Trial Run for Dogs in Resort Rooms

[CT Disney]

So, now that this new policy has started, is Disney treating dogs that enter the theme parks any differently? Are they actually asking people if the dog they are bringing in is a Service Dog?

How do they plan on keeping the pets (non-service dogs) out of the theme parks, I wonder?

I think legally all they can do is ask.

Yes, but are they asking?

________________________________
Truthfully neither question has much to do with the new policy. It was before and will continue to be Disney's responsibility in ensuring pets weren't being brought in. Prior to the new policy someone could have tried to take their dog into the theme parks and it would have been Disney's responsibility to advise them they are not allowed. This doesn't change with the new policy.

But you can always ask Disney if they are increasing their awareness due to the the new policy. Much like security became more of process for getting into the theme parks I'm sure it's a possibility they have taken the new policy and could have adjusted their current procedure for when a guest approaches with a dog.

As to the bolded part above, there was a rather lengthy thread this summer on the TPAS forum that discussed this issue. It sounds like Disney CMs are fairly reluctant to confirm that dogs entering the theme parks are indeed service animals. I actually learned a lot on that thread: I learned that Disney, by law, can ask two questions. Is that a Service Dog? What tasks is the dog trained to perform?

With the new dog policy at the resorts, I'm wondering if there will be a greater number of people attempting to bring non-service dogs into the theme parks rather than board them for the day or leave them alone in their resort room. Makes sense to me that this number may increase.

Disney's new pet policy at the resorts may have repercussions that extend to the theme parks. Are they ready to handle that and are they actually going to start asking the two questions that, by law, they are allowed to ask?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

As to the bolded part above, there was a rather lengthy thread this summer on the TPAS forum that discussed this issue. It sounds like Disney CMs are fairly reluctant to confirm that dogs entering the theme parks are indeed service animals. I actually learned a lot on that thread: I learned that Disney, by law, can ask two questions. Is that a Service Dog? What tasks is the dog trained to perform?

With the new dog policy at the resorts, I'm wondering if there will be a greater number of people attempting to bring non-service dogs into the theme parks rather than board them for the day or leave them alone in their resort room. Makes sense to me that this number may increase.

Disney's new pet policy at the resorts may have repercussions that extend to the theme parks. Are they ready to handle that and are they actually going to start asking the two questions that, by law, they are allowed to ask?

I agree with you on that CMs *may* be reluctant to ask. But still it's Disney's businss not ours. Any guest can certaintly go up to a CM if they suspect a dog is in the parks as a pet but it is much like line cutting or suspected FP abuses. It is Disney's business and responsibility.

And when you mention "start asking the two questions that, by law, they are allowed to ask?" I'm unsure how you know what they ask each and every guest who approaches with a dog each and every year? As with many things it's going to depend on your personal experience but I don't think anyone can actually say that they have never asked a guest with a dog any questions.

Of course the new policy *could* have repercussions that extend to the theme parks. But a possible greater risk simply doesn't change that the risk was always there. And that will still be the same answer if the new policy is removed.

As I said before you can always ask Disney if they are increasing their awareness due to the the new policy. Much like security became more of process for getting into the theme parks I'm sure it's a possibility they have taken the new policy and could have adjusted their current procedure for when a guest approaches with a dog.

ETA: Please don't get me wrong I do understand your concern it's just this was and will continue to be a concern prior to the policy rather than a concern as a direct result of the policy. As far as wondering what Disney's plans are the contact information has been commented about many times on the thread and I would def. encourage you to reach out to Disney which is more or less what I meant when I brought up the "you can always ask Disney" aspect to my comment.

 

[BK2014]

Not to discredit how well Disney handled the state of emergency, they had to let pets stay, they did not have a choice. It was mandated by the governor of Florida that all hotels during Irma became pet friendly.

This is absolutely incorrect. Governor Scott asked hotels to lift their bans on animals, but it was in no way mandatory. http://www.ajc.com/news/national/hu...shelter-during-storms/oHnsAad1A8izOPLFsSH6RN/
"The University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine said that there will be emergency shelters that will accept pets and their owners, and Gov. Rick Scott has asked hotels that normally say no to animals to lift their ban, USAToday reported."

 

[LSUmiss]

Since you mentioned the Ritz Carlton and the Four Seasons, I looked both of them up. At both of those Hotels, the policy is that you are allowed ONE pet, which must be 25 lbs and under. At Disney, you want to bring your two St Bernards?, no problem. There's a huge difference there.

It is a trial run, and it will be up to both sides to either report to the front desk when they see something that isn't right or to ensure their pets behave and follow the rules.

I am of the thought just because you can do something it doesn't mean you need to. At parades, home improvement stores, festivals, I cannot believe when people bring pets. Can you not leave them at home for a couple of hours? Fireworks, loud noises, strange enviroments. I've seen messes in the middle of aisles, jumping on people, barking, going after other dogs. Do the animals a favor, leave them at home or in the pet resort, take the dog to the dog park. We always find other accommodations for our dog. Is that too much to ask?

I absolutely agree with you on this point. I always say this. But, this would be equivalent to bringing them to the parks. There is absolutely no reason why you would ever need to do this. But, it’s not the same as having them stay in your room. Many have posted reasons why & most have to do with the dog not doing well with a stranger or boarding. A lot of ppl have pointed out that it wouldn’t be ideal to bring them, but may find themselves in situations where they feel like they have to.

 

[LSUmiss]

Not to discredit how well Disney handled the state of emergency, they had to let pets stay, they did not have a choice. It was mandated by the governor of Florida that all hotels during Irma became pet friendly.

Actually, the governor asked if hotels would consider relaxing pet policies. They did not have to.

 

[LSUmiss]

I agree with you on that CMs *may* be reluctant to ask. But still it's Disney's businss not ours. Any guest can certaintly go up to a CM if they suspect a dog is in the parks as a pet but it is much like line cutting or suspected FP abuses. It is Disney's business and responsibility.

And when you mention "start asking the two questions that, by law, they are allowed to ask?" I'm unsure how you know what they ask each and every guest who approaches with a dog each and every year? As with many things it's going to depend on your personal experience but I don't think anyone can actually say that they have never asked a guest with a dog any questions.

Of course the new policy *could* have repercussions that extend to the theme parks. But a possible greater risk simply doesn't change that the risk was always there. And that will still be the same answer if the new policy is removed.

As I said before you can always ask Disney if they are increasing their awareness due to the the new policy. Much like security became more of process for getting into the theme parks I'm sure it's a possibility they have taken the new policy and could have adjusted their current procedure for when a guest approaches with a dog.

ETA: Please don't get me wrong I do understand your concern it's just this was and will continue to be a concern prior to the policy rather than a concern as a direct result of the policy. As far as wondering what Disney's plans are the contact information has been commented about many times on the thread and I would def. encourage you to reach out to Disney which is more or less what I meant when I brought up the "you can always ask Disney" aspect to my comment.

And isn’t true that a service dog is still expected to have a certain level of behavior (which a real service dog should), so if ppl sneak in unruly dogs, I’m sure they’ll be removed.

 

[DisneyNurse19]

I'm staying at Yacht Club over Christmas with my pup and can't wait, as we originally had Best Friends Pet booked. I never posted on here but noticed there were some proponents (and opponents) of the new dog policy at Disney and got the urge to finally speak up.

I can't help but think some of the opponents haven't ventured OUT of Disney World, as some of the more high end luxury resorts in the world are in fact pet friendly (ie. Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton).

Anywho, we'll be there with our pup and so glad we can have him with us at night.

After reading your post i had to find out for myself their Pet Policy and here they are. As you can see there is a big difference mainly in that Pets cannot be left alone in the room where Disney is happy for you to leave your Pet for 7 hours :


Ritz-Carlton Pet Policy
Sarasota's only luxury beach hotel is also the only one in the area to offer upscale accommodations with a pet-friendly attitude.

• Dogs less than 20 pounds, are welcome, and require advance registration.
• Pet cannot be left unattended within guestroom, must be fully trained and appropriately restrained by the owner at all times.
• There is a $250 USD non-refundable maintenance and restoration fee.
• For registration as well as a copy of the resort pet policy, please contact the resort concierge.

Four Seasons PET POLICY

• The hotel is prepared to accommodate your pet in the room provided that your pet is 30 lbs or less, fully trained, appropriately restrained by you, and complies with the local legislation requirements.
• Your pet must be kept on a leash when it is in the hotel or on hotel property unless it is in your room.
• We require that each pet has a kennel, in case of an emergency.
• Please do not leave your pet unattended in the room. If you require a pet-sitter or pet supplies, please contact the Concierge with advance notice at extension 53.
• In the event that your pet is left unattended and is a disruption to other guests, please be advised that your pet will be removed from the room and you may be subject to pet-sitting fees.
• Pets are not allowed in any food & beverage outlets, The Sports Club, and all pool areas of the resort.
• You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet on hotel property and in the neighborhood. If you require pet supplies, please contact the Concierge at extension 53.
• Any disturbance such as barking must be curtailed to ensure other guests are not inconvenienced.
• Please contact our Housekeeping department at extension 52 to arrange for a convenient time to service your room. We will not attempt to service the room if the owner is not present and the pet is in the room.
• You agree to be responsible for all property damages and/or personal injuries resulting from your pet. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Resort, its owners and its operators from all liability and damage suffered as a result of your pet. The Resort reserves the right to charge your account commensurate to the cost of such damages.

 

[Best_Vacation_EVER!]

For whatever reason, 85% of people voting in the poll are not in favor of the policy. People have valid concerns about it... whether you share their concerns or not, this is how they feel about the policy. Some of the hostility in the thread is really surprising for a "Resorts" thread. Not sure how constructive it is to say to people that have been travelling to WDW for years (or decades) that they should just stop visiting and they'll be replaced by new guests strictly due to a single poorly defined and implemented policy.

For those with allergies not being able to guarantee that a room has been dog-free is an issue --- and is one the points of the pilot that makes the least sense to me as pilots are usually done in contained areas in order to be able to assess the impacts of the change. Had there been certain blocks of rooms kept dog-free to accommodate those with severe allergies it might have made people less concerned. Steam cleaning of animal soiled carpet does not really do the job of getting rid of the all urine smell. Many pet owners think their homes don't have pet odors when in fact they definitely do --- they just get used to the odor. Again having specific blocks of rooms that accept dogs would have mitigated the issue.

For others the issue is allowing the dog to be unattended and loose in the room for 7 hours per day. Had they said dogs cannot be left unattended in the room and offered doggie daycare or a discount at Best Friends where dogs would spend their unattended hours, I think many people would be more comfortable with it. Soundproofing in many WDW resorts is not great (especially if you have a connecting door to the the next room.) Our dogs aren't barkers but when they hear other dogs barking they will join in.

Also the track record of WDW enforcing their existing policies is not great so people assume that, rightly or wrongly, that this will be the case here too. I'm sure many dog owners (and their dogs) will be great guests but there will those owners who aren't responsible and don't care at all about their impact on others and that concerns people who might be impacted by it.

 

[wdwlver]

After reading your post i had to find out for myself their Pet Policy and here they are. As you can see there is a big difference mainly in that Pets cannot be left alone in the room where Disney is happy for you to leave your Pet for 7 hours :


Ritz-Carlton Pet Policy
Sarasota's only luxury beach hotel is also the only one in the area to offer upscale accommodations with a pet-friendly attitude.

• Dogs less than 20 pounds, are welcome, and require advance registration.
• Pet cannot be left unattended within guestroom, must be fully trained and appropriately restrained by the owner at all times.
• There is a $250 USD non-refundable maintenance and restoration fee.
• For registration as well as a copy of the resort pet policy, please contact the resort concierge.

Four Seasons PET POLICY

• 
  
  
  • The hotel is prepared to accommodate your pet in the room provided that your pet is 30 lbs or less, fully trained, appropriately restrained by you, and complies with the local legislation requirements.
  • Your pet must be kept on a leash when it is in the hotel or on hotel property unless it is in your room.
  • We require that each pet has a kennel, in case of an emergency.
  • Please do not leave your pet unattended in the room. If you require a pet-sitter or pet supplies, please contact the Concierge with advance notice at extension 53.
  • In the event that your pet is left unattended and is a disruption to other guests, please be advised that your pet will be removed from the room and you may be subject to pet-sitting fees.
  • Pets are not allowed in any food & beverage outlets, The Sports Club, and all pool areas of the resort.
  • You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet on hotel property and in the neighborhood. If you require pet supplies, please contact the Concierge at extension 53.
  • Any disturbance such as barking must be curtailed to ensure other guests are not inconvenienced.
  • Please contact our Housekeeping department at extension 52 to arrange for a convenient time to service your room. We will not attempt to service the room if the owner is not present and the pet is in the room.
  • You agree to be responsible for all property damages and/or personal injuries resulting from your pet. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Resort, its owners and its operators from all liability and damage suffered as a result of your pet. The Resort reserves the right to charge your account commensurate to the cost of such damages.

I can confirm that when we stay at four seasons properties dogs are absolutely not to be left in room unattended. They are strict about it and it’s never been a problem anywhere we’ve stayed.
Doesn’t change my opinion dogs shouldn’t be allowed in wdw. Disney has no such restrictions in place that other hotels adhere to pet policy wise.

 

[Jennasis]

And isn’t true that a service dog is still expected to have a certain level of behavior (which a real service dog should), so if ppl sneak in unruly dogs, I’m sure they’ll be removed.

LOL Disney didn't even ask the lady with the monkey to leave. Remember that flack? Had the dang thing posing for pictures with the characters too. Though i DO recall an instance where someone tried to enter the park with a pet Ocelot or some other type cat and they made the Central Florida Zoo come and get it and keep it during her trip.

 

[LIPeter]

I, like many others, am against this new policy. I just feel Disney is opening up a can of worms with this. People who bring their dogs, are not going to want to leave their dogs in the room all day. Some people will try to bring them in the parks. Now, I’ve seen service dogs in there park before, and they are always quiet, and behaved. However, it’s when some people bring in their “fake” service dogs. You can usually tell, just because of how they act. You know they haven’t been trained. This is what annoys me. Back in May, I had an issue with this.

I was having lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus, and as I was eating, I saw some people sit down a few tables away from me. As I continued eating, nobody got up to get any food, they just sat there. Now, this usually makes me mad, because people who are buying food should be able to sit there, not people just relaxing. But, it was really hot out, and the place was pretty empty, so I didn’t worry about it. About a couple of minutes before I left, I see one of the people pull a dog up from their lap, and proceed to put the dog on the table. I just got up and left. I’ll probably never go there again, even if it was the only incident.

I just see this happening again on a bigger scale, and I think this is going to be a big issue for Disney.

 

[KrazeeK120]

I, like many others, am against this new policy. I just feel Disney is opening up a can of worms with this. People who bring their dogs, are not going to want to leave their dogs in the room all day. Some people will try to bring them in the parks. Now, I’ve seen service dogs in there park before, and they are always quiet, and behaved. However, it’s when some people bring in their “fake” service dogs. You can usually tell, just because of how they act. You know they haven’t been trained. This is what annoys me. Back in May, I had an issue with this.

I was having lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus, and as I was eating, I saw some people sit down a few tables away from me. As I continued eating, nobody got up to get any food, they just sat there. Now, this usually makes me mad, because people who are buying food should be able to sit there, not people just relaxing. But, it was really hot out, and the place was pretty empty, so I didn’t worry about it. About a couple of minutes before I left, I see one of the people pull a dog up from their lap, and proceed to put the dog on the table. I just got up and left. I’ll probably never go there again, even if it was the only incident.

I just see this happening again on a bigger scale, and I think this is going to be a big issue for Disney.

I can't think that any legitimate service dog would be allowed to stand on a table. There are way too many people who simply do whatever they want. This, combined with Disney's lax rules around pets, seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

 

[LSUmiss]

I, like many others, am against this new policy. I just feel Disney is opening up a can of worms with this. People who bring their dogs, are not going to want to leave their dogs in the room all day. Some people will try to bring them in the parks. Now, I’ve seen service dogs in there park before, and they are always quiet, and behaved. However, it’s when some people bring in their “fake” service dogs. You can usually tell, just because of how they act. You know they haven’t been trained. This is what annoys me. Back in May, I had an issue with this.

I was having lunch at the Pinocchio Village Haus, and as I was eating, I saw some people sit down a few tables away from me. As I continued eating, nobody got up to get any food, they just sat there. Now, this usually makes me mad, because people who are buying food should be able to sit there, not people just relaxing. But, it was really hot out, and the place was pretty empty, so I didn’t worry about it. About a couple of minutes before I left, I see one of the people pull a dog up from their lap, and proceed to put the dog on the table. I just got up and left. I’ll probably never go there again, even if it was the only incident.

I just see this happening again on a bigger scale, and I think this is going to be a big issue for Disney.

Many ppl are posting that they have no faith in WDW to enforce rules, but if no one reports inappropriate behavior, how can they?

Btw, don’t eat at Cosmic Ray’s either then b/c that’s where I saw ppl changing a dirty diaper on a table.

 

[DisFanDad]

Thanks for the POR pictures! My daughter used to do cartwheels on that patch of grass. I would imagine all grass needs to be avoided now. Gross.

So basically everything looks the same, it's just the addition of those dog bins. It doesn't look very official. I do imagine owners will just take their dogs out to the closest patch of grass nearest their room.

Didn't even think about that. Used to love walking through the grassy areas at POR /FQ ... no longer. Such a loss.

 

[disneyholic family]

After reading your post i had to find out for myself their Pet Policy and here they are. As you can see there is a big difference mainly in that Pets cannot be left alone in the room where Disney is happy for you to leave your Pet for 7 hours :


Ritz-Carlton Pet Policy
Sarasota's only luxury beach hotel is also the only one in the area to offer upscale accommodations with a pet-friendly attitude.

• Dogs less than 20 pounds, are welcome, and require advance registration.
• Pet cannot be left unattended within guestroom, must be fully trained and appropriately restrained by the owner at all times.
• There is a $250 USD non-refundable maintenance and restoration fee.
• For registration as well as a copy of the resort pet policy, please contact the resort concierge.

Four Seasons PET POLICY

• 
  
  
  • The hotel is prepared to accommodate your pet in the room provided that your pet is 30 lbs or less, fully trained, appropriately restrained by you, and complies with the local legislation requirements.
  • Your pet must be kept on a leash when it is in the hotel or on hotel property unless it is in your room.
  • We require that each pet has a kennel, in case of an emergency.
  • Please do not leave your pet unattended in the room. If you require a pet-sitter or pet supplies, please contact the Concierge with advance notice at extension 53.
  • In the event that your pet is left unattended and is a disruption to other guests, please be advised that your pet will be removed from the room and you may be subject to pet-sitting fees.
  • Pets are not allowed in any food & beverage outlets, The Sports Club, and all pool areas of the resort.
  • You are responsible for cleaning up after your pet on hotel property and in the neighborhood. If you require pet supplies, please contact the Concierge at extension 53.
  • Any disturbance such as barking must be curtailed to ensure other guests are not inconvenienced.
  • Please contact our Housekeeping department at extension 52 to arrange for a convenient time to service your room. We will not attempt to service the room if the owner is not present and the pet is in the room.
  • You agree to be responsible for all property damages and/or personal injuries resulting from your pet. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Resort, its owners and its operators from all liability and damage suffered as a result of your pet. The Resort reserves the right to charge your account commensurate to the cost of such damages.

so the Ritz requires a $250 non-refundable maintenance and restoration fee.
Probably just barely covers the damage some dogs can do to a room in just a day, not to mention an entire vacation.
I wonder who at disney came up with this scheme. I find it hard to believe that they actually took into consideration the myriad issues that may arise.

 

[Robindata]

Kimpton brand has a similar policy to what Disney is currently proposing and are VERY pet friendly. If you are familiar with anything other than a Disney resort, you will know that dogs are able to stay in the room alone and there is no stipulation as to the time frame. Further, staying at several Kimpton hotels across the country (with and without my dog), I have only encountered one instance where there was barking in the next room. It was quickly stopped as Kimpton has a policy that they will call the owner to care for the dog and/or ensure the pet is ok in the room. I wouldn't have even heard the dog barking and only heard it outside in the hall. Fortunately, there wasn't someone videoing the barking evidence.

A quick google search and you will see that major metropolitan areas (San Francisco, New York, etc...) have very lenient dog policies now and I rarely see or hear major complaints. If you frequent outside of the Disney bubble, chances are very good you have been in a hotel room previously occupied by a dog (service animals are allowed everywhere).

My last stay at Portofino Bay Universal for a week, I saw ONE dog, ONCE in 7 days. I'm fairly certain Disney does their due diligence prior to rolling out programs for their resort guests and chances are good this will be the same scenario.

I had to call Disney earlier to inform them of the change in my reservation and expressed my great satisfaction in their new dog friendly policy!

 

[jarestel]

All policies come with an associated set of do's and don'ts (rules) that most people will follow but some people will disregard. Arguing that simply because some will break the rules is reason enough to discard the policy isn't realistic.

 

[Ghostridethedolewhip]

I have seen people bring pets into hotels that did not register that they had a pet. A problem could be people that think since pets are allowed why not bring my pets and not register so I don't have to pay. They might then stay in a non pet room and then the next time someone checks in they will wonder why it smells like dog and they are sneezing and having an allergy attack.

I would not be surprised if they are walking pets all around a resort such as POR. It's not just the excrement that needs to be picked up (which in some cases reminents are left behind) but also the urine. Now when you go run around the grass in the grassy courtyards don't be surprised when your foot smells a little odd.

 

[hunyb207]

I have seen people bring pets into hotels that did not register that they had a pet. A problem could be people that think since pets are allowed why not bring my pets and not register so I don't have to pay. They might then stay in a non pet room and then the next time someone checks in they will wonder why it smells like dog and they are sneezing and having an allergy attack.

I would not be surprised if they are walking pets all around a resort such as POR. It's not just the excrement that needs to be picked up (which in some cases reminents are left behind) but also the urine. Now when you go run around the grass in the grassy courtyards don't be surprised when your foot smells a little odd.

Someone who is paying that much for a hotel would (hopefully) not risk being kicked out to save $50 a night.

Plus if you think about it if people wanted to do something like this they would have been able to even before the resorts became dog friendly just by lying and simply saying they have a service dog. And yet I've seen lots of people here say they haven't ever seen a service dog at their resort so clearly this hasn't been a big problem in the past.

 

[LSUmiss]

I have seen people bring pets into hotels that did not register that they had a pet. A problem could be people that think since pets are allowed why not bring my pets and not register so I don't have to pay. They might then stay in a non pet room and then the next time someone checks in they will wonder why it smells like dog and they are sneezing and having an allergy attack.

I would not be surprised if they are walking pets all around a resort such as POR. It's not just the excrement that needs to be picked up (which in some cases reminents are left behind) but also the urine. Now when you go run around the grass in the grassy courtyards don't be surprised when your foot smells a little odd.

That was already happening before this policy with ppl bringing “fake” service dogs. Think the bottom line is ppl who will break rules will do so regardless of a policy & those who usually don’t won’t start b/c pets are allowed. WDW probably looks at this like most ppl will follow rules & they’ll make extra $ to mitigate the effects of those who don’t.