Just back - 1-7 to 1-12-2018

[CrankyDad]

Well we were there over xmas and I have a blind daughter with a guide dog.. we weren't looking for other dogs but other dogs found us. Four times, while working, her guide dog was annoyed by little yappy ratty dogs IN HIS FACE. Im not talking from a distance, I'm talking IN HIS FACE SPACE. He was growled and barked at.

On a normal day ANYWHERE else DD and her dog travel this is rarely an issue so having her guide dog accosted in WDW parks four times in 5 days is odd.

It's a hassle traveling with a dog. I reallllly do not understand the peeps that feel the need to bring their pets everywhere in public. Sorry. It's weird. Emotional support dogs are NOT allowed in WDW parks.

If her dog had been bitten by one of these yappers, there would have been hell to pay. Disney allowing this dog nonsense and not asking people the simple questions is disappointing.

Here is what you forget.. Disney is private land.. They set the rules that YOU have to follow. If they say that animals.. Be that a dog, horse, cat or a bird is allowed and make that public, then so be it.. YOU choose to visit and then understand what is welcomed to their private land.

So Disney told you that if you come there, dogs are welcome. Just like a ton of other locations all over the world. If you don’t want to visit Disney due to that, do be it. But if your service animal is not trained to deal with other animals in a public arena, are they a really a service animal??

You don’t get to tell Disney or anyone else if they want to allow animals on their private land. They need to tell you the lay of the land, for sure. Nobody should be ambushed at a hotel or park and find dogs there if you were never told.

But they told you, so you are in the loop. Either don’t go or not. Up to you.. But good luck on your silly threat to sue ...

 

[vanillagirl]

Uh here's the real deal...you don't know what you are even talking about.

 

[epcotty]

Exactly. Disney's rules specifically state ONLY service dogs in the parks. Apparently sometimes telling a CM to notify them of a problem, so they can get security to enforce the rules better is necessary.

 

[mshanson3121]

We had a great trip. We stayed at BC. Our room was ready when we got there. The maid service was spotty. We had to call down for things that should’ve been in the room & for things that should be replaced daily. And they turned off the water one night & for our last 2 days the water was rusty/dirty colored. It even discolored the washing towel.

The crowds were higher than we expected but manageable. The weather was nice. We did see 1 large tour group, but we quickly went the other way.

The highlight of our trip was KTTK tour. It was fantastic, so glad we got to do it.

The lowlight of our trip was TUtto Italia. The service wasn’t good, the food wasn’t good, & it was the only place I wasn’t allowed to order off the kid’s menu.

The arts festival started our last day. It made Epcot more crowded that night and there were more buzzed people. An older guy on a scooter was flying around with a beer in one hand, trying to control he’s speeding vehicle with the other. A tad scary at night.

And lastly, dogs in every park! We saw dogs (not service) in every park we went to. Mini schnauzer, mini poodle mix, shaggy dog, and even a young pit bull that had on a pink tee with a rope muzzle around its mouth. The last one was at MK with a group of preteen girls. It was losing its mind during the fireworks. I don’t understand how all these dogs that are obviously not service dogs are being let in. There were also a lot (more than usual) large service dogs in the parks too. It’s easy to tell the difference by the behavior.

All together we had a Wonderful time & will be back later this year.
If anyone has any questions I’ll try to answer them. Thx for reading.

Were the obviously not service dogs wearing service ID?

 

[vanillagirl]

Prohibited items.....pets. Emotional support animals ARE PETS. Scroll down. L



https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/park-rules/

 

[mshanson3121]

Here is what you forget.. Disney is private land.. They set the rules that YOU have to follow. If they say that animals.. Be that a dog, horse, cat or a bird is allowed and make that public, then so be it.. YOU choose to visit and then understand what is welcomed to their private land.

So Disney told you that if you come there, dogs are welcome. Just like a ton of other locations all over the world. If you don’t want to visit Disney due to that, do be it. But if your service animal is not trained to deal with other animals in a public arena, are they a really a service animal??

You don’t get to tell Disney or anyone else if they want to allow animals on their private land. They need to tell you the lay of the land, for sure. Nobody should be ambushed at a hotel or park and find dogs there if you were never told.

But they told you, so you are in the loop. Either don’t go or not. Up to you.. But good luck on your silly threat to sue ...

You're really grasping at straws here.

1. Pets AREN'T allowed in the parks, only service dogs. Which does not include emotional support dogs. Disney is not enforcing the rule they set out. Which is what she was upset about.

2. Quite the accusation you're making on the dog's training. She said the dog was annoyed. She does not however say her dog acted out as a result or that it wasn't able to cope. Even the best trained service dogs will have their (minor) moments.

3. Where the heck did she say she was going to sue? Hell to pay can have many meanings.

If you're so tired of the service dog/dog complaints, here's an idea...stop reading and participating in the thread.

 

[CT Disney]

Here is what you forget.. Disney is private land.. They set the rules that YOU have to follow. If they say that animals.. Be that a dog, horse, cat or a bird is allowed and make that public, then so be it.. YOU choose to visit and then understand what is welcomed to their private land.

So Disney told you that if you come there, dogs are welcome. Just like a ton of other locations all over the world. If you don’t want to visit Disney due to that, do be it. But if your service animal is not trained to deal with other animals in a public arena, are they a really a service animal??

You don’t get to tell Disney or anyone else if they want to allow animals on their private land. They need to tell you the lay of the land, for sure. Nobody should be ambushed at a hotel or park and find dogs there if you were never told.

But they told you, so you are in the loop. Either don’t go or not. Up to you.. But good luck on your silly threat to sue ...

If you look at Disney's website, they pretty clearly state that pets are not allowed in the theme parks. Here is the exact wording from their prohibited-things-in-the-theme-parks list:

• Pets (unless they are service animals, defined as any dog or miniature horse trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability)

Your post doesn't really make sense...When and where did Disney say that non-service pets are allowed in the theme park? In fact, their rules state the exact opposite.

 

[DisneyFive]

Here is what you forget.. Disney is private land.. They set the rules that YOU have to follow. If they say that animals.. Be that a dog, horse, cat or a bird is allowed and make that public, then so be it.. YOU choose to visit and then understand what is welcomed to their private land.

So Disney told you that if you come there, dogs are welcome. Just like a ton of other locations all over the world. If you don’t want to visit Disney due to that, do be it. But if your service animal is not trained to deal with other animals in a public arena, are they a really a service animal??

You don’t get to tell Disney or anyone else if they want to allow animals on their private land. They need to tell you the lay of the land, for sure. Nobody should be ambushed at a hotel or park and find dogs there if you were never told.

But they told you, so you are in the loop. Either don’t go or not. Up to you.. But good luck on your silly threat to sue ...

It's been quite some time since I remember reading such a heartless post, but hey, it's a free country.

Dan

 

[vanillagirl]

Yes her guide dog is wonderful. He kept on working. Gave the pets a side eye and kept going BECAUSE HES METICULOUSLY TRAINED.. DD RELIES on him to keep her safe. But he IS a dog. He is not perfect. He's a dog..and disney is stressful. These little dogs literally popped out at him from the crowds. I wouldn't want peeps jumping out at me & screaming at me while I'm concentrating.

FYI he's from a fabulous school - guiding eyes for the blind. Legit and top notch

We know some resorts are pet friendly and did not choose to stay in one of those... ironically we were only bothered by dogs in the parks. And yes I saw a few other dogs that I assumed were service dogs because they minded their own business.

 

[ChristineOH]

I was surprised to see dogs that appeared to be non-service dogs at WDW last summer too. Only at MK, for whatever reason, but a couple were being carried by their owners. I also saw a guy smoking by 7DMT so...

 

[Deanie1]

I wish there was some kind of way for WDW to enforce the service dog rule. I love dogs - have 2 here right beside me - but I would never want them with me at WDW. I get a good dog sitter. I was saddened to hear of the little pit bull around the fireworks. We have had a dog that was terrified of fireworks and it was so hard on her at Halloween.

BTW, we at at TUtto Italia end of Nov and we had great food and service. We had the lasagna.

 

[Davey Jones II]

I guess I'm out of touch (what else is new), but what's the deal with this "emotional support animals" business? All you have to do is claim that your pet is there to support your fragile psychological state and you can bring him/her anywhere? Weird.

Arguably, ANY pet is for emotional support. I know my cat helps my emotions, but I sure wouldn't bring him to a theme park.

 

[mshanson3121]

All you have to do is claim that your pet is there to support your fragile psychological state and you can bring him/her anywhere?

Yes and no. This is per the ADA:

Q3. Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA?
A. No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places. You may check with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws.

So - service animals have full federal protection to go anywhere with their owner. Emotional support dogs are only federally protected to be able to fly with their owner and live with their owner (ex. in an apartment that normally doesn't allow animals). Anything else is up to state, municipal or of course, private law/choice (such as Disney). So, no, technically you can't just claim your pet is for emotional support and be able to take it anywhere. There are many places that will deny your dog entrance. Disney is supposed to be one of them.

However, again, per the ADA, this is where the problem comes in:

Q7. What questions can a covered entity's employees ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?


A. In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability.


Q8. Do service animals have to wear a vest or patch or special harness identifying them as service animals?


A. No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness.

Q17. Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals?


A. No. Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry.


^^^And basically, the lack of legislation on all of this, explains why this discussion exists here today. Unfortunately, because the ADA is too worried about upsetting a few tender snowflake's feelings (because most people with real service, or even emotional support dogs for that matter, would not be upset with being required to a) register their dog or b) have their dog wear special ID at all working times), it opens this all up to gross abuse, as we're clearly seeing at Disney, and other places I'm sure. So, all these people have to do is lie and say that it's a service dog, make up some service that it's "trained" to do and because a) they're not required to wear ID b) they're not required to be certified and c) Disney isn't allowed to ask questions requiring proof and d) there's a lot of scum bag (because sorry, anyone who lies about something like this is pure scum), lying, selfish, entitled people out there.... here we are.

 

[firefly_ris]

I guess I'm out of touch (what else is new), but what's the deal with this "emotional support animals" business? All you have to do is claim that your pet is there to support your fragile psychological state and you can bring him/her anywhere? Weird.

No, ESAs do not have public access, nor do therapy dogs. Of course that doesn't stop people from doing whatever they want anyway.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well we were there over xmas and I have a blind daughter with a guide dog.. we weren't looking for other dogs but other dogs found us. Four times, while working, her guide dog was annoyed by little yappy ratty dogs IN HIS FACE. Im not talking from a distance, I'm talking IN HIS FACE SPACE. He was growled and barked at.

On a normal day ANYWHERE else DD and her dog travel this is rarely an issue so having her guide dog accosted in WDW parks four times in 5 days is odd.

It's a hassle traveling with a dog. I reallllly do not understand the peeps that feel the need to bring their pets everywhere in public. Sorry. It's weird. Emotional support dogs are NOT allowed in WDW parks.

If her dog had been bitten by one of these yappers, there would have been hell to pay. Disney allowing this dog nonsense and not asking people the simple questions is disappointing.

I'm so sorry you had to deal with this on your trip. I sincerely hope you'll take a moment to email Disney to let them know the issue these unauthorized dogs caused for your daughter's trained service dog in the parks.

If they don't hear from service dog owners, they will continue to think there is no down side to overlooking the increased presence of untrained dogs in their parks.

Here is what you forget.. Disney is private land.. They set the rules that YOU have to follow. If they say that animals.. Be that a dog, horse, cat or a bird is allowed and make that public, then so be it.. YOU choose to visit and then understand what is welcomed to their private land.

So Disney told you that if you come there, dogs are welcome. Just like a ton of other locations all over the world. If you don’t want to visit Disney due to that, do be it. But if your service animal is not trained to deal with other animals in a public arena, are they a really a service animal??

You don’t get to tell Disney or anyone else if they want to allow animals on their private land. They need to tell you the lay of the land, for sure. Nobody should be ambushed at a hotel or park and find dogs there if you were never told.

But they told you, so you are in the loop. Either don’t go or not. Up to you.. But good luck on your silly threat to sue ...

Wow. So you're saying the blind girl with the trained service dog should bow out of visiting Disney because others are pushing the envelope and bringing unauthorized dogs into the parks? That's really awful.

 

[garada3]

I'm so sorry you had to deal with this on your trip. I sincerely hope you'll take a moment to email Disney to let them know the issue these unauthorized dogs caused for your daughter's trained service dog in the parks.

If they don't hear from service dog owners, they will continue to think there is no down side to overlooking the increased presence of untrained dogs in their parks.

This.

 

[tsme]

Thanks for the update - I was curious about the MK wait times now that it's post-holiday. Were there a lot of large tour groups? - I hear that January & July are huge months for that.

I only saw 1 very large tour group, at least 30 young people. Wait time varied from ride to ride. Peter Pan & 7DMT we’re always crazy long times.

We just got back from 1/6 to 1/13 vacation and stayed at AoA and hit the parks each day.. Sorry but some of the previous posters are totally overreacting to the dogs.

Sure we saw what were clearly service dogs but no more then in years past. AoA is now dog friendly and we saw maybe two the whole week. Screaming kids were more an issue then any dog at the parks or hotel.

Everyone needs to relax.

I agree with the screaming kids, total pain. As far the dogs, my issue with it is for the dogs sake, not so much the people (sorry). Those dogs didn’t ask to go to a crowded theme park with too much noise and most seemed stressed, especially the one in MK during the fireworks. It just seems cruel to subject a pet to that when you don’t have to.

we were at BC, too! the 6th-13th! i did not care for the resort. the crowds from the marathon lasted longer than i expected and the conventioneers that arrived thursday and friday! my word! Looks like I'm gonna have to find a different week to go next year....

I agree the marathon crowd did stay longer than I thought too. And convention people were a huge crowd. One morning we had to wait at Soarin while 600 (cm gave me the number) convention goers “cut” in line. And they were slowly coming thru in groups.

Were the obviously not service dogs wearing service ID?

Only one dog that I thought (by behavior) had a vest on. All the others did not, they were wearing anything from tees to Minnie Mouse stuff. All the obvious service dogs wore vests.

 

[tsme]

Any questions about KTTK tour?

 

[Disneylovingmomof2]

Some of the posts on here are ridiculous and I can’t believe someone is questioning pps experience with her daughter’s actual service dog. Pets don’t belong in Disney parks. The atmosphere, crowds, etc are not appropriate for pets and it’s a totally different atmosphere than dog friendly shopping areas and boutique stores that allow you to bring in pets.
In response to pp who said kids should be taught to ask if they can pet a dog before doing so- I totally agree. Unfortunately there are a lot of irresponsible pet owners who don’t always pay attention to how their dog is acting. I’ve had to pull my six year old away from a dog who got throaty- a dog who the owner was walking and specifically stopped to let the dog say hi to my kids. I could tell the dog was agitated and stepped in- thank god.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Some of the posts on here are ridiculous and I can’t believe someone is questioning pps experience with her daughter’s actual service dog. Pets don’t belong in Disney parks. The atmosphere, crowds, etc are not appropriate for pets and it’s a totally different atmosphere than dog friendly shopping areas and boutique stores that allow you to bring in pets.
In response to pp who said kids should be taught to ask if they can pet a dog before doing so- I totally agree. Unfortunately there are a lot of irresponsible pet owners who don’t always pay attention to how their dog is acting. I’ve had to pull my six year old away from a dog who got throaty- a dog who the owner was walking and specifically stopped to let the dog say hi to my kids. I could tell the dog was agitated and stepped in- thank god.

Totally agree. And also, the crowd situation may force dogs and kids to be a lot closer together than they normally would be at a typical park or on the sidewalk. Two year olds grab things. Dogs have tails. Parents and owners get distracted by all that’s going on.