For dog owners, the move means that you'll no longer have to board your pets for your entire Walt Disney World vacation (though you might still need to place them at Disney World's pet care facility while you visit the parks). For people allergic to dog hair, however, you now know four resorts to avoid in the future.
Dogs will be welcomed at the Fort Wilderness Cabins, Art of Animation, Port Orleans Riverside, and Yacht Club Resorts. The surcharge for keeping a pet in your room will be $50 a night, or $75 at the Yacht Club. The charge technically is a cleaning fee, and covers up to two dogs in the room. But you also get "Pluto's Welcome Kit," which includes "mat, bowls, a pet ID tag, courtesy plastic disposable bags, puppy pads and dog walking maps." Each designated pet-friendly room will have access to outdoor green spaces for "pet relief."
"Pet friendly" hotels have developed into a strong niche within the upscale hotel industry, so allowing dogs in rooms is no longer a sign of cheap place to stay. However, allergen sensitivity also has become a much more prominent cause within the hospitality industry, so, yeah, we're all on a collision course here. But with more than 30,000 rooms on property, Walt Disney World should have more than enough accommodations for anyone's needs.
Disney is calling this a trial program and says that it expects guests keeping pets in their rooms to have them vaccinated, keep them well behaved, and keep them on leash at all times while in public areas. How well pet owners do this — while avoiding complaints from others — likely will determine whether this trial becomes standard practice at the resort, or even expands to other hotels on property.
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And to address a couple of the other comments -- the way Universal handles it at RPR, the first floor of one wing is designated as the pet-friendly rooms. They allow dogs everywhere -- lobby, walkways, etc. -- EXCEPT dining areas and the pool. I'd imagine Disney will implement similar procedures.
Yup...There have been a number of stories recently about the increase in "service" animals. It seems as though people can be prescribed service animals for virtually any sort of malady, and while I don't begrudge those who may legitimately have the need for a service animal, it appears that some unscrupulous people are attempting to game the system, and causing perceptions to be formed against even those who may have legitimate needs, much like the accessibility passes at WDW.
Unless it's money...
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