Trial Run for Dogs in Resort Rooms

[mikejs78]

I'm hoping you're just trying to be helpful to my situation, - you tone suggests perhaps otherwise, but your words reiterate my point. OF course my concerns will not change the new policy, and the pixie dust comment was more tongue in cheek as I'm trying to deal with not a hypothetical situation, but an actual change that will most likely affect me in some way - of course Disney won't assist me or care about the inconvenience. I can't change the resort (big group, too late), and my concerns don't warrant cancelation (no severe allergies, etc.), so my new reality is the policy for this trip that I'm staying at a pet friendly resort. My recourse it to think about possibilities and how to make the best of them, but again, I feel like the potential consequences may have higher stakes - both ranging from inconvenience to safety concerns. I don't consider this an over-reaction or "sky is falling", just trying to make the best of things in a new situation.

So inconvenience - I stepped in lots of things over the years, and I feel like dog poop is just tougher to deal with than anything else (especially with sneakers), and it's just not something I gave too much thought to in previous trips. I've never stepped in anything as tough to deal with as dog poop in my last 8 trips to Disney (or anywhere). So, maybe I bring an old pair of sneaks in case me (or more likely my kid) steps in something on the way to the bus in the morning. Don't want to waste time cleaning shoes.

Safety - I've never been on a group trip before, so I've never been to Disney with other people's kids. It was already something I was thinking about in a general sense. People parent differently, and Disney can bring out the worst in negative behaviors, so I had been thinking already about whether I would supervise other kids at the resort, etc. But I had mostly been thinking about tantrums, rudeness to other guests, pool safety, and such, hadn't considered a child wanting to interact with an unfamiliar dog, other than an occasional service dog. I mentioned a dog attack situation last year. I watched it all happen. To be clear, dogs are not allowed on school property at drop off/pick up. The owner of the dog (someone I know well), told the little girl to stay away, not to touch him, not to hover over him, etc., but the girl didn't listen, and the mom was too late to intervene. The owner is an animal lover, has many pets, volunteers in a shelter, etc. She knew the policy, and she had considered the situation might be stressful for this rescue dog. But her son was missing him during the school day, she thought it might be good for the dog, etc. She made an emotional decision, and not a rational one, and there were some pretty serious consequence for all involved. So, I may have to consider if I have my daughter's friend's little sister with me, will she listen if I tell her to give a dog space that may or may not be a little stressed out? I also have to trust that people have made rational choices in bringing their pet, both in the pet's best interest and in the interest of other guests.

I know my concerns won't change things, and I can't change my situation for this trip, I can only try to adapt. I really feel for people that have serious allergy or phobia concerns that have trips booked (and of course I'm wondering if that will include any of the 60 or 70 people in my group).

You should at least write the Disney execs to voice your concerns if you haven't already.

 

[Lyandra]

I am allergic to dogs. Not just dander but saliva as well. The minute a dog licks me, hives and what not. Hair triggers asthma attack. Cat another story.. I also don't like dogs as I got jumped by a dog when I was a kid.. but not liking something you are allergic too is actually good.

I am on constant allergy pills. I can ussually survive of there is a dog in a plane as I take extra medicine just in case (cats is a different story... thats asthma automatic). Makes me a zombie but I manage. And flights are ussually 3 hours and I don't eat. Minute I eat, I'm game over as my ability to breathe just dies.

Anyway. I need to sleep in a "pet free" zone otherwise I get into severe breathing issue which takes a while to get better (anything from half a day to a week... even with my inhaler). It's like I just can't get air.

Pets are part of this world, I get it. But my extended family does not understand how delibitating it can be. I can not go in my home country for Christmas because everybody in my family owns cats. I avoid parties anywhere where they are pets. I have not visited my mother in law for a year and she lives 5 min from where I work because she owns a dog. We go out and she visits us. We bough a new construction house to make sure no pets were there as they so not have to disclose that.

Last disney trip we called an uber and the guy that picked us up obviously owns a dog and loves driving all around with, so by the time we got to the park, we had to go back so I could rest as I was in respiratory distress. Thankfully just took half a day to be able to go back out. When back to the room at the Swan, my "clean space", and it helped.

My main issue is always this... Well, ADA cover people with severe and delibitating allergies and business should make reasonable ccommodation for them, the same way people in wheelchair, peanut allergies, people needed service animal.

I think if Disney could confirm that they would only have a set number of room designated as pet friendly, that would alleviate a lot of the concern. Same for magical express busses. At least for me. The problem is they can't even do that. I'm not asking for no pets, I am asking for a pet free safe zone where I can go back if things gets difficult.

I am glad I am not staying at one of the pet friendly resort. Our January trip is the first one we planned to stay on propriety. We are at the beach club. Of we were at the Yacht club, I'd be freaking out.

 

[alicecooper]

http://www.disneylandparis.co.uk/faq/services-for-pets/pets/

Q. Can I bring my dog or cat into the Disney Parks and Hotels?

A. No. For health and safety reasons, pets (except guide and assistance dogs for visually impaired and reduced mobility Guests) are not allowed in the Disney Parks and Hotels. However, you can leave your pet in good hands at our Animal Care Centre.

For WDW health and safety is no longer a concern for their customers. They just want the dog owners $s.

 

[Ensusieasm]

My wife is allergic to dogs, she comes out in a full body rash, that is in side her mouth, eye lids and private parts. Making her extremely uncomfortable.

As we are from Europe we have been to dog friendly hotels in the past, they have promised a deep clean and twice she has got sick there and she also got sick saying in one of the universal hotels 5 years ago. Which the pro dog team will keep saying are fine. Well they are not always fine.

She isn't allergic to dog hair she is allergic to the oils in there skin, this sinks into soft furnature, like seats, mattresses, pillows ect. You can't get rid of it.

We never would have booked a dog friendly hotel, which should be the end of the conversation. It wasn't dog friendly when we paid £2500 for the trip and now 14 days before we arrive it is. My wife is in tears she has been crying since Friday and simply doesn't want to go. She is shacking with fear that she is going to get that sick again.

We are going to celebrate her 30th birthday and celebrate me getting out of hospital after 4 months in a coma. This was meant to be our magical rest bite. I have sold guitars to afford to go and it's been 4 years since our last wdw trip.

This has been emotionally devistating to my wife who is going to the doctors this morning to have allergies jabs, which means she will miss 3 days of work and have here depression meds re-prescribed. She had come off of those meds recently due to planning and getting excited for this trip.

This decision has effected our plans

Please share this email with Guest Relations at Disney World. They need to know how you feel. And good luck.

 

[BigAlsGal]

I have a question for those who have been around a while, as I’ve only been here a little over a year.

The question was previously asked, when was the last time a change at WDW sparked so much controversy.

My question is, when was the last time a change at Disney was enacted that had the potential to have a negative affect on the heath and well-being of its guests? That’s the more pertinent question. Forget FP changes, dining policies, alcohol, etc. (although something could be said for that).

In all seriousness lots of stuff sparks this kind of response on the disboards. A couple things come to mind FP+ and the GAC/DAS cards. The disability card of course being the thing that affected people's health/well being. Disney has continued to battle multiple lawsuits as a result. This is no where close to those.

 

[Disneylover99]

So it sounds like the high density of the resorts is the difference for you (versus being at home where you might find it easier to avoid them). The resorts are more like a city really. I was thinking about the residential areas of Manhattan, that wouldn't be a good place for someone with a dog phobia, dogs are everywhere

I live in the Suburbs. I find it pretty easy to avoid dogs. Thankfully, I don't even have any close by neighbours who own dogs. Now, I'm not going to freak out if I see a dog or walk by a dog at a resort by any means. But I'm wary of them and always tense.

 

[DJFan88]

A Big part of the problem is that when you just jump ahead and make a policy without thinking first, it can be trouble. For Example: WHY oh WHY are they not designating certain sections for the dogs and their dog lovers? Why mix them all over? Then you can only have those rooms exposed and they can all listen to each other bark and step on their own stuff if they don't clean it. Leave the others be. Keep them in there own areas, then if someone doesn't do a thorough cleaning of a room (Not that that would ever happen!) then the next person isn't exposed to it. If little puppy pees all over bedpost and the housekeeper misses it,, the next family coming in doesn't have to waste their vacation time rounding up housekeeping to clean it or visiting the guest services.

 

[FSU Girl]

I'm surprised how many people are against this. There are many other hotels that allow dogs. Universal hotels have been doing it for years. I brought my dog there and he had a great time and it was much better than boarding him back home. And I've been to those hotels without dogs and never even notice dogs in the building. I think this is great that Disney is finally doing this and I hope it becomes a permanent change.

 

[ThistleMae]

Could someone tell me where this information can be found. I hadn't heard of it.

 

[Designed4dis]

Please share this email with Guest Relations at Disney World. They need to know how you feel. And good luck.

I have, they told me I can either get on with it, or pay to upgrade

 

[SmallWorld71]

I doubt attractions magazine does either. That's the trouble with any of these unscientific surveys. But I know several people who are not on this board upset by this news. And I don't know anyone who is happy about it.

I agree Attractions Magazine doesn't represent everyone either. I was trying to make the point that the information at this time is all over the place so we really don't know. When I have asked anyone in real life about it, they don't care. Of course, they didn't care about FP+ either and I was panicking.

 

[reereef]

Do people really throw away perfectly good shoes if they happen to step in a dog's waste? Do they really expect Disney to do something about it? I would just ask housekeeping for some cleaning supplies, clean the offensive material off and move on with life.

I certainly do. My son slipped in dog mess when he was two. His shoes and whole outfit got thrown into the nearest bin. I’ve thrown trainers away plenty of times. When walking in places I know dogs might have been, my eyes are often firmly on the floor. I miss the scenery. I am terrified of dogs and paranoid about dog poop.
In fairness I do suffer with anxiety related ocd which doesn’t help matters. I take Zoloft to try to control my symptoms.

I can understand how weird this is to hear. I understand that people don’t ‘get’ it. It’s a dog. They are friendly happy creatures I’m sure. On the other hand, I love sharks and snakes. I love snorkelling and diving. I have swam with sharks and my dream is to swim with great whites. There are so few shark attacks each year that I don’t understand how other people can be so scared of them. I also adore snakes and can’t see why people scream and become so frightened over non-venomous types. But that’s just me. I accept they don’t appeal to all. How you might feel about snakes though, is how I feel about dogs and dog poop...weird perhaps, but also perhaps an explanation of why this matters so much to me.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I think this is a wonderful idea. My dog is more well behaved and polite than most adults and kids I've encountered at Disney the 35 plus times I've been there. He wouldn't ever be noticed! And is definitely cleaner than the kid who decided to use SAB as a toilet this past week. The pool was closed for at least 30 min! I've seen some crazy things, and rude people over the years, and a dog couldn't possibly be any worse. I've actually come to a point where I like dogs more than most humans. I hope they add the Polynesian and the French Quarter!

I think the majority of people that own dogs think theirs is well behaved...at home. Put them in a situation where there are no well behaved kids. Screaming, running up and down halls, adults yelling at their kids, fireworks, alone for hours in a strange environment with vacuum cleaner noise, etc...you get the idea. Now add the outdoor element with squirrels, birds (lots of ibis and ducks around WDW) and yes, snakes. Even the best behaved dogs could be very stressed.I know I get stressed around some of that. Leave the blinds open and the other dogs, etc will be in view if near the dog run areas.

Will you be stressed worrying about your dog while you are in the parks? Will you be able to get back to the resort within 30 mins if called to do so? And no, I hope they don't add other resorts. 4 is more than enough. The price you pay when you bring your dog(s)...you have to take what they give you. Others have to change hotels /location , some at more cost to them, because of the ones that allow dogs now. I would not be surprised if they dropped the YC from the list in the future.

 

[SmallWorld71]

Do you have the links to these polls? thanks

The Attractions one is on Twitter. I am having trouble finding others right now because I didn't respond. (Which I know doesn't help the credibility of my statement.....)

 

[FSU Girl]

I doubt attractions magazine does either. That's the trouble with any of these unscientific surveys. But I know several people who are not on this board upset by this news. And I don't know anyone who is happy about it.

I'm thrilled with this news and I know many people who also are. The only place I've heard anything negative about this new change is on here.

 

[keaster]

Some dogs do not trigger my allergies (poodles/poodle crosses I seem to be okay with). However some other breeds literally make my skin crawl...I itch, break out in hives, have respiratory issues, etc. The minute I walk into someone's house I react immediately if they have the type of dog that triggers those reactions, I don't even have to touch the dog...and these are homes of responsible dog owners that clean meticulously to keep dog hair and dander down. Given Disney's track record of cleaning (and the fact they are giving people the option to opt out of daily cleaning), I wonder how deeply cleaned these rooms will be.

 

[wdwlver]

I'm thrilled with this news and I know many people who also are. The only place I've heard anything negative about this new change is on here.

Conversely I know no one in my real life who likes this change and when I spoke with someone from Disney who called to speak with me after my email, he candidly told me they are surprised at how many people are unhappy with this change.

Different strokes.

 

[Sarahraegraham]

I think you should call Disney Reservations and explain what you explained here. They may try to move you to another resort. You have a legitimate reason for needing to change resorts. I also have had many health issues for the past four months. Because of that, I called yesterday and asked to be moved from POR to POFQ for the one night reservation we had, in light of the new dog policy. We are staying six nights at CBR but wanted one night at POFQ, our favorite resort. When I made the original reservation, there was no availability at POFQ so I opted for POR. I had booked the POR reservation at the time the special rates were out. When I called Disney yesterday, I asked if I could be moved and keep the special rate ($210) versus the $265 current rate at POFQ.

The CM was very understanding and after checking, said yes, she would move my reservation and yes, I would keep the same special rate. Granted, it was only one night, but it never hurts to ask.

I hope you and your wife have a wonderful vacation.

I will echo this. We booked our 2018 stay at POR for next year, as we could not get the military rate for our dates at POFQ, which is my preferred resort (DH hasn’t been yet). I was on the phone for a while, but in the end they were able to move me from POR to POFQ and I was able to keep the military rate. Definitely call, and be insistent.

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

I live in the Suburbs. I find it pretty easy to avoid dogs. Thankfully, I don't even have any close by neighbours who own dogs. Now, I'm not going to freak out if I see a dog or walk by a dog at a resort by any means. But I'm wary of them and always tense.

I also live in suburb and there are many dogs in the neighborhood. I've gone out to put trash in my can and find dog poop in it Have to watch where I walk and put up with barking dogs close by. When I go on vacation I don't want to have to deal with what I just left.

 

[DG25]

I do not have the time to read all these again, but a few pages back like in the 30 range of pages people were saying that the dogs can be in any room. Well not by the information I am getting. Here is what I am getting....

Call
Me, I would like to modify my reservation.
CM, I can help you with that.
Me, yes I would like any resort that does not allow dogs.
CM, oh are you allergic to dogs.
Me, no I have a service dog and for our safety, I just can not see this policy as a good thing for our safety. We have enough problems with the non service animals in the park that are a distraction, and to have to deal with it at the resorts also, I'm just not able to do that, you see I'm blind and I am not able to see when another dog who is not in control comes running to my dog, we have both been attacked at a Marriott before, and after a full day of distractions at the park, I want my dog to be able to relax and enjoy our vacation, not deal with more distractions.
CM, please hold, I am going to call guess relations for you to clarify some information.
CM, comes back on, and tells me, dogs and service dogs will not be allowed in the same part of the resorts at all. You have POR and POFQ, POR will allow dogs but you have a preferred room, dogs will not be allowed in preferred rooms, only service dogs.
Me, yes but we will still be dealing with them as they walk around the resort.
CM, back to guest services, back to me, dogs will be contained to certain areas of the resort and not allowed to walk all around the resorts, the will be contained to a small area of certain rooms.

So we need to take it with a grain of salt because we are getting different information. Again, I think this is the worst idea I ever heard of for many reasons. I remember when I was bite by a dog at Marriott, being blind. The owner of the other dog just walked away, I went to the front desk and told them. Without a room number, without a discription of the dog, basically nothing was done. They did not even offer me help with the medical bills. Because they were not at fault. Since then, I try very hard never to stay in a hotel that has regular dogs because I need my service dog and I can not protect myself and my dog is trained to be kind and gentle not to fight dogs who are out of control.

We are still working on moving our resort.