You can bring a dog with you on a Walt Disney World vacation, but a regular pet cannot enter Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, the water parks or Disney Springs. Dogs are instead allowed in designated accommodations at four Disney Resort hotels and at pet-friendly campsites at Fort Wilderness.
That distinction is important. Booking a dog-friendly Disney hotel doesn’t mean your dog can spend the day touring Disney World with you. Unless your dog is a trained service animal, you’ll need a plan for where your dog stays while you’re in the parks.
Where Your Dog Can and Can’t Go at Disney World
| Disney World location | Regular pet dog allowed? |
|---|---|
| Magic Kingdom | No |
| EPCOT | No |
| Hollywood Studios | No |
| Animal Kingdom | No |
| Disney water parks | No |
| Disney Springs | No |
| Designated dog-friendly Disney hotel rooms | Yes |
| Pet-friendly Fort Wilderness campsites | Yes |
| Best Friends Pet Hotel | Yes |
Disney’s official property rules state that pets and other animals are prohibited except for service animals and pets staying at designated pet-friendly Disney Resort hotels.
Emotional support, comfort and companion animals don’t receive the same park access as trained service animals. I’ll get into that distinction farther down because Disney treats the two very differently.
The Disney World Hotels That Allow Dogs
Disney currently has four Resort hotels with designated dog-friendly accommodations:
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
- The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort
The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort also accommodate dogs in designated pet-friendly loops.
This doesn’t mean the entire resort becomes pet-friendly. Dogs are restricted from most common areas, including restaurants, pools and recreational spaces. Disney provides designated outdoor walkways and pet-relief areas at its dog-friendly resorts.
If you’re comparing the hotels themselves, my Disney World hotels guide can help you narrow down where you want to stay. I also have a firsthand Art of Animation Resort review.
One easy mistake is assuming both Port Orleans resorts have the same pet policy. Riverside accepts dogs in designated accommodations; French Quarter isn’t one of Disney’s four dog-friendly hotels. My Port Orleans Riverside vs. French Quarter comparison explains the other differences between them.
How Much Disney Charges to Bring a Dog
The pet fee depends on where you’re staying, and it is charged in addition to the normal cost of your room or campsite.
| Disney accommodation | Current dog fee |
|---|---|
| Art of Animation Resort | $50 per night plus tax |
| Port Orleans Resort – Riverside | $50 per night plus tax |
| The Cabins at Fort Wilderness | $50 per night plus tax |
| Yacht Club Resort | $75 per night plus tax |
| Fort Wilderness Campsites | $10 per night plus tax |
Disney currently permits a maximum of two dogs per guest room. Dogs are expected to be well-behaved, properly vaccinated and leashed in public areas.
You should also have current vaccination and inoculation documentation available. Disney says it may request proof during your stay.
Can You Leave Your Dog in the Disney Hotel Room?
Yes, but Disney’s current dog agreement says a dog cannot be left unattended in the guest room for more than seven hours.
That makes a dog-friendly room practical for some park days, but I wouldn’t think of it as an unlimited place to leave a dog from early entry until after nighttime fireworks.
There are several other hotel rules worth knowing:
- Dogs must be leashed or in a pet carrier when outside the room.
- Dogs aren’t permitted on furniture.
- Housekeeping only services the room while dogs are not present.
- Disney provides a dog-specific Room Occupied door hanger to alert Cast Members that a dog is inside.
- If a dog creates a disturbance, Disney may require the owner to arrange boarding elsewhere at the owner’s expense.
That last point is especially worth considering if your dog tends to bark when left alone in unfamiliar places.
Best Friends Pet Hotel Is the Alternative for Park Days
If I were bringing a dog that doesn’t do well alone in hotel rooms, I’d look closely at Best Friends Pet Hotel rather than trying to stretch Disney’s room policy around an all-day park visit.
Best Friends Pet Care at Walt Disney World is located on Disney property and offers daytime and overnight boarding, grooming and additional activities.
Unlike Disney’s dog-friendly hotel rooms, the facility isn’t limited to dogs. Disney says Best Friends can accommodate dogs, cats and small pets, although reservations are recommended and vaccination documentation is required.
Boarding options range from basic indoor accommodations to larger suites with additional playtime and amenities. Because the packages and prices can change, I would check the current rates directly with Best Friends rather than planning around an old price quoted in a Disney World guide.
Getting Around Disney World With a Pet Dog Has Limits
This is another detail that’s easy to overlook when deciding whether bringing your dog is practical.
Regular pets cannot simply ride all of Disney World’s transportation with you. Disney currently allows dogs in carriers on certain buses serving Port Orleans Riverside and Fort Wilderness. Dogs are also welcome in Minnie Van vehicles and must remain on the provided pet blanket during the ride.
Otherwise, Disney states that only service animals are permitted on its regular buses, boats, Monorail and Disney Skyliner.
If you’re trying to figure out how much this affects your plans, my Disney World transportation guide lays out how the resort’s different transportation systems work.
Service Dogs Follow a Completely Different Disney World Policy
A trained service animal isn’t treated as a regular pet under Disney World’s rules.
Disney defines a service animal as a dog or miniature horse individually trained to perform work or tasks for a person with a disability. Trained service animals are permitted throughout much of Walt Disney World, including the theme parks and Disney Springs.
Emotional support animals, comfort animals and companion animals are not considered service animals under Disney’s policy and therefore don’t receive theme park access simply because they provide emotional support.
There are also attractions that service animals cannot ride because of the nature of the experience. Disney provides relief areas throughout the parks and may offer alternatives such as Rider Switch or a portable kennel at attractions where the animal cannot board.
If you’re visiting with a trained service animal, use my separate Disney World service dog policy instead, since the rules are substantially different from bringing a pet on vacation.
So Is Bringing Your Dog to Disney World Practical?
The hotel side is surprisingly manageable: there are four Disney hotels plus Fort Wilderness campsites that accept dogs, designated relief areas are available, and Disney allows up to two dogs per room.
The limitation is what happens once you leave the hotel. A regular pet can’t accompany you into a theme park or Disney Springs, and Disney’s dog agreement limits unattended room time to seven hours.
For a shorter park day, keeping a calm dog in a dog-friendly room may work. For long days in the parks, Best Friends Pet Hotel is the more practical option because your dog can be boarded or cared for while you’re away.
