There are so many comments on this thread but very few from anyone who is actually planning to bring their dog to WDW. As I have posted earlier - within hours of seeing this announcement I contacted my
travel agent to book us a cabin at Fort Wilderness. We had stayed with our previous dog twice at Portofino Bay hotel and had talked about taking our new dog again at some point.
While at Portofino, despite being in the dog friendly room, I would never have noticed that a dog had been in their previously. Their rooms were immaculate. I am also allergic to dogs and cats (we have a first generation golden doodle so no problems) and have stayed in many pet friendly hotels and have never had a reaction. (I do understand severe allergic reactions as I had one myself over 30 years ago and went into anaphylactic shock and nearly died). There were other dogs there during both of our trips but we never paid them much attention. I also never heard any dogs at night.
We want to bring our dog with to Disney as it is a perfect marriage of our two loves - now that the children are grown and gone - our dog and Disney. While at Portofino Bay we had an in-room dog sitter or sent our dog to doggie day care. For this trip in May I am already booked for day care at Best Friends. Our dog will have a great time playing with other dogs during the day and then be with us in the cabin in the evening. We go to Disney and on
Disney cruise line a lot and for those trips we leave our dog at a kennel or at home with one of our children. I don't think many dogs like being in a kennel overnight and it is a lot of work for a dog-sitter. Sometimes the worst part about going on vacation is leaving the dog. So now our dog came come with us - taking a couple of nights to drive to Florida - with some fun dog friendly stops along the way and back. We can have a good time during the day in the parks knowing that she will be having fun (she already goes to day camp once a week) and we will all enjoy being together in the evening. She will never be left alone in the cabin. She doesn't shed but despite that we always have her special blankets to cover the couch and bed if she climbs up on them.
This will more than likely be a one time trip to Disney for her. There are many other places to take dogs and I am sure that we will do so. The point I am trying to make is that we are putting a lot of thought and care into taking our dog on this trip. We don't want to bother anyone - and we won't. We are not going to take her where she is not allowed to go - she doesn't need to go to the parks or anywhere else where dogs are not permitted. I think that would be the case with most other families with dogs as well. It would be nice to hear from them.
I am happy that you are or seem to be a very thoughtful pet owner. But not all pet owners are. I can not tell you how bringing my service dog into a place effects others around me. I found a place I can play bingo because everything is by computer now, so I don't have to see the numbers. Last Dec I got my new service dog and started going to bingo. Before this they never had any dogs in the place, since then they kick out about 1 so called service animal a week, they have had to bomb for fleas twice since last dec. they have had dogs poop on the rung, pee on the rug, bark, try to eat food off the counters and so on and so forth.
Twenty years ago when I got my first guide dog, although I was allowed anywhere with him, I ran into blocks everywhere I went, taxis, buses, restaraunts, saying no dogs allowed. ADA came about and other services animals started popping up and that is great, others started to fight for the rights to have our service animals and doors started to open.
Ten years ago, non service animals started showing up and it has been a real struggle for me. I want to advocate for me and my right to have a service dog, to be allowed to bring her anywhere. But the non service animals who bark in stores, who sniff food as they walk past the apples and banana in the market, or the owners who can not control them and think there dog is perfect really effect me, and really effect how I advocate for the right of my dog.
I applaud those who are very responsible, who will take the dog to doggy daycare at Disney. But Disney has not built a bigger doggy daycare, and I know for a fact it has been at capacity several times that I have been on property. And there are many many dog owners who will be very irresponsible and leave there dog I. The room all day.
But even worse than this is, I already have to deal with the non service animals being past off as service animals, and I believe this new policy will create even more of these so called dogs into places they should not be, and will effect all the hard work I and so many others have worked years to fight for to get the equal access.
We live in a world that most people do not see this as a privilege that they need to take responsibility for, but as an entitlement. My fear is statistics, there are let's say 50% of pet owners who will bring there dog to Disney that are responsible pet owners. That leaves 50% not responsible pet owners who will bring there dog to Disney. Now we know Disney is not the same as a night in Marriott, while you travel from' one state to another. Disney is a resort, not a night stop but a 7,10 or 15 day vacation spot. Way different.
So if that 50% who is irresponsible, let's say 25% leave there dog in the room all day, well that is a freight ending thought to me and horrible abuse to the dog, which in some way Disney is promoting by allowing dogs to stay in the room all day, something they would not do even for a service dog just a month ago.
That other 25% is my real real fear thou. That 25% are the ones who already pass Fido off as a service dog at home but has known better not to bring the dog to Disney, but now they are giving permission. That 25% is what really frightens me and all the rights that I am many others have worked so hard for.
That 25% is going to try to put Fido on an over crowded bus, where the dog will get frightened and scared. That 25% will try to bring that dog into a crowded over packed theme park and put the dog on rides, and the. As he is scared, tired, hot and confused as to what is happening to him, that owner is going to put that dog near kids and people on a hot pavement for a three o'clock parade. That owner is going to try to get that dog into restaurants and near food carts. That owner also knows that the dog is not spayed and neutered and now there may be another very irresponsible pet owner passing there dog off as a service dog who also has a dog that is not spayed or neutered and one dog chases another dog thru a crowded of scared people, very much distracting my dog. Oh these irresponsible pet owners are already out there, but they will multiple as this policy goes on.
I have seen it, like in the bingo place I go, everyone who went for years and years without saying they had or have a service dog, all of a sudden has one because they see me with mine. I go to Costco and have to deal with barking pets that are so called service animals, and I have to find the manager and show them the ADA law that allows then to kick Fido out for barking I. The store. I have seen these so called service animals eating the apples from the shelf or eating off tables in restaraunts. yes these are out there and I deal with it so much, but when I go to Disney, it was contained because most people would not be able to pass there non service animal dog off as a service animal for the whole length of a vacation, this policy I hope won't but I fear will make these problems very real and very hard for those of us with real service animals who are needed.
That is why I say if Disney is to do this, they need to do all things Disney and raise the price and double it, it will stop many of the irresponsible ones from bringing there pets. They also need to mandate that the pets are at the best friends kennel daily and not left in rooms. Maybe give a huge discount to the kennel so they can make sure every dog on site as a pet is in the kennel.