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.
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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!
John
Hi,I love dogs but I cannot understand this decision to allow them in the disney hotels.
I would not want to stay in a room that had been occupied by dogs.
Surely if disney plan to go ahead with this they have to segregate dog occupied rooms from the other guests.
Port Orleans riverside and Yacht club are my favourite resorts,but will have to rethink my options now.
As I said I love dogs and used to own one till he sadly died,but think it would be cruel to leave a dog in a strange room all day.
Cmon disney have a serious rethink
I know that when we have gone camping, people have left their dogs in their campers and the dogs barked nonstop. This has happened several times not just once. As long as these dogs are not barking and my room is clean and doesn’t smell then I am ok with it.
Finally, we have been staying at Lowes Portofino and Royal Pacific because Universal is pet-friendly establishment !!! Our dogs are family, as well!!!! We do a lot of traveling and only stay at pet-friendly hotels!
I called Riverside directly last night after I read the news to get clarification since we have a trip booked in April. I was told by the front desk that as of Sunday the 15th when the program starts there are no designated dog friendly or non dog friendly rooms. All rooms are open to everyone. Since it’s a pilot program they are not willing to turn away reservations from either party so there is a possibility of staying in a room that a dog previously was in or staying next to a room with a dog. I mentioned that our family has severe allergies to dander and was told to call 10 days before our arrival and Disney will try to accomodate us.
Thanks for reporting back on this!
I wouldn’t take a Cast Member’s word as gospel quite yet since it was literally the same day as the announcement and they might not have been fully informed on protocol (others on Twitter are saying Yacht Club told them the opposite), but this is shocking and disappointing if true.
The vast majority of pet-friendly hotels isolate pet-rooms into blocks, which is the far better and more-guest friendly way of doing this. I would hope Disney has thoroughly researched best practices for this, and is not just jumping in blindly and figuring it out as they go.
I called as we were booked in Yacht Club – they are going to try to limit it to certain floors and wings but again can’t guarantee you won’t be in prev dog room or right next to one with variety of room/view options — I think they are doing this clause so you can’t claim any issue and come back to them with it. Cast member couldn’t promise me the club level rooms would be off limits to dogs either – I think they haven’t made up their mind but if anyone has been in there knows, it can get quite crowded without adding people’s dogs to the mix. There is also only one set of elevators in Yacht Club so you will be sharing those as well as lobby. We go several times a year and to be honest always stay at pretty much highest price point rooms and drop a lot of $$$ so they honored our discount rate we had booked in Yacht Club and moved us to Boardwalk without any additional cost and with several apologies for the inconvenience. But from I’m reading, we are in the minority with being able to get ours changed easily (and I recognize that’s not fair!!!). So for the trolls that keep posting mean things to everyone that disagrees with them on here, there is a room open at Yacht Club now for you and your dog.
I was also told the same thing. At the late stage of releasing this information I doubt Disney is able to designate people with dogs to certain areas only. I guess their hope is that a huge amount of air freshener will cover the stench of a dog. Pet owners, no matter how well they know their dogs, are not clairvoyant and able to know what their dog is up to in an unattended room. The cost of damage done can far outweigh $50/day and that cost will trickle down to us all on our next vacation. And how crass of a dog owner and Disney to tell the rest of us to stay somewhere else. Our reservation is already made. I guarantee that once a housekeeper enters a room to clean and is bitten by someone’s protective dog, Disney will rethink it’s position when faced with a lawsuit. Also housekeeping is not allowed to enter a room and close the door so are they now expected to babysit people’s dogs? What happens when a dog escapes? And lastly for you selfish self serving dog owners, if you had asthma and it was triggered by dog dander, and your vacation was cut short because of a more desired visit to the hospital, perhaps you would agree that doggie day care is always available and doesn’t negatively harm anyone. Shame on you Disney for not coming up with a better solution. We certainly pay your executives enough to be more creative.
Deb, couldn’t have said it better. It’s everything I was thinking too.
I’m staying at Riverside in April and have a severe allergy to dogs. Don’t want to add more meds (with added side effects) to my day because someone needs to have their dog in their room. We do this trip every year and stay at this particular hotel because it’s our favorite, and affordable. We really don’t want to book another, and why should we have to. This one perfectly suits our purpose, which is to spend days at the quiet pool, and evenings at theme parks.
There is also another problem that concerns me. I recently had a flea infestation in my home. It was an horrific (and expensive) experience that I wouldn’t want to repeat.
Not sure how Disney is going to handle the problems that will no doubt accompany this change of policy. Not even sure how I’m going to handle it.
I purposely never stay in a hotel nor rent a vacation home that allows dogs. Unfortunately I was planning to stay at Riverside on my WDW trip next April. Hopefully I will be on the other side of the resort and trust Disney will not allow them in and around any of the common areas.
I love the idea! My dogs love Mickey.. all those who oppose probably can’t understand that there are some people who don’t have children and pets are their family. May I just add my furbabies act better than some children today!
Some people have kids. It’s a choice. Some people have dogs. It’s a choice. Some people have asthma. It’s a disease. Not a choice!
Actually it’s about time since the animals travel with us, and because we couldn’t stay on property it locked us out of the 60 day fastpass even though we are annual passholders. The big complaint is the daily pet fee, even if you stay multiple days. I understand the “deep” cleaning after checkout but a daily fee? Since some stays go from 7-10 days or more I would rather stay at a Hyatt. Love the Disney Best Friends kennel but $ do only go so far and choices must be made.
I think it’s a great idea. I usually pay $159 to board my pets at the on property dog kennel for one day. 2 little Pomeranians. A great place I might add. How nice it will be include my dogs all the time.
I think it’s a great idea. I usually pay $159 to board my pets at the on property dog kennel for one day. 2 little Pomeranians. A great place I might add. How nice it will be include my dogs all the time.
I with you Tom. I don’t understand the controversy. It’s only 4 of the 20+ resorts. AND only select rooms within those resorts. I can guarantee those rooms will stay booked up as pet friendly rooms. There shouldn’t be concern of pet odors or dander from guests who with to stay in NON pet friendly rooms. Disney has already stated rooms will be designated as pet friendly. Everyone needs something to disagree with or make into an issue with in isn’t. You have 2 options if this concert s you… A-request to stay AWAY from the pet friendly rooms. I would pretty much bet that you won’t be bothered at all. Or 2- stay at one of the 20+ other Disney resorts. Bam. There ya go. Problem solved. This doesn’t have to be an issue.
It won’t be a concern until a dog bites a person on vacation and then disney will get sued along with the owner, and then disney will discontinue this practice. I too have a Pomeranian but even though she doesn’t bite wouldn’t stick her in a locked up place she isn’t comfortable with all day so I can appease myself and my indulgence. We leave her with family or friends she is comfortable with. A dog knows its areas better than most humans and is very uncomfortable with unknown surroundings. I can understand people taking them with them most places but why go to a disney resort and just leave them there throughout the day, it seems very cruel to me. If you plan on not going to the parks than why stay at a overpriced disney resort. There just asking for trouble.
You are completely correct Susan.
Note that someone who commented after you has talked to onsite Disney Cast Members and has been told that there will not be separate blocs of rooms for pets and non-pets at this time.
It’s only four hotels for now. But c’mon. We all know Disney. If they smell a buck then the program will be expanded. Until of course all the money is wiped out in a lawsuit. Then the program will be revised and thought through carefully. Until then we’re at the mercy of the next nickel-making idea. I think perhaps dealing with drunk guests at Epcot and dogs in the next hotel room may signify an end of our WDW days.
My five year old grand daughter is a huge lighting Mc Queen fan and terrified of dogs. 3 weeks til our trip that requires a room for 6. Just not that simple to just move after 9 months of getting her exited about staying it the cars resort. This is why I’m a bit unhappy about this
Love it!!!!!!!!!! My golden has been at five star resorts all over us and now we are going to Disney. We love her and treat her like family. Glad to see they are changing with the times to include whole family. Great program, thank you.
I just don’t get it. Why would you go through the hassle of bringing your animal on a vacation? Maybe in a cabin in the woods, a farm house or something-but Disney?
I have now and have had a dog or 2 since I married my husband 34 years ago. Love them! But, do not feel a Disney vacation is the place for pets.
And, I definitely agree with the other comments regarding the rooms. There is no way to get animal odor out of rooms unless it is masked with some chemicals which will also have an odor.
I am worried about the noise of Barking Diogs.
“Deep cleaning” to remove pet dander is not realistic. They’d have to pull down and clean the curtains and wash the walls. Even then pet dander is likely to remain. Those of us with allergies simply cannot stay in rooms where pets have been. I have not seen any info or replies from Disney that they will classify only certain rooms as pet-friendly. I certainly hope that is the case.
Fortunately we’re DVC so this doesn’t affect us. If they expand the pilot to DVC resorts, you can bet I’ll be speaking up against it. I don’t have anything against dogs other than the asthmatic reaction I get when being around them.
Yes, many hotels are pet-friendly, and I’ve learned the hard way that staying in them doesn’t work for me, as it doesn’t for many others. As long as we have a choice, fine. But if Disney expands the program that choice becomes limited and they will lose business because of that. Hopefully they’ll figure that out in this trial run!
I agree with you that this will likely be no trouble at all for other visitors. If single hotels the world over can handle it, I imagine Walt Disney World which is the size of San Francisco will do just fine.
I’m actually considering taking them up on it this coming December. I drive to my brother’s home every winter holiday and he lives more than an hour further away than Walt Disney World. As an annual pass holder, it would be great to be able to stop over for one night, enjoy a few hours in one of the parks, and keep my furry pal in fine comfort! He has stayed in multiple hotels before and never gets upset about it at all. Just happy to see me when I get back!
Awesome move. I would much rather stay in a room that has had pets then a room that someone has moved in. I have two small dogs and would visit Disney much more if I was able to bring them. We are anymore passholders and love Disney.
Finally a good move for responsible dog owners especially older adults that travel with their pet. Hopefully irresponsible people who don’t pick up after their pet or who are careless messy dog owners won’t ruin it for those who take exceptional care of their pet and are considerate of others. Thrilled about this option.
Yes there doggie hotel is nice but our dog does not
Not a wise move. I think that dogs will add to the clean up activities and housekeepers should be paid significant extra money for taking care of rooms with dogs. I WOULD DEFINITELY NOT STAY in a room that is dog friendly. I like dogs but this is not the place for them. For those who do not like dogs this would be a nightmare.
I’m not so sure I’d say this is ‘not a wise move.’ From Fortune:
“53.7 percent of total pet-market expenditures come from households with more than $70,000 annually in income.
Posh hotels are obviously aware of this data. Welcoming pets means more money in their pockets — fueling bookings from pet owners who otherwise might otherwise stay home or stay elsewhere, and encouraging additional spending thanks to their precious pooches.”
http://fortune.com/2016/01/14/hotels-pet-dog/
I work at a higher end hotel in Hawaii that went pet friendly about 3 years ago, it certainly hasn’t impacted our occupancy rates in a negative way. When I asked friends in housekeeping about how things were going since the change they reported very few issues and my understanding just like in the past when we had smoke free rooms (we’re now entirely smoke free) there are pet free rooms that don’t offered to those checking-in with their dogs. It’s certainly a trend that’s not going to going away and in fact Disney is a bit behind the times on it.
Great! Disney, open a new resort hotel at Disney World, expressly constructed and developed for people with pets. Leave the rest of us alone.
I was shocked at this decision. The only reason I see them taking on the liability of including dogs is just another money grab.
If I’m going to drop the prices that Disney charges for on site resorts, the last thing I want is a room with extra wear and tear, smell and the sound of dogs barking first thing in the AM to want to go outside. I hope this pilot gets nixed.
If you’re staying at a real-world hotel with Walt Disney World price points, there’s already an 80% chance it is pet-friendly.
I’m reconsidering my initial reaction. If they have designated rooms that are far enough away that I won’t have to encounter them, and as long as the program doesn’t move to the Deluxes, I don’t really care. Could be a nice option for those that are responsible and want to take advantage.
I still think it’s a silly taking on of unnecessary risk for Disney though. As many people as they have roaming around these resorts at any given time, it’s not super far fetched that a dog could break free from an owner and bite a child, leaving Disney very exposed to a law suit. Disney is not just any hotel, they are one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
Even though this decision impacts only four resorts, AOA happens to be really the only reasonably priced (and non-awful) option for families of 5+. Their 2-bathroom suites are terrific for families our size. We don’t like the All Star resorts, and we don’t want to pay the exorbitant costs for the same amount of space at moderate/deluxe resorts. So this decision is a problem for us. I’m not dog averse, but I find hotel rooms to be fairly “smelly” and “dirty” already. Adding pets into the equation is not something that I like.
Anyone that travels with their dogs on a regular basis, do not have dirty, smelly dogs! When we travel with our 2 labrador retrievers they are as well behaved as any child and quieter than teens running up and down halls late at night!
I’m not saying anyone’s dogs are dirty and smelly. I’m saying that all living things are dirty and smelly. Sorry, but they are. It doesn’t matter how clean we keep ourselves and/or our dogs. Adding “more” fauna into the equation is something I don’t appreciate. The more I thought about it, the more I thought that having separate blocs of rooms would mainly make this a non-issue, but it does sound like guests are being told that this isn’t the case at this time.