Dog-Friendly Resort Hotels at Disney World
Four Walt Disney World resort hotels are now permanently pet-friendly. This post shares details about WDW’s dog-friendly program, where to stay & avoid (if you dislike doggos), nightly costs, and what we think of this surprisingly controversial change.
As basic background, this started as a one-year pilot program in 2018 that was extended in 2019 with a quiet update to Walt Disney World’s FAQ page. As WDW’s dog-friendly hotel policy has been hugely controversial, we no longer expect this to be expanded to other resorts. Between the guest backlash and the switch from a pilot program to standard policy, what’s covered here is likely the permanent policy going forward.
From what we’ve heard, Walt Disney World was caught off-guard by the blowback to this policy, and given the low percentage of guests taking advantage of this program, it’s unlikely it was worth the initial blowback. At this point, it’s one of those, “what done is done” kind of things–and not worth reopening that divisive can of worms. What follows is current information about the dog-friendly policy, which will remain accurate through 2026…
The following four Disney Resort hotels have designated dog-friendly accommodations:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort
Pet-friendly is a bit of a misnomer, as dogs are the only pets allowed, with a maximum of 2 dogs per room. All dogs are expected to be well-behaved, leashed in public areas and properly vaccinated.
Despite the dogs-only rule, it is worth referring to this as a pet-friendly policy in order to distinguish between dogs as pets and dogs as service animals. This policy concerns the former, whereas the ADA governs the latter. The same restrictions do not apply to service animals as what’s covered here.
Each Walt Disney World resort hotel has a very limited number of designated rooms that are dog-friendly for pet owners. This means that there are still 20+ hotels at Walt Disney World that do not accommodate pets, along with all of the rooms in those 4 hotels that are not dog-friendly.
It’s our understanding that roughly 250 rooms at Walt Disney World are pet-friendly. To put this into perspective, Walt Disney World has ~30,000 total rooms just in the Disney-owned resorts. The grand total number of pet-friendly hotel rooms is fewer than the total room inventory at Bay Lake Tower (which is not pet-friendly–it’s just the easiest comparison).
It’s also our understanding that the resorts with the most pet-friendly room inventory are Fort Wilderness and Art of Animation. The latter has pet-friendly rooms in Cars and Finding Nemo Family Suites, as well as the Little Mermaid standard rooms. Over at Fort Wilderness, select DVC Cabins and standard loops are pet friendly.
Below is each hotel’s per night/per room pet-cleaning rate is:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – $50/night
- Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort – $50/night
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – $75/night
- Cabins at Disney’s Ft. Wilderness Resort – $50/night
Each guest room will have easy access to outdoor pet walkways for exercise and green spaces with pet relief areas. Guests will also receive an amenity at check-in called “Pluto’s Welcome Kit” that includes a mat, bowls, a pet ID tag, courtesy plastic disposable bags, puppy pads, a doggie do not disturb door hanger, and dog walking maps.
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort also accommodates dogs, which is a longstanding policy. When booking your campsite, you may request a pet-friendly loop for an additional $5.00 per night plus tax.
If you make your reservations online, select the “Add” button in the “Room and Amenity Requests” section. You will then be able to request a pet-friendly loop. Please note: Pets are not allowed in pop-up trailers or tents. Fort Wilderness also offers the Waggin’ Trails Dog Park.
Again, the distinct between pets and service animals is significant. Other than service animals, dogs are not permitted in theme parks, water parks or common areas such as restaurants, pools and recreational spaces. It’s also worth noting that service animals are allowed at resort hotels where pets are not.
This being a change at Walt Disney World, of course it has been met with controversy. But honestly, we never anticipated the backlash to this when the pilot program was first announced…
As soon as Walt Disney World announced this change on the Disney Parks Blog, social media blew up. To be fair, a lot of the comments were of the positive and excited variety, but a disproportionate (in our estimation) number were outrage over this program.
I was honestly a bit taken aback by the comments expressing intense disapproval. Not because I think anyone who dislikes dogs is a heartless monster, but because it’s only four hotels. Moreover, it really isn’t some ground-breaking program. It was an inevitability given the larger hospitality industry.
While I can empathize with those who have pet allergies, this is a growing movement among hoteliers, and the practical reality is that service animals have been staying in hotels for ages, and if you didn’t notice an issue then, you probably won’t going forward.
If anything, the existence of service animals throughout Walt Disney World should undercut most complaints about select hotels and select rooms being pet-friendly. In the last decade, there’s been a proliferation of fake service dogs.
This is similar to the increased misuse and abuse of Disability Access Service (DAS), which got so bad that it was addressed by a crackdown and policy changes at Walt Disney World. The difference is that it’s more difficult for Disney to address fake service animals. Giving guests who really want their dogs to travel with them a legitimate means of doing so might actually help reduce the issue–or at least consolidate dogs into fewer resorts.
It’s impossible to say just how many fake service dogs there are at Walt Disney World, but answering that question is essentially irrelevant. The reality is that service animals (real or fake) already exist throughout Walt Disney World. Opening the door to pets with strict parameters at less than 1% of all guest rooms shouldn’t be make or break.
It’s not as if Walt Disney World is suddenly going to become Canine City, a lawless place overrun with dogs, fleas, and feces. What will prevent this (aside from rules, responsible pet owners, and a cleaning staff) is the fact that bringing a pet on vacation is prohibitively expensive and inconvenient for most guests. For a minority of visitors, that’s not the case, and this represents a nice option for them.
We know this because the concept of a pet-friendly hotel is not something Walt Disney World invented. It has been a growing trend in the hotel industry for the last several years (if not longer) and is a feature that is prominently advertised because people like–even non-owners.
In fact, Hotels.com indicates that around 25% of the hotels it lists are pet-friendly. Another report by Fortune shows the number as high as 60%. This is another reason why the outrage comes as a surprise. A growing number of hotels welcome pets, and not just the ‘run-down’ ones, either.
As those articles points out, W Hotels, Loews, Park Hyatt, and Kimpton welcome pets, as do other posh and trendy luxury hotels (an estimated 80% of luxury hotels are pet friendly). It’s also increasingly commonplace among boutique hotels and other segments of the industry, so it should really come as no surprise that Walt Disney World is finally catching up with this industry standard.
This is especially the case given that Walt Disney World has far greater latitude than the average hotel in simultaneously accommodating both pets and those with pet allergies. With each of the four hotels above either having multiple wings or separate satellite buildings, it’s easy for Disney to designate one section pet-friendly, and reserve those rooms for pet owners, while leaving the rest of the hotel ‘normal.’
Walt Disney World has indicated in its FAQ that this separation will occur with “Certain floors or sections of a hotel will be designated as dog-friendly, while the majority of areas will remain canine-free to accommodate Guests with allergies or other concerns.” (Given the ease with which Disney hotels can accommodate dogs while also accommodating others, we would be surprised if this pilot program does not expand to many additional hotels at Walt Disney World.)
That’s how it works at many other hotels in the world who welcome pooches, and the problems are not nearly as dire or widespread as the ‘sky is falling’ crowd on social media is anticipating. We spend a ton of time in pet-friendly hotels every year, and we’ve yet to have an issue with a barking dog or pet-soiled room. To the contrary, we rarely even see dogs in hotels, except for in hotels that are aggressively catering to dog owners. (Shorebreak Huntington Beach is a great choice if you want to see plenty of doggos on your vacation.)
Numerous other hotels have managed to figure this out (along with pretty much the entirety of Europe), so there’s already proof of concept on pet-friendly hotels. It can work. Hotels already do offer stays without incident for dog-owners and those who dislike dogs or have allergies. We don’t utter the “trust in Disney” cliche often, but this is probably a scenario where you can safely trust that Walt Disney World will be able to handle something that so many other hoteliers have done just fine with implementing.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Do you agree or disagree with our take on 4 Walt Disney World hotels becoming pet friendly? Are you concerned about allergies, noise, smell, cleanliness, or some other issue? Excited to see more dogs at Walt Dogsney World? 😉 Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Yes that is my concern as well as we have 3 out of 4 people in our family allergic to dogs and my daughter is very allergic!!
For the people who have allergies you can request a deep cleaning of your room beforehand so that complaint is nixed. I think it is great for responsible dog owners who don’t plan on going to the parks each day. I would hate to see dogs having to stay in their rooms all day because dog owners didn’t think about how much time they will be spending in the parks. Also, there is an amazing pet friendly kennel on property if you really can’t be without your pooch AND you plan on spending all day in the parks. It is less expensive to kennel them there than keep them in the room. Here is the link. Good article Tom http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/waltdisneyworldresort/
I am allergic to dogs. Will all rooms at art of animation be pet friendly or will they set aside certain blocks of rooms? It would be ideal that that is what they do. I’m probably not the only one who is slightly hesitant to get into a room and find out the hard way that the rugs were not properly vacuumed and the comforter not changed out and Someone’s pet was lieing in bed with them. To be clear…I do like dogs. Always wished I had one, but my allergies don’t allow for it. I’m fine with their pet policy but wondering what balance and controls are in place to protect me and all of the other people who battle allergies.
I travel with a cat. A hysterical woman confronted me at the airport insisting that someone who was allergic could be in trouble bc my cat (in her cage) was aboard the airplane. Apparently she didn’t know all the airlines allow up to 5-6 animals per flight. I hope Disney includes cats!
Me too! We travel with our cat!
I hope so too! I would bring our cat with us.
I love dogs but not sure if I like the idea. I was at Disney World over Hurricane Irma, and dogs were allowed in the hotels per FL evacuation laws. The dog next door barked the whole time and it was hard to get any rest.
I chuckled at your comment about your dog not being very social. Our dachshunds are the same! So they stay home most of the time. Lol.
Universal Orlando hotels have been pet friendly hotels for awhile now, but they are forced to stay in the pet area and no where near the lobby, dining or commmon areas. I’ve seen some Yelp reviewers complaining that the Universal hotels made their stay with animals less than fun since the only place they could be was in the room. Also- they dont offer maid service to animal rooms to protect housekeeping staff from agressive animals.
I assume Disney will have a sumilar policy. So after the initial surge happens and propld realize this isnt a fun place for a dog (since they will inevitably be trapped in the room the entire time and their humans most likely wont get mousekeeping services during yheir stay – most people wont bother to bring them. Too much money and hassel as Tom has pointed out. And I have no doubt that Disney is taking into account all the folks with allergies. They make accomdating food allergies a priority for guest satisfaction – I have no doubt they will do the same for pet allergies and fears.
I fully understand wanting to vacation with your dog. I really dislike leaving my ‘woof’ behind –even with full live-in care! My worry comes from enforcing the rules that will accompany the changes. Can they be properly enforced? Let’s be honest–my last couple of stays, I have had the sneaky smokers near my room. That is, the smoker who thinks it ok for them to smoke outside their room–no one will notice–it’s ok–not hurting anyone–what’s the problem? Why should they have to go to the smokers section? I worry that there will be similar issue with dog vacations. I go to outdoor events that allow dogs. Not every pet owner understands how to control their animal, and yes, I have had a long leased dog jump on me, fun for the dog, not for me! I have also been at a Hilton hotel that allowed animals, only to watch the staff rushing to clean a dogs ‘accident’ in the front lobby., with the owner walking away… I can see many, many positives for some dog owners, but I can also see many,many issues for the all staff –resorts, transportation, etc. at Disney–because the no pet at the Parks policy will probably not change. My ‘woof’ will be staying home and enjoying his staycation–spa treatment and much much more! And still getting Disney doggie treats when I get back!
Until you have a child that has animal phobia and anxiety and another one that has allergies, you will never understand what we go through on a daily basis, because pets have become like people’s children and they take them everywhere. There are less and less places where we can go. Our child is terrified. Disneyworld was one of those places we could “get away from it all”. We already have a reservation at one of these hotels, and now I guess we have to leave, so the dogs can stay there. I think people that are animal lovers are always so shocked by those of us that don’t. It’s a “willing ignorance” in my opinion.
Yes, but I can also offer the argument that why should people not be able to bring their pets with them because there might be 1 child with a fear or phobia? I am not belittling any conditions or fears a child may have, I was scared of big dogs when I was a kid too, but I would bet a weeks pay that you can keep your existing reservation and have this not impact your trip at all. But if your attitude is that you can’t go “anywhere” now because they allow dogs at WDW, or think you need to cancel your entire trip because of this, then I don’t really know what to tell you. This has nothing to do with animal lovers getting their way and the rest of society just having to suck it up.
Me personally? I’d rather take that $300-400 that I would need to spend on my dog and go out to a few nice dinners, and I would imagine, like most people who read about Disney’s recent “add ons”, the majority will still decide this just is not justifiable in their budget.
“Yes, but I can also offer the argument that why should people not be able to bring their pets with them because there might be 1 child with a fear or phobia?”
Duh. Because dogs do not equal humans.
I also think a lot of people are, not worrying for nothing, but over estimating how many people will now travel with their dogs. Traveling with an animal like a dog that requires a lot of care and attention can really hinder the freedom of your relaxing and relatively care-free vacation, I personally would still board my dog or get a pet sitter.
I would agree with this. Not only does it inhibit your freedom on vacation, but it’s costly (which is why, at large, the luxury hotel industry caters more to the pet-friendly crowd–you need some degree of disposable income to be able to afford this!).
My guess is that the number of dogs at Walt Disney World at any given time won’t even double as a result of this.
Given that so many people (if comments are any indication) don’t realize there are already dogs at Walt Disney World, I doubt they would’ve noticed this change at all had Disney not made an announcement.
I do not think it is terribly costly. Around here, the absolute minimum kennel price is $30/day and $40-$50 is pretty easy to reach.
The bigger issue is the pace of a Disney vacation. Being out of the hotel room for 18 hours is not unreasonable at Disney, and having a dog would necessitate changes to that. That said, if I were in driving distance the trade-off of not missing my animals vs. amending my park schedule to take care of them would be something I would at least consider.
I love dogs, but have allergies and there are only a few breeds I can be around. Worse is when they’ve been in a hotel room I’m being assigned next. No amount of cleaning will do the job. As for service animals, they’re usually with their owner and not left to sit in a hotel room all day.
I wonder how this will affect Mousekeeping as they try to clean the room with a dog inside. And will Disney require pet owners to go back to the room a few times daily to walk and/or clean up after their dog? I’m curious to see how it will work out.
We stay at Riverside every year in April (a pool vacation, not so much theme parks). I really hope they assign specific buildings, and hope they’re in the Bayou section, as we stay on the Manor side. Not to be mean, but medical issues are medical issues, and I have my share. Just ask any chef at Disney. I’ve spoken with them all.
I can’t see how DIsney would be able to police how many times a day you have returned to your room to check on the animal, it will likely be a case by case basis and there will be an unspoken understanding that if they’re allowing you this privilege, you act accordingly.
I am very certain there will be people who don’t care, and don’t clean up, and let their dogs run around, and think they’re the exception, and with those experiences Disney will gain a tighter control on how to work this process. Things have to fail to let them know what does and doesn’t work.
I’m also sure that during this rollout, since it’s seemingly a very sudden announcement, they would be more than accommodating to make changes to your reservation where applicable.
My mom is deathly afraid of large dogs. She often gets panic attacks when we encounter them in some stores. I’m just sad that we probably won’t stay at one of our favorites, Art of Animation, anymore.
I can definitely understand some initial shock/backlash/skepticisms, but, what gets me the most is that people are all assuming that Disney has not taken into account all of the possible cons already and that they assume they have no plans to accommodate guests with allergies or phobias. As long as this is constricted to a specific area of the resort, and you can (as best as they can accommodate) request to not be placed in this area, I don’t see the big issh. As always, change = craziness and social media just exacerbates it.
Chances are you have already stayed in a hotel with pets in them and not noticed, this will likely be a similar scenario.
I would however be interested to see how they handle guests travelling with pets who require use of the magic express. I would definitely understand people not wanting to be in such close proximity to dogs should they be allergic or have a phobia. It would not surprise me to see a caveat that guests travelling with pets must provide their own transportation to and from MCO. Unless they plan to roll out Pluto-themed magic express busses that will have dogs on them. In that case please sign me up to exclusively ride in that bus.
Reading all the comments, that’s what stands out to me too! A quick google search will tell you how your local Hilton runs a dog friendly hotel, so you just have to take that an amplify it to understand the realm with which we should see this rolled out at Disney.
Not just Magic Express, but resort transport to and from the parks. At times, I’ve been on buses that are packed to capacity (and them some); throw a dog into the mix next to or near an individual who is very allergic and sensitive, and it won’t be pretty.
This already happens though, I’ve been on a bus with service animals. And If I am not mistaken, the hotels are the only areas that are becoming pet friendly, the parks (if I am reading correctly) will still remain service-animals only.
You state: “This means that there are still 20+ hotels at Walt Disney World for the dog-haters out there, along with all of the rooms in those 4 hotels that are not dog-friendly.”
I respectfully offer that one can disagree with Disney’s new dog policy for a host of reasons, none of which would justify being labelled a “dog-hater.” 🙁
Fair point!
I get Tom’s sense of humor. Taking things to the extreme is an entertaining way to make a point. It’s all tongue in cheek. Anyone who regularly reads DTB is probably aware of Tom’s opinion of those individuals who do not consider Country Bear Jamboree to be the pinnacle of Disney entertainment. FYI, I am not a fan of them bears!
C’mon, people. Lighten up! Stop being so sensitive.*
* I’d like to take a moment to apologize to those I’ve offended by telling them to lighten up. That was very thoughtless of me. Please do accept my most sincere and humblest apologies.
I don’t have pets, but my husband’s parents do. They won’t go anywhere without their dogs, and this will be great for them! We have had trouble in the past finding a place to stay because it has to be dog-friendly. I completely agree that the outrage has been… surprising.
I was wondering if they were going to make it room specific. Thanks for addressing that. We have dog/cat allergies and asthma in out family, but i think as long as we can request a non pet room, we would be ok. It’s funny, my husband and son with allergies sometimes sneeze uncontrollably when they get off an indoor water ride, like Pirates or Living with the Land. They both have mold allergies as well (gosh, we sound like a fun group don’t we??)
I mean, I don’t have any inside info that indicates whether this will be room-specific, but how this works at other major chains that have gone pet-friendly is setting aside dedicated blocks of rooms in the inventory that are flagged as pet-friendly.
That’s advantageous for both the hotel and guests. For guests, they are staying (or can request to be away from) near other pet rooms. For the hotel, they are confining the incidences of pet damage or allergens to a specific subset of rooms.
I cannot imagine Walt Disney World implementing this in a different way than that.
I work in the hospitality industry at a pet friendly hotel and from my understanding dealing with potential allergens is something thing hotels are very accustom to; think dust, down, food, and chemical sensitivities. Disney wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t have a plan and if they didn’t think they could make some $ off of it.
I love that Disney is open to trying the dog-friendly thing! And I understand where people could be upset, but my return on that is that we have a dalmatian (70lbs) and a lab (50lbs) both under 2 years old and while we take them to lunch, the hardware store and outdoor events I would never subject them to staying in a hotel all day while I go play, and I feel like a lot of people (especially with larger dogs) would share that sentiment. And for $50 a day for both of them to sit in a hotel I can pay about the same per day for them to go play at our local doggy hotel and have a blast. So I guess i’m biased in my opinion since I already have two dogs at home, but it does not bother me at all that Disney wants to test out a dog friendly option. And I love seeing dogs out and about; its good for them and dogs are proven to make people happier.
I’m back…after doing some research and finding that Disney offers more pet accommodations (daycare and boarding) than I remembered, I think they are on to something with allowing pets in the hotels. Dogs can go play during the day at the daycare and stay in the dog friendly hotel after they have had a full day of activities, and that unfortunately will increase the likely hood that folks will travel with their pets. My assumption was that we would not see a large increase in pets at these hotels due to them being in the room during the day for the most part, but I think I may be wrong. So while I’m sure Disney is taking all precautions in segregating dog friendly rooms I hope they are going to be taking precautions in the public areas if dogs are to be allowed there; areas like the lobby and check in. People go to disney for an amazing vacation and allergies are an added stress. So unless there is an emergency my pups will not be going to disney world, who wants to drive 6 hours with 150lbs of dog in the backseat ha.
As one of those with allergies, and my only concern is that this will further encourage people to bring their dogs on planes and other transportation (including that within Walt Disney World, or the Magical Express from the airport) under the guise of service animals or “comfort” animals.
Plus, isn’t this the perfect policy for the cats of the world to unite and decry discrimination? Or maybe just go and nap.
A cat uprising has long been one of my greatest fears, but I’m pretty sure as long as we could survive the first 18 minutes of it, we could band together and find a way to overtake them during the next 18 hours of their nap.
My first instinct was UGH!! I have a severe allergy to dog/cat saliva and dander. Easy to clean dander, harder to spot and clean saliva which can become airborne. I have a little PTSD feelings with the animals because of the power they have over me. That being said, I do think they are cute (Figaro is my favorite character, but of course, since he is animated I am not allergic).
Since you mentioned it is just 4 hotels, I can deal with that. I do like Riverside, but will make it a choice just not to stay there anymore. Having dogs around in the lobby and grounds will make me very uncomfortable – I am already nervous about seeing so many “therapy” dogs in the parks recently.
Disney will do a good job of this – most hotels do. They offer a deep clean for those with allergies, or set aside special allergy-free rooms. Airlines are a whole different animal.
Anyway, as you said it is becoming more standard around most hotels. Even though I wish all animals would stay animated or animatronic, I will deal 🙂
I can definitely understand the concern about pets on planes…or even restaurants. It just seems like hotels have such good policies for minimizing/negating the downsides and unintended consequences that it’s really a non-issue.
Nope, it’s an issue.
Sorry that was dog friendly!!
Haha, I figured. The alternative is that “Priscilla” is a pseudonym, Ms. De Vil. 😉
I have cats, but I think dog fry wonderful!!!! My kids have dogs, and this would be great for them!!!