Trial Run for Dogs in Resort Rooms

[SaintsManiac]

I couldn't care less either way, but I always shake my head at people who bring their dogs everywhere. But hey, I'm a cat person for a reason.

 

[minniebeth]

"Due to heavier than normal call volume, the current wait time is expected to be over 15 minutes...."

UGH! I'm so annoyed!

Oh, I got this last night, and it was actually 32 minutes

 

[Lisann]

wdw4rfam... yeah, ditto..no reason for people to flame you.

 

[robotbldmom01]

I plan on emailing my disapproval to guest services. Hope many others will as well.

Absolutely and if DVC Call Member Services.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I'm ok with either way Disney goes - allowing or not but I voted yes, they should. Honestly people are just getting "service animal" designations for their animals now and they are staying in the same rooms that everyone else gets assigned. And even true service animals stay in the rooms and guests would have no idea if they are in the same room that has had a dog before or not. Fleas etc etc could happen but they could happen now. Actually I'd take a flea over a bed bug any day but I think this is unlikely. At least Disney will get some of the expense of these extra "guests" paid for. Also, that amount is a pretty hefty fee for having pets in a room. It is enough that not everyone will suddenly decide to bring their dogs. I also suspect they will be off limits from certain areas and will not be allowed to be left alone in a room - also a deterrent. And families flying in? Flying with pets isn't exactly a slam dunk so also not going to suddenly have people jumping on the band wagon.

If one doesn't want to stay at these resorts they may stay elsewhere but that elsewhere does likely have service animals in their rooms time to time.

Lots of hotels/motels allow pets and aren't over run with them. Traveling with a pet is time consuming, resource consuming and can be a PITB. For various reasons I have but it certainly adds an element to a trip and it isn't an easy one.

 

[wdw4rfam]

$50


You are a responsible pet owner and very much in the minority.

My problem is with the dogs who go to the bathroom in the room, on the floor or on the carpet, and not on their "pads" that they receive at check in. And just try and get the next dog to not smell where the previous Fido went to the bathroom....and then they will lift their leg in the same spot, too. Urine smell is not something that is easily removed from fabrics/carpets and wood/laminate floors.

People are gross enough , but to add dogs to the mix...no thank you.

Exactly. Not to mention housekeeping not knowing where the "spot" is to clean. Those poor housekeepers

Sorry you were flamed, I have been a DVC member for 20 years. they certainly did not put on their thinking caps in figuring this out. Where will the dogs go poop? On the sidewalks. lawns, near the pool areas where your children run barefoot? Members, call Member Services and say "Not at my home resort!. I will be calling.

on hold now And already sent an email.

 

[fla4fun]

I have no problem with service animals. They are well taken care of and well trained. They are specifically trained to deal with hectic environments, like a busy tourist resort.

I do not think this is a good idea as the average dog is not well trained for a tourist resort environment, and may or may not be treated appropriately for fleas. When I was a kid, we stayed in a hotel that was pet friendly because there wasn’t anything else available. We were covered with flea bites from head to toe and the itching lasted for weeks. Trying not to bring them home was as bad as dealing with bedbugs. I do not believe Disney housekeeping is up to the task of keeping these rooms as clean as they need to be, especially between guests. Bad move all the way around.

 

[Jennasis]

Are the resorts in the test the ones that have laminate flooring now? Cause no frigging way should any "pet" room have carpet. This is a bad idea on so many levels.

 

[Splashboat]

I also suspect they will be off limits from certain areas and will not be allowed to be left alone in a room - also a deterrent.

Way too many people don't follow the rules with their children so my expectation for dog parents is not very high. I seriously wonder what will Disney do when someone brings a dog that isn't well behaved or does leave them in a room all day? If you are going to enforce rules you must have consequences. Does anyone know what that will be?

 

[minniebeth]

Oh My, Folks! Relax!!!!!

Since everyone already has jumped to conclusions, pre-judged, etc.....

I CALLED the number provided in OFFICIAL announcement and a CM read the OFFICIAL transcript of the release. So easy to do.


-Designated Rooms ONLY in designated section of specific resorts ONLY
-Designated walking paths ONLY
-MUST be LEASHED at all times
-NO Public spaces
-NO roaming around resorts
-NO Restaurants
-NO Bars
-NO Pools
-Owners MUST present vaccination documentation
-Resorts were chosen based on their size and layout.

My guess, dear DISsers, is you probably could enjoy your Disney vacation within the bubble everyone has grown to love and will never see the furry creatures in their own little corner of the World.

Have a Magical Day!

Thanks so much for providing this update! These are good details to know, and does help to know that perhaps this is more planned out than is presented by Disney at this time. Glad to see that guests will need to provide necessary vaccination documentation.
Still leaves a lot open for interpretation.
Do pet owners need to reserve dogs in the room ahead of time? If they are only designated rooms, how will that work with reservations? Sorry, we're sold out of dog friendly rooms? Will guests be turned away if they show up with their dogs without a reservation for them?
And just because dogs are on leashes, doesn't mean owners respect others' space. We experience it all the time.
How/who will enforce these rules?
With all respect, this is not a relax kind of issue for a lot of people. There are legit concerns posed by this decision.
I know that the majority of dog owners are considerate, and awesome loving people. But there are always those who will take advantage and not abide by the rules, where the problems will come from.

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Well, at least "Pet merchandise is coming soon to participating resorts", so they've got that covered. Pro dog but not a fan of this plan, and going to one of the participating resorts soon...

 

[Sleepy425]

I was there during Irma and there were dogs at AKV. They were never an issue...
BUT this was when a hurricane was going through and everyone was forced to be in the resort for two days, so their dogs were hardly alone. Yes, some of these people stayed longer and so did the dogs (because Fort Wilderness was closed for a while after the storm). But I still don't want to have to worry about someone's dog when I am on vacation. People go to Disney to be in the parks. Leaving a dog home alone in your house is COMPLETELY different than travelling with your dog to a strange place and then leaving it alone. Many dogs will get anxious and bark, pee, or destroy things.
Other hotels that allow dogs do not allow you to leave them in a room unattended unless crated. But those places aren't like Disney, where you can be gone 12+ hours/day. I feel like Disney is not the place to allow this.
The one exception I can consider is the cabins, because the resort is already set up for dogs. Also, the cabins are spaced a bit apart so noise is slightly less of an issue. We stayed at a cabin last month for a night before being relocated for the storm, and the grounds are great for walking a dog. That said, it may do so well now with dogs at the campground because camping people are so used to bringing their dogs with them on a regular basis, and are used to the camper they are left in. The normal guest who doesn't own a camper may not have a dog who acclimates so well to the lifestyle if they are only exposed to it a few days every year or two.

 

[dansdad]

Are the resorts in the test the ones that have laminate flooring now? Cause no frigging way should any "pet" room have carpet. This is a bad idea on so many levels.

Only YC for sure. Not sure of the flooring in the Cabins.

 

[ArwenMarie]

I haven't read the whole thread, but four hotels doesn't seem like such a big deal?

You can just avoid those resorts if you have dog dander issues.

The Loews Hotels at Universal already do this, or at least Portofino. They have the ground floor of one of the wings designated as pet-friendly with a nice little walking path behind it. It's kind of cute to see the dogs on it.

 

[andersonsc]

I know Disney has their own "police". We experienced that a few years ago when I wanted outside police and had to fight Disney security for it. But what about Animal control? If you hear barking for an extended period of time could u call Animal control for an abandoned dog? I know I'm pushing it but I'd do anything to make this more of a hassle for Disney and those that bring dogs.

 

[Dis703]

I saw that too, but it will likely be like the smoking areas. That's only allowed in certain areas and yet I see people smoking outside of them all the time and staff seems to do nothing.

Oh I totally agree. You'll have people who abide by the restrictions, but there will always be those that don't.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Way too many people don't follow the rules with their children so my expectation for dog parents is not very high. I seriously wonder what will Disney do when someone brings a dog that isn't well behaved or does leave them in a room all day? If you are going to enforce rules you must have consequences. Does anyone know what that will be?

I imagine a call in would give some idea of the details that aren't being posted on the blogs. I'd guess Disney could require the owners to arrange full time boarding at Best Care (is that what it's called?) or else the option to leave. Really - this isn't anything new to the hotel industry and I have never been disturbed by a dog. Kids? Adults? Oh yes.

 

[fla4fun]

Are the resorts in the test the ones that have laminate flooring now? Cause no frigging way should any "pet" room have carpet. This is a bad idea on so many levels.

I do not believe AoA has converted to the hard flooring yet. YC did during this last refurbishment, as did the FW Cabins. Haven’t stayed at POR for a while (almost booked a stay there this week and glad I went with a different resort) so I am not sure what they have.

 

[KrazeeK120]

Oh My, Folks! Relax!!!!!

Since everyone already has jumped to conclusions, pre-judged, etc.....

I CALLED the number provided in OFFICIAL announcement and a CM read the OFFICIAL transcript of the release. So easy to do.


-Designated Rooms ONLY in designated section of specific resorts ONLY
-Designated walking paths ONLY
-MUST be LEASHED at all times
-NO Public spaces
-NO roaming around resorts
-NO Restaurants
-NO Bars
-NO Pools
-Owners MUST present vaccination documentation
-Resorts were chosen based on their size and layout.

My guess, dear DISsers, is you probably could enjoy your Disney vacation within the bubble everyone has grown to love and will never see the furry creatures in their own little corner of the World.

Have a Magical Day!

That sounds like a terrible vacation for the pet. I can't imagine basically confining a dog to one room for a week.

I hope this trial crashes and burns.

 

[DisneyFive]

Dog owner, lover here.

I agree with so many of you. I can't stand this idea.

1) They better have entire wings or entire buildings dedicated to these "well behaved" dogs because I can't imagine trying to come back to the resort for a much needed afternoon nap only to have someone else's *bleeping* barking dog in my building left unattended.

2) How will they keep the dogs from any public space? I also see this as a liability for Disney even with dogs on a leash. Has Disney ever seen little kids around dogs? First thing they want to do is pet the dog. If owners (or dogs) aren't prepared for this, I see issues with dog bites and aggressive behavior.

3) Owners have a WIDE range of opinions of what a "well behaved" dog is.



Just do what's always been done and either find someone to watch your dog(s), or board them.

Dan