to scare you with the whole waiting on a CM for a potty break. We didn't have to wait every time, but there were a couple times we had to wait for the CM we approached to get another CM who could actually take us back there.

I'm a little surprised that you're taking a dog that new... especially when you say you've never owned a dog. I guess if you had the tripped plan THEN found out you were able to get the dog...or its just the only time you can get down there, it makes more sense. My concern is it takes time to bond with any animal, and to learn its "quirks" to so speak (ie how long before they give a signal they need to potty to when they'll just go, how they react to heat/cold) and then with it being a service dog, learning how to reacts to different situations. Guide dogs from the school we went through are put through training to learn to deal with loud noises. They're put in a down/sit while guns are shot off, fireworks are set off, plates smashed and all that (from a safe distance of course) as a way to get them used to those situations so they don't flip out if it were to happen while they were at work. That being said, when we watched the JAMMinators, one of the performers started walking towards us while drumming and our dog was not happy. He stood up from his sit and barked in a "stay away" voice. Disney is consitant stimulation for a human, let alone a dog, so I urge you to be patient and prepared as your dog may not react in a way you expect.

Plan on lots of breaks, being observant of it your dog is trying to tell you something (too hot, too tired, Mom I need to poop!) and just be smart about things. Dogs don't sweat, and can overheat very quickly. The pavement gets very hot and even if he's wearing booties, it will reflect a lot of heat and the dog is a lot closer to the ground than you are. Neither of our dogs would ever tolerate something on their feet so booties were never an option, we would splash water on their paws or pour a little on the ground and let them walk through it (even at the spash and play kiddie areas) Remember he can get sunburned too, particularly on the top of his nose, so beware of that. You may be tempted to give him lots of water, but try not to. Try to do it a little at a time so he doesn't get sick. Imagine it like you suck down a whole bottle of water then take a long walk in the heat, it wouldn't feel very good and he'll feel the same way. Also resist the urge to feed him lots of ice. The cold ice can be jarring to the system, so if you do give him any, make it one or two cubes and then wait awhile.

I don't mean to make you worry or second guess yourself, I just want you to be prepared. You're taking a full conscious living critter into a very different, loud, majorly overstimulating situation and there's a lot of things to remember and be aware of. Lots of people take service animals and have great luck with it, but there's potential for things to go wrong and you have to be smart about things. You wouldn't expect a 5 year old to go all day in the heat and deal with all the stimulation and people and noise and not get tired, therefore you can't expect a dog to do it either. If you're tired or hot or thirsty, your dog probably felt that way 30 minutes before you did. Everyone preaches patience at Disney, and I think this applies even more in situations like this.

Yes exactly . I did really did not want to take our dog this soon in. In fact we had a trip planned originally in May but cancelled everything because we thought he would be ready to pick up then. So we rescheduled it for September. When we found out we were now getting our dog in August . We wanted to cancel. But we had already paid for certain things that were non refundable and now also had a mini family reunion in the works. We are not happy to be going so soon after. On the positive side I will be meeting up with another woman who also has a service dog from the same ranch for 3 of the days . She is going to help train a bit Disney style while we are there . In fact she went one time to just get her dog familar before she brought her son and guest services suprised her by giving her son a free ticket for the next time she came back ! I thought that was really really nice of them. So I will have some help on some days. And of course we will take many breaks. Definately not our usual touring style. But its better than losing all our money and no trip.

The things that you said show u must know a LOT about service dogs because thats exactly what the owner at the ranch said ! I told her I know and I agree totally . I was worried we would have to cancel and lose thousands of dollars ( not all desposits were with Disney , just some ) . But she said she would go out of her way to make sure we could do this . I think she felt bad over changing the dates. The trainer gave me some homework ahead of time to get started and of course I need to totally focus on like you said learning to read my dogs body language. I looked at my calendar and its not a week like I thought its 2 . But thats still not ideal . Good thing is the trainer said that I truly had one of the best dogs to come off the ranch and that if it would be a little easier with any dog she couldnt have picked better. That helps me feel a bit better. She is pretty blunt and honest so I trust her opinion.

We already planned on skipping the fireworks for the sake of the dog . I know hes well trained but we didnt want to stress him. We have also been told about ordering something called mutt muffs that I will look into . We do have a few nights at the Contemporary as well ( we did some offsite as well)so I told everyone that we could always catch the fireworks from there with the dog tucked safely inside with music on . I am hoping of course with the sliding door closed its not loud still .

I think you gave me some of the best advice yet. I know that I did sit my family down and said that they need to keep in mind that this dog is here to help protect my son and we also need to help protect the dog in these extreme conditions . And considering that its going to be hot and crazy that we will not be doing Disney the way we always have . If we have to go only early or in the evenings and miss half the day or take a couple extra days off we will. I cant think of any better place to be taking it easy . My teen was not thrilled at first but I explained a bit that its better to be sitting on a bench in the shade with a Mickey bar taking more breaks or swimming in a pool than be sitting home . To me we are lucky we are even doing this as crazy as its been. Hopefully everyone else will adjust and have a good time also.

I didnt think about a nose sunburn or sunburn even! Makes sense on the water and ice also. I will make sure I spend the 2 weeks of my training and the next 2 weeks home studying the dogs body language . I would never want him to be in any danger. And yes honestly I have real concerns about going in this heat. Maybe just doing a couple early mornings and mostly evenings will help a bit . Here is the swamp vest we are ordering . i am told this should help but will need to be refilled . http://www.ruffwear.com/Swamp-Coole...revents-Canine-Heat-Exhaustion-from-Ruff-Wear

The boots I think they tested on him already for me. But I will make sure to have them handy for when I get there so if he doesnt like it the trainer can help me . I cant imagine walking on that ground in September barefoot!

I think from now on when we go it will be in Dec , Jan , or Feb !

And I know this sounds bad... ( prob get flamed) but I wouldnt mind it if a "little" tropical storm blew in like it did one year we were there.( hurricane season of course) Cooled things down a lot! As far as the little water areas they have we thought of that also. I hope no one gets upset . You know saying hes a dog and its not sanitary and all. We could always just splash him down with some cool water off to the side .

Btw is there such a thing as dog sunscreen ? I guess I should go google that. I know they have paw wax but we cant get it because so far they all have ingredients we have allergies to. I sure hope he likes the boots ok!

 

[r&kmommy]

Absolutely, though there are very few rides that the dog can't go on. For those rides, they'll allow a swap. I've never once had a problem, even when they never see the dog. There was been times when I'll sit in the shade away from the ride, wait for them to be done and come over to me, and walk back and get on the ride. Just be sure that the first person to get on alerts them to it, and you should be fine. Though I've also very rarely waited in the line with the dog, it seems to make CMs nervous and they want the dog out of the line quickly, so they'll often call you to the head.

I'm totally just lurking/haning out, but I HAD to ask - guide dogs can go on (some) rides? How convenient and helpful is that!?! In all my years I have never seen a guide dog on a ride (or in a ride queue, for that matter) and have only seen a handful of guide dogs in the parks.

I can say that ALL guide dogs I saw were wearing booties. (Yes, I took note of it because they looked so official and business like with their vests and booties!)

Anyway, good luck OP bringing your new pup to the World

 

[LockShockBarrel]

A lot of what I've been telling you comes from just having a service dog around for almost 20 years (obviously not the same one lol) It becomes second nature after awhile.

I don't know about real doggie sunscreen, but what I did is put some Chapstick with SPF protection on that spot on top of his nose and rubbed it in. I figured that way if he licked it, it wouldn't hurt him. Seemed to work fine.

Its good to hear you'll have help and honestly I have to say it puts my mind at ease a bit. Disney can be challenging for teams that have been together for years, let alone a brand new team.

I'm also glad the school is emphasizing the body language and signals issue. We learned that if our first dog gave a stressed grunt, he had to poop or at least pee really bad. With the second dog, he got really wiggly when he had to go. So obviously every doggie is different.

2 more things I forgot to add to my other posts. Your dog must always be on leash while in the parks or at DTD. We would take his harness off while he ate (only because he was trained that he shouldn't take food while wearing it) but still had the leash on him. The other thing is doggie massages. At night once we were back from the parks, our last dog LOVED a little rub down. I'd massage up by his shoulders and down his back to his thighs, the big muscle groups that he'd been using all day. No aromatherapy or anything like that, lol, but if you're sore, he'll probably be sore too.

 

[SueM in MN]

I will definately go to guest assistance and ask them for the booklet and see if they want me to have a card or not . I guess it could make things easier for newer CM's that might now know how to handle things.

just FYI - they no longer have the booklets for guests with disabilities.
For the past 2 years, they have been phasing in new maps for guests with disabilities. There is now a map available for each park and Guest Services has only those maps.

You will find the maps in the entrance area of each park in the kiosks with the other maps. They look very much like the other maps, but the maps for disabilities have a wide black border on top, which says "Guide For Guests With Disabilities." The bin that they are in is marked with a blue wheelchair symbol.

The new maps do include information for guests with Service Animals, including a list of attractions that Service Animals are not allowed on and those where it is recommended to speak with a CM before boarding.
In that area, it also lists the designated break areas for Service Animals.
For access, the maps say that "Guests with Service Animals should follow the same attraction entrance procedures as described for guests using wheelchairs. Due to the nature of some attractions, service animals may not be permitted to ride. In those instances, a member of your party must remain with the animal."

The new maps clearly list every attraction, and indicate "Mobility Access" for each one, which is the entrance that the map also says should be used by guests with service animals. In most cases, the map does say to "Enter through the standard queue." (Also called the Mainstream or Stand-By queue or line).
When there is a different entrance, such as Spaceship Earth, it does give directions on where to go.

Since the map does clearly list what to do, it also provides something in writing for the guest to show the CM if there is any confusion about where to enter (such as the CM saying the guest needs a GAC to go in what is listed as the Mobility Entrance).

 

[dclfun]

Add me to someone concerned for you and even moreso for your dog. We live locally and if we ever visit the parks in the summer we go for only a few hours either early morning or late evening. It's horribly, miserably hot and your dog will not have the stamina he/she has in cooler temperatures. My SD will not wear booties so we use paw wax and I'm constantly looking at the pavement and avoiding black surfaces whenever possible. It sounds like you are already aware but your touring will be severely compromised, people will make rude comments about your "poor dog", etc. I was told by our trainer that dogs can overheat very quickly and die without alot of warning so you'll need to be really vigilant.

A couple of hints- do not splash your dog all over with water. They are not allowed in the splash zone areas. If you do splash all over they will shake water on everyone and the water just heats them up with "steam" as due to the humidity in Florida it doesn't evaporate quickly. Splash the underbelly only and definitely if your dog gets overheated as this is one of the quickest ways to cool down a dog. Offer water frequently and esp. ice. Ice will cool down a dog more quickly so a few cubes every 30 minutes or so is helpful. Besides the cooling vest, you can make or buy a cooling bandana and keep it wet around the neck. Once you know your dog's schedule, then you'll know about elimination habits. Most dogs need to have a bowel movement immediately after eating. They have very short intestines and as such, things move through quickly. Offer a break every 3-4 hours. Your dog will likely not need to go that often but it's better to offer than to have him uncomfortable. You will need to give extra food to make up for the extra exercise. Do spend lots of time in indoor attractions or space out your touring to do a few things in the heat then go indoors to a show where your dog can relax. You can visit first aid just for the dog to rest in the a/c. I understand you want to bring your new dog, but only knowing each other for 2 weeks really isn't optimal, as you said you've realized. The organization that gave me my SD ( Paws with a Cause), would not have allowed me to even take my dog in public at that point. I had two full weeks just with bonding and commands and didn't even get her vest until that point, then we had to do training sessions together. We would not have been able to take such a trip until she was certified to work with me, several months after placement and some hard work on both our parts. I do understand your losing money to reschedule but perhaps they could put off the placement until your return? I'm just thinking of your being set up for success rather than getting off to a bad start and having challenges you'd not have faced if you'd introduced your dog to your family in a more relaxed and calm environment with your typical household schedule.---Kathy

 

[SueM in MN]

I agree with dclfun - it may be better to put off placement if you can until you get home since it sounds like the trip can't be put off. It would still be helpful to meet up with the other woman with her service dog even without your dog, but your new dog touring with another service dog will be an added distraction.

Also, I thought I read in one of your posts that the dog is for your son, to help keep him safe. I'm assuming (sorry if I am wrong) that your son is on the autism spectrum or similar situation.

Your dog will not only need to get used to you, but also to your son and your son's behavior might be different at WDW than it is at home. Also, with the mini family reunion, that adds another set of new circumstances for a dog that is just getting to know you.

No matter how well he's trained, he's still a dog first.

Hope you have a great time, no matter how things turn out.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Just wanted to say on the Splash area topic, we only walked our dog through the wet pavement around it, never actually in the area. Sorry if I gave the wrong impression.

 

[cinderella73]

Well I only have a quick sec to respond right now. But I will respond individually to you all tomorrow when I have some free time.

I just wanted to say first of all thank you to everyone for your concern and advice. Unfortunately we cannot put off the placement. I will tell you that I have been so stressed about everything going in regarding the timing of everything that my doc wouldnt let me go home today and he even made to see a cardiologist that also kept me most of the day. My blood pressure is way to high . The whole timing bit , the training class , the travel , the trip , finances , etc . in general about not just the dog but events in general in life has just taken its toll on me.

I want to make sure to let everyone know that really I will even take turns with my husband just staying in days at the resort so the other one of us can take the kids to the park if needed. I wont let the dog step foot outside if the heat is extreme. Now I know its always hot in Sept as I used to live in Florida but there are some times we have been down when hurricanes or storms will make things "slightly "more pleasant. We had beautiful weather a few days in sept 08 with all the storms blowing through . While I am hoping for that I am not counting on it. And if the dog cant make it to the parks.. well then he cant make it to the parks. His safety is more important than a trip. I will try to stay positive and take it as it comes but I am prepared to rearrange everything to make sure the dog is safe. Thats really the priority.

I will only take the dog in the evenings ( only a few evenings not every one )and only on cooler days. My friend also agreed that some days we can leave the dog at the kennel and use her dog that is fully trained and lives in the Florida heat . ( shes from Tampa) Just to let you all know though my dog is being trained out west and is coming from a very hot place also so that will make t a "little" bit easier on him I hope . I honestly never forgive myself if I hurt or made our dog ill in anyway . And even Disney as much as I love it doesnt compare to my love and respect for our dog .

I guess from what you all are saying I should just plan to keep the dog in most of the time. I am fully prepared to do just that . I guess that while I am feeling positive overall and taking it as it comes I want everyone to know I have decided that the trip revolves around the dog not the other way around. We are just lucky to have our dog and frankly spending time with him is going to be the most magical part of this trip anyway.

I think I will work up a touring plan for the days we do try to do a couple cooler evenings and see what you all think . I really do appreciate everyones advice and fully intend to use it . And of course if it doesnt work out we will take turns babysitting at the resort. But we will make it work and keep our dog safe and happy. I have no expections of anything other than a very low key trip centered around the dog.

Now I do have a blog I will be posting up soon that I would love to share with you all. I will keep it updated while we are there and its great to know I have you all for advice. I will work on a rough draft of a evening park day schedule and between the sun being down and the cooling vest hopefully we can make it work on a couple days anyway. I do have to continue my training with the dog after I get home from my 2 week training course . I have to take him to public places 5 times a week and so of course I will have to find a way to fit this all in as well .

I am a bit overwhelmed but making the best of it . We may be moving back to Florida shortly anyway so part of this trip is to look at homes. My friend has a lab SD also and hers is black so I am anxiously awaiting all her advice and guidance on how to keep a dog safe in Florida heat. I know she takes great care of him so I hopefully I can learn a lot.

Sorry to write so much ! I will answer some of your questions tomorrow. Just wanted you all to know that I wasnt going to let the dog get sick. Not by not caring and not by ignorance. I know that most of you were concerned because you thought due to my lack of knowledge I could inadvertently cause the dog stress. But just knowing that can happen will make me even more aware . Knowing that I dont know a lot yet will cause me to always err on the side of caution. I wont take any chances with him. We waited so long and even though we havent met him yet we love him dearly !

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I don't think anyone meant to make you feel attacked or question your motives. Dclfun and I just speak from experience with having a dog down there (I feel like Sue's DD has one too, not sure though) I'm sure everyone will be at least comforted to hear that you're willing to do what you need to in regards to the dog's safety and comfort. Our concern doesn't come from a place of "oh well she's clueless and can't handle it" or anything like that, just us knowing the challenges we've had being experienced dog owners and being there with well established service dog/human teams. Plain and simply as even you've said, it's less than the ideal situation, but sometimes you have to just make things work. I think I speak for all of us in that we just want you to be as well informed and prepared as possible, and make the best choices you can for your family and your new family member.

 

[cinderella73]

I don't think anyone meant to make you feel attacked or question your motives. Dclfun and I just speak from experience with having a dog down there (I feel like Sue's DD has one too, not sure though) I'm sure everyone will be at least comforted to hear that you're willing to do what you need to in regards to the dog's safety and comfort. Our concern doesn't come from a place of "oh well she's clueless and can't handle it" or anything like that, just us knowing the challenges we've had being experienced dog owners and being there with well established service dog/human teams. Plain and simply as even you've said, it's less than the ideal situation, but sometimes you have to just make things work. I think I speak for all of us in that we just want you to be as well informed and prepared as possible, and make the best choices you can for your family and your new family member.

Thank you . I really didnt mean to sound defensive but I am sure I did by being so longwinded . I didnt feel attacked at all. I am really very thankful for all the great advice and concern and in no way offended. I am sure I will have so many questions and I am happy that I have a place here that I can bounce them off of you all . Who better to ask than Dis'ers with SD's and or disabilitys .

I do have a few questions for you all that have been to WDW with your SD's on things like when you normally visit (time of year ), how you schedule your day , and how long you stay in the park that day , any incidents , etc. . I would love to better understand for future trips what is and isnt really attainable for us on our future visits. Right now everything is so largely unknown. And since this trip wont be under ideal condition I may try to schedule a redo so there is no pressure to do anything other than resort time if need be.

MODS - I dont know if the you would prefer I start a new post or just continue here. But I didnt want to litter up the board so I am just continuing on here if thats ok since its still SD related.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

Most of our trips were around Oct or around Feb. The weather is usually much cooler than summer in Oct, and definitely cooler in Feb but its never been freezing even though its still winter. This also tends to coincide with drops in attendence which is nice when having a SD with you. Its less people to compete with, shorter waits, and just seems to be a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere.

The past 2 times we went which are really where most of my knowledge comes from it went something like this:

Get up at 7 or 8, get showered and dressed and feed the dog breakfast. Go down to Pop food court for breakfast, then by this point its about 10 and we'd take the bus to whatever park. We'd give him another potty break before we got into the park, by the kennels or on an out of the way patch of grass. If it was really warm that day, around 12 or 1 we might stop to give him a little water. Somewhere between 3:30 and 5 (depending on where we were and what time of day we'd given him breakfast) we'd stop again for a potty break and give him dinner. Usually we'd be on our way to dinner at that point and if we ate in the parks, we'd meander around a little while after, if we ate at one of the resorts we'd usually be done for the day. Most of the parks were closing around 7pm at the time anyway so it wasn't like we were losing a lot of time in the parks. Throughout the day we'd give the dog little treats that are about |----------------| that big, one at a time as both a "you've done good" type of treat, and a tiny snack. Once we were back at the hotel for the night, he'd get either a rawhide to chew on or a carrot.

Having a good game plan helps a lot, we've been to Disney so many times we usually have a good plan on what we want to do/see and what we wouldn't mind skipping or what we don't want to do/see at all. By going in the off seasons, the lines are shorter anyway because there's just less people there, plus once we got diverted to where we needed to go to load with the dog, the line was very managable. We never waited more than 20 minutes and that was for things like TSM, Mission Space (we were obviously did rider swap) and Kilimanjaro Safari (with waiting in the main line, then waiting for the ride vehicle with the wheelchair spot)

 

[cinderella73]

Most of our trips were around Oct or around Feb. The weather is usually much cooler than summer in Oct, and definitely cooler in Feb but its never been freezing even though its still winter. This also tends to coincide with drops in attendence which is nice when having a SD with you. Its less people to compete with, shorter waits, and just seems to be a bit more of a relaxed atmosphere.

The past 2 times we went which are really where most of my knowledge comes from it went something like this:

Get up at 7 or 8, get showered and dressed and feed the dog breakfast. Go down to Pop food court for breakfast, then by this point its about 10 and we'd take the bus to whatever park. We'd give him another potty break before we got into the park, by the kennels or on an out of the way patch of grass. If it was really warm that day, around 12 or 1 we might stop to give him a little water. Somewhere between 3:30 and 5 (depending on where we were and what time of day we'd given him breakfast) we'd stop again for a potty break and give him dinner. Usually we'd be on our way to dinner at that point and if we ate in the parks, we'd meander around a little while after, if we ate at one of the resorts we'd usually be done for the day. Most of the parks were closing around 7pm at the time anyway so it wasn't like we were losing a lot of time in the parks. Throughout the day we'd give the dog little treats that are about |----------------| that big, one at a time as both a "you've done good" type of treat, and a tiny snack. Once we were back at the hotel for the night, he'd get either a rawhide to chew on or a carrot.

Having a good game plan helps a lot, we've been to Disney so many times we usually have a good plan on what we want to do/see and what we wouldn't mind skipping or what we don't want to do/see at all. By going in the off seasons, the lines are shorter anyway because there's just less people there, plus once we got diverted to where we needed to go to load with the dog, the line was very managable. We never waited more than 20 minutes and that was for things like TSM, Mission Space (we were obviously did rider swap) and Kilimanjaro Safari (with waiting in the main line, then waiting for the ride vehicle with the wheelchair spot)

That sounds totally doable for us. The good thing is that we have been enough time and usually stay for 2 weeks or more so there is no need to cram to much in one day. And of course if we do move down that will make for a even more low key day.

We love slow times of the year and we homeschool so that works for us also. The treat thing sounds like a good idea. I have to find out what kind of treats we can use. But I imagine it really helps keep the dog energy level up ( Kind of like a Mickey bar to us! ) .

It sounds like you do the parks a little longer than I thought. I was worried after what I read about how tired they can get. But good to know we can work up to a almost full day in the cooler months.

Oh, how was your dog on the safari ? I heard from my friend who has the SD ( the one joining me) that they had her tie the leash down in the wheelchair area for extra security and that the dog was good but sniffing like crazy and very alert. She said he was so tired after from all his excitement that he took a nap right after in the resturant. Anything your dog did not like at all ?
I also read on here somewhere that the monkeys reacted to someones service dog when they spotted it and they were schreeching.