How is the pet policy working out at the hotels?

[tbssenterprises]

Hi. Has anyone experienced this yet? Also has anyone brought a cat to the hotel instead of a dog?

 

[TavieP]

Didn't see any pets at BWV last week, but I did see a whole bunch of dogs in Epcot. One lady had two dogs who weren't terribly well-behaved she took right onto the Nemo ride. It was interesting to see...

 

[sam_rogers]

I can't help on the hotel front but I'll be watching this thread. I work as a vet tech in the uk and I've got a few things that drive me insane, one is seeing owners walking their dogs in very hot weather with no regard for the Consequences and another is seeing dogs being put in to stressful situations by owners that are completely oblivious of their dogs mental state (prime example, a car festival in my home town where I saw a jack Russell stood next to the road shaking with its tail clamped while its owners watched the noisy cars roar past and ignored their dog!). I last went to wdw in 2012 and can't remember seeing a single dog in the parks over our 2 weeks. I've heard more and more dogs are being let in so I'll be interested on our September trip to see how many are taken to the parks on hot days and taken into big crowds!

 

[Wubar]

Didn't see any pets at BWV last week, but I did see a whole bunch of dogs in Epcot. One lady had two dogs who weren't terribly well-behaved she took right onto the Nemo ride. It was interesting to see...

I'm sure they were there for emotional support. Nemo can be SO scary. Or perhaps one was a service dog and the other was the service dog's emotional support friend.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

We saw one dog at YC when we stayed in March. He was with his family in the gift shop and was very, well behaved. Only dogs are allowed in the dog-friendly resorts. No cats or other animals are allowed in the rooms.

 

[Jadyreen1282]

We saw one dog at YC when we stayed in March. He was with his family in the gift shop and was very, well behaved. Only dogs are allowed in the dog-friendly resorts. No cats or other animals are allowed in the rooms.

No cats! That's discrimination.

 

[Farro]

No cats! That's discrimination.

Seconded!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

No cats! That's discrimination.

Hey, if they let the cats in, then it'll be the roosters, pigs and, didn't I hear something about a "comfort" peacock? A line must be drawn, LOL!

 

[Haley R]

No cats! That's discrimination.

My cats are a lot easier going than any dogs I know lol

 

[Lynne M]

Lots and lots of first-hand reports on the pet policy on this sticky thread at the top of the board:

Experiences at Dog-Friendly Resorts

 

[Marc D]

The Deb Wills newsletter just reported that the dog-friendly policy will end on Oct 15 2018. As before, dogs will only be allowed at the campgrounds at FW from that time forward.

 

[Wubar]

The Deb Wills newsletter just reported that the dog-friendly policy will end on Oct 15 2018. As before, dogs will only be allowed at the campgrounds at FW from that time forward.

Boom. And that's the mic drop. Watch for a rise in emotional support animals.

 

[wdwlver]

Saw on another board that dog policy ends 10/15. Guess it really was a one year test.

 

[abinormal]

Boom. And that's the mic drop. Watch for a rise in emotional support animals.

Luckily they don’t have to allow those.

 

[mom2rtk]

Luckily they don’t have to allow those.

But don't they already?

 

[bumbershoot]

But don't they already?

They allow service dogs. There’s a difference between service animals and emotional support animals.

 

[mom2rtk]

They allow service dogs. There’s a difference between service animals and emotional support animals.

So that monkey someone brought into Epcot was a service animal?

 

[P'colaBeachBum]

ALL EARS® HEARS

... from Diane C.: I just spoke with Disney World about a dog-friendly cabin at Fort Wilderness. According to the cast member I spoke to, as of October 15, there are no more dog-friendly hotels or cabins.

EDITOR'S NOTE: As far as we've been able to confirm, Diane is correct. It seems that the trial program that started last October will conclude this October 15, and Walt Disney World will no longer feature dog-friendly rooms at its resorts, with the exception of certain Fort Wilderness campsites, which have always been pet-friendly.

It appears the pet friendly policy will end in Oct.

 

[abinormal]

But don't they already?

Possibly. I just mean they don’t legally have to. If they do it’s by their own choice. Sounds like they’re pretty lax about the whole thing. But at least they can tighten up to only service animals - which can only be dogs and mini horses.

And I would freak if I saw a pet monkey anywhere in public. They give me the willies.

 

[bumbershoot]

So that monkey someone brought into Epcot was a service animal?

I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.

But. Is Epcot a resort?

Here is disney’s page that addresses animals. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/service-animals/

All it talks about are service animals. “At Walt Disney World theme parks and Resort hotels, a service animal is defined as any dog or miniature horse trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.“

And that’s the legal definition of a service animal.

That page doesn’t discuss emotional support animals at all.

Except for on their ridiculous Disney mom’s panel, which I think we all know is bogus more often than not.


From adata dot org...
“While Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. Even though some states have laws defining therapy animals, these animals are not limited to working with people with disabilities and therefore are not covered by federal laws protecting the use of service animals. ”


If Disney, in their usual manner of being afraid of confrontation, is allowing ESAs in the parks despite no mention of them on their site, that’s their prerogative.


But without them being a service dog or miniature horse, there’s no reason to expect they’ll be allowed in the resorts, which is what this thread was about.