Kennels and D.O.Gee

[HvnzCaress]

I'll be leaving our corgi, D.O.Gee, at the Ft. Wilderness kennel while we're visiting WDW in August. How much hassel is it really to get back to him for the walks twice a day with the kennel hours being from 7a.m.-10 p.m.?

 

[campingcorgi]

Congratulations on having a corgi!! As you can tell from my name, I have a couple, too!

If you are in the full-hookup pet loops (1600-1800) you will only be a minute from the main parking area and kennel. This is also where one of the two bus depot areas is, so it will be convenient to stop if you are driving from a park or taking the bus that stops at the outpost area. From the marina or the Settlement bus area you will need to catch any bus going to the Outpost and the kennel is right there.

Now, I haven't used the kennel so I can't help you with any specifics about it, but if you have any other pet questions feel free to ask or pm me!

I'm sure it will take a little planning and effort to get the walks in, but it beats having to leave the 'little shedder' at home!

 

[ftwildernessguy]

We have used the FW kennels for the past 5 years and I have nothing bad to say about them. The staff is great (but what do you expect - it is Disney). They do keep track of how often you walk your dog and I overheard them discussing evicting one pooch because the owners never walked them. They are a little more liberal with you after they get to know you. They will also make arrangements with you to pick up your pooch after hours if you happen to be going to Fantasmic and happen to be coming back late, for instance. As long as you don't abuse them, they are perfectly willing to work with you. One year they bought my dog a squeaky toy. If you have a "special needs" pet, they will also work with you as far as medications and special diets.

The place is IMMACULATE! While you are out with your dog, they will put a clean towel in the cage and change the water. NO BAD KENNEL SMELL! My wife is the fussiest as far as where our furry member of the family stays, and this place got a big thumbs up from her.

If you have any questions about the kennels, boarding your dog there, or the pet loops, feel free to e-mail me.

 

[HvnzCaress]

Thank you both for your replies...I find everyone on these boards so helpful

I really didn't expect anything less from Disney and it is one of the reasons I am wanting to bring him there rather than boarding him here at home. This way I won't get separation anxiety and I knew the care and kennels had to be top notch.

Ftwildernessguy you have actually put my mind at ease a bit cause I was worried about those late night evenings and how would I get back in time. I would very much like for him to spend a couple of nights in his own kennel/bed in our tent as I know he can be trusted especially since we will be right there with him. We took him camping last year and he had his own tent where his crate was for sleep and none of our neighbors even knew we had a dog!

The walking is not really an issue. Its just as important to me that he have his walks for his own health and comfort. Its just timing them what with EMH and all.

The kennel hours as I understand it at Ft. Wilderness are 7:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Do you know if the kennels generally really open on time? If I were there right at 7:00 a.m. to drop him off or to give him a quick walk do you think I'd make it to the marina in time to catch the boat for the very opening of EMH at the MK?

What if we made it a full day and I didn't get back to him until 9:30 p.m....would this be too long between walks? Would he face kennel eviction?

Let me explain...I'm really only looking at doing this one day (our first day). We arrive on Saturday and I thought about dropping him off at the kennel in the early evening to go to Spectro for the evening. Now if they would let me pick him up right after great I would have him spend this night in our tent with us. Otherwise I would leave him overnight. Either way I would be back at the kennel right at 7:00 a.m. because the next day is EMH for the MK. I would like to make this first day a truly full day and parkhop from MK in the afternoon to Epcot for the Ice Cream Social and an evening in Future world. We would leave the park no later than 9 p.m. just before illuminations.

Would it be better perhaps to drive over to the TTC at 7:00 a.m. to board him there this one day so we could give him a walk before we completed the park hopping to epcot?

There is another day we plan to go off property to Cocoa beach but I have talked to the kennel at Epcot and they will do a dog walking service at that kennel and I would do a morning drop off with an evening pick up.

Ugh the details of this planning are going to drive me crazy...this vacation means so much to us

 

[CamperStem]

What's this about an ice cream social? I've never heard of that!
Do you have any information on this?
Thanks in advance

 

[HvnzCaress]

Well according to what I've read on these great boards....

There is an ice cream social at the Garden Grill (the revolving restaurant in Epcot's Future World) at which you can have a fancy dish of ice cream for about $7 and meet with Mickey and Chip N' Dale. Apparently the kids get a scoop of ice cream with a sugar cone on top partially dipped in chocolate (I think like Friendly's clown face kids ice cream) and the adults get a sugar cone filled with ice cream that is attached by its tip to a cookie.

Mind you this particular event gets rather mixed reviews. Some say its the ice cream is over priced and that like all character meets it seems sometimes the character interaction isn't the absolute best. Others rave that they have had the absolute best time.

I really have four reasons for really wanting to squeeze this activity in....1) My son wants to meet Mickey and this is his birthday trip. At 11 I don't think standing in a character line is going to be at the top of his list. 2) I need to keep all costs down as much as I can. While I plan to do a character breakfast at Crystal Palace for him on his actual birthday....this seems like a cheaper alternative to also trying to do say Chef Mickey's etc where I don't believe we would be all that comfortable anyway. 3) They also do the re-hitching ceremony and with my husband and I getting ready to celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary I would like to surprise him with this just for fun. 4) The restraunt revolves and I think thats pretty neat but their regular meal menu doesn't excite me enough to want to spend one of our special meals here.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

The kennels are open on time every day I have used them. In fact, I have shown up a few minutes early and they have let me in. How long you leave your pooch will depend on the dog. They would frown on all day without a walk with a young dog, but an adult dog would be ok. My dog would be ready to explode if I went from 7 AM until 9 PM without going out, though. I would try to break up this long day with a walk maybe 1 PM or so. I take it as a break from the parks, leave my family to enjoy whatever and I take say the launch from MK or the monorail from EPCOT to the launch and then to FW, ride my bike from the marina to the kennels, walk the dog and then return the same way. It takes maybe 1 - 1 1/2 hours, depending on my connections with the transportation system. From MGM or AK, I drive. That is generally a quick trip. If you are going to be late, be sure to talk to the staff ahead of time. They just don't like surprises.

FW frowns on pets in tents, although as long as they are quiet I wouldn't have any problem with it. We kept our dog overnight in our popup before we had the hardside and no one said a word. (FW also doesn't like pets in popups). Be sure you are in one of the pet loops, though (1600-1900).

Also be sure to bring you dog's shot record and have your vets phone number with you. FW has required Bordatella vaccination in previous years, but last year they were relaxing that requirement on adult dogs since most vets now are not recommending that vaccine for adult animals.

 

[tim5055]

Originally posted by HvnzCaress
The walking is not really an issue. Its just as important to me that he have his walks for his own health and comfort. Its just timing them what with EMH and all.

I think the point about the Ft. Wilderness kennel you need to keep in mind is that they are not a full service kennel, meaning they do not remove the pets from the cages to allow them to do their "business". That is what the walks are for.

Only yo know your pet. Would you leave them alone at home for 14 or 15 hours? If the answer is yes, then FW kennel should be no problem.

Additionally, I have seen lots of dogs on tent sites so you shouldn't worry about that.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

Last year the kennel was experimenting with a dog walk program. For a couple of bucks they would walk your dog. I don't know if they have continued this or if it has stopped. You can check into it. My dog is a little spooky around strangers, and even though I don't think he would bite anyone, I am not sure how he would react to a relative stranger sticking their hands in his cage.

 

[luvwinnie]

We JUST bought a travel trailer and plan to go to Ft. Wilderness in the next year or two with our Eng. Bulldog. She has never been boarded so I'd worry about the staff and environment, but it sounds great. I would definitely have to walk her around lunch time and then by about 8 p.m.

 

[tim5055]

Originally posted by luvwinnie
We JUST bought a travel trailer and plan to go to Ft. Wilderness in the next year or two with our Eng. Bulldog. She has never been boarded so I'd worry about the staff and environment, but it sounds great. I would definitely have to walk her around lunch time and then by about 8 p.m.

For hard sided TT and motorhomes boarding is not required. If your dog is comfortable alone and you have A/C to keep them comfortable you can leave pets in the camper.

It is only when they start barking constantly that FW CM have a problem.