Despite their efforts to appeal to families, Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts have always been about as kind and welcoming to one family member, i.e. dogs, as the Evil Queen was to Snow White.
Signs are that is changing — a bit.
A Walt Disney World blog, WDW News Today, reports that some areas of some resort hotels will become pet friendly in October — the kind of friendly you pay $50 to $75 a night extra for.
Walt Disney World started a pet friendly pilot program about a year ago. While that test program is ending, customer response has apparently been such that the resorts chain will designate pet friendly floors of certain hotels on a permanent basis.
The hotels (and their pet fees) will be:
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
The blog post said there is potential for more resorts to be added.
Neither Disney World nor Disneyland allow pets inside the theme park other than service animals. Instead, visitors have been referred to the resort’s Best Friends Boarding Kennel.
Disneyland offers the same kennel option to visitors traveling with their pets.
Amid stagnant attendance, and realizing they were missing out on business, Disney officials approved the pilot program last year.
Under it, pet rooms were designated near outdoor pet walkways and green spaces. Guests received Pluto’s Welcome Kit at check-in, providing them with mats, bowls, disposable dog-waste bags, and other essentials. Door hangers were also made available so housekeeping knew when pets were inside rooms