Service dog at wdw trip report

[gilesmt]

Lots asked me to report back after our trip. Well we left on May 7, and spent the night in seattle hotel, although that is now our home we met up with the kids there after work, dog did great that night.

Next morning we left for the plane at 9am, did not feed dog or give water, so as not to need potty on long trip. Two airplanes, no potty break since we had less than 20 minutes by the time our plane landed and we swapped. 9:40 pm minus three hour time difference and we landed. Dog did great but what a squished spot for a lab on the plane, no more up front since they can charge extra for those seats now, but she did well.

Hotel by 11, great limo service, they called and stated they had a flat and was running 5 minutes behind, it was more like 8 but no big deal. Stop at store and then shades of green by 11, all checked in and to bed by 11:30.

Up at 6, MK day, 8 opening, we made rope drop. 5 rides and off to BBB for 9 am, more rides and nap at 1. Then to CRT at 5:20 a few more rides and wishes desert party at 9pm and home.

Thought dog was doing good. Next morning, she would not get up and move she just laid there and said no way, but it was our blizzard bay day so we took her to the kennel and picked her up after.

Well, this is how it went, she did about two hours each morning and three to four hours each night, but many morning and nights off,this was a 12 day 14 day vacation, 12 days in parks, most days I was really lucky to get 4 hours out of her, and this is a dog that walks, 3 miles with me almost daily.

Most of our days were designed with her in mind, like BBB and naps and dinner ressies and night time sit downs, yet she could not do it.

I could go thru each day if anyone wants but I just wanted to report how difficult it was to have the dog work all day long, actually she only made one day of all day long and the rest were just a few hours each day.

We never used the cages at the rides, asked about it once just to see it and three cast members could not tell me anything about it, asked at guest services and that person did not know anything about them either, since we have not seen much, I figured maybe they did a trial and took it out to perfect it and it was not available at the dates we went, but that is just speculation on my part. Since I doubted I would use it, we did not research a lot and maybe I was just asking the wrong people, we did ask on mission space since that was the only place I heard they did have it for sure, but at least on our day no one knew anything about it.

One difference I found in wdw compared to dlr, there were way more potty spots and way less hazel with fences getting to them. Staff were knowledgable of where they were.

We saw two other service dogs, while there that were working dogs, both sheppards, asked if they were having trouble, was told no but they live close and only do one park every few weeks so the dogs are use to the one day, then they get to rest for days at home. Saw two toy dogs, not sure if they were working, they were small and riding on scooters, won't get into wether that is legal and safe, but those dogs not walking all day seemed to have no problem with the parks, although both dogs, had problems with crowds and people they both were barking a lot. I did ask one of them if the dog had trouble in the park for days, again told she only comes once or twice a month and never does a whole day, she was in dtd shopping and not going to the parks on this day, I did not ask but I believe the dogs service was for diabetis only because of what she ordered for lunch. Anyway a lot lot less dogs in wdw than we see in dlr when we go there, there I see more than one dog a day, rather than one a week.

We got home yesterday at 4 pm, little lady has not even got up to eat breakfast or go potty yet, she is exhausted.

Anyone have questions please ask, this is mainly to help people realize how difficult it is with a dog, and also how to plan ahead for what the dogs needs.

 

[disney david]

Lots asked me to report back after our trip. Well we left on May 7, and spent the night in seattle hotel, although that is now our home we met up with the kids there after work, dog did great that night.

Next morning we left for the plane at 9am, did not feed dog or give water, so as not to need potty on long trip. Two airplanes, no potty break since we had less than 20 minutes by the time our plane landed and we swapped. 9:40 pm minus three hour time difference and we landed. Dog did great but what a squished spot for a lab on the plane, no more up front since they can charge extra for those seats now, but she did well.

Hotel by 11, great limo service, they called and stated they had a flat and was running 5 minutes behind, it was more like 8 but no big deal. Stop at store and then shades of green by 11, all checked in and to bed by 11:30.

Up at 6, MK day, 8 opening, we made rope drop. 5 rides and off to BBB for 9 am, more rides and nap at 1. Then to CRT at 5:20 a few more rides and wishes desert party at 9pm and home.

Thought dog was doing good. Next morning, she would not get up and move she just laid there and said no way, but it was our blizzard bay day so we took her to the kennel and picked her up after.

Well, this is how it went, she did about two hours each morning and three to four hours each night, but many morning and nights off,this was a 12 day 14 day vacation, 12 days in parks, most days I was really lucky to get 4 hours out of her, and this is a dog that walks, 3 miles with me almost daily.

Most of our days were designed with her in mind, like BBB and naps and dinner ressies and night time sit downs, yet she could not do it.

I could go thru each day if anyone wants but I just wanted to report how difficult it was to have the dog work all day long, actually she only made one day of all day long and the rest were just a few hours each day.

We never used the cages at the rides, asked about it once just to see it and three cast members could not tell me anything about it, asked at guest services and that person did not know anything about them either, since we have not seen much, I figured maybe they did a trial and took it out to perfect it and it was not available at the dates we went, but that is just speculation on my part. Since I doubted I would use it, we did not research a lot and maybe I was just asking the wrong people, we did ask on mission space since that was the only place I heard they did have it for sure, but at least on our day no one knew anything about it.

One difference I found in wdw compared to dlr, there were way more potty spots and way less hazel with fences getting to them. Staff were knowledgable of where they were.

We saw two other service dogs, while there that were working dogs, both sheppards, asked if they were having trouble, was told no but they live close and only do one park every few weeks so the dogs are use to the one day, then they get to rest for days at home. Saw two toy dogs, not sure if they were working, they were small and riding on scooters, won't get into wether that is legal and safe, but those dogs not walking all day seemed to have no problem with the parks, although both dogs, had problems with crowds and people they both were barking a lot. I did ask one of them if the dog had trouble in the park for days, again told she only comes once or twice a month and never does a whole day, she was in dtd shopping and not going to the parks on this day, I did not ask but I believe the dogs service was for diabetis only because of what she ordered for lunch. Anyway a lot lot less dogs in wdw than we see in dlr when we go there, there I see more than one dog a day, rather than one a week.

We got home yesterday at 4 pm, little lady has not even got up to eat breakfast or go potty yet, she is exhausted.

Anyone have questions please ask, this is mainly to help people realize how difficult it is with a dog, and also how to plan ahead for what the dogs needs.

Glad she had some fun sorry to hear she got tired easily wdw is huge. Did she get any water time or did you take her on the bus and how did it go. With the kennels they are only on the rides they can't go on safely. But the cms should still be able to answer questions I think it a new thing
And sometimes it take awhile to get all the cms on the same page.


It funny how much dogs are like kids because some kids have to your like that.

I don't mean any disrespect to kids or service animals I also don't mean to offend and anyone and if I did I am sorry.

 

[gilesmt]

David, the dog had a blast at typhoon lagoon, of course not in the water, but at the little squirt water to help people's feet and the cement, the water would pool up and squirt so she had a lot of fun playing there. She also liked the water at fantasyland, but we only did it in the early morning, before many kids got there, was afraid we may get yelled at, but we never did and she loved that water. She loved the boats and the monorail and we always use buses. We took the ferry to MK a lot in the morning from the poly and she really enjoyed the ride. One ride we went on that I did not even ask if she could go on was the horse drawn carriage, we had friends and they held her while we went on and then they went after. She played in water at dtd and I think Epcot but I can't remember, but again the splash water not in a lake or anything. She was also drenched by the kids at the pool one night, they had buckets and kept pouring the water on her and squealing when she shook it all over them, no one yelled so we let them all play for about two hours one night. But I had to reprimand her a few times for trying to follow the kids into the kiddy pool, she never got in but she tried.

She also did not like the baby alligator between the two main buildings of shades of green, I was always asking if anyone saw the mother, no one did, but every time we past the area the dog would stop and not move and once or twice started to bark and not let me walk. The baby never came out of the waters edge so we where a good 8 feet but the dog could sense the danger or something.

 

[disney david]

David, the dog had a blast at typhoon lagoon, of course not in the water, but at the little squirt water to help people's feet and the cement, the water would pool up and squirt so she had a lot of fun playing there. She also liked the water at fantasyland, but we only did it in the early morning, before many kids got there, was afraid we may get yelled at, but we never did and she loved that water. She loved the boats and the monorail and we always use buses. We took the ferry to MK a lot in the morning from the poly and she really enjoyed the ride. One ride we went on that I did not even ask if she could go on was the horse drawn carriage, we had friends and they held her while we went on and then they went after. She played in water at dtd and I think Epcot but I can't remember, but again the splash water not in a lake or anything. She was also drenched by the kids at the pool one night, they had buckets and kept pouring the water on her and squealing when she shook it all over them, no one yelled so we let them all play for about two hours one night. But I had to reprimand her a few times for trying to follow the kids into the kiddy pool, she never got in but she tried.

She also did not like the baby alligator between the two main buildings of shades of green, I was always asking if anyone saw the mother, no one did, but every time we past the area the dog would stop and not move and once or twice started to bark and not let me walk. The baby never came out of the waters edge so we where a good 8 feet but the dog could sense the danger or something.

I glad she had fun in the water the dtd ones looked good was going to come back and tell you but saw you already was on the trip. If you walked away you could come back to her and the kids sitting in the pool or taking laps in the main pool glad you had a great time and she found some water to play in.

 

[KPeveler]

I have seen the kennel they are going to use at DLR - I will try to take a pic next time. It is a plain wire cage, so the animal is visible from all sides and it has a wire bottom with no covering - that cannot be comfy on paws! it looked big enough for a lab for a short while. It is right in the middle of wheelchair parking, so lots of activity around it all the time. It was on the other side of the load zone from CMs and while CMs do try to keep people where they are supposed to be, I see no way of keeping kids from trying to stick their fingers in or poke the dog. I know a Service Dog is no danger, but they did not seem to have the animal's comfort in mind at all!