Bringing a pet to WDW

[journ116]

Hi all! I figure this site is the perfect spot to ask: For those who bring their pets on their WDW vacations, what do you do? My younger sister and her family would love to make a trip to WDW sometime after her DH returns from a 6-month deployment. Their dilemma though: they are driving so that they can bring their 7-year-old lab, BUT they don't want to board her overnight anywhere (back in Nov. 2012, my sister boarded both of her labs, but on the day she arrived home, her beloved little boy lab, got very ill, and later died). My sister and her DH are beyond paranoid at the thought of ever boarding their little girl pup, so she's trying to come up with alternative places that would accommodate pets.

She had run some numbers for renting an RV, staying at the FW Camp Sites, and paying to have her pup stay at the on-site 'doggie day-care." The sum for a week, (without gas, food, and park passes) came to $3000!

Anyone here run into this dilemma (or know of someone), that eventually found a solution?

Thanks in advance for any advice and/or helpful hints!

 

[journ116]

Oh, nothing is off the table: from staying at an off-site hotel, to possibly renting a house (if any accommodate pets)! Let's brainstorm so I can get her down there with me!

 

[Lil Fort]

Do they need the doggy day care? We bring our fur babies with us to the Fort each year and we leave them in the RV with the AC on while we are gone. This is what most folks at the Fort with pets do. We turn the TV or a radio on for some background noise so they don't hear the folks outside and they have always been fine, just like when we leave them at home to go to work. If their pup doesn't have separation anxiety issues, she would probably be fine in the RV. Just don't forget to come back for potty breaks!

Were they planning on renting the RV and driving it to the Fort or going with an onsite rental company? If they were thinking of driving the RV to the Fort, there are several companies in Orlando that will rent a trailer and even set up on their site and take it down when they leave. This is a much cheaper option than renting locally and paying for the gas to drive the RV to Orlando. Most RVs only get 8-10 mpg and it adds up fast. We make a yearly trip from MN and gas is one of our biggest expenses. PM me if you would like the names of a couple of companies.

One thing to remember when renting an RV with pets at the Fort is that pets aren't allowed in pop-ups or anything with soft sides. A determined pet could easily chew through the canvas and escape. Never a good thing.

 

[journ116]

just sent you a message! (or conversation...I have no idea)

 

[Lil Fort]

just sent you a message! (or conversation...I have no idea)

Got it!

BTW - if they do decide to stay at the Fort, there are different types of sites for RVs (full-hookup, preferred and premium) and the price/night can vary substantially (almost double depending on the time of the year). With a rental RV the full-hookup would be the least expensive option (They also have partial-hookup sites, but the Fort doesn't have a dump station, so even though they will let you put a smaller RV on one, I wouldn't recommend this with an RV that has 'facilities'. The holding tanks will fill up before the week is over. The partial-hookup sites are meant more for pop-ups and tents that don't have 'facilities'.) The full-hookup sites have a concrete pad and also an area that is made of coquina (crushed shells). The preferred sites are the same as the full-hookup, but they are located near the marina and the premium sites are larger and the entire pad is concrete as opposed to the part concrete, part coquina. (coquina is good for putting up a tent, but it does get tracked around).

There are comfort stations (laundry, bathrooms and showers) in almost every loop, and they are some of the nicest that I have seen at a campground (there is only one campground we have visited that I would consider nicer and we do a lot of RVing).

Let me know if you have any other questions and good luck helping your sister with her travel plans!

 

[Figgy1]

If staying off sight is possable I would look around for a house or condo that allows pets, a lot cheaper than an rv and campsight fees. Good luck , my vet workks with a lovely kennel so I haven't had to make that choice. But my neighbor's dog went last year to Kissimee for a wedding so I know a house or condo is out there for you.

 

[BigRedDad]

An RV at FW is required if keeping a pet there. It must have an AC regardless of the time of year. When I looked at some of the estimates of renting and RV and a site, it came to about $200-$225 a night. That is not that bad, especially if you have multiple people in the RV. For me, it would not be an issue because we only use the sleeping space for sleeping.

 

[real mad hatter]

Book you pet into Disney pet resort onsite.Can't remember what it's called again.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I'd considered Best Friends Pet Resort b/c of the good reviews, but their prices are just so much higher than my local boarding facility (+ our local facility includes more in the basic price)...so we immediately nixed that plan. We decided that renting a house offsite was the only way we'd consider bringing our dog...unless we ever get an RV. I didn't do a huge search, but I did find a handful of nice houses that will permit pets that were fairly close and afforded a significant savings if you're willing to stay offsite. Also, while my dog is great with boarding, I think she'd be pretty frazzled by having us come visit her mid day, but then leave her there at night to sleep...i.e. she'd much prefer to come home with us at night vs. being afforded mid-day visits. Plus if you are concerned about health- that's always going to be at least some of a concern with any kind of boarding or daycare, so renting a house would eliminate the bulk of that.

 

[real mad hatter]

Thats it. Best Friends Pet Resort. You would be barking mad not to use it.

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Here's my own recommendation as a dog owner -- DONT take your pets to WDW. Leave them at your local home kennel. I know some people are in a position where the dog has to be with them, but I would strongly say leave them at home -- Kennels have long-stay rates (for a week or more) and it is far safer, better, and less crazy for you and your pet. Your plans at WDW will change almost every day. Are you going to plan your vacation around times to return to your house to walk the dog and feed it? Don't do it -- everyone will be stressed out, including your pet.

 

[journ116]

Here's my own recommendation as a dog owner -- DONT take your pets to WDW. Leave them at your local home kennel. I know some people are in a position where the dog has to be with them, but I would strongly say leave them at home -- Kennels have long-stay rates (for a week or more) and it is far safer, better, and less crazy for you and your pet. Your plans at WDW will change almost every day. Are you going to plan your vacation around times to return to your house to walk the dog and feed it? Don't do it -- everyone will be stressed out, including your pet.

I can see where you're coming from...but, my sister's lab is like her first child, and after her most recent experience with the kennel near her home (which she's used of few times before), they do not want to leave their pet there. They just cannot bring themselves to that point where they'd feel comfortable being a thousand miles away from their "kid." So, leaving their pet at home, with anyone at any facility, is not an option.

My sister has looked into the on-site 'doggy day-care' (which will only be minutes away vs. hours), will have access to her own car, and realizes that she won't be able to tour WDW like she used to. We'll see though when the time comes how things work out. They will have to alter their normal touring plans anyways, because they'll be taking their 1-year-old son for his very first visit...so, things will need to be slowed down and adjusted anyways.

Thanks for you honest input though...those were my initial thoughts as well (but I don't own a pet).

 

[HouCuseChickie]

I can see where you're coming from...but, my sister's lab is like her first child, and after her most recent experience with the kennel near her home (which she's used of few times before), they do not want to leave their pet there. They just cannot bring themselves to that point where they'd feel comfortable being a thousand miles away from their "kid." So, leaving their pet at home, with anyone at any facility, is not an option.

Another thought...

...up until we found our current boarding facility, we boarded our dog with our old vet. We've since moved and they are just our emergency vet and back up plan for boarding (since they are too far). Still, the vet...especially if they are a practice that offers 24/7 service like our old vet...is usually the safest boarding option. Even if they don't offer such emergency services, most vets that offer boarding keep on at least one tech overnight...i.e. you'll still have someone with above average veterinary knowledge there for the animals. While our current vet doesn't offer onsite boarding (they use their potential boarding space for livestock vet care), they are the on call vet for the boarding facility we do use. Just thinking your sister may have more peace of mind leaving her pet if they've got any options locally like this.

 

[Lil Fort]

Here's my own recommendation as a dog owner -- DONT take your pets to WDW. Leave them at your local home kennel. I know some people are in a position where the dog has to be with them, but I would strongly say leave them at home -- Kennels have long-stay rates (for a week or more) and it is far safer, better, and less crazy for you and your pet. Your plans at WDW will change almost every day. Are you going to plan your vacation around times to return to your house to walk the dog and feed it? Don't do it -- everyone will be stressed out, including your pet.

For someone staying offsite that might be the case because of travel time to and from the rental house, but staying at the Fort that really isn't a huge deal. We always bring our dogs and they thoroughly enjoy it, as do we. Being able to have your pet stay with you is one of the perks of staying at the Fort. When we go to the parks, we usually head back to the RV after about 5 or 6 hrs and let the dogs do their business. We also take some time to relax, eat something, do a little looping in the golf cart and spend some time with the fur babies. The Fort has a dog park, so we usually head over there to let them run off leash for a bit and let off some steam. Then when we are ready to go back to the parks, we put them back in the RV with the TV or radio on and they are happy to nap in air conditioned comfort rather than in a cold cage at a kennel. The couple hours of downtime with the pups really helps to re-energize us for the second half of our day.

 

[GoalieGirl16]

Could she pay a pet sitter at home to take care of the pup? Local college kid or elderly person? You mentioned deployment. If she is a military defendant she should be able to get some great discounts. Does Shades of Green allow pets? Or do any of the nearby installations have kennels? Just some thoughts.

 

[journ116]

Another thought...

...up until we found our current boarding facility, we boarded our dog with our old vet. We've since moved and they are just our emergency vet and back up plan for boarding (since they are too far). Still, the vet...especially if they are a practice that offers 24/7 service like our old vet...is usually the safest boarding option. Even if they don't offer such emergency services, most vets that offer boarding keep on at least one tech overnight...i.e. you'll still have someone with above average veterinary knowledge there for the animals. While our current vet doesn't offer onsite boarding (they use their potential boarding space for livestock vet care), they are the on call vet for the boarding facility we do use. Just thinking your sister may have more peace of mind leaving her pet if they've got any options locally like this.

Unfortunately, leaving their pup at home at any facility, whether it's boarding her at the vets or somewhere near-by (which was the exact scenario when my sisters' little boy lab died), is not an option. When my sister had to leave the area for a week in November, she boarded both of her pups at a very, very reputable place that had access to a vet's office. Sadly, her black lab got 'bloat,' and succumbed to the repercussions only after suffering 4 back-to-back heart attacks. He was even transferred to an emergency clinic and had a 2-hour surgery. As you can imagine, my sister and her DH do not want to be more than a quick drive from their remaining yellow lab.

But thank you for your thoughts and options!

 

[journ116]

Could she pay a pet sitter at home to take care of the pup? Local college kid or elderly person? You mentioned deployment. If she is a military defendant she should be able to get some great discounts. Does Shades of Green allow pets? Or do any of the nearby installations have kennels? Just some thoughts.

I had thought of this as well: she is surrounded by good military friends, all of whom are good candidates to watch her beloved lab. But, the quandrary here is that my sister and her DH only want to be a quick drive away from their dog, not a 2-3 hr. flight.

I will have to look into SoG, but I'm pretty sure the only on-site option is FW. There is an on-site kennel, near Port Orleans Riverside, that not only offers full boarding (which they still won't do), but also a 'day-care.' They would be a little bit more comfortable with that option, while they tour the parks. Either way, they're looking at a good 2 hours added into their schedule just getting from wherever to the kennel, then from the park to the kennel, then from the kennel to 'home.'

Thank you for your suggestions!

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Its kind of sad that what you are dealing with at this point is probably more psychiatric in nature than practical -- but I think you've gotten some good opinions here about options at WDW.

 

[journ116]

Its kind of sad that what you are dealing with at this point is probably more psychiatric in nature than practical -- but I think you've gotten some good opinions here about options at WDW.

They were, and are still, very heart broken over the sudden loss of one of their dogs. They had their dogs for a good 6 years before their son came along...so, for all intensive purposes, their dogs were/are their first borns.

I cannot reason with a grieving individual...I can only help them find viable solutions, no matter the hassle. Plus, to them, driving around for an extra 2-hours/day to take care of their pup while on a WDW vacation together, is much better than spending 6-months a part due to a military deployment.

But believe me, I can relate to where you're coming from.

 

[GoalieGirl16]

My post should have read "military dependent" not "military defendant". Stupid autocorrect.