For pet owners, one of the toughest parts about heading on vacation is leaving your dog back at home. I have a hard time leaving my two Golden Doodles at home or boarding them when we leave for vacation.
If you don’t have someone to take care of your dog or can’t imagine leaving them behind, the good news is there are a few options at Walt Disney World which allow you to bring them here. I was surprised to learn that Walt Disney World allowed dogs at some of the on property resorts.
Let me introduce the star of these pictures Walt, the Disney Doodle. We stayed in one of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort dog-friendly rooms with Walt for his first Easter when he was 6 months old.
We have not brought our second doodle, Roy, to Disney World yet. We are planning to take another trip down with both of them soon. They are our Disney Doodle Brothers.
Here is everything you need to know If you are thinking about bringing your furry friend with you on your next Walt Disney World Vacation.
Are Any Of The Disney Resorts Pet Friendly?
Yes, there are 4 pet friendly Disney World Hotels. Dog owners will be excited to learn there are a few Disney World resorts which you can bring your dog to.
Pet-Friendly Hotels have been gaining popularity with many hotels now offering Pet Friendly Accommodations. Disney is no exception as they now also offer dog-friendly rooms on property.
A few years back Disney ran a pilot program to see if they should allow small pets into Disney resort hotels. Now of course that brought a whole world of change for any cast member who needed easy access to your hotel room for security checks or housekeeping.
Keep in mind that while you’re staying at one of Disney Resort’s pet-friendly rooms, getting housekeeping will be a bit more limited.
Know that Disney World offers pet-friendly rooms at all price points.
Which Resorts Are Pet Friendly At Disney World?
The four Disney Resorts that allow dogs are Disney’s Art of Animation, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, Disney’s Fort Wilderness, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
This value resort is a great option for families with young kids. You’ll find there’s plenty of space to walk around the lake with your dog, and the family suites offer more space for you all to spread out.
Disney’s Art of Animation buildings that are pet friendly are Building 2 in the Cars suites section, Building 5 in the Finding Nemo suites section, and building 7 with the standard Little Mermaid rooms.
Port Orleans Riverside Resort
This half of the Port Orleans resort is a spacious place to explore with your furry friend. Once again, there’s a $50 plus tax nightly fee for your pet, which you’ll pay for the duration of your stay. You’ll love going for walks along the river walkways each morning here, and it’s one of the quieter moderate resorts on the property.
This is where we stayed the first time we brought Walt with us to Disney World. We enjoyed the outdoor pet walkways for our morning walk.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Without a doubt the best place you could bring your dog at Disney is Fort Wilderness. Choose between camping, staying in an RV, or one of the cabins. All of these options are ideal for longer trips or those looking to spend time away from the parks.
You’ll find plenty of trails to explore with your dog, and there’s plenty of space for them to let off some steam. This resort even has a designated dog park called Waggin’ Trails Dog Park, which is perfect for them to make new Disney vacation friends.
This pet fee is also $50 per night for Fort Wilderness.
Fort Wilderness Cabins
Only select cabins are pet friendly although all of the loops are dog friendly to walk along. Be sure to book early to make sure there are dog friendly rooms available.
Fort Wilderness Campsites
Certain loops of the campground are dog friendly if you have your own RV. Check with the company you plan to rent an RV from to make sure the RV you rent in also dog friendly.
According to the dog-friendly policy, dogs are not allowed in pop-up campers or tents at the campsites.
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
If you fancy upgrading to a deluxe resort, you have the option of staying at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort with your dog. This resort charges $75 a night plus tax for your dog to stay.
Pet Friendly Hotels Near Disney World
If you’re willing to stay off Disney property there are other hotels/resorts that are pet-friendly hotels. Some are located on the Bonnet Creek Parkway or close by in Kissimmee or Celebration.
- JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort & Spa
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
- Bohemian Hotel Celebration, Autograph Collection
- Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
- Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World (If you want to really spoil your pet)
- Hyatt Place Orlando / Lake Buena Vista
Most of the hotels and resorts have a room pet-cleaning rate of about $25-75 per night. We stayed at the JW Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek over Christmas and it was a flat $150 pet fee for the entire length of stay. I will say, I really enjoyed staying there with Walt.
What Are The Pet-Friendly Disney Resort Fees?
There is an additional fee to bring your pet dog with you to Disney property. These fees are the room pet-cleaning rate to stay at the pet-friendly resorts.
- Art of Animation Resort: $50 plus tax nightly fee for your pet,
- Port Orleans Riverside Resort: $50 plus tax nightly fee for your pet.
- Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: $50 plus tax nightly fee for your pet.
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort: $75 plus tax nightly fee for your pet. This is the most expensive Disney World dog-friendly resort to bring your dog to.
How Do I Add My Dog To My Disney Reservation?
Upon booking your room, you will have the option to put a request in for a Pet-friendly room, much like you can request to be close to a bus stop, etc. Others in the groups have said that sometimes they upgrade folks, and just say oh well, your room is a dog-friendly room when it wasn’t previously. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.
Pet-Friendly Areas And Pet Relief Areas
The rooms that you will be allocated all have easy access to outdoor areas to look after your pet. There are pet relief areas set up, and you’ll be offered Pluto’s Welcome Kit when you check in. At the current time, it’s only dogs that are allowed on the site.
Keep in mind that only certain floors and sections of the resorts are dog-friendly. The majority of each resort is still free from pets so that they can help to accommodate and protect guests with allergies.
Another thing to remember is that while Disney is incredibly welcoming of dogs in these resorts, they aren’t allowed everywhere on property. Service animals are the exception to this, but otherwise, your dog can’t enter the theme parks, water parks, fitness centers, pool areas, or other communal areas in the resort. You’ll need to plan ahead for your visit to ensure you are giving your dog the love and care they need still, as the rooms at Disney aren’t ideal for them to be cramped up inside of all day long.
Pluto’s Welcome Kit
We absolutely love the addition of Pluto’s Welcome Kit for dogs checking in to the Disney resorts. It’s a fun way to welcome your little one on your vacation and helps to kick start your trip in style.
These kits include a food bowl, ID tag, plastic disposable bags, door hanger, feeding mat, and a special map with dog-friendly amenities marked. You’ll find that there are suggested routes for you to explore during your stay, making it easy to plan your walks each day.
We brought our dog to Port Orleans Riverside and we did not get a welcome kit. The cast member at the front desk that checked us in told me they no longer do this.
Pet Policy at Disney World
In each room, you can have up to two dogs, but they need to be well-behaved throughout your stay. All dogs need to be properly vaccinated and remain on a leash when they are in public areas.
Leaving Your Dog Unattended in Your Room
While we know you’ll be keen to head out to explore the parks, Disney asks you never to leave your dog in the room for more than seven hours unattended. When you are leaving your dog in the room, hang the Pluto sign from your welcome kit on the door when you are out. This will stop Mousekeeping from entering while you are away.
Disney cast members are allowed to call you at any time if they hear noise coming from the room to indicate your dog needs help or attention. You’ll be expected to come back within 30 minutes and obey this rule while staying here.
We didn’t get a Pluto door hanger when we stayed at Port Orleans, so we used the do not disturb sign. This will stop Mousekeeping from entering while you are away.
You’ll be expected to come back within 30 minutes and obey this rule while staying here.
We never experienced a call from the resort, as we tried to make sure Walt was tired out when he was in the room, along with trying to limit clear sight via the windows. We always secured Walt in his crate after we took him on a walk to the dog relief areas. Walt likes to chew on puppy pads, so we just nix that in our vacation packing.
Keep in mind that only certain floors and sections of the resorts are dog-friendly. The majority of each resort is still free from pets so that they can help to accommodate and protect guests with allergies.
Another thing to remember is that while Disney is incredibly welcoming of dogs in these resorts, they aren’t allowed everywhere on the property. Service animals are the exception to this, but otherwise, your dog can’t enter the theme parks, water parks, or communal areas in the resort.
You’ll need to plan ahead for your visit to ensure you are giving your dog the love and care they need still, as the rooms at Disney aren’t ideal for them to be cramped up inside all day long.
Do I need to provide veterinary documentation for my dog?
Yes, you may need to show vaccination records upon request so it is a good idea to bring this documentation with you. If you plan on doing any doggy day care options like Best Friends Pet Hotel you will also need this information.
Day Care For Your Pet
Best Friends Pet Care – Pets at Disney World
Many travelers to Orlando want to bring their dog but really don’t feel comfortable with leaving them in the hotel room all day long. If you feel this way, you can check out the Best Friends Pet Care Hotel.
Here you’ll be able to leave your little one in good hands while you head out for the day to explore. The park is a day-care resort but also offers overnight stays if that’s something you would prefer.
It will give you peace of mind while you are at the parks, knowing trained professionals are looking after them all day long.
The Best Friends Pet Care Hotel spreads over 17,000 square feet of indoor space, all of which is air-conditioned to keep your dog cool during the hot Floridian summers. There’s also 10,000 square feet of space outdoors which is covered, and another 25,000 square feet of dog park.
As you can see, there’s so much for them to do and see. It’s like bringing your dog to their own version of a theme park while you are out exploring at Disney World.
Operating Hours for the Best Friends Pet Care Hotel
The Best Friends Pet Care Hotel is open daily from one hour before the first park opens until one hour after the final park closes. Dogs who are staying here for the day or night will enjoy playtime, grooming, treats, and more.
There is a team of over 75 staff members working here who look after a wide variety of pets. You’ll find that the basic rate starts at $30 a day, but there are packages on offer for pets staying overnight.
Accommodation Options for Pets
The Best Friends Pet Care facility can house up to 300 dogs, cats, and other small pets at one time. However, to avoid disappointment, you’ll want to book well in advance of your trip.
There are so many great accommodation options for your pets, and you could book them for one night or multiple days at a time. Dogs can enjoy a luxury package staying in the VIP Luxury Suites, but you could also opt for the more basic Indoor Suite.
Cats can enjoy staying in the 2-Level or 4-Level Condos, which will offer them plenty of entertainment. Small pets, such as birds, rodents, and reptiles are also welcome. For these animals, you’ll need to bring their own enclosure. The rate for the stay for these animals is based on the size of the enclosure.
The facility isn’t able to look after venomous pets or primates, and no exotic species are allowed in the property.
Throughout the stay, your dog or pet will be treated like royalty. It’s a great way to keep your dog entertained while you are exploring the parks, even if you just check them in here for a day.
We think this is often a better option for those who are planning to spend the full day in the parks. If you want the best of both worlds, consider opting to take your dog here for the day and then bring them back to one of the four resorts at night for a sleepover with you and your family.
Best Friends Doggy Day Camp
Best Friends Doggy Day Camp for dogs to socialize with each other is only for Florida Residents. In order to enroll for Doggy Day Camp you will need to commit to regularly bringing your puppy or dog to Doggy Day Camp.
The Play & Stay for out of town guests is more like boarding. Pets stay in an individual accommodation with set play times. They do have a daytime rate so this is a good option for those who don’t want to come back from the parks to let their dog outside, but still want to see their dog at night.
Pet Paradise
We wanted our puppy Walt to be able to play with other dogs and not just sit in a kennel. Otherwise, we could have boarded him at his home doggy daycare where he would happily be able to play with his friends during the day.
We looked for alternatives in the area and brought our dog to Pet Paradise Winter Garden. He was able to swim in a bone shaped pool, play in a splash pad, and run around with other dogs all day.
For Day Camp (aka doggy day camp) at Pet Paradise, it was $39 as we prepaid for 10 days (which included weekends, weekdays only are considerably cheaper). One downside to using Pet Paradise is that since they were 30 minutes away from the parks and resorts we had to end our day earlier to pick up Walt.
Walt enjoyed spending the days we were in the park at Pet Paradise. He was so excited to go back in December that he nearly jumped out of the car window when they came to get him. Dogs are dropped off and picked up in carpool at this location.
The only downside was the 30 minute one way drive from Port Orleans. This meant it took us over an hour to drop him off and missed early entry every day. The good news is Pet Paradise just opened up a new Lake Buena Vista location that is 15 minutes from Disney World!
No matter who you find for your doggy daycare, you will need proof of vaccinations, and that they are up-to-date. Don’t leave home without those documents, or also grab some detailed photos with your camera. When we were on the Best Friend’s pet care website there was an option to upload copies of the vaccinations without having to bring them with us.
Both Disney’s Best Friends and Pet Paradise Winter Garden had options for VIP luxury suites which have options for climate-controlled rooms, and some with extra space.
Does Disney World Recognize Emotional Support Animals?
Of course, Disney World will honor any service dogs or miniature horses. If the animal identifies as an emotional support animal it will not be allowed into the parks.
Service animals are permitted to accompany their owners to help with disabilities such as visual or auditory impairment, epilepsy, limited mobility, autism, and/or medical response. This is important to remember when visiting public resort areas such as the dining halls, or pools.
While service animals are welcome on many rides and attractions at Walt Disney World, some are restricted. This is for the safety of the animal, other guests, and any other animals that may be part of a ride or exhibit.
Can Dogs Ride Disney Rides?
For most of the thrilling rides, (think any rides that go fast, or lift off the ground) dogs will not be permitted, even if they are service dogs. While we think it would be so much fun (for us at least) to ride Splash Mountain with our pup, they can’t be secured properly, and we all know Disney is not going to take a chance at ruining our vacation or allowing our furry best friend to get hurt unnecessarily.
The following attractions do not permit service animals
- Magic Kingdom Park
- The Barnstormer
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
- Peter Pan’s Flight
- Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
- Space Mountain
- Splash Mountain
- EPCOT
- Mission: SPACE
- Soarin’
- Test Track
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Alien Swirling Saucers
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
- Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Tours – The Adventure Continues
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
- Affection Section at Rafiki’s Planet Watch
- Avatar Flight of Passage
- Expedition Everest
- DINOSAUR
- Kali River Rapids
- Maharajah Jungle Trek — Aviary Area
If you are bringing a service animal and want to ride these rides you can use Rider Switch where members of your party can stay with the service animal. You also can choose the kennel option while you ride.
Can I Bring My Dog To Disney Springs?
Unfortunately, you can not bring your dog to Disney Springs for several good reasons.
Disney Springs is a high-traffic shopping area, where a dog could potentially be overstimulated which is not a good experience for anyone including your canine friend.
All that concrete gets hot in the Florida sun, and we don’t want to burn the paws of any animal. The only animals permitted are service animals.
As you can see, there are a few great options on offer for pet owners coming to Walt Disney World. We really appreciate the addition of dog-friendly hotels, allowing you to spend more time with your furry friend on vacation.
This is a great choice for anyone who hates being apart from their dog for an extended period of time. We know that coming on vacation can be tough for pet owners, especially if you don’t have family to leave your dog with back at home.
Instead, you can enjoy peace of mind when you bring your pet to Disney with you. You’ll love making new memories together as a whole family and having your furry friend with you for comfort at the end of a long day exploring the theme parks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be able to bring my pet dogs to the Theme Parks?
Only service animals are permitted to enter the park. Pets are not allowed in any of the Disney Theme Parks.
How many dogs can I have in the room at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels?
2 dogs are allowed per guest room in pet-friendly rooms.
Will I be able to take advantage of onsite Disney Transportation with my dog?
Dogs are only allowed in Minnie Vans for Disney Transportation. Only service dogs are allowed on the other Disney Transportation options. This includes Disney buses, monorails, and water transportation.
Are cats allowed at Walt Disney World Resorts?
No, only dogs are allowed at this time.
What other pets are allowed at Walt Disney World Resorts?
Only dogs are allowed at Walt Disney World Resorts.
Is the Disney Dolphin pet friendly?
No, Disney’s Swan, Disney’s Swan Reserve, and Disney’s Dolphin do not allow pets that are not service animals. If you are looking for a great pet friendly Marriott hotel, the JW Marriott on Bonnet Creek Parkway is a great option!
Is Disney BoardWalk hotel pet friendly?
No, Disney’s Boardwalk Hotel is not pet friendly. The closest resort that is pet friendly is Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
Are pets allowed at Animal Kingdom Lodge?
No pets are allowed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.