If you’re anything like me, I don’t like traveling without my dog – he’s part of our family! Thankfully, Walt Disney World has pet-friendly accommodations in each of its resort categories. Art of Animation (both Little Mermaid rooms and family suites), Port Orleans – Riverside, Fort Wilderness (both RV or camper sites and the cabins), and the Yacht Club. I have brought our yellow Labrador retriever to almost all of these resorts and always had a paw-sitive experience!
There is a nightly fee to bring your dog – $50 plus tax for Art of Animation, Port Orleans – Riverside, the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, and $75 plus tax at the Yacht Club. At resort check-in, you will complete a questionnaire about your pet and receive a “Pluto’s Welcome Kit” typically consisting of a water and food bowl, a mat for the bowls, pick-up bags, and a Disney tag for their collar. I feel this is a fair price since it is less than it would cost for our dog sitter at home. Each resort has dog walk/ relief areas and additional pet supplies for purchase in the resort gift shop.
My family enjoys taking an afternoon break at our Disney resort anyway, and now that we have a toddler, we are usually back to the room pretty early. This provides our dog the opportunity to get a walk and see us without feeling too left out on our vacation. It is important to consider you will need to schedule time to visit with your pet during the day. There are also dog-sitting services outside of Disney property that will come to your resort and walk your dog for you.
Art of Animation
How awesome is it your dog can take a picture with Simba or Lightning McQueen? This resort offers a ton of walking space for your dog. The Little Mermaid rooms are on the small-side if you have larger dog like me but you can also book the larger family suites (Cars, Finding Nemo, and Lion King themes). There is no dog park at this location and the green spaces are a little harder to find – mostly by Hourglass Lake.
Port Orleans-Riverside
Port Orleans-Riverside offers dog-friendly rooms in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort. This is a large enough resort with plenty of green space. There’s not much outdoor seating at their restaurants but we found our dog really enjoyed walking this large resort. He even got to try Mickey beignets!
Fort Wilderness
Fort Wilderness is hands-down the most pet-friendly of the Disney resorts and is always where I see the most dogs. Our dog has stayed in both a camper and the cabins, each equally accommodating. Fort Wilderness offers plenty of green space for walks without getting in the way of other guests. I have also seen people set-up small fenced area/ baby gate outside their cabin or camper so that their pups can enjoy being outside with their owners without a leash. Not only is there plenty of room to roam around, there is also a spacious dog park separated into one for small and large dogs. Right beside the dog park is golf cart parking and a playground so the whole family can get out and play! Speaking of golf carts, my dog loves cruising around Fort Wilderness! If you’ve never been to Fort Wilderness, “loopin” is a quintessential part of your visit. Just hop on your golf cart and enjoy Disney nature and plenty of fun decorations at each campsite loop. You can also bring your dog out to Chip n’ Dale’s campfire sing-along and Clementine’s beach to watch the fireworks and Electrical Water Pageant… talk about Disney magic!
Have you brought your dog to Disney World with you? Let us know! If you have questions about bringing your dog to Disney, be sure to reach out to your Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent!
Hannah Anderson is a Dreams Unlimited Travel Agent, DIS Contributor, former Disney Cast Member, and Orlando local. Mostly importantly, she is a mom and loves spending time in the Disney Parks each week with her family.
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