Service Dog in Disneyland- what to expect?

[Cesilie]

Hi all,
I will be headed to disneyland during the star wars half marathon (jan 17th & 18th) with my service dog, Ruger in tow. This is the first time he will be going to a place with these types of crowds (I don't think any crowd can top a disney crowd?!) and I myself as a first time SD owner am not sure what to expect.. so I have a few questions.


I know there is the Disneyland kennel club where I will be going first thing so he can have a break area throughout the day as I'm not sure how exactly the heat and crowds will be and want him to be able to have "him" time where he doesn't have to work... Is there a problem with him being mostly out of the kennels but still saving his spot? Also, I know he needs proof of all his vacs to book a kennel, will he need copies of those to go into the park as well? Or being vested up is proof enough? I don't have a visible disability and I know other places have questioned him so I always carry things with me but is Disney more accommodating?

Are there many relief areas in the parks? I know City hall has a map, just wondering if any other SD owners have had a problem with this or have had accidents in "non-relief" areas, what do you do besides clean to the best of my abilities? Go into a store and have them call custodial? I'd hate to be a burden to them but want to have all my basis covered in case of an accident. My boy is a bloodhound and while he can hold things well, sometimes that bloodhound mentality catches up with him and he'll leave a mini lake... for those of you who don't have/know much about BHs, they are very slow to develop potty training and bladder control- He's a year and a half old so hes pretty much over the baby oops stages, but ya know. being prepared

I do have my DAS card (will be updated when I go to city hall), Do I stilll have the same waiting process or do they do things different when a SD is with you? The kennels they provide on some of the E-Ticket rides (like space or example), do they provide you with a lock or bring your own? I worry that my boy would be the victim of a dog napping (and not by cruella), I know CMs see lots and lots of people so I'd hate for some malicious person to be like 'oh I forgot my dog" and try to take him. I doubt Ruger would go willingly as he's attached to the hip, but just another concern.


We are prepared for the onslaught of "Petters" and "LOOK AT DOG", as we get that all the time when we go anywhere, we're expecting it in the masses- who knows, maybe we'll be a part of our own show (sarcasm doesn't come across well in text). We've been making weekly trips to our disney store hoping maybe the crowds, characters, and sounds will get him excited for disney land He loves his disney toys and I'm hoping he won't be too afraid of the characters, as those are some 'big dogs'. What suggestions would SD owners have for breaking them into this? I'm sure he'll be fine, I'm just a worry wart!

He will definitely be "in bed" when fireworks are going on as I think that may be too much for him on a first trip in. I'm expecting things to be really busy so we are trying to just see what to do or not do, what to expect (besides the unexpected) and see how well disney reacts to SDs.

and because I love sharing, Here's the guy this whole post is about <3

He's been to the fair and CalExpo so I'm sure he'll be fine, just mama benig her overly worried self! any and all tips would be great! <3

"Look ma, I's at DiSNEYLANNNND!"

 

[SueM in MN]

This is a link to the Disneyland page about Service Dogs.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/

To answer a couple of questions -
You don't need proof of vaccination to enter the parks.

Guests using the Service Dog potty areas are responsible for cleaning up after their dog. In a store or other non-potty area, you would need to contact someone to clean it. One of the requirements of a Service Dog is that they be potty trained; urinating or deficating at random can be a reason to be asked to leave (in general, not just at Disney parks).

I don't know about Disneyland specifically because there are quite a few attractions that are not wheelchair accessible thru the main line. In general, Service Dogs are handled out in the world like wheelchairs.

I don't know about the kennels at Disneyland, but would not be worried about dog stealing. You could also plan your day to go on the attractions the dog can't go on for the times he will be staying at the Disneyland kennel club. Or, you can do Rider Swap so one of you will be riding while the other stays with the dog.

 

[aaarcher86]

Omg. The dog is adorable. I've not seen a service dog of that breed before. It's refreshing! He'd be a tough one to keep my kids (okay, and me!) away from petting lmao!

 

[cmwade77]

Ok, there are a few things to be aware of:

• Upon entering the park, go to guest services to get a pass for your service dog. Officially the rules state that you cannot use the crates without having one. Most CMs do not enforce this rule, but it would be terrible to get someone that does and have a problem. It looks similar to the DAS card, but will have a picture of your pet on it instead and doesn't do anything other than let the CMs know that you informed guest relations you have a service dog with you and allows you to use the crates.
• Any attraction where the dog is not allowed to ride (i.e. anything with a height restriction) has a crate available for your dog to use. If you wish to use the crate, I would strongly recommend telling the first cast member that you will need the crate, then tell every other CM along the way that you will need the crate, by doing so, it should be available when you get to the front. You need not worry about someone dog napping your animal from a crate, they will be by a CM at all times and they know who the dog belongs to, especially since you just informed so many that you need the crate.
• A major difference between Disneyland and Disney World is the rules about where you dog can go. Basically, at Disneyland, if it is a grassy area that has an operable gate that is not locked, your dog can use it. If it is locked, there is no grass or it is welded shut, your dog cannot use it.
• At Disneyland, he will generally be treated as a wheelchair, which can bee good and bad. It is good when you need a little more space at shows and such. It is bad on attractions, such as Space, Indiana Jones and Pirates where the number of wheelchairs allowed at one time is limited and you have already waited the full length of the line with the DAS card, only to have to wait another 40 minutes or so most of the time when you come back.

 

[videogal1]

Hi all,
I will be headed to disneyland during the star wars half marathon (jan 17th & 18th) with my service dog, Ruger in tow. This is the first time he will be going to a place with these types of crowds (I don't think any crowd can top a disney crowd?!) and I myself as a first time SD owner am not sure what to expect.. so I have a few questions.


We've been making weekly trips to our disney store hoping maybe the crowds, characters, and sounds will get him excited for disney land He loves his disney toys and I'm hoping he won't be too afraid of the characters, as those are some 'big dogs'. What suggestions would SD owners have for breaking them into this? I'm sure he'll be fine, I'm just a worry wart!
-----

I was quite unprepared for the largest of the three goofy bears (Frontierland, I think) to run up to my service dog when I was at Disneyworld several years ago and I had quite a few words with Guest Services about it. Then a day or two later one of the Star Wars Troopers came stomping up to him after the parade...After those episodes he was spooked by all the characters even though we were taken backstage for a good hour or more, meeting the characters in and out of costume trying to desensitize him enough to keep him from suffering full panic at the sight of them. It's not always the dog that misbehaves so keep an eye out for "character aggression."

 

[cmwade77]

Hi all,
I will be headed to disneyland during the star wars half marathon (jan 17th & 18th) with my service dog, Ruger in tow. This is the first time he will be going to a place with these types of crowds (I don't think any crowd can top a disney crowd?!) and I myself as a first time SD owner am not sure what to expect.. so I have a few questions.


We've been making weekly trips to our disney store hoping maybe the crowds, characters, and sounds will get him excited for disney land He loves his disney toys and I'm hoping he won't be too afraid of the characters, as those are some 'big dogs'. What suggestions would SD owners have for breaking them into this? I'm sure he'll be fine, I'm just a worry wart!
-----

I was quite unprepared for the largest of the three goofy bears (Frontierland, I think) to run up to my service dog when I was at Disneyworld several years ago and I had quite a few words with Guest Services about it. Then a day or two later one of the Star Wars Troopers came stomping up to him after the parade...After those episodes he was spooked by all the characters even though we were taken backstage for a good hour or more, meeting the characters in and out of costume trying to desensitize him enough to keep him from suffering full panic at the sight of them. It's not always the dog that misbehaves so keep an eye out for "character aggression."

It's not so much aggression on the Character's part, but rather that they LOVE the service animals. Just as with kids, some animals respond better than others. My friend's service dog LOVES the characters, he especially loves the princesses.