First time to Disney World

[kota180]

I am going to Disney next year and am traveling with four adults, a 7 month old and two dogs. Does anybody have any suggestions on where to stay. We were thinking about renting a vacation home. Just wondering if the homes are big enough and if the prices are good.

Also wondering if the kennels at Disney World are a good place for the dogs?

Any suggestions would be great.

 

[KelsaBels]

Hi! We, personally, love the vacation homes. We have rented from All Star Vacation Homes 3 times now, and have never regretted it. We have also stayed at most of the resorts at one point or another, and like them also. We just find that when there is a group of us, a home with our own pool is much more suited to our needs and financially makes way more sense. What you get for your money in a home is just great for us!! We plan to go down in the fall when our baby is about 7 months, and hope to rent a home again!
I know the All Star Homes don't allow dogs, but if you plan on putting them in a kennel, you should be all set!
Good luck, and have so much fun!
Kel

 

[Sharon L]

We have stayed in a villa rented through Beachtree Villas several times. They are nothing fancy, but are always clean and conveniently located. They rent homes as well.

As for your dogs, I would suggest finding a good kennel near your home in Iowa, or perhaps a dog sitter. I have two dogs, and I know it's hard to leave them behind, but they will be much better off, and you won't have to use vacation time going to the kennel to walk them. Since you aren't going until next year, you have plenty of time to visit several kennels in your area and choose the best one. You may even be able to find someone to come and stay with your animals, which is something we did on our last trip.

Good luck and I hope you have a great trip!

 

[PigletIsMyCat]

You might also look into cabins at Fort Wilderness. They sleep six adults and some campsites allow dogs (for a small fee). But you will have to leave your dogs all alone all day long. And the Disney kennels (there is one at each park) are nice and fairly inexpensive (less than $10 a day) but you are required to walk your dog twice a day (three times a day for puppies). The kennels at Epcot offer a dog walking service for $2.50 a walk. And the kennels are not set up for overnight boarding, but will do it for a fee.

If you choose to get a pet sitter, make sure you check lots of references and leave contact info for you and your vet. If you board your dogs, I would recommend boarding it with your vet (or a boarder your vet uses/recommends). I boarded my dog with my vet recently for $26 dollars a day, and they are staffed 24 hours a day, they played with my dog, paid attention to her, and walked her.

If you are ready to attend to your dogs during the day while on your vacation, take 'em to Disney with you! (Also remember that in Florida you need proof of not only Rabies vaccinations, but Bordatella in order to board your dogs) But remember they will be caged or crated most of the day. If you would like to be able to enjoy your days without worrying about your dogs, talk to your vet about boarding them.

 

[maelstrom]

I would really recommend boarding your dogs. I know they are a part of your family, but I'm sure they would be more comfortable at home, either being boarded with your vet or if someone can come watch them.

I wish we could've brought our kitten to WDW, but we boarded her with our vet (for only $8/day!) and she had a great time at "camp".

 

[RonAnnArbor]

Boarding your dogs at home will allow you to look at ALL of the WDW options for housing - all resorts will allow you to book a room for 4 adults and a toddler so you can spread the cost around. The kennels at WDW are really meant for day visitors - people staying elsewhere who may need to board their dog or cat for a day. Of course, you can take a look at sites such as takeyourpet.com for hotels in the Orlando area that will allow you to have a dog in your room. Still, that will eliminate many of your WDW options. Of course, if WDW is only going to be a small portion of a longer stay in Orlando, then you should take a look at different options available to you. Just as a rule of thumb - pets are not allowed inside ANY of the WDW resorts except for a very few campsites.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

For convenience and peace of mind - leave the dogs in kennels at home.
No point in subjecting them to a long car journey. They have a doggy holiday and you have a relaxing time knowing that the dogs are being well cared for at home