Trial Run for Dogs in Resort Rooms

[hunyb207]

Because REAL service dogs wear a vest or a collar.

Incorrect. Per the ADA website "The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness."

 

[Eveningsong]

That’s not the same. Ppl didn’t bring their dogs there b/c they were on vacation. They had evacuated. It’s not likely you’ll see the same volume with this policy. And with the cluster of the circumstances WDW probably didn’t inform guests adequately of the pet policy & didn’t have the staff to enforce it.

Isn't it against the law in Florida to bring a non service dog into a food court or restaurant?

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Now for sure I'm not laughing at your part of the story regarding the aggressive dog but yes there is humor on the dog poop part I'm lucky that my neighbors around my part of the neighborhood do pick up after their dogs but basing off of one of the social networking sites for neighborhoods all over the city it's not the case elsewhere. Sorry about stepping in it by the way. It's gross for sure especially if you're wearing sneakers/tennis shoes that has grooves on the bottom

I just read your post after musing about how many dogs I have seen in Chicago today. I think that once something is on our ‘radar’ we can’t stop seeing it! I remember when I was pregnant, I saw pregnant ladies everywhere! When my DD has her ACL repaired, I suddenly saw scarred knees everywhere!

You’re a good woman to help corral the loose dog. Sorry about the poop. BTDT had to get it out of deep grooves in my shoes. Ick.

FWIW, all the dogs I saw today were very well behaved.

The roads are busy so definitely hate to see a loose dog! So, I guess no good deed goes unpunished because somehow I didn't notice yesterday, but since the goldie tried to retreat up my stairs to my porch, their skirmish left smeared poopy dog prints EVERYWHERE! And there were lots of comings and goings with me and the kids last night - ugh. I mean, you can't make this stuff up!

And it's funny you mention scarred knees, @robinb. My husband recently injured his knee - no big deal but long recovery at this point, still requires a lot of help from me, and no driving for 4 months. It's why he's not traveling with us in January. So, I have to say, scrubbing the porch was not on my list of things to do today!

 

[LSUmiss]

Isn't it against the law in Florida to bring a non service dog into a food court or restaurant?

I don’t know. I’m not suggesting that was ok. Just saying it’s different enforcement under the circumstances than rolling out a new official policy.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Because REAL service dogs wear a vest or a collar.

A service dog isn't required to wear a vest. That's quite an assumption that a dog not wearing a vest isn't a real service dog. I know many who have service dogs who do (sometimes out of strict necessity like ones who rely on the dog for seeing abilities, etc) but I wouldn't dream of telling someone who didn't that they didn't a real service dog for the sole reason of the dog not wearing a vest.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The roads are busy so definitely hate to see a loose dog! So, I guess no good deed goes unpunished because somehow I didn't notice yesterday, but since the goldie tried to retreat up my stairs to my porch, their skirmish left smeared poopy dog prints EVERYWHERE! And there were lots of comings and goings with me and the kids last night - ugh. I mean, you can't make this stuff up!

And it's funny you mention scarred knees, @robinb. My husband recently injured his knee - no big deal but long recovery at this point, still requires a lot of help from me, and no driving for 4 months. It's why he's not traveling with us in January. So, I have to say, scrubbing the porch was not on my list of things to do today!

Oh for heaven's that's adding insult to injury dealing with cleaning up parts of your house my goodness. Yeah I don't envy you dealing with that

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I hear you on all those points. But, what I don't understand is why we can’t wait & see how it plays out (excluding allergies & phobias). I know it’s been pointed out that the what ifs are endless on both sides.
I don’t think the policy is all that relevant b/c so many what ifs include things that are already against policy. As far as the Universal comparison, I understand the policy is different. But, it doesn’t prevent any of the things ppl are saying will happen. Disney’s just puts more responsibility on the owner to do what is right. Since so many ppl have posted that don’t have any faith that ppl will follow the policy or that WDW will enforce it, my point is what’s the point of debating the stringency of the policy itself?

I completely hear what your saying. And what you're saying could be completely accurate - rules could be follow or ignored, enforced or not, does the actual policy change anything in practice? Hard to know, and I am waiting to see, although since I can't bail on January without some significant personal and financial fallout, I choose to keep track of things, including the policies Disney develops and how the "tweak" them, as a few posters have mentioned them trying to do. Partly I'm just a person who thinks "Good fences make good neighbors" (which reminds me considering yesterday afternoon, does my neighbor have a new hole in her fence?). Business and organizations can put together policies and procedures to act as protection for the parties involved, risk reduction, and sometimes as a deterrent for undesired behavior. At all of the hockey rinks I go to, all have a posted "Code of Conduct". I don't remember seeing these when going to games as a kid. Anyway, it says things like "no lobby hockey, no foul language, no arguing with the ref, no fist fights, etc." and clearly identifies what will lead to expulsion from the rink. On a sidenote, sad that adults need to be told not to have fist fights in the stands during a youth hockey game. But anyway, everyone sees and knows the rules/rink behavior policy and knows what's at risk when tempers flare, and it does seem to keep things at a low simmer!

Maybe the other part of it for me personally is since I am a big Disney fan and going to the POR in Jan, and I want to see how things go, I am both surprised/not surprised at how poorly Disney executed the rollout, so I'm processing those feelings and probably focus on things like policy since I'm generally a rule follower, lol!

 

[TheFloatingBear]

Oh for heaven's that's adding insult to injury dealing with cleaning up parts of your house my goodness. Yeah I don't envy you dealing with that

Why do you think I'm reading this thread right now? Because I've been running around all day and now I'm procrastinating my porch task!

 

[nursejackie]

I, for one, do not want to be woken up or disturbed by barking dogs in the room next door or those being taken for walk really early or really late.

 

[Jafar30]

Admit it this dog would be a lot of fun

 

[TheFloatingBear]

I get it that Disney doesn't value me as an individual customer and that if I choose to stop our vacations there, others will fill the void, however for me, I don't necessarily think of it as voicing my complaint to accomplish a goal, rectify a situation, etc. This is a trial period, so one would imagine customer feedback, both positive and negative, would simply be part of the data they are collecting. Then you have revenue, costs, complaints, and whatnot to also throw in the mix to decide how to adjust, expand or whatever. My statement reflects that Disney considers this an actual trial period - I'm just taking as stated. So, currently in my situation, if I reach out to express my thoughts/concerns, I feel like I'm providing customer feedback but not necessarily trying to change an outcome for my current situation. Clearly customer feedback seems to be resulting in them tightening up their policies.

Now in my personal situation, here's my update. Group trip for my daughter's dance studio to POR in Jan. I think the group thing is interesting in all of this since there's less wiggle room. Can't change resorts since it's a group package. I went to put in another check for the trip last night at the dance studio. I had been assured by the TA that's handling our trip that she would let people know about this policy change at the resort. To be clear, not speaking to whether I or anyone in the group should agree or disagree with the policy, or even care. But since we're relying on the TA to organize things, some people may not know and they should be making an informed decision if they still want to participate, since it is a change that for some could be of significant concern. The TA didn't want to do it by email since she'd be at the studio on Thursday, she told me she'd tell people then, but it was just a drop off thing, not a meeting about the trip. I was late so didn't run into anyone there, but no one I texted today was informed last night. In fact, when I asked her about it, I discovered that not even the studio owner was aware! She works for a Disney travel agent, so I am hoping this isn't a take the $ and then apologize later situation, but there you go. My guess is that no one would change their plans, but it's still good customer service to be informed, and could prepare if needed.

 

[LSUmiss]

I completely hear what your saying. And what you're saying could be completely accurate - rules could be follow or ignored, enforced or not, does the actual policy change anything in practice? Hard to know, and I am waiting to see, although since I can't bail on January without some significant personal and financial fallout, I choose to keep track of things, including the policies Disney develops and how the "tweak" them, as a few posters have mentioned them trying to do. Partly I'm just a person who thinks "Good fences make good neighbors" (which reminds me considering yesterday afternoon, does my neighbor have a new hole in her fence?). Business and organizations can put together policies and procedures to act as protection for the parties involved, risk reduction, and sometimes as a deterrent for undesired behavior. At all of the hockey rinks I go to, all have a posted "Code of Conduct". I don't remember seeing these when going to games as a kid. Anyway, it says things like "no lobby hockey, no foul language, no arguing with the ref, no fist fights, etc." and clearly identifies what will lead to expulsion from the rink. On a sidenote, sad that adults need to be told not to have fist fights in the stands during a youth hockey game. But anyway, everyone sees and knows the rules/rink behavior policy and knows what's at risk when tempers flare, and it does seem to keep things at a low simmer!

Maybe the other part of it for me personally is since I am a big Disney fan and going to the POR in Jan, and I want to see how things go, I am both surprised/not surprised at how poorly Disney executed the rollout, so I'm processing those feelings and probably focus on things like policy since I'm generally a rule follower, lol!

I hear you & I agree! I’ve also said I feel bad for those of you who were already booked. I hope ppl follow the rules not just for your benefit, but so it doesn’t ruin it for they rest of us !
And keeping track is 100% understandable. My comment yesterday was more aimed at the round-for-round arguments that had been occurring about the details. I felt like the hypothetical scenarios hit an all time high yesterday!

 

[CT Disney]

So, now that this new policy has started, is Disney treating dogs that enter the theme parks any differently? Are they actually asking people if the dog they are bringing in is a Service Dog?

How do they plan on keeping the pets (non-service dogs) out of the theme parks, I wonder?

 

[LSUmiss]

So, now that this new policy has started, is Disney treating dogs that enter the theme parks any differently? Are they actually asking people if the dog they are bringing in is a Service Dog?

How do they plan on keeping the pets (non-service dogs) out of the theme parks, I wonder?

I think legally all they can do is ask.

 

[CT Disney]

I think legally all they can do is ask.

Yes, but are they asking?

 

[toodycat]

Hi. I just want to share a little more from the allergy/anxiety side and of the fence. My son has autism and fears dogs ever since one knocked him down when he was two. Dog people tell me that with the right exposure, he'll get used to dogs. Ummm,, not so much. As for me, I sincerely like the idea of dogs. If I see you walking your dog, I am likely to smile and say how cute it is from a safe distance. I bear dogs no ill will. I loved the idea of the dog parade at the GF during the hurricane because it meant people and their pets were safe and having fun. But, if I'd been there, I wouldn't have been so pleased with the dogs. I just can't breathe and be around them at the same time. Even Portuguese water dogs cause me some asthma, though not the full out rash, asthma, eyes so swollen the blood vessels burst combo a more furry dog can cause. I always have Benadryl and an EpiPen around and mostly, I avoid dogs, but I realize that sometimes I will encounter them. When I do, I expect employees of wherever I am to respect my health and work with me to avoid dog proximity .

A few years ago, I was on a flight with a dog. The dog owner was supposed to place the crated dog under the window seat in front of her. For whatever weird reason, she decided that placing him under my seat, which was an aisle,would be more comfortable for the dog. I told the flight attendant that I couldn't tolerate having a dog under my seat. The dog owner's companion piped up, "She paid $200 to bring that dog!" The flight attendant said, "Yeah, she paid $200 to bring that dog!" My husband said, "She didn't pay $200 so that the plane can make an emergency landing in Baltimore when my wife can't breathe!" My point is that just because dogs are allowed and someone has paid extra doesn't mean those of us with allergies should just suck it up and have to suffer. Dog owners are paying extra for the room cleaning, not for pet impunity So much of WDW is walking and I can't walk if I can't breathe.
I am disappointed to have to cross YC and POR off of my potential resorts list. These two are the ones we would have been most likely to visit; we aren't a big enough family for AoA and the FW cabins aren't to my taste. But I get it: the pro-dog contingent has what they want. I'm fine with that as they respect my health and boundaries. PS we were eventually moved to the front of that plane.

 

[Sara Peters]

Has anyone been successfully moved to a different resort due to allergies??? Specifically from the Yacht Club to somewhere else? Where did they move you to? The only resorts available for our stay are Floridian, Animal Kingdom (which we don't want) and "possibly" the beach club the CM said. He wanted to "try" and move us to the beach club. But he could not tell me if there were 3 rooms available there until I agreed to move. He was in guest services and he was RUDE. I don't want Beach Club. It shares the same lobby, pool area etc. with Yacht Club and from what I understand the dog relief area is right by the pool. My 2 yo is petrified of dogs and my nephew is severely allergic. We just want to be away from them so we don't run into any issues at all. And Disney doesn't seem to care at all. They just want more money to move us to the Floridian. We cannot afford more money. We are already paying $15,000 for these 3 rooms/tickets/dining! It is not our fault that you spring this new policy on us with no warning a month before our visit.

 

[Candlelady]

Has anyone been successfully moved to a different resort due to allergies??? Specifically from the Yacht Club to somewhere else? Where did they move you to? The only resorts available for our stay are Floridian, Animal Kingdom (which we don't want) and "possibly" the beach club the CM said. He wanted to "try" and move us to the beach club. But he could not tell me if there were 3 rooms available there until I agreed to move. He was in guest services and he was RUDE. I don't want Beach Club. It shares the same lobby, pool area etc. with Yacht Club and from what I understand the dog relief area is right by the pool. My 2 yo is petrified of dogs and my nephew is severely allergic. We just want to be away from them so we don't run into any issues at all. And Disney doesn't seem to care at all. They just want more money to move us to the Floridian. We cannot afford more money. We are already paying $15,000 for these 3 rooms/tickets/dining! It is not our fault that you spring this new policy on us with no warning a month before our visit.

Beach Club does not share a lobby with the Yacht Club. Separate hotel with the shared SAB pool. Dogs are not allowed at the pools.

 

[Kay123456]

Has anyone been successfully moved to a different resort due to allergies??? Specifically from the Yacht Club to somewhere else? Where did they move you to? The only resorts available for our stay are Floridian, Animal Kingdom (which we don't want) and "possibly" the beach club the CM said. He wanted to "try" and move us to the beach club. But he could not tell me if there were 3 rooms available there until I agreed to move. He was in guest services and he was RUDE. I don't want Beach Club. It shares the same lobby, pool area etc. with Yacht Club and from what I understand the dog relief area is right by the pool. My 2 yo is petrified of dogs and my nephew is severely allergic. We just want to be away from them so we don't run into any issues at all. And Disney doesn't seem to care at all. They just want more money to move us to the Floridian. We cannot afford more money. We are already paying $15,000 for these 3 rooms/tickets/dining! It is not our fault that you spring this new policy on us with no warning a month before our visit.

I suggest emailing guest services along with iger and george. A cm will call you and try to pacify your worries. They are easier to deal with and you can have them take a deeper look for you as far as room availability. I was successful getting a non dog building at our resort and an upgraded room for no charge. She would have switched my resort if I had asked. Some people have been switched to the contemporary and beach club from the yacht club.

 

[Sara Peters]

Beach Club does not share a lobby with the Yacht Club. Separate hotel with the shared SAB pool. Dogs are not allowed at the pools.

Ok, sorry the CM in guest services told me that they shared the same lobby. However, he was the one that tried to tell me the Floridian was also one of the resorts accepting dogs now also! I said trust me it's not. He tried to argue with me and I told him to recheck.