Taking Your Dog on Your Disney Vacation

Planning a Florida vacation with your four-legged friend? We have a guest post from Disney expert Ben Kalle about traveling with your dog on your next visit to Florida’s Disney parks.

If It’s a Family Vacation, Don’t Forget Anyone!

Perhaps it is a situation you never understand until you have experienced first hand, but dogs are family. Each has his/her own personality, preferences, and specific quadrant of the head which requires frequent scratching. So if you embark on a family vacation, why would you leave a family member behind if unnecessary? Fortunately, if you are anticipating a fun week at Disneyland Florida, even a four-legged fur-baby can tag along.

Park Kennels

While you can easily bring your dog on your trip to Disneyland Florida, the animal policy common to many public places applies: only service animals are permitted in the park itself and many of the officially attached areas (as with so many things in life, checking well in advance saves considerable trouble). Even with this caveat, having an animal accompany you on your trip is still a worthwhile venture. Animals have different reactions to the kennel environment, and leaving a family member in the extended care of strangers can be an unhappy experience for you as well. By boarding your dog (or cat, or a number of other animals) in a kennel near enough to visit daily, you can still have the all important contact that can make a difference in the stay for your pet.

If a pet’s comfort is paramount, consider the location billed as Disney’s Pet Resort, something of a Ritz Carlton for guests’ animal companions. Rather than having several locations throughout the park complex, the kennels were simply consolidated, placing all resources in a single spot. Just about anything you might have planned for your pet while at home is possible here: walks, grooming, day camps for dogs…Almost anything is possible. And since it is directed by a company well known for such operations, you can go about your day without worrying about whether a dog or cat is in good hands. Whether your friend will remain there for boarding or simply during the day (the kennel is just across from the Port Orleans Resort), his or her comfort will be looked after well.

Accommodations with Your Pet

While animals cannot stay in the Disney Resorts, many pet-friendly hotels are located nearby, and are often less expensive. If you are more a camping minded person, consider staying at Fort Wilderness, which has pet-friendly sites. (These must be requested, however, and this request is not a guarantee of a space. Yet another reason to plan far in advance.) If you can claim one of these locations, you are quite fortunate, since you will be able to both stay within the park’s accommodations and spend quality time with all your favorite companions. While enjoying your day at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, or whichever park you choose, your pet can laze the day away at the Best Friend’s Pet Care facility.

If all the pet-friendly Fort Wilderness camping spaces are already spoken for, consider staying near but not in the park. Quite a number of local hotels have recognized the need to plan for guests who have pets with them. These may be less expensive as well, leaving you more funds to use for the park itself.

However you choose to maintain your pet on your trip, be certain to have written verification of vaccinations and a general clean bill of health. If you must board your pet separately from your family, be certain of the kennel you have chosen. Above all, have fun and enjoy spending your vacation with your pet, rather than just longing for that furry face that says, “I love you, can you feed me?”

About the Author: Ben Kalle writes for DisneylandFlorida.org where you can find great tips and advice for your trip to the happiest place on earth.

Photo: iStockPhoto/JodiJacobson

About Paris Permenter and John Bigley

DogTipper publishers Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of full-time writers. The couple has authored over two dozen books and 2,500+ magazine articles.

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